Women's Health Articles

A menstrual cup is a small flexible cup made from latex or rubber which is inserted into the vagina to catch and collect menstrual blood (your period). They have become increasingly popular in recent years and lots of women are using them instead of the conventional tampons or sanitary towels.

In fact ditching the tampons and sanitary pads in favour of a menstrual cup could actually improve your sex life, a recent survey has found.

A feminine hygiene brand carried out the survey, which asked 1500 women how their periods had changed since swapping tampons for a menstrual cup. The findings were quite surprising, with 26% saying that their sex life had improved since they began using the cup and 66% stating that menstrual cups had reduced vaginal dryness and improved vaginal tone.

Further to improving sex life, 46% said their sleep was improved, 84% said they felt more confident during their period, and 78% felt more body confident. Menstrual cups are also praised by advocates as being the most comfortable and hygienic product to use during your period. 34% of women stated that they had experienced fewer and less severe cramps, while 62% reported fewer odours during their period.

Some women can experience reactions when using a tampon, a mild reaction such as vaginal dryness and discomfort can happen when a woman uses a tampon which is too absorbent for her flow. A more severe reaction associated with tampon use is Toxic Shock Syndrome or TSS, this rare but potentially life threatening bacterial infection may be another reason menstrual cups are growing in popularity. With the average menstrual cup costing around £25 and lasting for up to 10 years, the makers of menstrual cups argue that it’s an investment that could save you money for years to come.

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Sources used in writing this article are available on request.