[tankgirl]

I was just kidding about that comment I made. I have to admit, when you posted that you had only made a couple of posts, so I was assuming you were another troll. Sorry about that. I belong to numerous boards that have a diva cup/keeper thread and I have never heard of them causing a UTI.
To be honest about it, I hardly ever thoroughly clean mine and I have been using it for about 7 years. Actually my first one lasted 7 years, and then cracked a but so I decided to get a new one recently that I have had for a couple of years. I have never had any medical problems caused by it, but I also empty mine like a fool because it has been leaking more often for me with the new one.

[jsmith]

Ah, I see - thanks for clarifying. You didn't come across as saying "don't use the cup" at all. Hm.. sometimes my cup presses against my urethra, but I find that doing some hard kegels helps adjust things. But I suppose you've tried that one already. Have you looked at any of the smaller varieties? With the boom of menstrual cups that has taken place recently, there's bound to be something for everyone!

[angie_21]

jsmith, urine is sterile, but the area "down there" is very unsterile. What happens is bacteria and yeast from the vag and/or bum travel pretty far, especially in the presence of moisture or sweat from working out, sex, etc. If these get in the urethra, they can travel up to the bladder (in a matter of hours, if you have a short urethra). Frequent urination washes them back out before they can settle in to the bladder and start an infection. If you google "diva cup" or "instead" with "UTI" you will see that I am not the only one (but also that some girls have no problems at all!)

I really didn't mean to sound like I was saying not to use the diva cup! I just wanted to warn people that proper cleaning and use is important, and that if you are prone to UTI's, you should give your bladder a break and not use it 24 hours straight. Sorry if I came across otherwise. As I said, I used to use it and absolutely loved it until my problem, which was avoidable, and I was hoping to help others avoid it!

[jsmith]

Angie, I was always under the impression that urine was sterile, thus having some remaining urine in the bladder would not be conducive to the growth of bacteria..
I would be more inclined to think that cleaning the cup with, say, something scented would contribute to a uti. But I'm no doctor.

[angie_21]

angie 21 work for tampax? lol jk

I have never heard of anyone getting a UTI by using a keeper, actually they protect us from TSS and are much more clean that a pad or tampon IMO. YAY for no chemicals in my cooch!

Ha ha no in fact I hate using them. Usually I only use products for the first few days and then I have a set of underwear that I let get stained.

I have a tilted cervix and weird build "down there", leading to a tendency toward UTIs. for some girls, the cup puts pressure on the urethra, causing incomplete voiding of the bladder and retention of bacteria., leading to UTI

I really miss using it, I never had problems putting it in or getting a seal, either!

[ketto]

Hey stone, not sure if you realized but you replied to a comment made almost three years ago.

[Stone]

HI i got the diva cup and i've been happily using it but im thinking of going back to pads because : im more or less a virgin and i was kind of wondering if anyone thought it would like..stretch me out down there? make me less sensitive or give me a "floopy vagina" cause those are two things i would rather avoid

I have never had any "floopy vagina" problems after using the diva cup.

[tankgirl]

angie 21 work for tampax? lol jk

I have never heard of anyone getting a UTI by using a keeper, actually they protect us from TSS and are much more clean that a pad or tampon IMO. YAY for no chemicals in my cooch!

[fuego_lento]

Thank you all! Just when I started thinking I'd gotten the hang of removing it, I'd have another episode where I just couldn't get the thing out. It's getting easier, though, and the WTF moments are much fewer than on day one. I think I'm definitely a convert!

[lilacwine13]

I'm just agreeing with ketto here, fuego. It took me a couple months to get the hang of it, and then I had to learn how to do it for camping. That was not fun, but now I don't have any problems with it in any situation. I know it can be frustrating, but it will get easier.

[angie_21]

Just wanted to poke my nose in on this.. I had a diva cup and got a nasty infection while travelling, due to not being able to thoroughly clean it, and probably also because of letting it touch a hotel bathtub for 20 seconds. This was after using it for a year with no problems. Caused a UTI at the same time, and sadly have had a strong aversion to using it ever since. So.. be careful, I guess!

[fuego_lento]

Thanks, Ketto. I get annoyed when I don't just *get it* on the first or second try, and this was a good 15 minutes spent in the bathroom with too many fingers up my ladyparts unable to extricate something that sounded simple. I'm worried that this is going to be a bumpy learning curve for me.

