WARNING: This article is aimed at my lady friends who also suffer once a month.

I’m here to talk about the monthly gifts from Mother Nature and how unbelievably uncomfortable they are. Pads are gross, but seem like the only overnight alternative. Tampons are better, but they can quite literally kill you and are far from pleasant in their own ways. For these reasons, I jumped out of my comfort zone and tried something new, and I’d like to share it with anyone who is tired of tampons and pads, like me.

That’s right, I tried the DivaCup, and it wasn’t bad at all. But before I go and suggest it to you and you spend $40 dollars, I’m going to break it down as to why I prefer it now after this first experience.

1. Cost

Okay, so, although the DivaCup costs $40 up front, that’s it. Yea, you probably need liners still, but no pads, no tampons (regular OR super), for one whole year. For me, I could spend $20-25 if I needed to completely restock on everything, and this would be about every three months, which is about $80-100 for one year. Saving half my money is A LOT for me. A little bit of science for ya, we’ll say the average girl menstruates from 14 years of age to 50. This is 36 years of periods. We’re looking at $1,440 versus $2,880-3,600. Not a huge amount, but enough to make a difference.

2. Comfort

Okay, so this is where it got a little iffy. If you are used to using tampons, you’ll be better off than others. If you use a NuvaRing, even better. It is a little uncomfortable putting in and taking out, but I got the hang of it by day two. After that, I swear you barely even feel it. It even reduced the severity of my cramps to the point where I didn’t have to seek out painkiller. I honestly love it and I don’t want to go back to tampons and pads. The only thing I really felt was, when it started getting full, gravity would pull it out a little, but I thought that was helpful since it told me when it needed to be emptied. Unfortunately, it does leak a little for me and there’s no way to tell if it will until it’s tried out, but it isn’t as bad as I thought “leaking” would be. It’s literally the same amount on a liner as if I had used a tampon and it filled up.

3. Usage and Cup Care

Oh yea, did I mention that you can wear it for up to 12 hours?! That means no more risk of toxic shock syndrome (and wearing it at night)! The cup doesn’t even leach anything into your body because of its material. Its material also allows you to boil it for a few minutes to clean it. I didn’t have access to a soap gentle enough to clean it so I boiled it whenever I got the chance. As a piece of advice, if you don’t like seeing blood, this may not be for you. Additionally, I would highly suggest emptying it in the shower. Not only do I worry about spilling it, but it would make living in a dorm a bit more awkward if I’m constantly running into the bathroom with a tiny cup of blood (that was really gross, I’m sorry).

4. Environmental Impact

What kind of nature freak would I be if I didn’t mention that the DivaCup is much better for the environment? It’s a little obvious, but by replacing a bunch of disposable products with a reusable one, you’re doing so much good for the environment. Imagine all the products you’ll use in a year. Now imagine a tiny little one ounce cup that does the same exact thing and can replace all that trash. Amazing.

5. Final Thoughts

I will say that the DivaCup is definitely not for everyone. However, if you’ve used tampons or think you’ll be comfortable with a DivaCup, please please please try it! I would not be advocating it if I didn’t think it was absolutely amazing. It’s so convenient and good for the environment. Plus, it’s not as scary or weird as it may seem. We’re just girls trying to be comfortable with something uncomfortable.