I got my period during an international trip, and the only tampons available were so badly made that I was afraid to use them. I am sure I could have found something else, but I didn't have any idea who to ask — I was staying in budget hotels and I was embarrassed to be so unprepared. I wound up wearing pads the whole time, which I hated.

The next time I was traveling internationally, I was so glad to have the Keeper with me. It was just one little thing to carry, not supplies to last three months. I didn't have to panic if I was caught in the rain, wondering if my tampons were too close to the edge of my pack. Because you can leave it in all day, I didn't have to try to change it in public restrooms, and could wait until I had some privacy. It made a world of difference.

[back to top]
 

(2)
Dear Alice,

I have been using the Keeper (now DivaCup, apparently) for over three years. It is not enough to say that I am satisfied with it. It has changed my life; it made me comfortable with being a woman.

Before the Keeper, I intensely resented having periods. The mess and the smell of my body disgusted me, and I couldn't accept having to buy and throw away menstrual supplies for most of my life. It seemed to me that the female body was built wrong and could not be fully civilized.

But using the Keeper showed me that there is nothing inherently "icky" about periods or about my body. The smell and the wastefulness are created by pads and tampons; they have nothing to do with me! I finally appreciate being female and having menstrual cycles. I've actually caught myself thinking that men are deprived.

Menstrual cups have their pros and cons, but I'm sure there are many women, like me, who would benefit immensely from them. I find it depressing that no one I've talked to has even heard about them before.

Thank you, Alice, for getting the word out.

[back to top]
 

(3)

Hi Alice,

I've been using a Diva Cup now for several months. It's just like a Keeper, only it's made from medical-grade silicone, since some women have an allergy to latex. It's WONDERFUL!! You wouldn't believe the money I've saved from not using pads or tampons. And both the Keeper and Diva Cup can be steralized by boiling for a few minutes in water. I keep trying to get my Mom to start using one, but she's too fixed on her 'pull & flush.' I tell all my girfriends about menstrual cups, it's a conspiracy they aren't sold at drugstores!