Thread by @abhiandniyu

Let's talk menstrual cups and periods. Ask me whatever questions you have and I'll do my best to answer.

I have been using a cup since June 2020 and it has literally freed me. I use a Sirona Small. I've answered some really common questions below.

1. The best way to find your size is a finger test. You will need to insert a finger in your vagina and then find your size. This video will help you:

2. Don't go by the descriptions on the menstrual cup website. Your age has nothing to do with your cervix size. Your size can't be changed unless you give birth. So, you have to measure it. Make sure to measure it when you are close to your period.

3. When you pick a brand, pick one that is FDA approved. This ensures the brand has used quality silicone for the cup. You can check the measurements for Sirona Small and approximate for other brands. I bought mine from Amazon.

4. Women have 3 different holes which connect to three different systems in the body. Your vagina connects to the reproductive system. Your urethra or pee hole connects to the excretory system and your poo hole/butthole is the final step of your digestive system.

5. Why am I talking about this on Twitter? Because we keep matters about periods buried so deep. It makes no sense to not talk about it. We talk about mental health, so I vote we start talking about periods too.

6. I'm a man, why should I know this? Because there is no reason for you not to. Your mother, sister, or friends will be going through periods. You should know what it is, know that many get cramps and know what periods are. It's time to normalize this.

7. A cup will break my hymen? No. I found this interesting video online which said a hymen is simply a film with small holes covering your vagina. It is not a curtain that blocks everything. The holes are meant for your period flow to pass. So, you won't "break" anything.

8. Why cups? A sanitary pad is made majorly out of plastic, bleached cotton and other chemicals to mask the smell. It takes 500-800 years for one pad to decompose. The soaked blood develops germs once thrown which causes infections in ragpickers.

indiatimes.com/trending/envir…

Menstrual cups are made of medical grade silicone. Silicone is NOT plastic. It doesn't absorb anything from your vagina, thus minimizing chances of infections. That's why an FDA approved brand that does required quality checks.

9. But period blood is impure/dirty. How can I touch it? Just to smash this redundant thought, when a woman becomes pregnant, the same blood+lining becomes food for the fetus. So, this blood is really not impure. This is your own body we're talking about.

10. I'm scared, what do I do? It is very natural to be scared. It took me a few months to get the hang of it. I ordered the wrong size which was problematic. Once I got the right size, it was a breeze. But using a cup is like doing anything new. There are jitters. But go for it

If anyone has any other questions about periods or menstrual cups, ask. I will do my best to answer.

11. How I remove the cup: I have not cut the tail of my cup. I sit on my toilet seat, breathe in and push (like how we push to poop). The muscles push the cup a little towards the vagina. I pinch the cup to break the seal and then use the tail to gently pull it outside.

I empty the cup in the toilet, wash it with water and reinsert it. It is very simple, takes very little water and doesn't make a mess anywhere.

12. How to keep the cup clean: Before and after your period, make sure to put the cup in boiling water for 5 to 10 mins to sanitize it. Once you take it out to empty it, clean it with water and reinsert.

13. How many years can a cup be used? Many say a cup can be used for 10 years. However, I have read accounts where women change it in 5 to 6 years. Depends on the care you take.