medic ✚
says
medic ✚
says
thank god i use pads christ
omg that is so fucking gross.
wow i am so freaked out
but i've resisted cups because Reasons and now omg
^^^^^
do you mind if i replurk joe
i can unreplurk it but this is important shit
medic ✚
says
yeah go ahead and replurk
medic ✚
says
important info
medic ✚
says
gross, gross important info
i found a hair in a tampon once. surprise surprise, same brand :/
medic ✚
says
kotex is also the brand that was recalled recently because they were selling tampons with harmful bacteria in them
LMFAO KOTEX
kotex is so gross
medic ✚
says
so p much NO ONE EVER BUY KOTEX AGAIN
^^^ this
o-oh god
jesus dick that's horrifying...
jfc D8 that is horrific
so glad I use pads dfgjsdfjgjsdfj
ayeeeep
i don't use tampons, but i'm not gonna pass up the opportunity to say: thank you herr doktor
also, signal boosting i guess
SCREAM
so glad i use pads rn
...screaming
/forever uses always infinity
Always Infinity is the best
god that image AUGH
it is god
idealistic: dsghklagh that emote
It's like God listened to our woes for a way to not make our crotches feel like they're resting on sludge
or some other higher authority
ew ew ew ew ew ew ew
glad I use pads too god damn
I can't use tampons anyway so this doesn't affect me.
...i should probably check my tampons from now on... 
a cups squick me the fuck out so that's not an option. pads just. suck for me.
a cups squick me the fuck out so that's not an option. pads just. suck for me.
jesus dick that's horrifying
i think i might look into getting a cup now oh my god
D8 how....can they act like oh it's just Veggie mold you can shove it up your cooch! DX ugh gross
medic ✚
says
MOLD IS TOTALLY COOL TO STICK IN YOUR VAGINA GUYS
medic ✚
says
IM GONNA GO STICK SOME MOLDY BREAD IN MINE RIGHT NOW THAT WILL SOAK UP MY UTERINE LINING
sdhgklang;h
... )8 no
well.
Those of you who use pads or want to switch to them, I recommend Always Infinity
They cost a little extra, but absorb so well!
good googly moogly 
I was actually taught in sex ed that "super absorbant tampons" are made with chemicals that can irritate the vagina it's put in, but...
ah yes horrified eridan emote... good
That was high school in 1998.
I don't know if tampon manufacturing has changed since then.
medic ✚
says
lol sex ed
medic ✚
says
but anyway i never trusted tampons after learning about toxic shock syndrome
Sex ed was a new thing back then. It was fantastically awkward.
medic ✚
says
on top of the fact that they are painful for me
I'm afraid to put things in my vagina. thats why im still virgin
oh goddddd ewwwww
medic ✚
says
i went through middle school sex ed in 1999 and high school sex ed in 2000 haha mostly just pics of diseased genitals
I'll need to see about getting a cup or something because this shit is gross
dont have sex you will get pregnant
and die
yeah there's a reason I use OBs. At least I can see what I'm sticking in there....
(i mean, i use pads, but)
LOL
medic ✚
says
sleepcoast: but i am already dead inside shugo....
nooooooooo
/holds joe
medic ✚
says
sorry you found mold on your tampon! We shall send you coupons and hope you'll continue to use our tampons!
i am so glad forever that i use a cup
excuse me while i hurl
i need to get me a cup too
cup?
medic ✚
says
i think what gets me most is "we apologize for your concern"
A menstrual cup!
medic ✚
says
which reads as "shut up youre not supposed to think"
Man, I'm glad I don't use tampons :|a
medic ✚
says
i use tampons all the time and they're usually a good experience for me but GOD DAMN
i'm just. BLURGH
that looks...uncomfortable
but yes, I stopped using tampons years ago
yay pads
not digging this article, i have to say
just because they didn't go OH HONEY I'M SO SORRY FOR EVERYTHING WE SUCK SO MUCH PLEASE CAN I SUCK YOUR DICK doesn't mean they don't care
this is a fairly par for the course corporate response, but leaning towards the side of "fucks actually given"
oh god ew ew ew ew ew ew, etc
"we apologize for your concern" doesn't mean "get in the kitchen, woman, you're better seen and not heard"
it means "we're apologizing because this is awful but our lawyers told us not to word it more strongly"
kind of want to show this to my mom since she thinks my using a cup is so gross 
Yeeeah, it's gross, but this definitely isn't an example of the company not giving a shit.
JOE DON'T DON'T DO THIS TO ME BRO
medic ✚
says
ladyvoldything: well that wasn't exactly what i meant; i meant it seems oddly-worded to say "we're sorry you're upset" instead of taking
medic ✚
says
responsibility
yeah i agree, this is really REALLY gross, but there's not really anything wrong with that letter
medic ✚
says
and i can understand lawyers, suing, et al, its just annoying
well, that's what i'm saying, it's probably a legal thing
the thing is nthe person who handled that response probably can't do jack shit
it might be annoying, but getting pissed at the letter writer isn't fair
medic ✚
says
oh im not pissed at the person who wrote the letter?
oh god I... use... tampons...
medic ✚
says
i know they cant do shit ive worked retail for years i know what its like to get yelled at for things you cant fix and didnt cause
it would be legally stupid for them to be liek SORRY FOR ~OUR MISTAKE~ because then hi lawsuit you just owned up to it
medic ✚
says
blah blah lawsuit its still annoying like theyre looking into why theres mold maybe they shouldnt be selling moldy tampons until they know
medic ✚
says
why theyre moldy?
yeah i never use tampons but jesus fucking christ
... /uses pads forever
medic ✚
says
this is the same company that recalled their tampons after discovering they were full of harmful bacteria
medic ✚
says
so forgive me if im wary
i've never used kotex. i use playtex when i have to
but yeah, fuck. it's bad enough that tampons can cause TSS
too scary. using pads forever
medic ✚
says
the bacteria tampons were recalled in november of last year, by the way
;_;
Actaully, the Diva cup things are safer than pads or tampons.
