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#HipHop4Her: I Dare You To Try The DivaCup
I walked around my local pharmacy waiting for my prescription, strolling into every aisle and examining the products. I circled around the makeup almost three times before entering a new aisle. I went into the vitamin aisle, the snack aisle and finally the feminine product aisle. Aisle 2 I believe. As I scanned the products, from the Summer’s Eve to the maxi pads, my eyes got tripped up over “The DivaCup.” At first glance it looks very much like a diaphragm, and I thought who actually uses those? I’m interested in meeting these women. But I leaned closer and realized that it’s not actually a diaphragm at all, I saw the word “leakage” and then assumed of course for weak bladders. Again I was wrong, so I decided to pick the box up intrigued by the silicone cup inside. The cup is actually for a woman’s menstrual cycle. Automatically a horror scene popped up in my head just blood everywhere. I needed to be more informed on this new product, but according to the website, devices like the DivaCup have been around for 80 years.
While the DivaCup helps with period odor and disposables, it looks more complicated to put on than a tampon. Some women can’t even insert tampons into their vaginas! When using the DivaCup there are four steps, fold, insert, seal, and rotate, and also the removal. To use it, fold it into a “U”, and hold it tight so that you are able to insert it inside the vagina, make sure the vagina muscles are relaxed and not to insert it to far in. Inserting the cup too far in will make it hard to take out and possibly cause leakage. After inserting it, you rotate the cup by its base to make sure the cup is open. To remove, pull gently on the stem of The DivaCup until you can reach the base of the cup. Pinch the base of the cup to release the seal and continue to pull down to remove it. The DivaCup must be emptied at least two or three times a day.
Women would obviously be concerned about leakage, there is nothing more embarrassing than have a period spot on your clothes. The DivaCup offers 12-hour leak-free protection and two types of cups. The first one is for women under 30 and those who haven’t had children and the second one is for women over 30 and for women who have had children. The website has answers for the common questions women have asked about the product. Cleaning the DivaCup may seem complicated and terrifying but the product guarantees a no-gross factor. After removing the cup, you dump the contents and then wash it with the Diva wash, or anti-bacterial soap.
The DivaCup creates an innovative way from women to deal with their periods. No more pads, or tampons that creates waste and feminine odor. It provides a comfortable experience for all women, at a price though. The DivaCup costs $40, and is suggested to be changed once a year but this varies depending on the woman. Next time you’re in the pharmacy go into the feminine aisle and look for the DivaCup. I even dare you to try it out and see if this can be a new method for you.
