This is a cut-and-paste from a review I did on an outdoorsy type forum with only a few minor changes to smooth off some rough language, so it's a bit out-in-the-woods flavored, but hopefully some of the info is still useful to civilized folk.
These are, at least to me, the ideal balance between the icky stuff traditional chicks use and the reuseable cups. They're individually packaged, semi-reuseable (the package tells you to toss em after one use; but frankly, I used a single one of them for three months once. Obviously, I cleaned and sanitized the thing multiple times during that, but still: they can certainly keep up with the normal, "non-replaceable" type for a while) little plasticy disc/cups but they're not designed like the normal menstrual cups. I'm not going to try to describe how they sit (if I recall, their website has pictures anyway), but the big important difference between them and the "regular" cup style is that you can empty them out without removing them. That's right sit down on your toilet (or squat over your hole, or whatever) and handle it just like you would if you were urinating old-school style. Then wipe off, zip up, and walk away. Wear one all weekend and worry about the mess and trash disposal issues of actually changing it once you're back somewhere with running water. Actually removing them is probably going to require handwashing, though but see below. I did have trouble with them leaking the first couple times I used them, but practice made perfect. After the first few, they've worked like a charm ever since. Also, the website mentions you can get your lovin' on while wearing these, but I'll just say "Don't count on it." I can see it being possible for some people, but I know my personal anatomy just ain't set up to accommodate it. Your mileage may vary.
In regards to a few things I've noticed in other reviews:
"OMG it's disgusting to remove!" Yes, if done according to the instructions, it is. I heartily recommend complaining to Evofem until they add a freakin' pull-stem to these. My cynical suspicion is that they don't want to muck-up their stupid "No strings" advertising campaign. Until then, you can get some of those super cheap individually wrapped medical exam gloves if you're going to be away from handwashing facilities (or use a sandwich bag. Or your stash of expired condoms. Or whatever strikes your fancy. Improvise and all that jazz.) Tie it closed after and it's a disposal bag as well. Also, with practice, you may be able to shift them down and forward with your pelvic muscles until the front edge pops out, which you can then grab with a bit of toilet tissue.
"OMG It's huge!" Read the friggin' instructions. It doesn't go in like a Diva/Keeper/whatever. You don't just wedge it in however the heck you feel like wedgin' it in there. The sides are squeezed together during application, resulting in a long thin shape that's no bigger around than a tampon.
"It wasn't comfy and it leaked." If you can feel it, it isn't in right. If it isn't in right, it'll leak. If you won't take the time to learn to put it in right (though once you learn, it'll only take about 10 seconds to do in the future,) don't bother trying them.
i cannot praise these things enough. i have been using them longer than most people have heard of them. you have to be willing to stick a finger up there to insert it then fetch it out later, but as long as you're cool with that, you're going to be happy. here's why:
(1) reduced bloating: i can't explain this to you. i don't know why this would have any effect on bloating. but somehow, because of the way it sits inside of me, as opposed to how a tampon sits, allows my body to expel excess gas i may accumulate during my period better than i'm able to do when i have a tampon in. throughout my teen years and into my early twenties, i used a tampon and never thought it was a possibility that the tampon was worsening my gas & bloating. it was only after i switched to menstrual cups that i realized there was a difference.
(2) quicker bathroom visits: i know they say you should put in a new one every several hours. i am probably living dangerously. but if it's mid-day and i'm in a public restroom, i can squeeze my PC muscles and that pushes any period tissue that may have accumulated in my cup right out so that i can flush it down the toilet. that gives me another 4-6 uninterrupted hours of wearing the instead, without removing it, without getting my hands "dirty", and without spending the extra $$ on an additional cup for the end of the day. it also means you don't have the discomfort of fussing with the position of your menstrual product when your cervix might be sore & not want the friction.
(3) sex during: once you have the instead in, you can have any and every type of sex you desire. whether that means you want your partner to know you're menstruating, or you wish to keep it hidden, the "instead" will play friendly. if you simply tidy up the outer surface before engaging in oral sex, your partner will not know you're having your period. if you intend to engage in intercourse, your partner will not feel it or notice it's there. if you fear leakage during intercourse, then just take your instead out and rinse it off, or put in a brand new one, right before intercourse. then your partner will definitely never know.