Gack. Diva cups for me
tampons are awful end of story, i vowed to never use them again after the pain of last time T_T
Can't use pads, so it's one or the other
Pads themselves are not terribly hygienic
medic ✚
says
yeah tampons are just bad news bears
haha I use a cup
aha, i finally know what everyone's been talking about with the moldy tampon
...yeah not playtex, tampex. lol i use bras to catch my bloods
but wow, i have never been more glad that my body can't seem to take tampons
/uses pads forever
... I am So glad I use pads.
I use tampax pearl when I have to use tampons - the applicators are transparent!
oh, that's a good way to go
I have rarely ever worn tampons, since I had to learn about them on my own and used the package to learn how to inser them
and ... lol all the warnings for TSS ;;
...i'm somewhat amazed at how many people are recommending that cup thing
oh I think my uterus just shriveled up a little
one of the many reasons i don't use those things
i use applicator-free tampons
i always know exactly what is going into my body :|
this is making me consider trying out reusable things though holy shit
...I can't believe the email response called the mold "harmless", holy shit
I'm so glad I don't use tampons now.
it's mold, it's HARMFUL BY FUCKING DEFAULT
no matter what kind it is
WELL I'M GONNA GO DIVA.
...thank god I only use pads
wow gross D:
... yeah okay getting a diva cup next month wtf.
THANK GOD I WEAR PADS.
www.divacup.com/ fyi dude, this thing changed my life.
i use Ladycup but
same thing
best decision i ever made tbh
i've never used tampons 
when you put it on, you don't usually open it up to see the actual tampon?
No, you don't.
You leave it in the applicator, and use that to push it inside without having to get your hands dirty. >>
oh gosh 
GOOD THING I'VE ALWAYS BEEN FREAKED OUT BY TAMPONS
Well you can use ones without applicators.
Yeah, but ugh. I would not want to put my bare hand in there when I'm... y'know. >>
But yeah, most of them you just shoot up there.
well, you can wash off the blood pretty easily... though yes, gross
but if i must use tampons, i'd much rather know i'm not putting moldy stuff in me
a little blood is worth that
Ewww so glad I use pads.
Yeah, but I'm also extra sensitive when I'm on my period. x.x Everything is all... uncomfortable down there.
ah, i can understand that
But yeah... the whole... reusable anything for my period would just... ugh. Nope. Cannot do.
I just.
Would much rather get cut open and have the unnecessary organs taken out. >> It's not like they do anything other than cause pain.
i don't have any problem with reusable products in theory, i just don't have time. i can't use anything insertable for most of my period
... ok. as someone who lost an ovary to a tumor. idk. can we avoid statements like that?
because cramps and i don't have the patience to clean a cloth pad, so the first time the blood dried and clotted i'd throw it out anyway
I wonder if a hysterectomy can stop periods? I'm 30, not going to have kids, and don't want to bleed for 15 more years.
cups squick me out, also I live in a dorm and don't want someone to walk in and see me rinsing one out. haven't had problems with OB though.
This plurk is hard to load now. are reusable cups even cleanable in public restooms?
>> I could say the same thing about anyone who claims a woman's period is a gift from god. For me it's nothing short of torture.
Apparently you only clean them twice daily?
Tbh if you want to stop periods prob a good first step before having surgery would be to get an IUD & see how that works for you?
I've had a Mirena for two years and I'm period free
OhGodWhatRemix: Yes, they can. My mother had one.
:| They won't let me get one because I haven't had kids.
Something about the cervical opening being too narrow, and I don't handle hormonal BC well.
It's kind of a huge pain when I'm the only one in the house having a period and I can't nick someone else's pads...
Nope that changed, they will let you do it now! 
/tmi
I was one of the first people to get mine after they started allowing women who haven't given birth to get them
/gets out
>_> I will definitally see about getting one of those when my new insurance kicks in.
Because man, if I could be rid of that...
Yeah ask your doc. They should totally let you do it and they can dilate you enough to get it in there. It hurts but it's pretty fast.
Currently, I'm the only female still bleeding in a house of 1 menopausal mom and two men
XDDDD
My mom had her hysterectomy before I hit puberty, so I have always had this problem. >>
Dang!
And now I live alone. XD So I have to be damn sure I'm stocked.
I know what to save money up for now since I can't go to comic con anymore!
They're not too expensive. Around $36 plus shipping?
for a second i thought we were talking about shipping a hysterectomy and i was very confused.
L M A O
......lmao
Creepy thing is... >> I've seen hysterectomy surgical kits. For sale. In one of those surplus stores.
Mom and I were both skeeved out by that. XD
--and the rest of the 'medical' aisle'
--
/kicks plurk
...and this is why i use pads.
the person who replied to the letter really had no control over the manufacturing process
however that is pretty nasty
As someone who worked with company PR, there's standards as to what you can and can't say when something bad happens to your own product
No matter how dumb the response sounds, you have to assure some level of security so you don't lose your customers.
Mountain Dew did something similar when someone claimed to have found a dead rat in their can
Kotex were the ones that had to have that recall last year, right? I am never ever ever going to buy any of their products. Yech!
re: living in a dorm with a cup, I just rinse mine in the shower! I can understand the squick factor though
This is one of the many reasons why I use a cup, which can be washed, scrubbed and sterilized, and is a one-time purchase.
Once you figure out how to put them in, they're even more comfortable than a tampon. My vagina shrivels in fear of DRY COTTON now.
And cleaning them? Once you get over gasp, having to put your fingers inside yourself and touch your own bodily fluids, it is no big deal.
ew. ew ew ew ewwww. i am definitely going to give the diva a try now. this is vile.
