Cup Ignorance

Yeah, there was this lock in at our school for the girls and were were telling our most embarassing moments and this girl was at her boyfriends house and she was on her period and they had dogs so when she went into the bathroom and threw her pad away, the dogs ran around the dinner table with it.

Reminds me of how my dog, a border terrier, being a hunting dog that can track down blood, she will raid the garbage for my pads and hoard them in my brother's room. Of course, now she is going to be kind of confused that she won't be getting any monthly treats...

You know what I think the big think is? People are just scared if the idea of the blood remaining free flowing.

Honestly, I think that was one of my biggest concerns, before I decided to just give it a try, lol. And even then I made sure it was a day when I wore a pad "just in case" and I knew I was goign to be at home. I guess I figured if I was at home using a pad, what's the worst that could happen?

But like I said, my logic (before I was educated abotu it) was: "Yes, but a pad/tampon ABSORBS the blood, thus in theory turning it into a solid. So even if you bleed a littel too much, it will still get caught int he fibers... But a cup-- its always liquid, all the time, and nothing to catch it, should you bleed too much."

But then I realized that there had actually been MANY times when my tampon had soaked through, and I had leaked, because I was having a very heavy day and forgot to bring extras with me... As in, I thought I was only going to be awayf rom home for two hours, but it ended up being 5 hours! So I would have to hunt down a bathroom, and make a "pad" out of UNREASONABLE amounts of toilet paper... Then I would have to worry abotu it soaking through. Or god forbid (this actually DID happen to me, but thank god, nobody saw it) -- walking around, and the toilet paper pad, having no sticky bottom to hold it it place, slides out fo my underwear, and out my pant cuff ontot he ground! I was wlaking down a college hallway alone when it happened, nobody around, because classes were in session. But think if the hallway would have been full of people???

And of course, I had to admit that even pads had their problems... They DO leak if they are too full. And even if they don't, they can leak jsut because of the angle you sit/lay in, or the way you move. Anyone who has ever used one knows very well that whenever you go to the restroom, there is an awful mess to clean up! So complaining abotu a cup being "messy" was just plain silly. I can honestly say, I have come in direct contact with more blood on my hands using a pad, than I have with a cup. Especially is you have a heavy flow. And with pads, you never really feel clean...

I guess I just had to admit those things to myself, before I worked up the courage to try a cup. Or at elast read other women's statemets that reminded me of it all. Not that cloth pads aren't far more comfortable than disposables, but... Especially after the age of 20, I was really an "internal product" kind of girl. And the whole "silicone rubber" thing did seems kind of cool and futuristic

*SIGH* I'm starting to think that its not only about "cup" ignorance, its also about PERIOD ignorance in general.

Today, I had to delete a rather ignorant comment off my "cleaning a menstrual cup" video, where I demonstrate how to wash it in the sink, and sterilize it. A man got really upset at me cleaning it in the sink, and left this comment:

"Somebody is going to be washing their face in that basin! Have some consideration for other people!"

So I deleted the message, and then emailed the user, with a copy of their comment, saying:

"First off, its not as though period blood is toxic poison... Second, women get blood on their hands while using pads and tampons all the time, and then wash the blood off their hands in the sink-- so what's the difference? Third, yes, I'm sure somebody will be washing their face in that sink... And its the same sink in which my husband washed his hands after picking up the dog poo our chihuahua left on our carpet, and getting a bit on his hands... The same sink my husband threw up in when he didn't quite make it to the toilet, when he had the flu. Sinks come in contact with all manor of things. That's why you WASH them."

Sorry, I know that sounds really grouchy, but hey, its that time of the month

LOL! I actually think your reply was very clever. And it was not overly grouchy, it was deserved. I'm sorry you got harassed though, it's never fun no matter how meaningless it is. And yes, some people ARE just ignorant regarding periods. Sad, really. I pity women who are stuck dating such men. And I pity the women who are afraid of their own bodies. :/

lmao! Your sink's got some mileage and you were right to delete that dumb comment.

First of all, I saw this video and I found it so useful and helpful (really, you made such a great work in helping people to learn more about cups...I really appreciate it!)