(4) some of our partners have no problem with our cycles, but will certainly appreciate the opportunity to keep the bed clean so easily. so i recommend it all-around if, for no other reason, because you wish to keep your mattress looking nice for many years to come.
Buy Instead Softcups 12 Hour Feminine Protection,14 Count Now
I suffer from a horrendously heavy 1st and 2nd day of my period. As a teacher, I don't always have the option to run to the ladies room when I need a "swap out" break. I dreaded when my first couple of days coincided with my back-to-back schedule.
By chance, I was sitting in my doctor's office reading a natural health magazine and saw an add for Diva Cup. When I got home I instantly researched it and thought it sounded like a potential life changer or a potential disappointment. I read the reviews and decided I should give it a go. I went to the local store that was supposed to sell it and was disappointed that they were out of stock, but they did have the disposable "InsteadSoft Cup". So I bought that because I was just about to start my period and I didn't want to have to deal with my double protective measures anymore! I ordered the "Diva Cup" here and had it shipped 2-day express mail.
So, I've tried both out. Here's what I have to say about each.
Both are amazing in terms of the volume they can hold before needing to "dump" or replace.
Where I once had to change a super plus absorbency at least once an hour (with a heavy flow pad back-up), I can now go 4-5 hours. Both products also handle endometrial tissue and blood clots without any problem. On my normal flow days, I can leave them in for 12 hours without fear of leaking! When both are positioned properly, you will not know either is there. If you can feel either of them, you haven't inserted it correctly.
Here's how they differ.
INSERTION:
The disposable "InsteadSoft Cup" is only one size. It consists of a sturdy bendable plastic ring with a plastic baggie-esque cup. Think of it like half of a female condom, only the internal ring is sturdier. The Instead Cup is exponentially easier to learn and put into proper place. It goes in farther into your vagina and you need to make sure you pop it behind your pubic bone (the bump with a ridge-like texture just north of your vaginal opening). The baggie part sits underneath your cervical opening and your flow collects into it. While this cup won't leak if inserted properly and are having a normal flow, it is common to see a some blood if you urinate or have a bowel movement. Since you're engaging your muscles, you'll displace a little flow in the process. This won't affect the efficacy of the cup after you use the toilet. No need to readjust.
The Diva cup is a completely bendable but sturdy cup. It's a similar material to a diaphragm, I instantly snipped off half of the stem after having read the comments here. I'm glad I did. Anyhow, the Diva Cup is extremely uncomfortable when you are learning how to insert it. The instructions tell you that you shouldn't insert it farther into your vagina than 1/4" from the base of the stem. This is true BUT the labia extend deeper inside and some of your internal space isn't the vagina at all, but space between your labia. How I realized I got it right was when 2 things happened, the first was that I was actually able to rotate the cup with no problem and the second was I heard a suction-noise. The Diva cup goes in deeper than you would think, but you definitely shouldn't be trying to shove it as far as you can. The cup sits lower in your vagina than the Instead cup. It isn't directly blocking the cervix. Rather it forms a collection blockade. Unlike the Instead cup, you won't see any blood upon using the toilet. If you do, you might need to remove, dump, clean and re-insert.
REMOVAL:
This is a biggie for me and one that makes me favor the Diva cup. The Instead Soft Cup requires you insert your finger and find the loop then you pull out. Because the cup is so flexible and bag like, it's a disgusting mess. Unless there is a garbage can next to the toilet, it can be awkward having to remove, dispose and put in a new one. Your fingers will get bloody! If you are squeamish, you shouldn't get this brand.
The diva cup is easier and much cleaner! The sturdier material holds its cup shape and blood won't spill out of it accidentally. It's quick to wipe out with toilet paper if you aren't next to a sink. If you push down on your muscles you can easily grab the bottom of the cup. It's easier to grab the base than the stem. (In fact, if the stem irritates your vagina, it's not an issue if you cut it off entirely).
