When a girlfriend emailed recently to remind me about The Diva Cup, it was perfect timing. My time of the month had just arrived a day before and I had two tampons left to my name. I was forced to make a better choice for myself and the environment. The concept for a menstrual cup dates back to the 1930s, just before everything became disposable in the American household. This modern version is a soft silicone, latex-free, 100 percent hypoallergenic and odorless cup that is reusable and economical. With a quick wipe or hot water wash, The Diva Cup is ready to be re-inserted, just like that Slender Regulars you used to have to buy in order to get that multi-pack that had the Super Plus’s.
When I first picked it up at a local retailer (which The Diva Cup creators encourage consumers to do in order to make their product readily available for women who want to make the switch), I said to the saleswoman, “Wow, that’s *ehem* (cough) big.” Then I recalled some ex-boyfriends, as well as the fact that we women were blessed to give birth to baby boys and girls that were much larger. The cup is shaped like the top of what men carry between their legs, and comes in two sizes depending on your age or if you’ve had children. Once folded, glided in, and pushed into place with a Kegel exercise, The Diva Cup fits exactly where it needs to be. I’ll admit that with my first insertion of The Diva Cup, I stressed, pulled it out, and squatted down to try again, just like I did that first time I used a tampon when I was fourteen; but once it was placed, it was far more comfortable than that tampon that starts to descend even when it’s not full. Though it may require being more intimate with your time of the month and being on top of your cleanliness and sanitation, I couldn’t really tell for the rest of the week that my Diva Cup was even a part of my day or night.
I have chosen not to own a car, and instead have joined a car sharing service. I take public transportation and when the weather cooperates I ride my bike. My roommate and I recycle more than we throw away and started composting last month using biodegradable bags. I turn the lights off when I leave the room and we’re replacing our incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents. So while landfill and pollution problems are on the rise and continue to be a worldwide concern and over seven billion tampons and thirteen billion sanitary pads and their packaging make their way into landfills and sewage systems in the USA, I’ve decided to do my part, and become more green when I’m moving through the red.