I’ve wanted to review the Diva Cup for awhile but didn’t want to shock any of my male readers. But the time has come and I will start out this product review with a warning:

Attention Men: Move Along Now

Consider that your warning. But also consider that you may find this review helpful for your girlfriend or wife – it’s actually worth a read if you’re not easily embarrassed!

Now, onto the product – I’m writing this review without any incentive (read: they’re not paying me!) and truly just love this product. A friend recommended the cup to me last summer before heading out on my RTW trip – I was skeptical but her endorsement was incredibly enthusiastic.

It turned out that the Diva Cup is one of the most useful things I took on my trip around the world. The Diva Cup is an eco-friendly “natural feminine hygiene alternative” according to the site.

Basically it’s a medical-grade silicone menstrual cup that effectively replaces tampons and pads.

The Diva Cup site has all of the nitty-gritty details and pictures of the cup.

Here’s why I love it and how it worked on my RTW trip:

It can be worn for 12 hours at a time
Traveling on a budget and in developing countries meant a lot of time on public transportation, with the Diva cup I was safe for the never-ending 10+ hour bus rides. Then onto trekking – the last thing I wanted to do was dig holes and bury tampons during all-day treks – hooray for my Diva Cup! It’s completely safe to have in for up to 12 hours because there’s no risk for TSS like with tampons.

You can wear it before your period
Again, if I knew that I might start my period in the middle of a 10+ hour bus ride I could use my Diva Cup before my period even starts because it’s not drying like a tampon. It saved me from some potentially embarrassing situations on treks and the such.

It’s designed for any activity
The site touts that you can do any of the following: swimming, aerobics, cycling, traveling, dancing, hiking, biking, running, camping. You can. Each and everyone without a worry. It liberated me from trying to plan major outdoor activities on non-period days because I knew I could head out on that six hour bike ride without searching out a clean bathroom and I knew it would give an embarassing leak at precisely the wrong time.

You never have to buy any other product
I read horror stories about the availability of menstrual products before leaving on my round the world trip – some women even resort to bringing a full supply for their travels (hard to do when you’re on the road for a year!). This is literally the only thing I had to bring (well, soap too) and I knew I was never going to find myself hunting for sanitary products in a remote village in Nepal.

It’s green travel and oh-so good for the environment
So many of the countries I visited don’t have effective waste management systems in place; it made me feel good to not contribute to that problem and lighten my eco-footprint just a tad. The cup is reusable for a decade and there is nothing else you have to buy to use with it. Plus the non-BPA medical-grade silicone is far safer for your body than the surfactants, adhesives and additives they use in tampons and pads.

Now, for all that I’m touting the fabulous qualities of the product, I do have to share that there is a learning curve to using the Diva Cup, it took me until my third period using it to have no leaking and messiness…and I cursed it the whole time during my first two months.

But now I’m converted.

A few other Diva Cup tips and thoughts:

• Try it out before your trip! You’ll be thankful that you’re in your own clean bathroom while you discover the learning curve.
• Bring a mild soap. I brought a small container of Dr. Bronners Magic eco-friendly soap to wash it with.
• It’s not for the squeamish. You do have to get a little more “invasive” then you do with tampons if you catch my drift.
• Buy at your local co-op or natural foods store instead of online – mine sells it for less than online! Either way it’s less than $35 and far less than the close to $200 annually women spend on feminine hygiene products.

I think this product is brilliant and anyone who is comfortable with their body should give it a try. But beyond anyone, I consider it essential for women RTW travelers, truly  :-)

Interestingly, don’t take my word for it – just try to find a bad review of the product. A search on Google for “Diva Cup sucks”  mostly reveals the frustrations of those who are in the middle of the initial “learning curve” that I mentioned.  Better yet though, once you get a Diva Cup, Google for some extra tips from women people who have figured it out, they’re normally right on w/their suggestions and the cup comes with some very explicit tips!  ;-)

Shoot me an email if you have any other questions, or better yet, leave a comment. And if you’ve tried the Diva Cup, share your experience in the comments!