The Muse Inks
It’s Been A Bloody Empowering Journey: Benefits of Using a Menstrual Cup Based on Personal Experience
by Gabrielle Lopez
May 26, 2025
The day I turned 20 was the day I decided to switch to menstrual cups.
It was my very own coming-of-age moment, my first grown-up decision. Entering my twenties, I imagined myself finally worthy of the title of “woman”. And so, I wanted to start owning myself and the way I care for my body in ways I haven’t before.
Pads weren’t working for me anymore. They’re easily available, easily worn—but not so comfortable. I would get rashes from them, no matter how many brands I’d tried, even those that claimed to be made for sensitive skin. It felt tedious to have to change them every few hours, not to mention, it didn’t feel good for me just sitting on my own blood all day. I tried tampons once, but they didn’t feel right, either.
I would dread having my period. It felt like a chore I had to get through, and when I was on it, I didn’t feel good in my own skin.
embracing the decision to shift to menstrual cups
I know the experience is different for everybody. We each have our preferences. Of course, there’s also accessibility to consider—we don’t all have the same access to resources. So when I say that menstrual cups have many benefits, I don’t write these to say that you should try them out because they’re “better” or that they would work for you just because they worked for me.
No, your definition of what feels good for your body depends entirely on you. I’m writing this especially for those who are thinking of exploring other options for a more comfortable, empowering period experience.
We all know how painful and unpleasant menstruating can be, so why not feel as good about it as we can while we’re at it, bleeding as we are, right?
I had my hesitations, too, before I started using menstrual cups. It took me months, if not a whole year, to research before deciding on it. When I finally did, I was glad. And bleeding as I’m writing this now reminds me why. Here are all the reasons, the benefits as I’ve realized them over the three years and counting that I’ve been using menstrual cups.
save money, save the earth, and save space with menstrual cups
Using a single menstrual cup can save a lot of money.
I used to go through two packs of sanitary pads back then—one for heavy days, another for lighter bleeds. Sometimes, depending on the number of pads in a pack, I’d go with three. That had cost a little less than Php 200 per month. Since I bleed regularly, that was Php 2400 per year. More if I had a particularly heavier month, or as I mentioned earlier, if I opted for more expensive brands at certain times. I recently checked the prices and saw that pads have only gotten more expensive since the last time I used them. Whereas my menstrual cups had cost only Php 1000 each (I have two)—and they’re good for up to 10 years already. I know cups that cost way less; around Php 400 is the cheapest but still reliable one that I saw. Imagine the difference: Php 2400 per year vs. Php 400 for 5 to 10 years. It’s definitely been worth taking the leap for me.
They’re environment-friendly.
There are a lot of brands for pads and tampons nowadays that are eco-conscious and biodegradable, which is good since majority of women still use these period care products. It greatly matters that we remain responsible in reducing waste. Still, I personally wasn’t comfortable anymore with the fact that, at the end of the day, even if those products are biodegradable, they’re still considered waste. They will decompose, sure, but it would take precious time. Using menstrual cups—made of body-safe, medical-grade silicone that makes them good for reuse for several years, if not a decade—can be a way of helping things along for our planet. We can bleed responsibly—and our earth can bleed less for it.
They’re easy to bring.
It can be a little hassle, having to carry pads all the time—entire packs of it, even. Not just for oneself but for others who might need them, too, like a classmate who happens to unexpectedly have her period, a cousin who always forgets to bring her own, or even a stranger. While it may be an honest downside that in using menstrual cups, you won’t be able to help others anymore with your extra pads (unless you personally go out of your way to still carry them), I’ve found that it’s a huge help having to carry only one or two cups at a time. They’re small, compact, and portable; cups can go in their silicone containers or even just a clean, sanitized pouch. They’re also discreet, as we all know the feeling of having to hide a sanitary pad in our palms while we do a little walk of shame to the comfort rooms—not that we should even feel like it in the first place. Personally, I went with a menstrual cup that is collapsible by design, so it fits right into my pocket.
an experience of wellness while on the cup
Cups are made to be safe for the body.
As long as menstrual cups are cleaned regularly and thoroughly, they’re good to be reused for a few years up to a decade. Their material—usually medical-grade silicone—is proven and tested to be safe for the body, especially since menstrual cups are specifically designed to sit in the vagina for hours at a time before having to be cleaned out and reinserted. I’ve been using cups for three years, and not once have I had a problem regarding its safety for my body or its relation to my health.