I haven't used tampons or pads in three years and I could not be happier. Viva la Diva 8')
ewwwwwwwwwwwwww
reasons why I use tampons without applicators
yeah i was like BUT WHAT IF IT'S UNCOMFORTABLE, AND WON'T IT BE REALLY GROSS STICKING MY FINGERS UP THERE
but you get used to both
and tbh it's not like sticking your hand in a gaping wound anyway - most of the blood came out with the cup, so it's not actually that messy
it's not really any worse than like, fapping or something
yeah, the only time it's messy is when you accidentally tip it over your hand instead of into the toilet ahahha, and I've only done that
twice in three years. And hey, in those rare moments, you get to feel like you're a serial killer or something.
i actually think they're a pretty good way of getting over your instinctive EWWWW reaction to what is basically just another body fluid!
yeah, definitely. I mean, I was never all EWWWWW BODILY FLUIDS to begin with, but it definitely taught me a lot about my body in a good way
besides: WAD OF DRY COTTON
I am reading these cup-user testimonies and I want to thank you ladies for sharing your experiences.
I likely won't convert anytime soon, but this is something to keep in mind when it comes to options
no problem 
no problem!
my favourite part is definitely not having to panic about TSS, though
no kidding. a friend of mine in high school nearly DIEd from it and I was like oh hell no
Really, my only concern is not getting it on right those first few times and then having to go outside. ahahaha
i left a tampon in overnight once and panicked
yeah, my mom had TSS one
once*
yeah, i definitely understand that feel bro
well before she had me
when i first did it, i was like OH GOD WHAT IF THO
so i actually tried it out when i wasn't surfing the red wave
you need to cut down the stem anyway so i was like WHY NOT TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A GO
When I first heard about the cups, I was like, "Can these things seriously hold a lot? I bleed HEAVY, man!"
and the first day was uncomfortable because i didn't put it far enough in, it has to seal around the cervix
which of course leads to the public restroom concern since i use those a lot.
but i had the same problem with tampons
it gets SO MUCH EASIER
and honestly public restrooms are fine, you don't NEED to wash it off after every time as long as you wash it off at least once a day
you just wipe it off with tissue
Sounds reasonable!
and you'd be surprised at how much they can hold, honestly
I can usually "feel" when mine is full, as strange as it sounds
miri desu
feels
kinda like needing to pee
yeah, ahah, just a little... yet I don't feel the cup itself!
Have always stuck to pads.
tbh i generally just empty it out whenever i go to the loo anyway so it's never been an issue
...oh my god.
.......i need to go clutch my cup now. instead of my pearls. gosh. 8(
...thanks the gods I am not a tampon user.....
in public restrooms, i just dump and re-insert, or if I'm feeling super bothered and no one's around, I rinse it out at the sink and then
put it back in
oh god.....so glad I use pads now
www.plurk.com/victoryfan... XD yes, that's exactly how I discribed it. My monthly feeling like a serial killer time
that's pretty disgusting. but since that one time I found that bugs had laid eggs in my pantiliners
I feel like...this is not that bad in comparison 
........OH MY GOD ARE YOU SERIOUS
..... no
no
no bueno
Yeah...it was not the happiest moment of my life.
They were little tiny worm creatures in my pantiliners. My vagina cried for days.
um ew signal boosting this because that is an unpleasant surprise nobody needs
offduty: 
will this do?
will this do?
alternatively 
\o/
... No pun intended?
/shot
so happy I never used tampons and extremely happy I switched to a cup o_o
I use tampax minis - clear yellow tinted applicator, but I may move to pearl for the clear ones. Pads disgust me when I'm in full flow, so-
pads are my best friend, so
I can't just drop everything to use them ... I've been using tampons for ten years with no issue. Guess I'll avoid kotex and check my 'pons
or look into cups.
I never use Kotex, but that's just plain gross. 
Oh jesus christ
oh my
Better to throw them rather than get a moldy gigi.
I use pads too because of previous Reasons but now I have a better one o_o
EW EW EWWWWWWWWW!!! Never used tampons, never gonna now.
I have never used kotex because they have VELCRO of all things on some of their pads and fuck if that doesn't hurt like a bitch.
so this is just another reason to never EVER touch their shit.
oh god I remember the velcro. never again....
.......Okay, talking my mom into getting me a set of Lunapads ASAP. O_O
well, one shouldn't only use hooha-inserted things anyway
not all the time, anyway
T_T
Yes this is why I like OBs. I CAN SEE THEM CLEAN
I will basically never use anything but tampons, Because Of Reasons, but god, kotex is such a nasty brand.
This isn't the first time I've heard about this kind of shit from them.
eww, really?
lkike what?
(please be shitty customer service)
They had a huge recall of bacteria-covered tampons
fairly recently iirc
(harmful bacteria, obvs)
er, contaminated, not covered. lol words
uuuurgh
la la la /sticks to tampax
I've used Tampax for years and never had a single problem
kotex is a skeevy brand who doesn't seem to give a shit when something goes horribly wrong with their products.
ksdjghdjfg jesus
yeah, if kotex has a problem clearly you were doing something wrong!!11!
