BootsnAll Travel Community

I still can't get my head around this cup idea? I visited the website and the way the thing looks freaks me out. It looks like it would leak and I wouldn't want to re-use a plastic cup over and over. I have a high gross factor tolerance..but this seriously makes me a bit sick. I don't mean to be offending anybody who does use it, congrats to you..I just don't know if its my thing. I can't knock it till I've tried it though..but I doubt I will try it..Tampons it is for me.

I wouldn't recommend a cup unless you have no problems getting very familiar with your body. I have the "DivaCup" version of one of these, which I'll be returning soon. I love the concept, but removing it was positively traumatic. Until they come up with a cup that has a string (or comes with forceps), I think I'll be sticking with tampax.

I use the Diva Cup and I won't be going back to pads or tampons. Mine does leak a little bit, on heavy days, but barely enough to even warrent a pad or panty liner. Great invention.

That being said, my best buddy got hers the same time as I did and she's had nothing but trouble. She can't get hers to "open up" (how're your eyes doin' Joe?) the gross out factor just drives her crazy. She has really hard periods and things are just rough for her anyway. The irritation level is a big deal, too. Yes Lifoce. If you can't handle the gross factor, you can't handle the cup. It can be a little much.

Jet

(I can't believe I just posted this. Oh well. . . .)

So it sounds like it does go *in* which for me is out.
You know this subject wasn't easy in China. I started to think seriously about what male dominated society means. The toilets in the ground were very unkind.

Aggghhhh!!!

Why do I keep reading this thread...

Thanks for all the info on the cups - I'm thinking of trying one. My worry is what to do in areas without safe water, so that alcohol wipe idea is great.

Back to the original post though - why do they *have* to be Tampax? Tampons are tampons. You can get them everywhere. May be a different brand name, but they are still a tampon. I will also point out that where I live (Japan) they have the same pad manufacturers, but none of the products have the same brand name or packaging. Look totally different, but are exactly the same thing. So a country may have "Tampax" but they may not be called that.

Liz

Hey Liz, they don't NEED to be Tampax I have used other brands before....... but 'cause of the 'gross' factor we're talking about, if I lose a string due to some ill-constructed no-name brand, well, I'm just trying to avoid that.....that's all. I just have to find things to worry about - so I've been told! Thanks for everyone's feedback......

Ok, so this is my husbands log in, but yes, you can buy tampons in Cape Town. Tampax and another local brand. No problems here. don't bother stocking up there are way better things to put in your pack.
Deb

It cracks me up that the guys are secretly reading this. I mean if the thread was "Sorry ladies . . . How do I deal with Jock Itch on the road?" I'm pretty sure I'd stay away. But we're even famous on other treads.

A little something from NTFT on "Oh dear lord, I've discovered Bollywood":
"Shouldn't every sentence start out with "When I was in Mumbai..." Storming off a Bollywood set indeed....time for you to get a divacup!

Whoops. My head just exploded."



We're gonna need something to clean that up. Remember, pads and tampons absorb, the cup collects.

Jet

quote:

Originally posted by JetGirl:

the cup collects.

Jet

I admit Ive been following this, but that phrase just puts pictures in my mind...

drip..drip...drip...

uuuuhhh....Im stopping looking at this thread...

quote:

Originally posted by Liforce:
I have the "DivaCup" version of one of these, which I'll be returning soon.

excuse me but, you're RETURNING it??

hilarious.

Scary idea, possibly excellent rewards. So here is the question: to gamble big and try it on the road, or to deal with miserable periods for the next eight months...
Hmmm...
Ladies, I feel like this ought to be a Subject on the Members forum, so we can give it the attention it deserves.
We could even have a worst period story section (hahaha eeeeuw! But I'd win)
All right. Anyone have more isnight on the keeper situation, or tampons in Africa?

quote:

quote:
Originally posted by Liforce:
I have the "DivaCup" version of one of these, which I'll be returning soon.



excuse me but, you're RETURNING it??

hilarious.

Yep. As weird as that sounds, they offer a 1-year money back guarantee. And since you're wondering, no they do not resell them, ew!

Periods on the road aren't as bad as you might think before you set off...
I managed to survive 7months in Inida, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam with no problems.

And lucky me always got them on the day of our 17hour bus journey to Siem Reap or something.
It is a pain, and you curse all those lucky males who don't have to worry about it... but it's not the end of the world.
I managed to pack enough Tampons to last me the 4months before I hit Australia... But I'm pretty sure you could get them in the several Tescos and Boots in Bangkok.

If you're really worried about it, then you could try starting the contraceptive pill because they calm your periods down a lot.

Anywho, my point is, it's never as bad as you'll think it'll be so neh!

Yeah, you'll definitely have no problem finding tampons in most of the larger cities. But most of the ones I found were OB brand (non-applicator). Which, if you have a low gross factor, can be a little off putting. The great thing is that they're super small. I brought two months worth of Tampax, but they were so bulky I was glad when they ran out and I could get the OBs.

It would be great to have the cup thingy (especially on thos 7hr bus rides that turn into 14hrs), but I think I'm just too wigged out by the whole idea!

ok...this keeps coming up for me, and i need to speak it...
a womans menstrual blood is not gross!!!! if we get grossed out by our bodies natural functions, we are disconnecting ourselves from our bodies, which is a dangerous thing, in my opinion.
if we love and accept our bodies as they are, we send positive healing vibes to ourselves...whenever we reject a part of ourselves/bodies, we invite negative energy in, and with that disease.
i realize this may seem a bit far out for some of you, but there is much evidence that our frame of mind affects our health.
and by the way, i got my diva cup and am loving it! not difficult at all to use, though yes, it can be a little messy... but nothing that babywipes cant handle
bliss

I totally agree you!

But, at the same time what I can do at home surrounded by our western comforts (in our world of super clean antibacterial everything, chicken comes from the supermarket where they sleep at night on little styrofoam beds with plastic covers, and OMG they don't have toilet seat covers!) is a big leap from what I even want to think about while squatting over a hole in the three minutes I have before the bus leaves from the "bathroom break".

After all the raves, I may consider getting a Diva cup. Especially with the return policy (I don't want to think about the poor person that has to accept the returns!) But, I might not use it for travel.

Can someone help me out with the *physics* of this?

I have seen ads for these 'cups' and to my eyes they look rather like the bottom end of a toilet plunger.

Does this thing..go inside you? Or..do you just set it there?

If it goes inside you it would seem like that shit would be uncomfortable..

Gah! It's just so weird.

So, it collects the blood in a little cup. And what..you walk around like that with a cup of blood splooshing around between your legs? Does that smell bad? Blood...smells, yeah?

What happens if you sit down at a weird angle..does the blood come out?

I swear I am being serious here I just really can't figure it out.

Neither can I..I'm at a loss for words.

But I will note that yes periods are gross. Bloody uterine lining coming out of your box can not be qualified as not gross. I'm in touch with my body and I can tolerate pretty much any gross thing thrown at me..but periods do get an honorable mention as being gross...regardless of if it comes from me or not.