Say goodbye to rashes.
One of the top reasons why I decided to quit using pads was because of the constant rashes I’d get from them, no matter how often I changed pads within a day or what brands I used. It wasn’t always like that; up to my last couple of years using pads, I’d been able to bear wearing them with only the seldom occasion of getting rashes. However, it got bad enough that I started to hate pads—hate having periods, hate my body, hate being a woman. So I finally switched to menstrual cups, and since then, I couldn’t help but feel much cleaner and fresher on the outside—not that there’s anything wrong or dirty with menstrual blood at all. It’s just my personal preference not to sit on my blood for hours on end. This way, I feel more at ease with myself, and that’s the important thing, isn’t it?
taking out and cleaning the menstrual cup every now and then
You can go several hours without having to take the cup out to empty it.
Depending on the heaviness of the bleeding, of course, a menstrual cup user can go up to 8 hours without having to take the cup out to empty, wash, and reinsert it. In my case with mostly only a moderately heavy bleed every month, which becomes lighter as the days of my period go by, I can even go up to 12 hours without taking my cup out. That said, in a single day, I usually just wash my menstrual cup twice—thrice, at most. It works perfectly well with any class or work schedules that I’ve had so far. Like if I have to start school or work at 8 am, I’ll take my cup out and reinsert it by 7 am so that the next time I have to do it again will be at 7 pm, once work is done for the day. I also don’t need to worry about getting up in the middle of the night to change. I usually just wash my cup right before I sleep, reinsert it, and sleep right through the 8-12 hour cycle before I have to clean it again in the morning.
With correct and careful usage, menstrual cups don’t leak.
I personally have never experienced leaks while on the cup. The key to inserting menstrual cups with ease is figuring out the right fold that works for you then mastering it. Now, the key to ensuring that the cup sits in place as it should, and no blood leaks over time, is by always double checking that the menstrual cup has unfolded and “popped” into form in the vagina. It’s easy to check just by skimming the base of the cup. If there’s still a slight dent, make some adjustments or reinsert it; otherwise, you’re good to go. As long as the cup sits right inside, and it’s regularly emptied out—especially for those with heavier periods—then there shouldn’t be a problem with leaks.
just going with the flow on our period
You won’t even feel it’s there.
Pads can chafe against the skin. Tampons have strings that need to be left hanging out, or if one opts to cut them off, it might be a little more challenging to take out the tampon. And in my experience of using that particular period product, the material caused some chafing, too. Menstrual cups, on the other hand, are so comfortable that as long as you put one on right, you won’t even feel it’s there. No poking, no chafing.
Wearing a menstrual cup makes periods more comfortable for movement, even rigorous exercise.
I should know because I do yoga, workouts, and swims while I’m on my period wearing my menstrual cup. Even simply walking and sitting while I’m bleeding feel better when I’m using my cup. Wearing pads can become disturbing, especially given that we experience periods for up to a whole week. Honestly, nothing compares to the feeling of using menstrual cups and being able to move without restraint, awkwardness, or worry. To put it simply, it’s freeing.
different options for every body, girls wearing white even on their red days
There is a variety of menstrual cups that matches different body types and preferences.
Menstrual cups come in all shapes and sizes. Well, perhaps not all shapes, since they are generally made to look like cups, true to the name. They do, however, have different designs even with their common shape. Some are rounder, others a little more conical. Some, like mine, have ridges or curves in their design that make them collapsible. And while it may not be as huge a factor as others discussed in this article, menstrual cups come in a spectrum of colors—from feminine pinks and reds to transparent ones, from blacks to the brightest hues. I’ve even seen some that have swirling patterns on them in pastel colors. It might not mean much, but this availability of aesthetic can make the whole experience more personal—inspiring, even.
Wear anything you like when you wear a menstrual cup.
I mean it—anything. From white trousers to bikinis to thongs to—nothing, even. As I said a while ago, as long as you make sure to put it in correctly and check every several hours, then there should be no problem with leaks. So fashion-wise, it’s just another day on the runway.
getting in touch with ourselves when we use menstrual cups
Using a menstrual cup helps you get to know your body better and be in touch with it.
