Written by: Adéla Skřivánková
Few products have made my life so much easier than a menstrual cup. Perhaps only contact lenses, mobile internet and running water can compare with it. No, seriously. I sing odes to it wherever I go (and where it's appropriate), and I can't even imagine menstruation without it and I don't want to.
I'm even more surprised that it's still a somewhat controversial topic. Even among my open, progressive, educated and modern friends, with whom we share almost everything. They're the ones who aren't afraid to have heated discussions about feminism, routinely complain about getting "it" again, and a few days later aren't shy about asking for a tampon even in the company of multiple people. And, surprisingly, they are also the ones who still shudder in disgust at the mention of menstrual cups.
I admit that a few years ago I was in a similar situation. A menstrual cup it was a big novelty at the time, which did not excite me at all. I could not imagine the whole process of use and replacement well enough, both from a practical and hygienic point of view. And when I did, my wild imagination scared me enough to dismiss the cup: "This? Never." And I never would have thought that before long I would be throwing my first cup into the internet basket myself...
From ugh to hooray!
Unknowingly, but quite undoubtedly, the volunteer organization Trash Hero, which I joined about two years ago, is to blame. When I was collecting trash at public cleanups with other "yellow heroes," as the organization calls its volunteers, I couldn't help thinking how much each individual would probably produce. And I started thinking about how to reduce the contents of my trash can, and with it my ecological footprint.
I stopped buying packaged vegetables, replaced plastic bags with cloth bags, bought my own coffee cup and water bottle, and went to the store with a net. The good feeling that I was on the right track gave way to disillusionment when "my days" came. It wasn't just hormones that made my mood drop. "So much waste that will never be recycled and will decompose for decades!" I cried every time I changed a tampon. And then the terrible cramps...
What did the cup give me?
I will not hide that the first attempts were embarrassing. Suspiciously. It took a while to find the right griff and to be able to estimate the correct time intervals between changes, but it was worth it. In a few months, I began to trust him so much that I was not afraid to travel with him to Central America for six months, where the level of hygiene is not the best. And I never had a problem.
He took me up a volcano, swimming in the sea (which is healthier with a cup than with a tampon), surfing, and several hours' bus rides. I didn't have to look anywhere for a store where I could buy hard-to-find hygiene products, and I was warmed by the feeling that I wasn't leaving behind trash, of which there is already enough everywhere. An extra bonus? I stopped having cramps.
A pampered partner
Today, my first cup is a relatively retired old farmer and I knew that soon it would be time for him to rest. It was with even greater joy that I welcomed the news of Anna Marešová, who is known for the way her Whoop·de·doo products are "smoothed out". And really.
Anička cleverly put two sizes of cups in the package, because she understands that all days of menstruation are not equally strong. For beginners, there is an understandable and illustrative guide. The cups are made of pleasant, I would say almost soft medical-grade silicone, they have a perfect shape and several great gadgets. For example, as a reinforced edge or a super practical ball on a "pick", which makes taking it out an easy peasy maneuver. Cute cotton bags for each cup are just a design cherry on the cake.
Even though menstruation is still not the days of the month that I really look forward to, thanks to the Whoop·de·doo cups at least I can go through them in comfort, confidence and, most of all, well.