I had to explain to my elderly male GP what a mensural cup was

[Nosig]

With hand gestures.

His reply?

“Well personally I would advise against putting anything like that inside yourself for any length of time it doesn’t sound very comfortable”

Wtf fella?

@BackforGood

This isn’t something new or unusual is it?

Well, yes.
Okay, someone a couple of pages ago said she knew of them 10 yrs ago, but personally I've only heard of them on MN (I'm post menopausal now but have 2 x dd who are young women.

As sheepisheep siad - it isn't something I'd expect a GP to know about particularly, whatever their age or sex.

As it happens, I'm inclined to agree with him.

Me too, I see nothing healthy about keeping it all inside for such long periods (haha, periods, no pun intended); I know some people say the same about tampons (risk of toxic shock), but most fastidious people will change them frequently.

However maybe it wasn't the GP's place to comment in that way though I'm sure he meant well. We have to work these things out for ourselves.

The trend is to have sanitary products which do not harm the environment which I do 'get' but there are some which are biodegradable, same with babies nappies. Another alternative is period pants but they stink.

@june2007: Thanks. Although I like the principle of them, I really don't think a menstrual cup would work well for me as I have an extra long vaginal canal. The last time I went for a smear test, I told the nurse before she started that she would need the extra long speculum. She said "no, no, it'll be fine". After poking around inside me fruitlessly for five minutes, she said, "I'll go and get the long one"...

@june2007

Why should medical people know about various "femine hygiene prodcuts." Because of TSS, because internal things can get stuck. Because pads can cause thrush, Because internal products may not be suited to all. (eg if you have had an iud.). Knowledge is power.

Well if symptoms were being shown hopefully a patient would be asked if they had anything inserted!

A young male gp insisted the pain in walking I felt during late pregnancy was a sports injury 🙄. I told him it was spd I just needed a physio referral. He kept banging on about sports injuries I hadn’t done flipping
sport for years at the time.

tswift

When dd1 was small she was very prone to chest infections, had several hospital admissions. Treatment always same antibiotics, steroids and inhalers and if in hospital nebuliser. I asked the dr he was also an elderly male gp no that that mattered , but I remember asking in the hospital if she had asthma and they wouldn't answer , I asked him when I'd taken her fir yet another chest infection and he was extremely condescending, when I asked him and said " asthma has a very particular kind if wheeze and she doesn't have it" was a bit meh at the attitude but felt at least I had the answer then. Their trip for something else a few weeks later saw the gp who was also a paediatric dr who just happened to glance at the screen ajd fhen said " as we class her as asthmatic..."

So after being told no or ignored by everyone I basically found out she was by accident. Course I git zero help ajd support really . Seems its such a common childhood condition that they don't need to explain anything, just chuck inhalers at you and off you go...

I had nonidea what I was doing had ti figure it all out as I went along I thought she would shut get chesty if she git a cold but there were other things that triggered her a bit and I was completely on my own figuring it all out and I just ordered the inhalers on repeat theynnever asked a question eveb when I doubled up on occasion ( school needed inhaler too)

When i switched drs a few years later they wouldn't issue a repeat without seeing her and giving her a full work up I was so shocked no one had ever wanted to see her

@Nosig

Surely a GP should know what one is? This isn’t something new or unusual is it?

Given that a huge number of women (who are the ones who might actually be able to use the things) don't know what they are, and they're not a medical device, it doesn't surprise me in the slightest that an elderly male - GP or otherwise - wouldn't know what they were.

For those who say "I've never seen them sold", I took this photo this morning in my smallish local Boots. They're on the shelf in every Boots and Superdrug, and probably most pharmacies. Just because you've never noticed doesn't mean they aren't there.

@Respectabitch

For those who say "I've never seen them sold", I took this photo this morning in my smallish local Boots. They're on the shelf in every Boots and Superdrug, and probably most pharmacies. Just because you've never noticed doesn't mean they aren't there.

I guess if you just go in and buy tampons or whatever you aren't looking at anything else. I can't see anyone impulse buying one, the shelf is full.

(those price tickets need straightening up too)

@Respectabitch

For those who say "I've never seen them sold", I took this photo this morning in my smallish local Boots. They're on the shelf in every Boots and Superdrug, and probably most pharmacies. Just because you've never noticed doesn't mean they aren't there.

I stopped having periods 12 years ago so I donn't frequent the sanpro shelves any more except to buy towels for the foodbank when I am supermarket shopping.

I stopped having periods 12 years ago so I donn't frequent the sanpro shelves any more except to buy towels for the foodbank when I am supermarket shopping.

Well you're probably not the target market now then, but they were on the shelves 10 years ago too. I've been using one for about 15 years. I didn't post this because people needed to post their reasons for not noticing them, I'm just saying that they absolutely are a product which is available everywhere, and have been for decades. I knew of them before I started using one.

Do they sell them in supermarkets @Respectabitch? I can honestly say I have never seen these on a sanpro shelf. If I had heard of them when I was still having periods I would have used one as they are so much better for the environment.

