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Are you a Diva?
A personal look at the Diva Cup
©
Outdoor Adventure Canada
The Outdoor Girl section
was never part of our original plan for Outdoor Adventure Canada
but when I discovered the Diva Cup I was compelled to share my
discovery with you. Because of the personal nature of the product
I thought that the men might feel a little uncomfortable with
this review in the main part of our e-zine so a new section was
necessary. This is a delicate subject that includes much personal
information.
In February I was at
the Toronto Outdoor Adventure Show with the male members of the
OAC team. A woman handled me a pamphlet and started to talk to
me about the Diva Cup. My insensitive counterparts went on their
way leaving me to look at this device. The Diva Cup is just what
it sounds like, a cup that collects the fluid of menstruation.
It is made of latex-free, 100% hypoallergenic, medical grade silicone.
It is odorless and does not disturb the natural function of the
vagina. You can wear it for up to twelve hours depending on your
flow. Then you simply wash it and reinsert. My first reaction
was that the Diva Cup was too good to be true and I sure wasn't
going to spend the money on one. I grabbed a few pamphlets for
my girlfriends and went on my way.
An hour later I met
one of my girlfriends at the show and told her about my skepticism.
We talked about how you would never have to buy tampons again
let alone pack them out from a wilderness trip. She promptly asked
me to show her where the booth was and told me about a cyclist
friend who swears by her Diva. So we went to the booth and trusting
the advice of my friend I purchased one as well.
My personal experience
started with much skepticism and a dose of nerves. I felt much
like I did when I was trying my first tampon. There are two Diva
sizes; size one is for a person under 30 who has never given birth
or had a c-section, size two is for the rest of us. I was a size
two which is the larger of the two sizes. My period had arrived
and there I was in the bathroom with my freshly cleaned Diva and
the instructions. I had trouble because I was nervous and I wasn't
angling the device correctly, so much so that I gave up and called
Diva International Inc. to tell them that they had given me the
wrong size. It was too big and I was sure of it. The lovely person
on the other end of the line told me that it was actually the
right size but that I just needed to relax and get used to the
insertion process which involves folding and seating the device.
She recommended that I push toward my tailbone instead of the
more upward angle that most of us naturally try. So I attempted
use later in the day — a little more relaxed and to my amazement
it worked!
I am grossed out when
I have to pack out my feminine products and leaving them buried
in the woods is not an option because of the impact on the environment
(I found some stats that showed over 7 billion tampons and 13
billion sanitary pads making their way into American landfills
and sewers each year). Now it was time to put it to the full test
on a weekend backpacking trip. No leaks, no discomfort! As long
as you have potable water and soap you can easily clean the Diva
and once a day I clean mine with a little isopropyl alcohol. Removal
was easy and clean-up a cinch. The best part of all is that I
didn't have to be embarrassed about my garbage bag contents —
the guys I was hiking with had no idea that I even had my period.
The manufacturer recommends
just wiping the Diva with tissue and reinserting it if you are
in a public washroom, then cleaning it at the next convenient
time. Because I can wear this for up to twelve hours I find that
I rarely have to empty the cup in a public washroom. It is soft
and you cannot feel it. The best thing is that it the Diva doesn't
leak. It can even be worn overnight. It is ideal for swimming
and sports.
The Diva comes with
a cute little storage bag so that you can keep it handy in your
purse or pack. I highly recommend trying the Diva Cup and with
a one-year money back guarantee you can't go wrong. The cost is
about $40. Consider the money you will save not having to purchase
pads or tampons. Now consider what you would be doing for the
environment. Several cycles later I am now convinced this is the
best purchase I have made in a long time.
The
Outdoor Girl
Email
the Outdoor Girl for your chance to win a Diva Cup from Diva
International. Diva International Inc. will contact the winner
directly to confirm sizing and obtain shipping information.
For more information
on this product please visit Diva
International Inc.
For more articles please view the archives.
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