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa '-'
....ewwww my roommate uses kotex pantyliners '-'
lmfao oh this is a bad day to be allergic to pads 
i use playtex though, thats a different brand right?
yeah, i think i used kotex pads back when i was a wee young thing still terrified of my monthly downtown massacres
and they used to seriously irritate my skin
holy crap
....the FUCK. O_O
jesus
god i am trying to comprehend what chemical burns in there would be like
rosethorne: that actually happened to my stepmother once WHILE SHE WAS PREGNANT and she panicked and switched to cloth.
i'm pretty sure my entire reproductive system just winced
ch-chemicals D8
well
companies don't give a shit about vaginas anyway 8/
I mean, douching used to be a thing
douching is still a thing 
wh-what
not with soap or anything, I hope o_o
^yeah p. much
yeah douching is still a thing
there are horribly gross ads for it (sexism wise)
8CCCC
why
no
stop
THE VAG CLEANS ITSELF
VAGINAS CLEAN THEMSELVES
Summers Eve Hail to the V: The V Extended Cut
this is the one that bothers me most actually
holy fuck
let's list this off:
I see douching stuff at CVS and I am like WHAT WHAT WHAT ARE YOU DOING
maybe I should put a note nearby like "THIS IS HARMFUL"
racist, sexist, transmisogynist/cissexist, heterosexist
YEAH
(do it)
also that ad is horrible
"love your vagina by putting useless chemicals into it!!"
... ew...
yeah i think technically that one is a washcloth ad (i'm not rewatching it, it makes me mad) but they make douches
...also wow, just read all of this plurk, and. I had no idea people actually legit worry about TSS with tampon use.
i've always been told that TSS is a super rare thing
"hey you [cis] ladies are actually ~powerful~ through sex and not, you know, oppressed as fuck or anything! (or gay. ew. except when it's
hot)"
i've left tampons in for over a full day before
gallowsCalibrator: speaking medically, it takes... uh..... a VERY long time.
yeah
like. ridiculous long time. since it's caused by bacteria, not the blood itself.
unless you smear your tampon in a bacterial culture and stick it in, you'd have to leave it in for like. a week.
that's a good emote
i wasn't in clinical practice very long but no one i've worked with has ever seen a case of tss
DON'T BE SCARED GUYS
well not from tampons.
i've seen toxic shock but from like. YOU DON'T WANNA KNOW.
not tampons!!!
injuries
and it takes a looooong time.
I wish this info was more widespread ;w;
like, HOW PERIODS WORK 101/102
it's really not a thing. unless you're kotex, i guess.
XDDD
i think the reason they had to start putting it everywhere was because people didn't wash their hands/there weren't applicators at first/etc
part of me always gets ticked off when people call the discharge "blood"
back in the day!
ahh
ahaha i don't use tampons thank fucking god
and they'd get bacteria on the tampon
i'm allergic to mold, madly allergic
and then forget to take it out in time or it wouldn't soak through and there'd be grossness on it...
- since it's really just teh dissolved and shed uterine lining - very little blood involved
idk it's really not a thing these days PROMISE
XD
well actually it's from the uterus....
so it's more like UTERI DON'T BLEED MUCH
well uteri and vaginas aren't the same thing!
like, at all!
yeah, it's not "blood" it's the endometrium, which is the lining of the uterus that fertilized eggs are meant to nestle into.
I mean if you tried to shove something in your uterus you'd go OW MY CERVIX GTFO
yeah I probably do
I really love my A&P classes ;w;
endomedtrium! that's what it's called
damn, really?
you poor thing =c
you're not bleeding, you're shedding endometrial lining!
well, your endometrial lining is comprised of blood and tissue
you can AIM me sometime and answer questions if you like!
yyy
so, it is blood, but it's not just blood
yeah but it's like, half a cup of blood
and it's not what you get if you open a vein
some people think they're actively bleeding.
you're not bleeding it's just bloody
like they think there's an open blood vessel somewhere in there?
^yes that
oh nooo =c
i guess i have no idea.
it's okay char!
a lot of people don't know about this
well, i refer to it as bleeding, but i know it's not actual circulatory system fluid i'm losing
when i had to explain this to people i was working through a translator
which is why I like to educate =3
in an area where there's no education so
some girls did actually think they were just bleeding out from there
I showed my mum and then we read some of the comments together. Bless her heart she'd never even heard about menstrual cups before.
yep!
I remember one classmate of mine thought sperm was ~healthy~ for the vag
and I was all "......uh no."
"actually it's hostile to sperm since it's slightly acidic"
She's now very interested in trying one out now that she knows they exist.
While I have some issues with the idea (I have enough problems with tampons) I think I might hop on the same bandwagon.
good luck!
I don't have a choice but to use tampons right now. I used to use pads and then aunt was like lol!nope after my mom died and .....
I didn't know about cups, either, since I exclusively use pads
eah the vagina is a super accessible example of darwinism in action
ONLY THE STRONGEST WILL MAKE IT TO THE EGG. WEED OUT THE WEAK SPERM. DIE, SPERM, DIE.
XDDD
but then the egg is like
HEY YOU
GET BACK HERE
I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN
which I imagine as being like the beginning of star wars
the egg hides, actually. so not only is the sperm entering a hostile environment (dun dun dun) but it's on a search mission as well.
I DON'T SEE IT, BOYS, LET'S SPLIT UP. I'LL TAKE THE LEFT FALLOPIAN TUBE, YOU TAKE THE RIGHT.
but sperm just wiggle around. they don't seek anything
I was looking at a scientific article about it which described it
it's pretty aimless swimming, yes.
but i like thinking of them as little darwinistic propogation soldiers.
the point is, the egg isn't passive
pretty much
it enforces the passive woman/active man
idea
aww but my epic battle
Steeple
is
misinformation
sperm do have some direction/instinct, "barrier sperm" have been observed
suddenly I pictured them like people on swimtubes sloating along
designed to prevent another man's sperm passing
oh the sperm with the dissolving cap?
it's not a highly skilled army. basic training?
