Divacup fit

January 13, 2010 7:25 AM

Am I too small for the smallest DivaCup? Vagina talk inside.

I'm 16, almost 17, and I'm a 'late developer'. I've had my period for almost exactly a year. I assume hat means my vagina is still developing and pretty small.

Because of starting period irregularity, I only get it once every 1.5-2 months, which means I have not gotten very many. I tried various sample tampons at the beginning, mostly tampax pearl and other plastic applicator ones. They're okay, but I've found them awkward to get the tampon high enough that it doesn't hurt. Eventually, I discovered o.b., which I love because I can put it exactly where I want it. I'm not very squeamish, so the sticking my fingers up there is kinda whatever.

I'd like to try a cup, mostly because I can wear it for a much longer time (I don't think I have a very heavy flow), not worry about waste, and not worry about running out of stuff. I perused the livejournal community in depth about them, but I noticed form a guide that I now can't find that DivaCup has one of the longest cups on the market. I know there are other brands, but I'm oddly attached/loyal to DivaCup for no apparent reason. Do you think it would 'fit'? I know I can trim the stem.

Obviously, I'd buy the pre-childbirth version. I'm a virgin as well.

Has anyone had a problem with being too small? I can feel what I think is my cervix by sticking my index finger up there all the way - it's about the length of my index finger away. I remember a source saying that the length of your vagina varies throughout your period - fyi, I'm not on period now and haven't been for about a month.

Disposable email: [e-mail]

posted by anonymous to Health & Fitness (12 answers total)

I think you'll probably be fine. I'd be 100% sure to cut the stem, and use this reference about insertion techniques. It's so worth a try! Changed the entire way I think about my body and my period.
posted by mynameisluka at 7:40 AM on January 13, 2010

The Wikipedia page for cups has a size chart.

I'd say go for it, but if it doesn't work now, don't give up on it forever! With your comfort level and what you've said about placement, you sound like you'd be a great candidate.

I agree; it's a surprisingly life-changing product.
posted by Madamina at 7:44 AM on January 13, 2010

In another thread, so_gracefully mentioned this fantastic guide to choosing a menstrual cup. There are charts listing the various dimensions of each of 14 different kinds of cups, so you'd be able to choose one based on length. Apparently the different brands vary by as much as 17 mm.
posted by runningwithscissors at 7:49 AM on January 13, 2010 [2 favorites]

Well, this is off topic, but I find it important to mention because I was believed to have had an "irregular" cycle for a few years after I started my period. A woman's cycle can be as short as 28 days or as long as 40 days and even shorter or longer in some cases. My off-pill cycle is about 35 days to 40 days, so it sometimes can appear that I only get my period once every 1 1/2 months, but that's really just my cycle. I had to explain this at nearly every doctor's visit for *years* after I finally figured out that my periods were regular --- there was just more time in between than average --- because some automatically jumped to, "Are you late? Are you having sex? Could you be pregnant?" when I was, you know, 16-17 years old and most definitely was not and certainly could not have been if it had been five or more weeks since my last period started. If you're having any irregularity or may have a longer cycle I'd advise keeping track of the start date of each cycle (the first day of your period) for a couple of months and seeing if you notice a pattern because having an irregular cycle is something that should be paid attention to because if it continues (and it's really actually irregular and not just a long cycle) could mean something else is going on that in the future you may want or need to address. This would also allow you to tell if you just have a longer than average cycle. But this is a derail and I will actually answer your question now.

I don't think there's any good way to know if a cup will fit you until you try one. There's no harm in getting it except for a loss of a few dollars, and if it doesn't work/fit for you, you can try another brand and see if that's a better match. And thanks for posting this! I've been thinking of getting one of these for awhile now and I haven't heard of this brand, so I'll be sure to look it up!
posted by zizzle at 7:57 AM on January 13, 2010

Glomming on to zizzle's off topic comment, I just wanted to recommend Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler. It gives a lot of good information about what's normal and figuring out how long your cycle is.
posted by zorrine at 8:19 AM on January 13, 2010

I just got my first cup (it's in now!) and was reading up on them yesterday. The ladies over at the menstrual cup LJ community say that ladycup is the smallest brand you can get, though it costs a bit more. Their largest cup is about the size of a small divacup.

You might want to check out these posts tagged with "virginity" as there are tips for inserting with a hymen (if you still have one!).

Seconding tracking your cycles. I use mymonthlycycles.com to keep track of mine.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 8:29 AM on January 13, 2010

Eventually, I discovered o.b., which I love because I can put it exactly where I want it. I'm not very squeamish, so the sticking my fingers up there is kinda whatever.

Oh, and so you know you're not weird at all, this was my exact experience in high school! Applicator-free tampons rock, when you have to use tampons. Something else you might consider is using sea sponges. I used them for years, but got tired of leaking on myself when I sneezed.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 8:31 AM on January 13, 2010

DivaCups are the most readily available in US stores, but they're less than optimal for some people. That, and because so many people use the term "DivaCup" to refer to any disposable menstrual cup it's understandable that you'd "randomly" develop some brand loyalty to them.

If your cervix sits low during your period (this is completely unrelated to virginity or age, btw), don't get a DivaCup; they are the longest available cups. If the body of the cup is long enough that you can feel the base at your vaginal entrance when it's fully inserted, trimming the stem is kind of irrelevant — you'd need a shorter cup. There are quite a few posts on the LJ menstrual cups community that talk about relative experiences with specific cup brands and cervix measurements.

In addition to looking for a shorter cup, you might want to consider a narrower cup as well. The cup will be folded when you're inserting it, of course, but if you still have a hymen a smaller cup will be more comfortable to insert.
posted by thisjax at 9:11 AM on January 13, 2010

The smallest size of DivaCup and Keeper are both too big for me. I can get them in, but most of the time I can feel them, and, more importantly, it is sooo uncomfortable to get them out.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 10:06 AM on January 13, 2010

Because of starting period irregularity, I only get it once every 1.5-2 months, which means I have not gotten very many.

That's OK, it's normal for your periods to be wonky when they start. Try PhoBWanKenobi's suggestion of the Ladycup and see if that will work out for you.
posted by DarlingBri at 11:40 AM on January 13, 2010

Think you'll be fine - my daughter started using one when she was 14. It was a frustrating learning curve, as I recall, but she was persistent and loves it. Give it a shot, with whichever cup you choose. It might require a little patience or persistence in the beginning (even now I sometimes have to turn right around and go reposition it right after I've put it in cos it feels weird/different/not right) but it has been so worth it for me. And I absolutely hate tampons. They're uncomfortable/painful, so I thought I'd hate the cup.
posted by magdalenstreetladies at 11:48 AM on January 13, 2010

For whatever it's worth, I'm able to insert my index finger into my vagina and, without much trouble, put my finger on my cervix. I've been happily using a DivaCup for about seven years with no trouble at all. My cup sort of cups my cervix, and it works out great.
posted by MeghanC at 8:26 PM on January 13, 2010