The one change that worked: I got a period cup – and saved £120 a year | Menstruation

I was 18 years old when I tried a menstrual cup for the first time. I studied at the University of Edinburgh and Scotland had just become the first country in the world to make vintage products free for those who need them. The University Health Service offered menstrual cups alongside sanitary pads and usual stamps. I picked up one out of curiosity and because I just couldn’t resist a gift.

I used to spend £ 10 to 15 per month on period products, more if I was caught short and I had to make a panicked dashboard at an overpriced license. As an eco-conscient adolescent, I have already bought non-application pads, but I often wore a safety health lining below. It was an attempt to keep endless concern for heavy periods of distance: will I run away, lack supplies or find a clean toilet in time? Even so, I disclosed more often than I thought to admit it.

When I heard of menstrual cups for the first time, I was skeptical. They seemed delicate, messy and invasive; After trying one, I realized that it was not as complicated as I imagined. It took a few attempts to determine how to insert it correctly, but, once I did it, there was no return.

Almost five years later, my cup goes everywhere with me. These days, I use a foldable version, which can be folded in a case of the size of a tuofoferie. It easily slips into my bag – simple and discreet. After the end of my period, I use a cleaning pot to sterilize it. I fill the water pot, I place the cup inside and put it in the microwave. A few minutes later, it is clean and ready for the next cycle. Practical, if not particularly glamorous.

The advantages are enormous. I save at least £ 120 per year, avoid drought and most of the stamps or sanitary pads and avoids toxic chemicals which are common in many stamps. The menstrual cups are made from medical quality silicone, last years and feel much milder on my body. My cramps have also reduced since the use of a cup.

I am happy to avoid the extraordinary quantity of plastic, packaging and waste that also accompanies the use of disposable products. The use of a menstrual cup has become an effortless choice that I can make every month.

They are also practical. I empty my cup every morning and evening at home, and that’s it. More stuffing supplies in each bag I have. He has never disclosed, even heavy days, and travel is much easier. During a recent surf trip to Morocco, where the buffers were difficult to find, the cup was a lifeline.

The only thing I miss is to be able to help someone in a pinch. More than once, someone in a public bathroom asked if I had a spare stamp, and I had to say no. But switching to a menstrual cup transformed my once stressful period into something so simple that I barely notice it, and I haven’t looked back since.