I don't like this invasion metaphor
.....
what
no
no
no it isn't
that's really creepy way to think about it
(I mean, unless it's your kink, which you should realize isn't a universal thing)
i did have one OB instructor who used a B-quality science fiction novel plot sort of metaphor.
pfff
it is neat how an egg can drag in a sperm though
oh god i'm on my period right now 
as long as we're going with violent metaphors
it makes me think of Street Fighter and GET OVER HERE
he was less invasion (though i always saw it as recon mission, not invasion ftr) and more searching the hostile planet AND THEN IT EATS YOU
hehehe
,,,,,
pffff wow
I meant to type mortal kombat too
orz
well since sperm have a lot of sugar (if I recall correctly) I like this OMNOMNOM metaphor XD
just poking around and then CHOMP
Oh my god
yeah he had a whole movie script quality story for fertilizaiton
fertilization*
that guy was cool
hehe
yeah I wonder why they're supposed to taste bitter
XD nnno
never used tampons...
a;sdf ;gross
...pad user because things inside the cooch freak me out, but....urgh. side-eyeing my kotex pads now. how did that even HAPPEN?
tampons are supposed to be sealed, aren't they? how do they get all moldy when still in the packaging?
weird chemical reaction of some sort
?
oh god dammit I can't bring myself to use pads because they're just idk gross but now WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO
well this is not... a common thing. kotex seems to have issues from time to time but tampons in general aren't a thing you have to abandon
and re: getting moldy in packaging, they would have had to be contaminated before sealing.
i'd question their facility conditions (if they've had these reports of mold, and also there was a bacterial contamination recall) not the
safety of using tampons at all, across all brands!
I'm a little bit traumatized now, tbh though
I've been 
about tampons in general though for a while >>
about tampons in general though for a while >>
/looks into other things
like i heard a few reports of issues with purina dog food.... hmm, well i've never had a problem let's give them the benefit of the doubt.
...wow that's a LOT of reported issues. but i gue--- oh. oh now i got a bad bag too. okay, let's switch brands.
i won't stop buying my dog bagged food.
ah, if you're unsure about them in the first place that's different.
menstrual cups are pretty popular.
oh jesus dslkjfdlksjflks yeah I've heard people say they're good buuut
slightly squicky
mm, they take a lot of practice and touching yourself and such. i can't use them due to medical tmi reasons. tampons are difficult enough.
but they're very popular and everyone i know who got the hang of it is all 'NEVER GOING BACK' so there's that endorsement!
oh god dammit I can't bring myself to use pads because they're just idk gross but now WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO
I am just here to go oh god cups are the greatest thing ever if you can use them
like I know that some people can't for physical reasons and that is sad
but it is sadder that people don't use them for squick reasons because they are like. Amazing things.
and people shouldn't be taught to be squicked by their own bodies especially when it prevents them using something that could make their
especially when it prevents them using something that could make their
quality of life so much better
it is the closest to not having a period you can get without actually not having a period
One of my friends recommended the cup before, but I'm already uncomfortable with the idea of tampons. Maybe I should give it a try
I actually bought one after seeing this. It was kind of like the straw that broke the camel's back, tbh
Never found that on Tampax and I would rather not deal with Pads. Think I'll be sticking to Tampons.
:|a 'nother endorsement for cups if it fits your body. Not that there aren't enough on the original post itself too.
it can take a little while to learn to use them properly, but I like to think of them as like contact lenses for your vagina
if you have glasses and you've ever tried contacts you will probably know the feeling of "holy shit I CAN SEE" and the realisation that
seeing through glasses is not actually quite as good as seeing through contacts
it is sort of like that
(that said I am too lazy for contacts and I can't begin to describe how much the cup has made my life better so it's not a perfect analogy)
well I guess I can begin to but I think I have spammed this plurk enough!
As a... uh... not endorsement, perhaps, but another example of cup-use... It took me months before I got it right. The first two months I
tried, I tried once per period and the cup hurt when going in and I could feel it. I ditched it for several months, tried again, and then
yeah I guess that's also what I mean with the contact lens comparison. It took me about two months too
managed to get it high enugh in where it SHOULD BE... so now it's not a problem.
but I also didn't have as good instructions as I could have for how to get it in best :|a
There CAN be problems with it, and it might not be for you, but it might also work out in the end.
but still it has a learning curve
I think I didn't get where it was supposed to be. xD Now I know exactly "where" and can feel it when it pops in right and I just stop
feeling it at all.
yeah XD
But what I'm more upset about that reply she got from the company is "the mold is not a health risk".
WTF.
How can you SAY THAT? You're not supposed to eat mold (except for the tiny bits in cheese), and I'm just... the vagina is a sensitive
spot. 8|
yeah it is pretty horrific
Using cups definitely had a learning curve. :|a I hadn't used tampons before I tried it either so it was pretty painful going in.
Yeah, I was a pad user too.
Sitting it too shallowly was also definitely painful, orz...
Definitely on the "eww I don't want stuff in there and HOW IS IT GOING TO FIT" side of the equation, but.
Ahaha, yes, it is.
I was like OH GOD DID IT WRONG!! /gives up for the month.
Yuup. Pretty much.
I literally forgot about my cup for several months before I had a "I SHALL TRY THIS ONCE MORE."
I'm afraid I'll be squicked
I'm quicked pretty easily though, but the idea of it just sitting there collecting -- yeah
I have aspergers and tampons drive me absolutely fucking insane just by being there, and I only use them when I have to swim at work
but pads and tampons also sit there and collect
and with pads it's pressing up against you the whole time too D:
But after figuring it out now I deal with it like maybe 3 times on my heaviest day and the rest is just futz with it when I go to bed.
Does cups work for that?
But it's the same thing with tampons (it doesn't just absord your shed stuff, but everything else too) and pads. I mean... pads are kinda
SweetJerry: I could never feel tampons but I've seen lots of people who can say that they can't feel a cup
gross, really, even if I used them. xD
but it's like...it's not absorbed into anything? at least it's not...liquidy?
I mean if you're using anything for a period it's sitting and collecting stuff
ohjesuswhydidijusttypethat
SweetJerry: I have asperger's too, but that's not to say we've got different sensitivity issues, but I don't feel the cup at all when it
sits where it should do-.
