Are menstrual cups viable for someone with minimal knowledge and difficult anatomy?
Hello reddit,
I am considering a menstrual cup but I’m not really sure if it’s possible for me. For context about me, even though I’m turning 21 soon, I’m really clueless about the female anatomy and health. It wasn’t taught about in school, and it is a forbidden topic in my family. I also have a lot of shame about being a woman and having female anstomy, so I’ve been avoidant of looking too deeply online because I feel sick just thinking about these things. I learned about periods through an Animal Jam skit on YouTube in middle school, and once I started having a period, I used pads I took from public restrooms and classmates until I got the money to buy secretly buy them. However, with the amount that I go through, they’re really costly and extremely gross to hide them from my family until I can dispose of them. So, when I learned about menstrual cups, I thought this might be an easier solution for me. I know my whole situation sounds a little crazy, but I only have a little longer before I can manage to safely and reliably leave my family, as I rely on them for food and home.
I’m not 100% sure where my vagina(?) is. I’ve found it before by prodding around with a tampon, but even with half a bottle of aloe vera on the applicator and general area, I could only manage almost an inch inside before the pain was too much and I gave up. Therefore, I’m not entirely cup if my anatomy will allow for a menstrual disk to be inserted within. How deep does it need to be inserted so that there isn’t discomfort and there is a proper seal? Are they inserted so deep that “digging” is required to remove them? If the stem isn’t accessible to the surface area to pull out, I’m not sure how or if it would be possible for me to fit multiple fingers inside to remove the cup.
I
am fairly certain I have some sort of female health problem. I know that I should be having them monthly, but I typically only have them six-ish times a year. When they do happen, they’re extremely painful to the point of me vomitting and passing out on the bathroom floor, and the blood pools in the heavy pads so I have to change them constantly. I’m also aware I shouldn’t have so much pain with inserting something small into there, especially when proper lubrication is applied. However, I can’t see a gynocolgist to get anything diagnosed or treated because it isn’t allowed for me, and I’m too ashamed of my lack of knowledge and with my general cowerdice to go through the effort to secretly book an appointment. Therefore, I’m not sure if a menstrual cup is a viable option for me anatomy-wise (if they can make the pain worse somehow??) and if smaller menstrual cups that can fit into me can even hol
d everything.
I’m sorry to spill my whole sob story, and it feels really shameful to acknowledge all of this. I just really want to be able to use a menstrual cup because I think it could mitigate so many of my period problems. Economically, I wouldn’t have to spend so much of my money on heavy-duty pads. Physically, I wouldn’t have to go through so much effort to hide my used pads from my family. Mentally, I wouldn’t have to think so much about the logistics of a period and be reminded of my bleeding anatomy so viscerally.
Yes, I know reddit isn’t the place for medical advice, but I really just want the perspective people with far more experience with menstrual cups than me. Any advice on specific types of menstrual cups, ways to insert/remove with minimal invasion, anything to be wary of, or just anything from people who have had similar problems would be incredibly appreciated. Please don’t shame me for this, I acknowledge I really should know more about my body for my age and shouldn’t be relying on reddit to educate me. I’m slowly trying to learn more online, it’s just a really scary and shameful topic for me I’ve tried to just put in the back of my mind. Thank you to anyone who reads this and/or responds!