September 13, 2024 5:12 pm
I agree. I am not interested in using cups AT ALL; I don’t care about the environmental impact. The whole concept gives me the ick.
September 13, 2024 5:32 pm
They’re also not friendly if you have to use a public restroom! Do you walk to the wink with bloody hands?? That was always the biggest barrier for me.
September 13, 2024 7:55 pm
Thank you for saying this. I tried a cup and had a really terrible experience with it and then proceeded to feel guilty about the waste from tampons before finally deciding that actually, it’s fine. I do really care about the environment and there are lots of ways I show that. I wanted the cup to work out. I am lucky that I was able to throw it away after one use without major financial consequences. The cup didn’t work out. It’s ok. However you handle your period, it’s ok. I trust that everyone here cares about the environment and is doing their best.
September 13, 2024 9:46 pm
Saying this from a place of kindness and not criticism, but most menstrual cups cost about $12-50 and last for years. Maybe they used to be more expensive (or harder to come by), and certainly less well known (I didn’t hear of them until my late 20s!), but I think they’re more and more accessible and there’s a lot of research you can do to find one that fits before shelling out to try.
I just googled the average # of tampons a women uses in a cycle and it’s 20 (I had heavy periods so I went through a lot more than that!). A box of 10 Tampax tampons from Walmart is $12.99 (again, just googling so I know the prices can vary based on source and location, and of course brand).
But assuming that is an accurate average just for the sake of math, $50 cup pays for itself in two menstrual cycles. Other brands, like June, which has a $12 option, are actually less than two 10 packs of Tampax.
September 13, 2024 10:37 pm
Katie, I have used menstural cups for 7.5 years now. I have in total bought only 3 cups in the 7.5 years. So, in the long term, menstural cup decreases your expense. I bought them in India, where they cost less than $5 cup. Even here in the US, you can buy them online for an average $20. With regards to steep learning curve, even with pads/ tampons, we had a learning curve when we first started using them. In this day and age, where there are tons of videos and user reviews, if one wants to make a switch, it is not that difficult. I have travelled with my cup on long international flights/ trains and have had to discard in public toilets etc and I managed to do it. I feel, personally for me the switch has been the best decision.
September 13, 2024 10:44 pm
Sorry you feel shamed. One does what they can.
September 14, 2024 4:22 am
Chiming in to agree with Katie that this is a very valid point – and goes for pretty much all reusables (cup, pads, diapers etc.). It doesn’t matter if the ‘cost per wear’ works out cheaper, if you can’t afford the initial outlay. Poorer people don’t have access to economies of scale. Any of us who have tried cups know it’s not a one size fits all thing. There may be a cup available for $12 but that’s still a choice between spending $12 on something that may not work vs $12 on a box of tampax that will definitely work. When you don’t have much money, you can’t afford to risk wasting it. That’s without considering access to hygienic storage/washing facilities. I say this as someone who uses reusable products because I can now afford that initial outlay and have a work-life schedule that allows me to factor in laundry etc. but I don’t ever take that privilege for granted. Even the time/facility to research and purchase reusable products (vs pick up a box of tampax from any store) is a luxury not everyone has.
September 14, 2024 8:32 pm
Honestly I totally disagree with “steep learning curve” of cups- I think it’s just as bizarre and counter intuitive as tampons. Tampons leak constantly and are so unreliable. . And my god pads suck too because sometimes you bleed on the one goddamn spot on your undies where the pad ends, the worst!!!
I really think cups are worth the investment. I have a diva cup, one of the og brands. Mine was 30 bucks and I bought it 6 years ago and it’s still goin strong. I remember having to buy pads/tampons and sometimes having to free bleed or stretch uses because it was costly per box and I’d have to rebuy every single period!! I worked minimum wage and my food budget was 40 a month and pads/tampons per period was 25. I had/have an intense flow and would need 3-4 super x tampons a day.
And I’m sorry you feel shamed, gently, that seems like a you problem. We are all trying to be environmental, some people are more able than others but isn’t it worth a try? And I only bought 1 cup, so you might not have to buy a series of products, you might really like 1!
Honestly it blows my mind I no longer have to buy any period product!!! Even all these years later it is thrilling. And I am truly proud that I am no longer creating waste. And my cup is awesome I leave it in all day and only empty when I am in a private restroom- like my own, or a single room.
I wish it was socially acceptable to give them out as birthday presents. Haha. With a couple close friends I have.
September 15, 2024 9:29 pm
Thanks Emma O, that was a very clear explanation of why the cost-per-wear argument doesn’t always apply to someone with limited funds that need to be very carefully managed. I’m on my third cup in about 10 years (first one didn’t fit and I accidentally flushed the second cup that did fit), and half the time I can’t wear it due to my cervix sitting too low. I like that cups are an option, but no solution is going to work for everyone.
Bengali (Bangladesh) · 
English (United States) ·
September 13, 2024 4:17 pm
Thank you, Grace Farris! Sometimes when menstrual products come up on the Cup of Jo comments there is a lot of shaming of those that use disposable products. I find this super frustrating. There is a huge monetary barrier for women who may want to try a cup. They are expensive, as the comic says they carry a “steep learning curve”, and finding the right fit can take a few different products. I haven’t always had the funds to take the financial risk of trying a cup. In general, I try to use mostly reusable items, recycle and genuinely care about the environmental impact of my choices, but when it comes to women’s menstruation can we put an end to shaming?