My experience is that the cup is wwwway more comfortable than pads once you've got it working for you. Like... it's not all... moist..
all the time, for a week...
I can feel them until the point where just the... the thereness becomes painful? xD But now I'm thinking investing in a cup might be worth
it
also you can put them in when you think you might possibly be getting your period soon and keep putting them in until you're SURE it's over
(And, like someone said. Inner serial killer going "bloooood"/cackle. /blush)
^that
so you're much less likely to be surprised and you're not wasting anything if it was a false alarm
but it seems like it'd be painful because it's this plasticy thing with defined edges to it?
at least tampons are roundish
Yess, that ^
It's silicon, so it's soft.
er, false alarm thing not uncomfortable thing.
or other silicon-like things
And I mean, it's firm because it holds its shape, but it's not... hard?
meluna make ones that are even softer than normal ones too
although I have issues getting that one to open properly >>
but some people swear by them so
but yeah it sort of molds itself to the space available to it
it's all rounded off anyway
tampons are much harder
And, even if you cut off the stem (I don't see why you wouldn't, it's kind of uncomfortable), you'll be able to get to the cup.
:|a to address the liquidity thing: outside your body is about as dry as when you don't have your period.
unless you let it get full enough to leak...
But it still takes longer than it would for a pad to get uncomfortable.
but I mean, when you take it out?
it's essentially a little thing full of liquid, isn't it?
speaking of which, it should be mentioned that they hold much, much more than a tampon or pad and there's no risk in leaving them in longer
and you do get used to noticing when it seems "full"
yes, it is. But I think it's worth getting used to that considering
:|a o, when taking them oooutt... it's moist? But it's not gonna drip all over your hand unless you like.. accidentally pour it on there.
And you're going to wash your hands anyway, so a little bit of spill would only be temporary... It's not as if it's dirty or anything?
lol yes... IT IS REALLY REALLY WORTH IT??? 8|a I thought people were kidding in reviews, but I seriously dread my period WAY WAY LESS
because I am assured that I don't have to deal with it as much as if I was using pads, and it's more comfortable for me.
/nod
and hey it's like maybe a month of getting used to it for DECADES of convenience
And I've only had to empty it in a public restroom a few times in the.... ... lots of years I've used it. I'VE HAD MINE A WHILE...
sob I always feel bad when I talk about cups because I start sounding like an advert or a fanatic or something
but it's just. it's so much better oh my god.
Y-YEAH, SAME.
no it's great because I've already ordered one, and I'm trying to assuage my own anxieties about it
this is really helpful
O NO A PLURK WHERE I CAN TALK ABOUT HOW MUCH MY CUP MADE MY LIFE EASIER!!1 I still buy panty liners but waay less worried if I run out now.
if you want more reading there's a really awesome thread about them at SA too forums.somethingawful.co...
deredere divacup..... I guess.. I should actually go get a replacement one since I've actually been using the same one since I got it...
yeah, that thread convinced me to take advantage of one of meluna's special deals
Just keep in mind that it can take a bit to get used to it, like several of us have said. Not to say it might not be for you, and some
get it instantly, for others it takes a while.
where they have two cups of different sizes + a random extra thing really cheap, AND they often send extra cups with their orders anyway
which sounds insane...... but it's easy to really sanitize.
they send ones where the colour didn't take quite right, so they can't sell it but it still works as a cup just fine
I'm wondering if I should buy another brand to have extra... I've only used Mooncup (UK).
I ordered a divacup??
it's just the one I've heard the most about
yeah I got a UK mooncup first but then I thought I should get a bigger one for a spare since it's one of the smaller brands
THEY ARE PRETTY MUCH ALL GOOD like every comparison I've ever seen has been pretty subtle. So I wouldn't worry about what brand you got
I'm using divacup
skygrace: Nothing wrong with that! THere's different brands out there and in the US the Diva is probably/absolutely? the most well-known.
especially cause I think it's pretty impossible to know what'll work for your body aside from heavy vs weak flow at first
the only thing with divacups is that they're relatively long, so if it seems too long try turning it inside out cause apparently that helps
Yeah. I've been thinking of maybe getting something with a slimmer rim than the Mooncup, but we'll see.
8|a you can turn it inside out...? /tempted to try...
Yeah, I've seen people say that helps.
:|a I'd be worried it'd like... pop back to normal somehow when removed, which would be.. a problem. Mine works fine how it is tho, so...
apparently it doesn't, but yeah I don't have a divacup and I've never tried it myself XD
Oh, another suggestion... You certainly don't need to use it, but I find it's easier to insert a cup with a bit of lube.
or in the shower!
in the shower you don't have to worry about cleaning it if you don't get it in right and have to take it out either
Suddenly I am glad that I've switched to a birth control that lets me have my period every three months.
.......mO_Om
WHICH ONE IS THAT????
And since I bleed like a mofo myself, I've always used these guys: 
advancing: Same, Ugh heavy flowing sucks.
/takes...notes....
I used to take Ortho Tricyclen-Lo, but since it jumped from free to around $25 USD, I decided to go with something more cost efficient.
But, I'm not gonna knock on my previous birth control. It was nice since my period usually lightened up around the 3rd day and I had some
bleeding on the fourth and fifth day.
datgermanbeverage: It really does.
Oh god! Take my uterus now! /gags/
i use fancyass "organic cotton bleach free ps please consider not using tampons and using a cup instead!!!!" tampons so
aslkfjalsdkjfasfds omg though that's so awful
what if she hadn't seen inside the applicator before she put it in D: D: D: D: D:
.......NOPE
Forgive me if this seems like a bit much, but while this is gross... very much so in fact and I am not discounting it...I'm more interested
so glad I never used tampons because oh my god.
in that people sort of seem to have assumed a bit much about toxic shock syndrome. because pretty much if you're smart about it, you'll be
fine. It tends to happen when you leave one tampon in for an extended period of time. Not talking hours, but more days. Which is gross by
itself, even without that risk. Changing them every few hours reduces your risk incredibly. Of course I'm not saying people should only use
tampons, but the warnings are there because people would take advantage if not and they left one in too long. They have to inform you of the
risk. Kind of like coffee that says "warning, contents are hot!"