[ketto]

fuego, honestly I think it just takes practice. I've had my divacup (which i know is slightly different) for over 5 years and I remember the first 2-3 months I could feel it and was very aware. I hated the stem and I didn't use it to pull the cup out because I couldn't get a grip on it. I ended up cutting it off and then filing it totally flat, otherwise I could feel it.

When I pull mine out I'm able to fit my thumb and my forefinger in just enough to pinch the bottom and break the suction. I think I sort of twist, and then pull really quickly. This usually results in more messiness, but I don't mind that part. I just rinse myself off and I'm good to go.

[fuego_lento]

You probably don't know this but you all were instrumental in my decision to give up Insteads (which I've used since 2000 but had been less than thrilled with their recent leakiness) and switch to the Moon Cup. I'm not menstrual enough that leakage would be an issue just yet and I wanted to see what the Moon Cup was like without the mess of days 1.5-3 of my period. But please reassure me that the removal gets easier.

I was amazed at how easy it was to insert. Thing is, I can feel it there. I remember this hyperawareness with the Insteads the first few months and it passed, so no big deal -- I assume it's a question of finding the right angle. The stem has been driving me crazy all day, which is a problem because I have herpes and this is the sort of thing that could trigger an outbreak. And that would be sucktastic indeed. I plan to cut the stem, but and hesitant to do it until I get the hang of removing the thing. I tried removing it a little while ago and while I understood that there is suction involved in how the cup works, I had the hardest time getting it out. Pushing down while pinching the base and tugging on the stem only allowed me to pull the stem til it stretched and then snapped back inside me. I tried slipping a finger under the edge, but it felt like my cervix was taking up most of the space in the cup and the best I could do was tilt it to a really uncomfortable angle for a few seconds.

When I did finally manage to break the suction it made enough noise that I'm glad our bathroom is at the far end of the apartment, away from the bedrooms. I swear I'm doing something wrong (I think I'm writing this for posterity so I can look back in a couple months and laugh). Please just reassure me it gets easier.

[Lily_Anne]

Points taken. Thanks

[lilacwine13]

I think I understand the idea--washing cloth pads out in some place like, say some parts of Africa would be problematic due to water shortages. However, as tankgirl pointed out, tampons and nonreusable pads generate waste on their own. They don't biodegrade, so they will be around for a long time. I read somewhere the program Always (or whoever makes Always) was running in Africa was building incinerators near the villages where they were donating pads, which is problematic as well, since burning plastic gives off toxic fumes.

If I misunderstood and you're talking about washing out the pads yourself, then I'm with everyone else and wondering what you're talking about. Usually I just soak my pads in a small container, then wash them with the rest of my clothes; the cup I just rinse out. Considering my period is slightly unpredictable and I usually end up soaking something once a month, having to soak a pad is no big deal.

I think it's great that you've discovered ob--that was my gateway into this. Cutting down on waste, no matter how small, is important. If you decide to try something reusable, then we're here to help and offer advice.

[erinjane]

I really don't understand as well. Are you saying you don't want to use lunapads because you'll have to use more water to wash them? That logic doesn't even follow in my head. When I use them I usually throw them in the shower with me to rinse them off and then just put them in with my regular laundry. I don't even end up using any more water than usual for the divacup, except to boil it once or twice a month to clean it.

[tankgirl]

really? water? that is nothing compared to the wastefulness of tampons and their packaging, even ones w/o applicators. geez.

[mouse]

i gotta say, i don't understand that argument at all. do you use plastic silverware so that you don't waste water re-using the regular kind?? landfills leach chemicals into water sources anyway, so damned if you do, damned if you don't. if you really feel bad about it, why not combine your less-waste choice with a donation to a clean water access charity? i know i sound snarky here, but i'm mostly just playing environmental devil's advocate...

[Lily_Anne]

Hi all,

I'm not ready to bid goodbye to tampons just yet, but I am happy about discovering o.b. - am slowly cutting down on the amount of materials I use. All those applicators that go in the trash!

Currently my biggest obstacle to switching to Lunas and cups is the issue of Water. So many people in this world do not have access to clean water, and somehow it turns into an issue of waste generation vs. water consumption. Alas.