After a lot of nagging from a friend - I decided to get a cup and give it a go! Before I tell you how it went - let me give you a bit of background.

I suffer from Endometriosis - which means that my periods are horrible at the best of times. I have a lot of pain - and bleed heavily.

I also have problems with pain on inserting anything into my vagina. I have not been able to use tampons, and intercourse with my partner is a total nightmare - to the point we rarely make love.

I kept bringing all these excuses up to my friend - and she kept on telling me to shut up and try it! So, I did.

I bought a Diva (cos it was the cheapest - and what I could afford) and when it arrived tried a couple of 'dry runs' - these hurt and I gave up dry runs - thinking i'd just try it when I came on.

So - the first couple of days it was uncomfortable - but not sore, so I took it out the first night, cos i couldnt sleep - but apart from that stuck with it. Eventually - one evening I realised i hadn't taken it out all day - and I couldn't feel it! I went to change it cos I thought it must be nearly full - and it wasn't - it was only about 1/3 full!

Now in the past I have flooded everywhere, every month, despite wearing nighttime towels constantly I(during the day too) - I'd have blood in my knickers, a bloody sheet - I'd be in such a mess. This month I had clean sheets - and clean knickers throughout - not ONE leak!

I get annoyed by towels - by the end of my period they rub and hurt - so a painfree protection was fantastic!

I had no stomach pains (can it REALLY stop pain?) and my period seemed a lot shorter than normal.

Best of all - when when I finished I made love to my partner in the evening - and it was lovely, and fun, and special and painFREE!!!!!!!!!!

I seriously can't tell you what a difference this has made to my life - it's a miracle!

I'm now looking forward to my period to see if it's so easy and hassle free again!

OK, so, I have looked at the tags and previous discussions regarding a link (or not) between endometriosis and cup usage.

But I'm just wondering if anyone else out there (besides me) *has* suddenly developed endometriosis since going on the cup? Not saying that they are definitely linked, but...what I was originally diagnosed with as just an ovarian cyst now appears according to my doctor to be endo (though I still need to go finish testing & probably a lap to make sure it's not ovarian cancer). I started using a cup about 2 years ago, and *never* had any gyno problems until now.

So, yes, it could be a complete coincidence or just something catching up with me as I get older. But it does give me reason to be concerned, especially as I find these articles potentially linking the two which I had never seen before.

(And yes, I know that endo has existed since long before cups came along. So has cancer, for many centuries/millenia, but that doesn't disprove the fact that modern day chemicals/factors can increase incidence of the disease.)

Two questions or I suppose topics for discussion.

I told my mom about my cup today, and we got into a discussion about her severe endometriosis which went un-diagnosed for many years. Tonight I stumbled upon this website http://www.mum.org/fdacups1.htm. which strongly suggests cups can cause endo. Everything she told me today about endometriosis does not seem that it could be caused, you are just born that way. The information does not line up with the study. Anyone who has had it, or knows anything, I'd love to read your thoughts.

Second, as a cheap college student I bought the cheapest cup at the cheapest price I could find, (although I was thinking going Diva before shopping). Divacup at Luckyvitamin for $19 or so. They had awesome customer-service (I combined my college and home address for the shipping add. and they re-shipped it to my real address for free) Why should someone buy through the true cup company? Why are they more expensive through the original company? Thanks!

:D

Well, I have proof positive that use of a menstrual cup for about a year doesn't cause endometriosis - not in me, at least.

As part of my infertility investigations I had a laparoscopy last week. I had always wondered if I might have endometriosis because I have very painful periods, but now it appears it must just be part of the PCOS. Anyway, the 'scope demonstrated once and for all that I really don't have endometriosis - and since I have been using a cup for nearly a year, this means that the cup also didn't cause endometriosis! So in a sample size of 1 (me) there is proof positive that short term menstrual cup use doesn't cause endometriosis.

So should I write myself up for publication in a medical journal, do you think? ;) Anyway, I thought this might be of interest to this community, though I don't know what tag this should go under....

Menstrual cups are associated with a theoretical risk of endometriosis.

"...the retrograde menstruation theory suggests that during menstruation some of the menstrual tissue backs up through the fallopian tubes, implants itself in the abdomen and grows. Some researchers believe that all women experience a degree of menstrual fluid backing up into the fallopian tubes, but endometriosis arises when an immune system or hormonal problem also occurs, which allows this tissue to grow and develop into endometriosis" http://www2.kenyon.edu/Depts/WMNS/Projects/Wmns36/bloodflow/medical.htm

I also found the following article from a Medical journal (dated 2005) stating that menstrual cup companies do not do enough to warn women of a possible endometriosis risk. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=27320

In short - the risk of endometriosis is theoretical and may not apply to all menstrual cup users, as it also would require this "immune system" or "hormonal problem" at the same time, and many would have to be predisposed. Knowing this makes me slightly less worried about the risks. Of course, the risk would also exists for tampons. Considering I would risk it using tampons, cups still seem like the safer alternative.

