Learning to accept my "monthly gift"

It's that time of the month here at sex.feminism.empowerment.life which has me thinking about menstruation (naturally), most specifically, my relationship to my own period. Since I started using a menstrual cup, my relationship to the menstruation process has changed quite a bit. While I used tampons (and even, back in the day, pads) I never really developed a clear idea of what menstrual fluid is like, let alone have any real conception of how much my body actually produced. Tampons allowed me to never fully associate my period with my body or even myself. It seemed like, as it was so aptly put in the vagina monologues an "inexplicable phenomena." Using a menstrual cup (a mooncup to be specific) has forced me to own my period- a monthly event I once dreaded with every fiber of my being- and develop an actual relationship with it. The mess I shied away from now seems natural and even kind of ::gasp:: cool. It's really interesting to see what my body produces and lets me know that my body is functioning as it should. I think being given spaces to speak about my period in actual terms (rather than in wispered euphemisms) has been another factor in this change. While many people still seem uncomfortable with the idea of periods (which strikes me as odd, concidering women have been having them since, ya know, the dawn of time) it doesn't have to be that way. While having a period may not be everyone's favorite activity, there is no reason women should be so disconnected with such a natural process (discussions about discomfort with other natural processes to come, I'm sure.) Breaking the silence, emabarassment and shame around menstruation is one step, as is encouraging women in our lives to respect and embrace their own cycles, and celebrating them rather than dreading them.

Spread of the DivaCup

My local grocery store, in addition to organic menstruation products, is now carrying DivaCups. I was surprised but totally thrilled. I've used a MoonCup now for the past 5 cycles or so and absolutely love it. Menstruation cups are not only better for the environment, by reducing the monthly waste pads and tampons create, but are also better for your body, since they do not absorb vaginal fluids, like tampons do. Menstrual cups are not as well known as disposable pads and tampons, but the more people are exposed to alternative medical products, whether because they know someone who uses them or by seeing them on the shelf in the grocery store, the more they will be normalized and, hopefully, used.