More and more women are turning to the Mooncup as an alternative to disposable tampons - you can order your Mooncup in the THM Shop, read on for more information

For many women, used to disposable sanitary towels and tampons, the Mooncup comes as something of a revelation - it is a reusable menstrual cup, made of medical grade silicone, which makes it suitable for women who are allergic to latex or rubber products. It can be used safely overnight, for swimming and other sports, and has never been associated with toxic shock syndrome. We've grown up in an era where women don't readily discuss periods - we're brought up to think of them as something messy, meant to be kept secret. The Mooncup challenges this, and a lot of people find it a bit uncomfortable to challenge the ideas they grew up with - especially when it's something this personal. Yet many women who use the Mooncup find that it allows them to feel better about their period - there are fewer problems of odour or leakage, and in fact you may find that you can even forget that you are having a period!

Menstrual cups were first developed in the 1930's - in those days it was considered inappropriate for women to touch their vaginal area, and so tampon manufacturers got around this by developing applicator tampons. Only the most liberal minded of women would use something like a menstrual cup, and using disposable tampons and sanitary towels soon became the norm. Tampon manufacturers also benefited from the fact that they would make repeat sales month after month, allowing them a much higher advertising budget - manufacturers of menstrual cups would only expect to make a repeat sale every ten years or so. However in the 1980's, women became more environmentally aware, and began to demand a more eco-friendly alternative to disposable sanpro - Menstrual cups and cloth sanitary towels began to increase in popularity.

The Mooncup is contains no bleaches, deoderants or absorbency enhancers, and will not affect the normal balances within your vagina. There is no need to carry a spare, and with proper care your Mooncup will last for ten years, which makes it both economical and environmentally friendly (consider how many tampons or sanitary towels you would use during 10 years - those disposable products will end up either in landfill sites or washed out to sea). You simply have to remove and rinse the Mooncup a few times each day, and sterilise it in between periods by either boiling it in a saucepan or using sterilising fluid such as Milton.

You may have doubts about how easy the Mooncup is to use - it may take a little practice to find the right angle and position for your body, but once you have got the knack you'll find that it is comfortable and easy to use. If you find that tampons can be a little uncomfortable towards the end of your period, then you'll find the Mooncup a lot more comfortable to use. Many women find that they need to empty their Mooncup less often than they used to change tampons - every 4-12 hours depending on your flow. This means that you should be able to go out for the night, or go to work for the day, without having to worry about leakages. Full, clear instructions on how to use the Mooncup are included with your purchase.

Because the vaginal muscles of a woman are firmer before childbirth, the Mooncup is available in two models - please take care to order the correct model:
Model A is for women who have given birth vaginally, and all women over thirty
Model B is for women under thirty who have not given birth vaginally

To order your Mooncup, visit the THM Shop today!