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?

When we were on holiday in San Sebastian six years ago, there was a display of menstrual cups in one of the pharmacy windows. I've never seen anything like that here.

About ten years ago, my teenage son knew what they were, because apparently they featured in Zombie apocalypse fiction. Apparently you can use the blood collected in them to set a false trail for Zombies. Also Zombies can't detect menstruating women if they are wearing a mooncup, so that's another reason to use them.

We had a very interesting chat about them, and it turned out my son knew all the technical details, but hadn't realised that women used them even when there was no threat of Zombies.

I only know about them from MN and certainly not from 20 years ago! Perhas the PP who is being so 'arch' about them was a very early adopter?

And I would guess that they're still not mainstream but a niche product embraced by certain demographics of women but not all. Teenage DD thinks the thought of using tampons is 'gross' so I am sure she wouldn't be keen on menstrual cups yet either!

I had never heard of them until I read about them recently on MN. But then I am 50 and had a hysterectomy when I was 39 so no need for one.

@NewModelArmyMayhem18

I only know about them from MN and certainly not from 20 years ago! Perhas the PP who is being so 'arch' about them was a very early adopter?

And I would guess that they're still not mainstream but a niche product embraced by certain demographics of women but not all. Teenage DD thinks the thought of using tampons is 'gross' so I am sure she wouldn't be keen on menstrual cups yet either!

Same here with 20 year old DD.

Dd is 19 and thinks Mooncups are gross too, even though she's always known about them because I use one.

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

....... and yet people are telling you they haven't seen them. Clearly, you haven't been "everywhere". I've been buying sanitary products for about 40 years, including within the last week, and can tell you I have never seen one for sale, despite reading about them on here a couple of years ago.

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

Where were they available 20 years ago? If I had known about their existence back then I would have used one.

As I have already said, I have only ever heard them discussed on mumsnet, and mumsnet wasn't around 20 years ago.

They just don't get any media coverage anywhere else to my knowledge.

They just don't get any media coverage anywhere else to my knowledge.

I've only been on Mumsnet a couple of years and I first used one April 2008 (yes, I'm that sad that I went back and worked it out because of this thread). I know I bought it online but I must have found out about it from somewhere! Definitely not word of mouth as I was the only person I knew who used one for ages, so my guess is either a newspaper or a women's magazine article. I seem to remember choosing from a few brands as well.

And I was aware of them before I considered using one because my DP (now DH) and I used to joke about Mooncups because the name was so dreadful.

None of this is intended to belittle anyone with a different experience. It's just some facts ma'am

Worse than that, only last year I had to explain to a nurse in a maternity hospital!!

Where were they available 20 years ago? If I had known about their existence back then I would have used one

Glastonbury festival. That's where I bought mine in the Greenfutures field in 2002.

That's quite niche isn't it?

Of course not, everyone goes to Glastonbury festival, walks past that particular stall and stops to have a look at it.

@IHaveBrilloHair

my son knew all the technical details, but hadn't realised that women used them even when there was no threat of Zombies

JanetHorne that is brilliant!!

They were advertised in the toilets of our student union in 2000/2001. That's how I first heard about them.

Ah, you are so young @pinfloy
I was a student in 1980.

I've only ever heard of them on Mumsnet.

I asked my 19 yr old if she had heard of them, off the back of this thread. She said she had heard someone talk about a 'menstrual cup' so presumed that is what a 'mooncup' is, but she's never noticed them for sale anywhere, and she has only ever come across one person who uses one as far as she is aware .