That said I don't use kotex. I don't trust opaque applicators. Pads and cups kinda gross me out a little though so I'm stuck with them so I
had to try to understand the risk I was warned about a bit better.
lmao I once accidentally had two tampons in and didn't notice until I pulled them both out but o_o
it seems really odd to me that people could go long enough to get TSS
well, odd/sad
I don't understand how people could go long enough to, either. But then I am absolutely the paranoid sort since I can't afford to get sick.
THEY'RE YOUR ORGANS PAY ATTENTION TO THEM????
I'm the meticulously clean showerer, sooooo....
how can you go that long without washing your junk lasdfjkalsjfdklsdf
shrieks.
God this feels like so much tmi but how can people leave one in while they shower? /)_(\
D: D: D: ikr
Even if people go the bare minimum on changing them, which 1 in 24 hours is awfully gross...that's still a new tampon a day and I'm pretty
sure still far less risk than having one in for several days.
*holy christ.* 
pads 4 lyfe gaiz
Koyuyu: i covered that earlier, yeah. tss from tampons is really not a thing that happens anymore.
A few people in this very thread said they've known someone who've got it?
But I don't think TSS was the thing here, but the fact of...
But I don't think TSS was the thing here, but the fact of...
Okay. I wasn't quite awake enough to tackle reading 700+ comments, I admit.
those tampons being moldy...
To my knowledge TSS was mostly a thing that happened when they tried to design a tampon that could last your entire period
But yeah, it's not something I've heard much of anything happening either. /shrug
Just the very idea of sticking something up there that has the potential to cause me serious illness when there are other options
kind of makes me side-eye, tbh
i mean don't get me wrong i used tampons for YEARS before i got my cup
but i was always aware of them and always nervous and on the lighter flow days they FUCKING HURT going in and out
oh lord I saw this on tumblr
SO GLAD I USE OB kthnx augh
yeah obs are probably a good in-between if cups make people nervous
they're cheaper than regular tampons too u_ u and more environment friendly although of course not as environment friendly as cups
the diva cup looks interesting... I might have to check it out sometime.
But anyway I have never been so glad that I cannot make applicators work aaaaaaa
would just like to recommend this community for anyone thinking about cups. Cups are wonderful
and I will never go back, but they can be daunting and difficult to get the hang of, and there aren't many places to freely ask questions,
because a lot of people are squicked by it, so XD
I have always hated tampons and this confirms it. People say "oooh, but pads are like diapers you have all that gross stuff stuck in your
pants all day" well I would rather have it there where i can change it than shoved up inside of me 8(
and especially if there is mold augh
I use OB tampons and i never had problems with them but i never bought ones with applicator lol. Just simplest tampons
I am suddenly really happy that I don't use tampons.
815 comments about feminine hygiene preferences. This is possibly the worst plurk ever for anyone male to click on.
Stuff like this is why I don't mind having PCOS that much...
hhheerutughgdrhdhhklsdklsk
I don't.... I just........
D8
Would cups still work if you are a virgin though?
yep!
i mean it might be a little uncomfortable at first if you've never had ANYTHING up there
but it's not that much bigger than a tampon going in tbh
and you get used to it very quickly
I think I just vomitted a little
I have to wear both pads and tampons due to my periods being so heavy (something I am currently working on fixing with my doctor).
Can you feel it inside you like a tampon or can it be barely noticeable?
once you get it in properly it is absolutely unnoticeable
i have forgotten i'm wearing it before now
when you're still getting used to putting it in it'll be more noticeable because you probably won't put it in right the first few times
but once you get the hang of where it's supposed to be inside you, it's completely unnoticeable
Huh, this might be something I can look into and they are reuseable?
totally re-useable! i've had mine for going on a year now
i hear good things from my US friends with Diva cups though
if that helps
I love my diva cup. *3* Had it for over a year now.
I had to buy it while I was in Canada, though, because it wasn't available anywhere in my area. You have to mail order them.
oh gosh the ladycups come in little adorable bags--I HAVE PRIORITIES, YES
XD
I AM SO GLAD THAT I WASN'T THE ONLY ONE THAT HAD THOSE FIRST THOUGHTS!
I feel like if my life is going to require accessories, they should at least be cute accessories
i chose my ladycup based on the colour and cuteness of the bag I REGRET NOTHING
....those are really cute, haha
diva cups come with a bag, too, but there's only one style, heh
Now I kind of want a purple cup.........
So a cup is inserted? I thought you wore it like a jock strap. ROFL
fjsdfsjd
haha, yeah, it's inserted. XD
oh, and I just remembered: I read somewhere that diva cups are a little larger than average, even though they offer two sizes. It might be
best for those who aren't sexually active to go with a different brand, anyway.
LMAO okay, I'm not as grossed out by cups now.
heres the brand comparison tag on that LJ comm I linked earlier
LMFASFHASFA no they are inserted
ROFL I GUESS I JUST HEARD THE WORD "CUP" AND ASSUMED...I was like "EWWWWW" all this time.
.... Parker how on earth would that even work? O_o
Wearing it like a jockstrap indeed
So glad I don't wear tampons in the first place 0_0
isn't that essentially a pad anyway
being a man, I don't need tampons. But I showed my lady!friends.
Saw this on consumerist.... urgh. It was disgusting.
I think divacup has two sizes depending on your age/if you have had a baby.