Literally because you’ll have to touch yourself to be able to use a menstrual cup. I’d go so far as to be vulnerably honest and share that before I ever used menstrual cups, I never liked touching myself down there. It’s just not my thing, my preference. I sought pleasure in other ways. So I didn’t really know much about the actual feel of my sex, my body right on my own hands until I used a menstrual cup. And while it took some time to get used to, it was honestly gratifying and awe-inspiring to get to learn more about this part of myself. To know exactly how things work in my body and what works for me. To trust my body to function and more than that, to thrive. I’ve felt more in control of my body since then. Not to mention, it’s good to normalize even if just within the confines of myself the concept and feel of my own sex.
It’s more comfortable to seek pleasure while on the cup; it also helps with the pain.
Unlike with pads where the friction against the material can be uncomfortable, awkward, and even frustrating as it can hinder maximum pleasure, menstrual cups allow us more leeway to seek satisfaction even while we’re on our monthly bleed. Though, if having penetrative vaginal sex while bleeding without making a mess is the priority for you, then you might want to think about using menstrual discs instead (similar to the cup but with different positioning and shape). Also, based on my personal experience, using the cup itself has greatly helped with my cramps. Once it’s in place, I find that the cramps are less intense, though note that this is only my experience of it and not a guarantee for everybody, since I’ve heard accounts of it being otherwise.
Using menstrual cups destigmatizes menstruation.
Besides getting to know your body inside and out, using menstrual cups lets you learn more about and even appreciate menstruation. Touching yourself, seeing the blood on your hands, and witnessing just how much you bleed as you empty the cup’s contents—another sign of how your body works to keep you healthy—tend to relieve the mind of any lasting stigma against menstruation. Being in touch with your body in this way normalizes the process of periods so that you’ll find that they’re no longer gross, annoying, tiresome, or horrible—because they never were in the first place. Periods are natural, to put it simply.
Wearing one defies the norms imposed on women’s bodies.
It’s common among people here in the Philippines to think that women—especially young women, ladies, girls—shouldn’t use period products that are “invasive” like tampons, menstrual cups, and menstrual discs. It’s believed that these will affect one’s “virginity” or at least whatever is meant by the older, more traditional sense of the word in relation to sex. But virginity is a construct, and hymens are not the sole standard for defining our own virginities. And anyway, hymens can break during a number of physical activities like sports, so using menstrual cups and the like shouldn’t be any different. In fact, opting for these alternative period products is a sign of being empowered—that we have allowed ourselves to break free of the norms, to choose what’s best for us, and to treat our bodies with the care and comfort that they deserve.
Period Power: True empowerment comes in the form of the freedom of choice, in this case, between various period products for self-care and women’s health.
It’s empowering.
In all of these ways and so much more. It may seem like a small thing, but it is definitely not inconsequential. It’s not just a period product—it’s a means of self-care for something as intrinsic as our menstrual cycle. It’s an option, a choice. It’s a form of freedom. Using a menstrual cup is a way of taking care and taking charge of our body—to feel good in our own skin, to get to know ourselves better, to move in it exactly as we wish. It boosts the confidence. Not to mention, it inspires us to find out more ways we can continue to feel this way, what other areas in our life can do with some positive changes, and how we might share this empowerment with fellow women.
The day I turned 20 and decided to switch to menstrual cups was the start of a journey for me. From there, I’ve made it a point to pursue empowerment in every possible sense of the word that I can think of, though I’m sure I’ve yet to learn more. Empowerment, not just for myself but for others, too. From the little things like awakening to feminist principles, keeping my mind open to other women’s experiences, reading and learning about their struggles—both personal and political—being there for my girl friends, and sharing what I can to support or boost them. To the steps that hopefully amount to something in the long run like writing this article, creating The Muse Inks, sharing what I know from my research about the female gaze in film, crafting stories and artworks that aim to inspire women.
The bottom line is we all deserve a choice, be it about what period products we use, what we do with what we have, or how we decide to reach out to support others. It’s in this choice—in the embrace of the inevitable differences in each other’s decisions—that we would know we are truly empowered.
So whether menstrual cups are for you or not, choose what’s right for you and your body, what makes you feel comfortable, safe, healthy, and uplifted. And from there, we can only go on to find more ways to empower.
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