Menstrual cup: could this be alternative to sanitary pads?

Menstrual cup FemmyCycle / Courtesy of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety

By Lee Kyung-min

“To use, or not to use?” This is a question playing in the back of the mind of a woman, surnamed Lim, 23, when she thinks of a menstrual cup after the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety early this month approved FemmyCycle to be sold starting next year. The feminine hygiene product developed by U.S.-based Femcap, is currently sold in ten countries, including the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Made of silicon, the bell-shaped is inserted into the body to collect menstrual blood and can be reused for up to an average of five years. But buying a new one to use after about two years is recommended.

The ministry’s approval followed the massive scare over disposable sanitary pads after news stories broke that many of them contained toxic materials citing posing a possible threat to women.

Many women have since sought alternatives to the disposable pads to avoid wearing the possibly chemical-contaminated ones for a long period of time.

“I have been using only sanitary pads since I started menstruation when I was fifth grade in the elementary school, and I really was shocked and dismayed by the news,” Lim said.

“I knew I had few options because I was a bit worried about inserting something inside my body rather than letting the menstrual fluids flow out of my body. But I changed my mind as wearing the toxic pads close to my body for hours would be worse.”

After she decided to give it a try, she watched numerous talk shows that featured the use of the cup.

Video footages are available online, with detailed instruction on how to pinch the cup to make it easier to insert it and remove it without spilling the fluid.

“I heard that inserting it for the first time is very challenging but after a while, many women say they it gets easier. I think I might give it a try.”

Another woman, 35, who has been using both tampons and disposable pads said she is willing to use menstrual cups next year.

The office worker with a 2-year-old son said using the cup would not be any more difficult than using a tampon.

“I have used tampons since I was a university student. And my friends told me that once I use a tampon, I wouldn’t want to go back to using pads because of the inconvenience. At first, I didn’t understand what they were talking about but I totally agreed with them later. Using the cup will not be too different, I think.”

Unlike tampons or disposable pads, the cups are reusable and therefore more cost-effective, she added.

“One cup costs about 37,000 won ($35) and you have to pay about 13,000 won for delivery, which is still far cheaper than having to buy tampons or pads every month.”

The idea of having to rinse it after removing it from the body is a bit of a hassle though, she added.

“The only thing that concerns me if I have a heavy flow and have to remove the cup in case the fluid leaks. Instruction videos tell me that I should bring a water bottle to rinse the cup, in case I remove it in a restroom, but I would not want to do that in a public bathroom for sanitary issues. In conclusion, I would use it when I have a light flow,” she added.

But another woman who bought the cup on a U.S. shopping mall online, said she has never experienced fluid leakage.

“I think of it as a cork blocking a wine. It prevents fluid leakage and I have never experience any discomfort after using this for about a year. I would strongly recommend it.”

Because the cup is reusable, it is cheaper than buying tampons and pads but carries a higher upfront cost. In the U.S., FemmyCycles costs around $35.

The ministry said menstrual cups should be washed with clean water and disinfected with boiling water for up to five minutes prior to use.

Sterilization with a microwave or alcohol is not an option, the ministry said.