“…the first commercial cup was devised by Leona W. Chalmers, a onetime Broadway star who created it because she wanted to wear her costumes of white silk without fear.” – NY Times Photo of Leona Chalmers, image via NYPL’s Chamberlain and Lyman Brown papers The modern menstrual cup has been around since the 1930s. One of the earliest menstrual cup brands available was the Tass-ette cup, a natural rubber cup designed and promoted by Leona Chalmers. Chalmers was a talented singer and actress turned author and one of the pioneers of the modern menstrual cup. Leona Watson Chalmers was always dest ..read more

You’ve got plenty of questions about menstrual cups, and I’ve got all the answers here in this handy guide. Of course, there’s more to say about each topic, maybe far more than you ever thought to ask, but knowledge is power. And once we answer all of your menstrual cup questions here, if you’re curious, feel free to go down the rabbit hole through the site and find all you’d want to know about other reusable period products too.   But for now, let’s start from the top:  1. What is a menstrual cup? Let’s get this first menstrual cup question out of the way. A menstrual cup is a ..read more

The concept of a menstrual cup applicator has been around for decades, but so far they’ve seen little innovation or success. The ill-fated brand Tassaway filed for the first menstrual cup applicator patent in 1968. One of the scariest parts of switching to a menstrual cup is the process of insertion. Brands are still looking to create menstrual cup applicators that make insertion as easy as tampons. But in my opinion, the more exciting use case for menstrual cup applicators is the accessibility they might provide for users with various disabilities or access and reach difficulties. Let’s comp ..read more

When it comes to your vaginal health, a menstrual cup or disc gives you peace of mind against infections compared to tampons, but the risk is not zero. That’s why it’s important to sanitize your reusable internal period products every month. Here are five simple ways for sanitizing menstrual cups and discs, whether you are at home or on the go, with supplies you already have or things you can purchase to make life a little easier. Sanitization Tips for Reusable Period Products It’s recommended to sanitize your period products once a month, but don’t get too hung up on that fact. If you forg ..read more

In 1961 a menstrual cup brand made history as the first company to advertise its product on a larger than life billboard in Times Square. Hard to believe this is true considering that most people assume the menstrual cup is a device only invented in the last decade. Tassette, a menstrual cup made of natural rubber and first sold in 1937, made another attempt at selling the public on cups in the early 1960s and their Times Square billboard was only part of their wider effort. Menstrual cups are reusable tampon alternatives but the product is a contemporary invention to the tampon rather than ..read more

So, you’re ready to make the switch to a menstrual cup but the anxiety of how to clean it in public has you second guessing? I have good news – washing your menstrual cup in public is not the horror movie scene you have playing in your mind. I promise, if it were that bad all of your friends wouldn’t have made the switch. Here are 5 easy ways to clean your menstrual cup in public with step-by-step instructions. I can personally endorse number 5 because it’s how I’ve handled public changes for years, but since cups can be worn for 12 hours safely, it’s rare I even have to! Menstrual Cups Can ..read more

It’s one thing to fall asleep without emptying your cup, but what happens if you leave a menstrual cup in for a whole year? For one user, not much, but the potential consequences were severe. How can a menstrual cup go undetected for a year? On Reddit using a throwaway account someone shared their very personal experience of leaving a menstrual cup in for about a year. But how can something like this happen? As the OP explained, several factors were at play. For one, they confused the cervix with the cup. Given how the cup looked at removal and where it was wedged this is entirely plausible ..read more

It doesn’t usually come up in casual conversation (unless of course, you have a job like mine!), but you’ve probably heard of the “cervix” and know that it’s somewhere down there hanging out with the vagina or the uterus. This is mostly correct, but there’s a lot more to know about your cervix, especially when it comes to getting the right menstrual cup or protecting yourself from cervical cancer.  Let’s start with the basics, and we’ll work our way up (or down?). By the end of it, you should come out knowing exactly where the cervix is, what it means to have a high or low or tilted cervi ..read more

Menstrual cup options are hard to find in Canada. The selection is slim compared to the many brands available in the US. Menstrual discs available in Canada are even harder to come by since these are newer products. Menstrual cups and menstrual discs are Class II medical devices and must be approved by Health Canada. It can be frustrating as a Canadian to find the cup or disc that fits you best from the small selection available; this resource aims to help. Visit our “How to Measure Your Cervix” guide and reference our “Menstrual Cup Firmness” article; we will reference cervix height and firmn ..read more

The most confusing but important part of picking the right menstrual cup comes down to measuring your cervix height. Having a low cervix or a high cervix presents different needs. If you have a low cervix, you will need a low-cervix cup that has a shorter body. If you have a high cervix, you will want a longer cup that is easier to reach. What and Where Is the Cervix? The cervix is the base of your uterus, and it has a tiny opening. During menstruation, this opening is where your period blood exits. It’s important to know that your cervix changes position throughout your monthly cycle. Since i ..read more