To wonder why mooncups aren't promoted more as affordable sanitary protection?

[malificent7]

Mine cost £1 from ebay. It was from China so a bit of a wait.

As it is reusable, it would be good for girls from poorer families.

In fact , why arent they promoted in general??

I guess there are a few drawbacks...can be a bit messy . I would never wash them in a public loo sink but they dont need to be washed everytime they are emptied.

Tmi sorry.

I'm the same as shouldnthavesaid, can't use tampons/moon cups either. Reusable pads are brilliant though, wish they were advertised more too

I can’t for the life of me get mine to pop open once in.

shouldnthavesaid - have a look at the Mooncup website as it has an FAQ section that answers your questions.

Why/how would it affect the ability to pass urine?! (It doesn’t).

I’ve used a Mooncup for 13 years now, following many problems with tampons and sanitary towels.

They’re easy to insert, remove and keep clean. They also help gauge blood loss volume, which has proved useful for me with ongoing gynaecological issues.

I love mine, and I'd never go back.

It holds 2x as much blood as a super-duper tampon, so I am finally at ease going into my Pilates class on the dreaded Day 2 of my period.

They probably have a rubbish business plan and there is little chance of innovation beyond their core product.

I remember when Crocs first came out, and they had a quick uptake. However, because their product didn’t wear out, there was little re-purchase. They were able to innovate with new styles, but their core product was very limited. They did sell at a mind blowingly high price which has kept them going.

I love mine. I bought it when it was half price via Mooncups website but even at £20 from Boots it would still save money over time.

I was talking to my teen DDs about reusables and they were horrified. Same with a mooncup. Strange as they are quite eco aware.

I think one day they will be more the norm, but perhaps more so with mature women who are more comfortable with experimenting AND when teens like my DD's have to fund them selves.

The brand-name is dreadful Moon cup. It’s too new-agy for mass market.

What could go wrong with a cheap one? I'm having no problems so far... I have a moon cup and a generic cheap one. Both are great.

I use a Sckoon cup (which is great in some ways) but it leaks during heavy flow. It’s not too full - it just seems to leak. I wear pads for the first 3 days of my period as well as the cup. I love it because it helps with stress incontinence, and once the heavy days are over it’s great for the next 4. I just wish I could crack the leaking issue.

Stress incontinence, period pain - truly remarkable.

@calvinlookingforhobbs ever so slightly pull down on it, just a tiny bit! It should open up when you do that

Can you use a Mooncup with a Mirena? Or do people just mean Mirena = no periods?

Brillo some kinds of plastic give off toxic chemicals and aren't therefore safe to insert into your body. Branded products from the EU or USA should be OK as manufacturers in these countries have to adhere to safety standards. Something which costs a quid from China probably doesn't.

Agree it should be mass-promoted, especially in poorer countries where women do not have access to sanitary protection. If they were given a mooncup each, girls in the third world would not need to miss school because they were on their periods.
As for who should promote them- the government! It would be great for the environment. Think of all the landfills full of tampons and pads that half the population throw away every single month. I bought a cup two years ago for £10 (not from China) and I have not used any other form of protection since. So, so easy to use and save about a five a month so that makes a net saving of over £100 so far.

Not every solution suits every person;
Poor women cant afford washable sanpro. Its irrelevant whether its a cotton towel or a mooncup, if you have to wash it forget it. Fuel poverty also includes water.
Mooncups dont fit everyone.
Some cultures prohibit anything you have to insert.

If they suit you then great. But before you buy a cheap one check its made from food grade silicon and dye. (same goes for any piercing tunnels and tapers)

Before you all get carried away, they’re not for everyone.

Landfills are not full of tampons and pads.

Hiding I find it difficult to go at the best of times for a wee (other problems) but figured having a cup in there must block things up a bit? I know you don't pass urine from vagina but thought it must make things quite blocked up down there.

I would love to be able to use one or tampons, I live in halls with communal laundrette so no chance can use reusable pads but if I could get even a tampon in without pain I'd be bloody delighted, would feel much better than sitting on a sticky plasticy pad all day.

I find it so much more comfortable and reliable than tampons. You never get that "dry tampon" feeling on light days. Bigger capacity. I find emptying and cleaning it fine - in public Loos I try to use a cubicle with a sink (can usually find one as usually go in a coffee shop rather than true public Loo's), otherwise I just tip into loo and wipe with some loo roll.

It did take a couple of months to get used to it, but I'm glad I persevered. I had to use tampons recently when I lost mooncup and I found them really horrible and uncomfortable.

Poor women cant afford washable sanpro. Its irrelevant whether its a cotton towel or a mooncup, if you have to wash it forget it. Fuel poverty also includes water.

It does in some areas of the world where there is a clean water shortage, but not everyone living in poverty is unable to safely clean a reusable cup. Certainly in this country, it could solve many many problems.

It may not be 'for everyone' but the vast majority of women can use a cup without any major difficulties at all.

Landfills are not full of tampons and pads

So where do they go then?

Btw I was having a few issues with my mooncup initially, I emailed mooncup and a nurse wrote back to me with advice

Yep, and the vast majority can breastfeed - but they don’t.

There are different menstrual cups with different sizes, mooncup is just a brand name. :)

They aren't for everyone but they shouldn't be discounted just because of the potential "eww" factor.