The comment left by that man only shows how big can be the ignorance of people about things that are normal an natural...and also, in his opinion what sinks are made for? If I can't use them for washing me (from blood, dirt or whatever) then where should I wash myself? What's more, menstrual blood is not a toxic waste! And even if it were, people use to clean their sinks, so after the use they are still perfectly safe for users.
I am not angry with this poster, because probably he reacted at the video in this way because he don't know a lot about period..but it's sad that in 2010 there are still so ignorance about our anatomy and nature...I hope things will change one day or another...

Ok, I am exhumeting this post because today it happened something which really made me upset...so I wanted to tell you because I konw you will understend...

This morning I was with a friend of mine at the local hospital: we were in the queue area waiting for our turn to have the results for a pap-test we have done some time ago. So we were talking about femenine things to kill the time, because I've done the test for the problem I already mentioned before (my too much short cycle); my friend because of a sensation of itch she has been feeling for a while. At one point, my friend told me:
"You know? My mom saw at a supermarket a new tampon...a silicone-tampon, reusable!"
I already knew that in a local supermarked they started selling the LadyCup, so I answered: "Oh yes, but it's not a tampon...it's a cup, it's called LadyCup" and I explained to her the way Cups work. She is such a young and open-minded girl, that I was so surprised when she reacted like this:
"Are you serious?? It's such a disgunting thing? Oh, I tought it was a kind of tampon...it's orrible! So anti-igienic! No girl can seriously considering the idea of using something similar!!" At that point I was already upset, but I kindly explained that I considered the idea, and I have been already using a Cup for some months...
She looked at me like a monster then, and continued to ignore every answer I gave her ("yes, it's safe...you boil the cup before using it" "no, it's not impossible to change the cup outside your house" "yes, of course you can wash the cup with a gentle soap" etc.), so at the end I gave up and changed subject...

What I am wondering is: why a young, intelligent girl find so disgunting something so natural? I was explaining about Cups because, at the beginning, I tought she was a little confused (...how can a tampon be made by silicone?)...but then I realized that she was not only confused, but she simply considered Cups like a bizzare thing, just for freaks:( I was so disappointed...

Just give it a little time. I mean, this girl in my science class (not the one on the bus) after she understood where I was coming from, she came to the point where she accepted it as a good idea, but not something for her at the moment.

Usually when I tell people about cups, I'm not in the mindset where I want to convert them right then and there, but rather give them something to think about and inform them accurately.

The best cup ignorance response I've heard was something like this:

L: "I'm buying a menstrual cup."
K: "what's that?"
L: It's a little cup that you use instead of tampons. You rinse it and reuse it, so it saves lots of money."
K: " EW! That's gross!"
L: "Do you want me to order you one too?"
K: "Ok, if it will save me money, I'll give it a go."

and she says she's not a salesperson.

CUP IGNORANCE HAS BEEN RESURRECTED!! lol.

Anywho, I know the feeling LisBeth. Ignorance is just not cool. I think it's hilarious that she thought a silicone tampon was cool and a silicone cup wasn't. lol.

LisBeth-- I converted one of my cousins to a cup. But I have another cousin who thinks the same way yoru friend does. There are some people who will just never accept it, no matter what you say.

I'm not sure why this is... Sure, some of these girls are close to their mothers, but I find that a girl sometimes reflects the communication she had abotu periods with her mother. Some moms are very relaxed with the subject of periods, and some moms are not. Most of the girls I speak to who are just disgusted by cups and afraid to try them, they tell me that they never really talked about periods with their mother-- other than basic instructions on using pads or tampons, and asking her to buy some.

Or maybe their mother has a firm belief that "reusable" could never be "clean and safe". Some people just feel that way, no matter what.