I really think there needs to be far more publicity about these products because I have only ever seen them discussed on mumsnet, and so have loads of other posters.

If you don't know about these things you don't go looking for them on the shelf.

@Ginfordinner

Do they sell them in supermarkets *@Respectabitch*? I can honestly say I have never seen these on a sanpro shelf. If I had heard of them when I was still having periods I would have used one as they are so much better for the environment.

I really think there needs to be far more publicity about these products because I have only ever seen them discussed on mumsnet, and so have loads of other posters.

If you don't know about these things you don't go looking for them on the shelf.

Haven't done a survey obvs gin, and the thing about having one is that I never shop for sanpro either. I wouldn't expect them to be in a small supermarket but I wouldn't be surprised to see them in a large one. They are definitely in all high street pharmacies.

@Ginfordinner I'm pretty sure I've clocked them in the very large supermarkets (I was quite surprised as I still think of them as being quite niche). Certainly places like Boots sell them too.

@Ginfordinner

Do they sell them in supermarkets *@Respectabitch*? I can honestly say I have never seen these on a sanpro shelf. If I had heard of them when I was still having periods I would have used one as they are so much better for the environment.

I really think there needs to be far more publicity about these products because I have only ever seen them discussed on mumsnet, and so have loads of other posters.

If you don't know about these things you don't go looking for them on the shelf.

Same here. I have never ever seen them for sale ... Anywhere. I am not saying they are not sold anywhere! Just that I haven't seen them.

I am not going to say I have seen them, when I haven't.

A few people seem to be a little bit annoyed by it, and act like we are lying when we say we have never seen menstrual cups for sale. No-one is lying, we simply haven't seen them for sale.

I'm not going to say I have seen them when I haven't?

Our local Sainsbury's sells them on the sanpro aisle. And the local boots. I've also seen them in TK maxx!

A few people seem to be a little bit annoyed by it, and act like we are lying when we say we have never seen menstrual cups for sale. No-one is lying, we simply haven't seen them for sale.

I agree. As if they are morally superior because they know something we don't.

As I said in my previous post. These need to be publicised more and advertised. Maybe get Friends of the Earth or other environmental organisations behind a campaign to educate women.

I would have used one had I known about them.

It would be easy not to notice them if you didn’t know- it’s not like there are whole shelves filled with them!
They can’t sell many given how long they last so I suppose the reason they can get supermarkets to stock them is that they are very high value for a tiny amount of shelf space.

Same here. I have never ever seen them for sale ... Anywhere. I am not saying they are not sold anywhere! Just that I haven't seen them.

I am not going to say I have seen them, when I haven't.

A few people seem to be a little bit annoyed by it, and act like we are lying when we say we have never seen menstrual cups for sale. No-one is lying, we simply haven't seen them for sale.

Same here. I have heard of them as I'm on MN too much but honestly have never seen them on sale. I was buying sanitary products on Thursday.

I'm not annoyed or expecting anyone to explain themselves. I'm just saying, they have been on sale everywhere all the time, for at least twenty years, because that's as long as I have been noticing them. I learbed about them in my teens. They are not obtrusively advertised in part because you literally only have to buy one and then you are set for years and years, so they don't have to be in your face like tampon and pad makers who have to advertise to you continually.

They are on sale in my local Boots.....and Waitrose has them (not a huge Waitrose either).

Respectabitch
Onsale everywhere for at least 20 years, at least meaning easily 25.
Bollocks.
I've had one for 10 years, I heard about them on here and even then I had to buy it online.
I don't doubt they are widely stocked now, though I'm not sure about the small town I live in, and as others say, if you don't know what they are then you wouldn't buy one over your usual products.
I shop online, so don't even go near sanitary products.
Women being belittled, or made to feel foolish for not knowing what something is really isn't helpful or kind.

Women being belittled, or made to feel foolish for not knowing what something is really isn't helpful or kind.

I agree

@Ginfordinner

Women being belittled, or made to feel foolish for not knowing what something is really isn't helpful or kind.

I agree

No one is trying to belittle anyone, we are just making sure the correct information is out there.

You and a few others said you'd not been aware of them until recently so other people have confirmed they were definitely around 10+ years ago.

I don't know when they started appearing in supermarkets and Boots. I started noticing them about 3 or 4 years ago, but probably because I use one so it pricked my interest.

I can see it's frustrating that you didn't hear about something you would have keen keen to use if you'd known about it, but I think you are seeing criticism where none was made.

Tbh the first I heard of them was on MN. I did wince a bit at the thought of using them and was a bit grossed out but obviously we all have our different preferences. Each to their own.

They definitely weren't around in a small town 10 years ago, and certainly not 20+ years.
20+ years this mainstream thing that I had to buy online 10 years ago.
I didn't even have the Internet, 20 years ago.

Yes, I think Respectabitch is unkind, and either has no idea of the world, or even country around her, or is a liar.