The Menstrual Cup: What Will They Think of Next?

Just when I think that I am pretty well "in the know" about all things related to caring for my feminine needs, I come across something that blows me away.

I had always thought that tampons and pads were the two ways to take care of things during that time of month, but apparently there is an alternative - and an environmentally-friendly alternative at that.

It's called the DivaCup™.

From the website: "The DivaCup™ is a dependable, internal vaginal alternative to pads and tampons. It is perfect for an active lifestyle. Feel free to travel, swim, camp, as you would any other day of the month!"

Basically, you stick this thing up there, it catches the flow, you take it out when it's full to dispose of the liquid, and then you wash it out and reinsert. Easy, eh?

The way I see it, the DivaCup has a few advantages. First off, it holds one full ounce of liquid, which means you'd only need to empty your cup a couple times a day. Not bad. Secondly, it's washable and reusable so it's environmentally friendly. No tampons in the landfills. And finally, it comes with a "discreet drawstring carry bag" AND an exclusive Diva pin with silver accents (to wear proudly in support of this amazing product). Yep, pretty good deal for $32.50.

But before I buy one, I guess I have a few questions for DivaCup - and please, if anyone has used one, let me know if you have the answers to these questions:

1. The website says that the money-back guarantee does not cover "damage caused by accidents." Hmmmm. So what kind of "accidents" are we talking about here? This gets me a bit nervous.

2. You say that it is "highly unlikely" that the DivaCup could get stuck in there. Can you give me a percentage likelihood? I just want to be really clear.

3. Let's talk spillage. Convince me that I don't have to worry about this.

4. Since there's no string involved, I'm just a bit concerned about the retrieval process. Thoughts?

5. Are you really serious about the pin? Really?

So, I'm a little torn on this one. I like to be environmentally conscious, but I'm worried about the whole concept of catching my menstrual flow in a cup. Maybe I'm just being silly. Would YOU try this? Anyone out there a DivaCup fan? Let me know! Yay or nay???