INTERCOURSE & Other sexual activities:
You can have sex with the Instead Soft Cup and neither party will be affected by it. Because of where it is positioned, your partner won't be hindered and you won't be hurt or "rubbed the wrong way". It's a great solution to when you want to get intimate but don't want a bloody mess on the sheets (or the couch, or the rug).
Lastly, the Instead Soft Cup is also being used to aid in fertility. Rather than boosting your tush up in the air on pillows after sex, you can place the instead soft cup inside to prevent gravity from having its way with that precious male-mix!
You can't have intercourse with the Diva Cup and it won't prevent semen from slipping away from your cervical opening.
GOING GREEN:
Clearly, one is disposable and one is reusable. However, you use far less of the Soft Cup than you would tampon's and pads.
FINAL VERDICT:
Personally, I'm going to keep both on hand. I'll use the Diva Cup for my menstrual issues and the Instead Soft Cup for when my husband and I need some grown-up time during that time of the month.
PS Instead Soft Cups are cheaper at your local pharmacy.
Read Best Reviews of Instead Softcups 12 Hour Feminine Protection,14 Count Here
This is my first time trying this kind of product and, I must say, I'm pleasantly surprised.
The Instead softcup looks like a round rubber ring with a cellophane-like baggie attached to the lower rim. Insertion requires pinching the sides of the ring to flatten it, then it's a matter of making sure it's in properly.
The product leaflet says to think about the first time you tried wearing soft contacts, for example, and how you probably had trouble the first few attempts at inserting them. I found this very helpful; contacts were a chore to put in at first but, after awhile, you get used to it and it takes only seconds to do. The leaflet promises the Instead cup will be the same.
Meanwhile, though, it took both hands and several tries to keep it from sliding too far up in the back, poking uncomfortably somewhere, or turning kind of sideways. I think the secret is to be persistent. A couple of times, I was tempted to say, "I guess that's good enough" but, by being persistent, I learned that if it's really in right, you can't feel it at all.
I wouldn't be brave enough yet to wear JUST the cup without a pad underneath, or wear it to work where I might have to change it in the common restroom and feel rushed. Maybe after I really got used to it. It's also probably not the product for someone who's uncomfortable with her body. If you're squeamish about getting your nails dirty (or if you have really long nails--ouch!), you might not want to try this. You will probably have to get at least a finger or two into the work area to get it positioned properly.
The product description says you can wear one for "up to 12 hours." Actually, according the instructions, the length of time you can wear it depends on your flow--approximately twice as long as you usually wear a pad or tampon.
Removal wasn't bad at all. You'll need to hook the ring with your finger, but I can't see how it would get "stuck" in any way whatsoever. I guess there's the possibility it could go up further than someone's comfortable reaching so, again, you should be mentally prepared for that possibility. Definitely try it the first few times at home, where you're not likely to feel rushed.
It works like a charm for me, though. The only reason I'm not able to give it five stars is because I find disposal inconvenient. Obviously, you can't just flush a rubber ring down the toilet.
The cups come individually wrapped, and the instructions say to put the used cup into the wrapper the next one comes in, or wrap it with tissue and dispose of it in a wastebasket. Unfortunately the wrappers fit the product so snugly that it's hard to get a used one in without making a mess. If you opt to wrap it with tissue, it's likely to soak through (potentially embarrassing in a small office with a unisex restroom or at someone's house, for example). Maybe they could make the bags a little larger with tie-closed "handles" that make a neat, leak proof package for disposal.
I probably won't buy this product again because it's made me brave enough to try the reusable cups--also available on Amazon. Look up Diva Cup, Moon Cup, or The Keeper.
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I've been using the Diva Cup for about a year. I figured I'd try theses because I was curious and they say you can have sex with the softcup in. So besides the leaking, I have had a horrible time getting it out. I think my main problem is that I'm used to bearing down to get out my Diva Cup that I figured the same rule applies with this softcup. IT ABSOLUTELY DOES NOT APPLY. Seriously it creates some sort of blood-cannon out of your vagina. I'm not particularly grossed out by blood, but when my entire hand was drenched with my fluids, I was horrified.
I did only use the product three times, but with awful results every time it's hard to try it more.
These did make me realize that, if I'm going to have sex on my period, I should just put down a towel.
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