Does anyone know anything related to numbers - the odds of getting it compared to tampons? Has this risk been disproven? Would it seem that Instead cups would be more at risk for "backflow" than cups sitting lower? Would you consider wearing pads at night to lower risk of "backflow"?

Edit: Please remember that all of these charges are purely theory and my questions are thus hypothetical. We're just trying to get to the bottom of this so women know the truth and won't be turned away from cups.

Today was my first day using my Diva Cup, and it's worked out wonderfully well. I'm intrigued as to how nothing spills out when I'm horizontal (read: asleep), and definitely happy with how things are going. Thinking about it for a while, the whole idea seemed weird again, so I did a google for a tiny bit more research. (Yeah, I know, you're supposed to research before you put things in your body... oops.) I found this link about the increased risk of endometriosis with menstrual cups due to menstrual fluid spilling back into the pelvic cavity. There's also a letter written to the FDA about it. Diva Cup says probably not. Anyone have any thoughts on this? Opinions? Debunking? Just thought I'd bring it up for discussion and see if anyone knew anything about it :)

x-posted to vaginapagina

edit: Okay, so apparently this has been brought up a lot and is a bit unfounded. It hasn't been discussed in a while, though... anything new?

I have a diva cup. I can put it in and take it out no problem. When I put it in, I run my finger all around the edge to make sure it's open, that my cervix isn't to the side of it, and to clear out any last drips. I give it a little tug to confirm suction. I cleaned out the little holes around the rim this morning. I STILL GOT LEAKS TODAY!!! I am getting really frustrated here! I've already changed to Size 2 even though I'm 25 and nulliparous. What else could I be doing wrong? Do I have endometriosis or something? Am I bleeding from my vaginal walls? Or am I just too big inside? Would a mooncup be better? I can't think of anything else! Please help me!

First, thanks to the mods for giving us a safe, friendly place that encourages conversation and honest replies to questions that would be embarrasing in a less supportive environment.

And second, thank you to everyone who posted their experiences, the trials, the tribulations, the success stories, the testimonials, the how-to information, the diagrams and pictures.

I have severe Endometriosis, periods are a killer, so bad I have to take prescription narcotics for the 3-5 day duration and one to two days before it starts.

I was told for years that tampons increase cramping, yet I was unable to wear pads because I showed, trained and rode horses. Bulky pads look awful under tight britches, plus the leaks would ruin any of the white breeches I had to wear to show in.

This is my first period with the Diva cup. I didn't have a chance for a dry run, but it seemed to go in easily (THANK YOU for all the posts and how-to suggestions!) and after 2 hours there are no leaks, no discomfort, and best of all the cramps did not spike or get worse after insertion, like they would with tampons.

Thank you for your assistance, your guidance, and your willingness to discuss such an intimate and often taboo topic. I found this community by accident and I'm so glad I stayed.

I can't believe how much less the pain is with the Diva cup. I bought one because of the raves in this community and it was the best money I've spent in a long time. I feel like a different person during my period.

And it's all because of you guys and this community. Thank you.

http://www.endocenter.org/cupsfdapetition.htm

i'm not sure about the validity of this claim as i haven't done any further research, but now i have two questions: 1. what?! and 2. how is the "retention of menstrual discharge" caused by cups any different to the blockage caused by tampons?

There was something I was wondering about from the conversations here, but weren't exactly answered and I couldn't find any good info on it.

Retrograde flow. I've heard people say that cups cause menstrual fluid to back up in the fallopian tubes and cause endo. From my research, I've only come across info saying that this was a theory but I've heard it stated several times as fact. The thing that I think of when this is talked about, is the fact that when you are lying down menstrual fluid has a perfectly natural chance to back up anyway.

Oh, and also, there was one girl who "lost" hers. Has anyone ever had trouble getting it out? I'm pretty new at this, and after I finally got it in, and I'm not sure if I put it in to far because it just kind of got "sucked" up there, I had to bear down and grab it. Is this normal?

Yay!

I went to the Dr. today and brought my divacup literature and asked what she thought.

She said there were no problems with it at all and that because of the lack of fibers, it was actually safer then tampons.

I asked about endo..endo... the endometriosisises thing and she said that there was no more risk with a cup than with tampons.

She did say that if I got an infection down there to stop using it though because even if its not the cause, a cup can bring infections back.

So... just one doctor's opinion, but enough for me to know i love my divacup! :) yay!