But of course, I like tot hink there is still some hope After all, I myself was afraid of cups when I first heard of them, and I swore I would NEVER try them.... But I think we all know that was a promise I did not keep

My mother was very open and comfortable discussing periods. But all her life, she has NEVER been a fan of reusing things, lol. I really think the only things she would wash and re-use are maybe clothes, and dishes, lol. She will often throw away a bed sheet or blanket if something yucky gets spilled on it. She will throw away a bath towel if it is used to wipe up something on the floor, or a spilled mess in the kitchen. Hehe, sometimes she will even throw a dish or pot away, if its just too disgusting to clean. She uses LOTS of disposable paper towels, instead of kitchen rags. The disposable floor mopping pads, instead of the reusable mop. She throws away a pair of shoes if she steps in dog poo outside. Just lots of little things like that. So when she heard I wanted to try a cup, she just FLIPPED! lol.

It took me 2 months to convince her that cups are clean and safe, and now she brags to everyone about what I'm doing. So I'm hoping this means there is a chance with almost anyone

Yesterday something made me slightly upset. There is a another forum of which I have been a member for a while and I visit it quite often. It's a actually a forum for girls and young women, created by a company that sells disposable pads and tampons, but we discuss all kinds of things there. As you can probably quess, most users of that site are not familiar with menstrual cups but I know there are a few who are cup-users. They, including me, are not many -- I could probably count them.

I came across an old discussion in the archive, which started as a suggestion proposing that women should get some 'extra money each month to buy tampons because we have not chosen to bleed every month' . This topic has been discussed before but this time it turned into a different direction. While the majority of the girls who had written a reply where positive and supported the idea there were maybe two or three who simply said they disagreed and encouraged everyone to buy a cup instead if they wanted to save money just like them. And then it all started. The thread took a U-turn and became a discussion about menstrual cups vs. tampons when it comes to what is best for the environment. I can't believe what some girls wrote! Those who did not favour the cup claimed that disposables were more environmental friendly than cups -- and they used the most weirdest and false arguments I've ever heard. I have to at least share one comment which I thought was a bit funny:

A:"Sterlizing a cup uses a lot of water and that's not good. It's a waste. Are you supposed to reuse that water to make a cup of tea?"
B: "That's one silly statement. Like what, do you reuse the water you used for making pasta or such to brew coffee? The amount of water you use to boil a menstrual cup is not much at all. You can't seriously believe that it's equal to what you need to grow cotton for making tampons?

In the midst of all the environmental aspects some wrote what they thought about cups. These were common answers I read: "To use a cup sounds rather disgusting.", "Sorry girls, but I wouldn't want a cup.", "I haven't tried a cup but I prefer tampons and pads."

I found it rather disturbing that there are those out there who dismiss the idea of cups too quickly and don't even try to see what makes cups a better option. It's their loss and not mine but it's still kind of sad.

I agree, it is extremely frustrating to see how many people jsut flat-our refuse to even give the idea a chance, and they just don't seem to have any good reasons, other than being disgusted with their own body in some way... Kinda sad.

ladies, you are great! i just have to say... sometimes i don't know how to explain all this things to the "rude" people in the discussions and there are great ideas here. (they seem all like "of course it is so" - but somehow when you see all those comments, those right sentences just don't cross your mind...)

ok, you know what i mean, i'm sorry, i had surgery yesterday and still have this "after surgery drugs" inside me, so i don't write really clearly... and my english is not so good as well:)

galthea-- totally understandable, I think all of us here have run into people who are just against things that are not disposable at some point. But its good to have support

hello,
well, i'm faaaaaaar better today and yes, it's great to read that i'm not the only alien woman in the world, who really thinks that menstrual cup is great. it helps a lot.

I can relate to the not wanting to leave the trash of used disposables behind. That was one of the major things my mother did cover, how to hide the fact that I was throwing away a used pad so my Dad wouldn't see it. Even at the age of 12 when I started my period, I told her, there has to be something better. Why do I need to hide that I am using a pad.
I wish I had known about cups and cloth pads back then. Back when they were just coming out. The Keeper was 1987- I am tecnically older then the Keeper ( I was born in 1984). It was around, ugh. No regrets though, I make a point to tell anyone who will listen though. I have given cups to a few teen girls I know, and they love it. I feel a little validation when I can give a teen a cup or cloth pads. Something I wish I had someone to do for me back then. lol