*nodnods*
but even the smallest one is apparently a little larger than some others
it can help to check how low your cervix is during your period!
harder to reach cervix = larger cup
I believe the LJ comm that was linked earlier has exact measurements of different brands
but really I wouldn't worry too much about it. They are generally very similar and most will be okay for most bodies
Re: TSS risks, I did know of a girl who died of it last year, but she had accidentally left her tampon in an entire month. (Long story...)
Also, in the U.S. they sell disposable cups in some stores. (They're called Insteads, I believe.) If your cervix is low during your period
they're quite nice, and sturdy enough you can just use one for an entire period. (But I wouldn't hold onto it for your next cycle.)
OMG 
Which is another option beyond the Divacup and such.
Thank god I use pads...
i'm sticking with tampons because it's not like this is common but holy shit fucking gross
I miss pads but then again, I don't because I always /always/ ended up with stained underwear when I used them.
yeah, pads were never very effective for me.
that, and kind of uncomfortable.
I can't seem to get the hang of tampons but I was sick of disposable pads, so I started using Lunapads
those have been pretty good to me
washing them is kind of a bear, though
it's weird but i just cannot get my head around the idea of cloth pads
it's just so gross to me for some reason
idk why it's all that different from my cup I CAN'T EVEN EXPLAIN IT
well, there's a lot more cleaning involved with a cloth pad. my understanding is a cup just needs to be rinsed
yeah, and it seems more....contained
oh yeah a cup would almost certainly be a lot neater
but it somehow weirds me out even more than tampons
and the reason I left tampons was "I can't figure out how to consistently put them in right" so I'd prob have the same problem with a cup
yeah, that's fair enough )8
yeaaaah I always use pads, tampons are too uncomfortable for me anyway
I was weirded out by cloth pads but then I remembered that if I accidenally wash a normal one it comes out clean |D
ford prefect
has
had novasure done and now doesn't have to deal with the vast majority of this 
if you are childfree I cannot recommend it highly enough
presuming you are also either using contraceptives or get sterilized at the same time
Hee. Representing for the mooncup. Cloth pad backup on heavy days.
Dropping tampons was a joy, my vagina no longer ends up like the Gobi Desert.
Oh. GOD. Always Infinity pads are the most wonderful thing invented (for me any ways when I'm on my period)
I knew there was a reason to fear tampons
I only use'em if I am going swimming when I'm on my period and then it's tampax
Ewwww.
I'm gonna echo the "I'm glad I'm a pad-user" here.
I never used tampons, but I looooooove my diva cup
Pads are like wearing a diaper so there's no way in hell I'd ever go that route.
pads > tampons forever.
They're not like wearing a diaper, ordinarily I don't even notice I have one on...
I just couldn't do pads. I always smelled it, fff
yeah modern pads are thin and kind of amazing. xD
i swore by pads for my first year or so
but as soon as i started using tampons i felt so much cleaner and only used pads in emergencies
cups > pads or tampons 
AND THEN CUPS CAME ALONG AND I WAS LIKE 
otokoyakudream: Yeah, actually I wanna get one of dem cups myself.
BUt for now, I'm a tampon kinda gal.
I've never looked back from mine!
thinking really hard about a cup, it sounds kind of weird at first but I've been researching and it sounds p. good?
I've literally never heard of cups over here in the UK. What are they like to use? Washing them out sounds kind of... icky.
Especially if you have to do it several times a day because um public college bathrooms.
Especially if you have to do it several times a day because um public college bathrooms.
they actually last longer than tampons or pads
so you wash them out once or twice a day
and eh it's not much more icky than pulling out a tampon i'd think...
also you don't have to worry about the smell of used pads/tampons after you throw them out with a reusable cup
Well, the string doesn't get anything on it and you just plop it in the toilet and flush. Then it's gone
Washing out a cup sounds like... idk.
hm arent most tampons...not supposed to be flushed
I used to buy a sort that was flushable for exactly that reason, lol
"that reason" being ewww period I don't want to touch it at all
Yeah, I've never used tampons, either.
Pads only forever.
they can cause some unholy hell in your septic system, even the flushable ones
>string doesn't get anything on it
>
>
I've had too many accidents with pads only and with tampons only, so I use both.
Well mine didn't... much. Not that it matters now, thank goodness
Though honestly I just read about that Novasure thing and man would I love to have that done.
Yeah I'll admit my period is pretty fucking ridic.
/doesn't want any kids
I got that procedure
No more periods
I'd totally recommend it
That would be lovely.
I wonder if my gyno does it
I'd love to get something like that done, but I haven't decided if I want kids or not, and having a period is the best way for me to know
my organs aren't shutting down :V
I doubt they'd do such a procedure on someone who weighs less than 90lbs anyway :/
Yeah, you have to be sure before you do it. No turning back.
They have temporary solutions if you're not sure.
If you have periods they'll do it. It's not an intensive procedure. It also depends on your age though. The younger you are with no kids
The more they argue
If I wanted kids I would adopt anyway. But honestly I would rather not have any.
I had to ask for it for a decade before my gyno agreed
My doctors barely wanted to stick me on birth control because of my weight. I'm sure anything more than that would be a down right no.
I'm in my mid 30's so they'd be less likely to argue with me. I'm at the point where I'd start to be higher risk.
With a pregnancy, I mean.
Yeah, also, I'm 21. And plus, I'd want to like. Donate my eggs or something so I can always change my mind I guess :|a
I wouldn't donate my eggs because I wouldn't want to pass on my crappy genes.
They don't take your ovaries out! It's just a removal of the menstrual lining
All your eggs would be there, you could still donate them afterwards
...Yeah that sounds painful as fuck. Pass.
... /scream
....I usually do not say I am muting this now, thanks, but: I am muting this now, thanks.
I'm wondering why Plurk unmuted it after so long.