Democratic Underground Latest Greatest Lobby Journals Search Options Help Login
Google

Women, have you ever heard of Mooncups for dealing with monthly cycles?

Printer-friendly format Printer-friendly format
Printer-friendly format Email this thread to a friend
Printer-friendly format Bookmark this thread		 This topic is archived.
Home » Discuss » Topic Forums » Health Donate to DU
 
KittyWampus Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Mar-01-06 01:41 PM
Original message
Women, have you ever heard of Mooncups for dealing with monthly cycles?
Hopefully this will serve to inform women on DU and won't cause silly comments from the guys.

I am 43 years old and have only just heard about this option for dealing with one's monthly cycle.

Tampons and pads were all that existed, as far as I knew.

Just yesterday, I learned there's a clean, effective and CHEAPER way to deal with this issue. Mooncups or Divacups. And they've been around since the 1930's!

But of course it makes sense they aren't widely known about. You need only buy ONE every 10 years while women's sanitary supplies must be bought every damned month.

Here's a link to Mooncups. There are other makes available.

http://www.mooncup.co.uk/menstrual_cup_soapbox.html
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
Shell Beau Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Mar-01-06 01:43 PM
Response to Original message
1. Seems messy to me
:shrug:
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
KittyWampus Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Mar-01-06 01:47 PM
Response to Reply #1
2. I just found out... and was told by all that it isn't at all messy.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Shell Beau Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Mar-01-06 01:48 PM
Response to Reply #2
3. But, you would have to be careful with cleaning it so that
you don't get any bacteria, germs, or infections, right?
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
AllegroRondo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Mar-01-06 01:49 PM
Response to Reply #3
6. Seriously, I heard you put them in the dishwasher
the super hot water sterilzes them.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Shell Beau Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Mar-01-06 01:51 PM
Response to Reply #6
7. Be sure not to put the silverware in there with it!
Edited on Wed Mar-01-06 01:51 PM by Shell Beau
I am just having a hard time getting used to this idea, Even though it is an old one, I am comfortable with what I use. Although, I have had to make an emergency trip to the doc. b/c I was forgetful!! x(
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
AllegroRondo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Mar-01-06 01:48 PM
Response to Original message
4. My B-I-L works for a company that makes them
plastics molding company. He told me about them, I thought it was a joke.

but I had no idea they were around this long.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
RebelOne Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Mar-01-06 01:49 PM
Response to Original message
5. I have heard of them before.
In 1999, on a survivialist forum for Y-2K, women were buying them at that time. Some people were heading for the hills and didn't want to have to worry about sanitary pads or tampons.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
CaliforniaPeggy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Mar-01-06 01:54 PM
Response to Original message
8. I have heard of them ........
Though I am past needing them now...

I think it's a very good idea......:thumbsup:
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Warpy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Mar-01-06 02:11 PM
Response to Original message
9. Blood is a great medium for bacterial growth
so I'd suggest cleaning it out more often than one would change a tampon. The tampons that were pushed as being more absorbent and needing fewer changes invariably ended up being pulled off the market for causing toxic shock when bugs started growing in the menstrual fluid. At body temperature, those bugs grow fast.

I can't imagine rinsing one of those things out in a line of sinks in a crowded public bathroom in the workplace, but I can see they'd be an economical alternative for women with access to private facilities for frequent cleaning.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
KittyWampus Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Mar-01-06 06:32 PM
Response to Reply #9
12. Women have explained you take it out over toilet-empty-flush
then use bottle water to rinse and re-insert.


Because they are shaped like a funnel- no blood gets on the outside.

Needless to say, this seems like something that requires a bit of practise.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
China_cat Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Mar-01-06 04:23 PM
Response to Original message
10. Highly implicated in toxic shock syndrome.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
KittyWampus Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Mar-01-06 06:30 PM
Response to Reply #10
11. No, it's exactly the opposite. Tampons are highly implicated in TSS
and it's due largely to their absorbant nature.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Warpy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Mar-01-06 07:20 PM
Response to Reply #11
13. Bugs will grow rapidly in the fluid
so that frequent cleaning is ESSENTIAL. Bugs aren't polite and they won't stay put down in the well, they'll travel, especially if the woman is sitting or sleeping or even changing position frequently.

Don't believe that "needs changing less often than a tampon," unless you want TSS.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
KittyWampus Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Mar-01-06 07:44 PM
Response to Reply #13
14. Thank you for your input. I am still very surprised this is even an option
:)

But then, it doesn't involve money going into corporations pockets every month.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Warpy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Mar-01-06 11:33 PM
Response to Reply #14
16. yeah, I wish I'd discovered them back in the day
The sponge was as far as I got, and squeezing it out on my house plants. The plants loved it, but the sponge was not terribly effective at stopping spotting.

I think they're a great alternative as long as they're cleaned every 4-6 hours or so, before the bugs get a chance to grow.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
wakemeupwhenitsover Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Mar-01-06 08:20 PM
Response to Original message
15. I use Instead.
I've used them for about 6 years now. I love them. I re-use them after sterilizing them between & just use one a cycle. They look just like a diaphram. A little messy, but after I got into the swing of things it's just fine.

Here's a link about the divacups.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=325x471
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
havocmom Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Mar-03-06 11:08 AM
Response to Original message
17. Back in early 70s, somebody tried to market a disposable version
called Tossaways or Tassaways, something like that. My cousin tried them for a bit, but she had many female problems anyway and they didn't work well for her. I never tried them as they were sorta bulkier than my usual products and being in school at the time, I figured hard to keep in a little purse.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
electron_blue Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Mar-04-06 04:02 PM
Response to Original message
18. I've heard of them
And I'm your age. I remejmber seeing similar things in ads in women's magazines about 30 years ago and thinking "wth" because neither my mom nor aunts told me about them.

Fwiw, they are much more widely known amongst the younger crowd, which may mean they're making a comeback.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
DU AdBot (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Wed May 01st 2024, 04:20 AM
Response to Original message
Advertisements [?]
 Top

Home » Discuss » Topic Forums » Health Donate to DU

Powered by DCForum+ Version 1.1 Copyright 1997-2002 DCScripts.com
Software has been extensively modified by the DU administrators

Important Notices: By participating on this discussion board, visitors agree to abide by the rules outlined on our Rules page. Messages posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums are the opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC.

Home  |  Discussion Forums  |  Journals |  Store  |  Donate

About DU  |  Contact Us  |  Privacy Policy

Got a message for Democratic Underground? Click here to send us a message.

© 2001 - 2011 Democratic Underground, LLC