GREEN GIRL LOVES: Diva Cup
Okay you’re tempted to just skip over this one, we know. Been there. Saw the press release, read the first paragraph, had the big “Eeewwww” reaction and went on autopilot to delete. But work with us, here. A conversation with the Green Girls that started out with “You’ll never believe how gross this sounds” ended up pretty illuminating. Turns out, one of us Gigis had actually tried a previous incarnation of the DivaCup a few years ago and was pretty impressed. Squeamish Green Girls can click away now. But before you do, listen to what our expert had to say about the Cup: “It was almost like not having a period.” Say, what? Yup that’s when we stopped being fifth-graders and started paying attention. Because we’re down with anything that makes us forget Aunt Flow’s come to visit (also known as Miss Scarlett’s come home to Tara, A visit from the Cardinal, or our own personal favorite, Taking Carrie to the Prom—check out starma.com for more hilarious euphemisms for that time of the month).
Once said cup is, um, installed (the shower is apparently most effective) you can keep it in for up to 12 hours, depending on your flow. Empty morning and night (again, the shower is key), and you’re good to go for 24 hours and can even enjoy conjugal relations (also known as the Backseat Mambo, Feed the Kitty, and more here).
But best of all, made from recyclable silicone, the DivaCup is all kinds of green. Ponder these stats from 2000: Almost 60 million American women use disposable feminine hygiene products, approximately 12 billion sanitary pads and seven billion tampons. The average woman menstruates for over 40 years. That’s—okay, wait, we can’t even calculate that high, but it’s a helluva load for the landfill. Plus, unless you’re using organic products, it’s a lotta dioxin-producing chlorine, too. So put your fifth-grader in check and open your mind to the alternatives. Your Aunt Dot will thank you.
