Whats a menstrual cup i Ive heard but don't know what it means? please read whole thing ?

Question

i have a very heavy period and my doctor suggested a menstrual cup i was two embarrassed to ask what it was and I'm two embarrassed to ask my sisters or mom. also what the normal age to start masturbating and fingering. and any other things i should know what they mean cause I'm 13 going into 8th grade and my friends talk about all this stuff i never heard of or don't know wat it means? thanks in advance

Answer 1

The others have answered "what is a menstrual cup" well, but I must caution you that you might not be able to use one. If your hymen isn't broken, you might not be able to get it in. I had a Diva Cup and couldn't use it until my hymen was broken. But since then, I've loved it!

Answer 2

A menstrual cup is a cup that you insert into your v****a when you are on your period to collect the menstrual flow before it leaves your body; they are made from either medical grade silicone or natural gum rubber, and bell-shaped. You fold them, insert then turn to unfold them, they can then be left there for up to 12 hours before you remove them, empty, clean and reinsert.

Menstrual cups are the only safe internal menstrual option available as they don’t absorb fluids that your v****a needs to keep itself moist and to clean out any bacteria, they don’t give bacteria anywhere to multiply and they don’t contain chemicals or bleach – tampons do all this, thus why they are so harmful. Menstrual cups are very clean, mess free and easy to use, also they are less fuss because they can be worn for so long without leaking, so it means no having to constantly carry spares or change in public bathrooms. Because menstrual cups are safe it means they can be worn at any time such as before your period is due to avoid mess, during sports including swimming, and when you go to bed, you can also use them with very light flow right through to heavy flow. They are much cheaper and environmentally friendly too.

I wish I had known about menstrual cups when I was your age, I have super-heavy periods that last for about 10 days, I used to use super-plus tampons and night time pads but would still leak after 15 minutes, so I always had to run home from school pretending to be sick as I’d leak so bad it’d go through all my clothing – very embarrassing! I switched to a menstrual cup (Mooncup UK) about 5 years ago, no leaking what-so-ever, which is great!

I understand you feel embarrassed but I promise you it isn’t an embarrassing thing, your mom and sisters both understand it as they have periods too. If you want to use a menstrual cup then you would likely have to get your mom to buy them for you as they are around $35, which seems like a lot but as they last for 10 years they are far less expensive than tampons or pads – which may be something you want to tell your mom, along with showing her some sites that explain what menstrual cups are, also most menstrual cup brands have money back guarantees so you can try them for a few months and if not for you then they will give you a refund (although check with the brand to see what their policy on guarantees are). If you don’t want to talk to her then write her a note, get a sister or friend to talk to her for you, or better still ask your doctor to talk to her for you as she can explain all this to her.

I’d personally recommend you try Ladycup http://www.ladycup.com as they are the smallest and softest brand available so they may be easier for you to use given your age. You may also want to check your local drug store for something called Instead, this is a brand of softcup – they are a similar idea to menstrual cups only they are made from soft plastics and diaphragm-shaped (like dish-shaped) so sit further up in your v****a next to what is called your cervix (opening to your womb/uterus), these are also disposable which some women prefer, most people I know prefer menstrual cups but softcups might work for you too. You may want to look at a few different menstrual options to see what works best for you - for example if you want to stick with pads try padded panties like Lunapanties or period belts like Reddy's as these have wider pads and fit closer to your body so may be better to prevent leaking, they are far more comfortable than commercial or organic pads too.

FYI – You are very lucky to have a doctor who understands menstrual health, a lot of doctors aren’t very well informed about periods and things like that, the fact your doctor suggested menstrual cups is a fantastic thing.

More on menstrual cups;

http://www.menstrualcups.org

http://www.mooncup.co.uk

http://www.divacup.com

http://www.femmecup.com

http://www.lunette.fi

http://www.mooncup.com

http://www.thekeeper.com

http://www.miacup.co.za

Normal age to start masturbating – there is no normal age.

Babies touch their genitals while their still inside their mothers womb, it’s the most normal and natural thing that anyone can do and has lots of benefits – teaches you about your body and how you like to be touched sexually, helps ease menstrual cramps, safe form of s*x, and eases stress. If you are masturbating then you are normal, some people start from when they are just toddlers and some don’t start until they are into old age, there are no rules.

If you don’t know what something means then best you go learn for yourself – I’ll tell you this, chances are your friend know very little themselves! There are all sorts of myths girls your age pass between themselves. There is a site I recommend to all girls your age, h**l I recommend it to everyone, it is aimed at teens but it isn’t patronising and has a lot of really reliable body-positive information, I’d recommend you check it out - http://www.scarleteen.com

Any more questions feel free to e-mail me :o)

Answer 3

A menstrual cup is a cup that you place in your v****a when you're having your period, it hold all the blood in it. Like a tampon but a little different. I don't like the idea of using it since you have to take it out and see all the blood inside of it. Just use pads, the biggest and most absorbent types you could find in the supermarket.

You can start masturbating and fingering whenever you want to!