Did you know that an average woman uses about 10000 sanitary products during her lifetime? Menstrual management systems form a huge market out there and consists of several types of products. From sanitary napkins to tampons and from menstrual cups to others, the advancements in these products is only going strong day by day and often, it can be difficult to make a choice between them.
This is why; people often end up comparing one to the other. Have you ever wondered which is better among tampons and menstrual cups? Well, to find out, you can go through the following given comparison between the two.
Definition
A menstrual cup is a flexible cup which is designed to be used inside the vagina during your periods to collect menstrual blood. The cup collects the menstrual flow rather than absorbing it like a pad or a tampon. On the other hand, a tampon is a plug like product made of a soft material and is inserted into the vagina to absorb menstrual blood.
Popularity and Use
Tampons and menstrual cups have been around for almost the same length of time but tampons are more popular across the world and also more widely used by females as compared to menstrual cups.
Types and Choices
As far as tampons are concerned, there are many different sizes and materials in which they are available. Infact, tampons are also available in many different absorbency levels depending upon your menstrual flow during periods. On the other hand, menstrual cups are of two main types-the first type is the flexible and soft disposable cup which looks like diaphragm and the second is a bell shaped structure cup which is made up of silicone or latex which can be reused after cleaning.
Time of Usage
Tampons need to be changed every 4 to 8 hours but on the other hand; menstrual cups can be used continuously for over 12 hours as well. According to a study, women had to change menstrual cups 2.8 times less frequently than pads or tampons and also that menstrual cups leaked 0.5 times less often.
Benefits
Tampons are often more preferred because of ease of availability, popularity, ease of usage and other such reasons. On the other hand, menstrual cups are preferred because they do not contain any chemicals, fibers or bleaches and can even be worn during intercourse, making the experience less messy. For some women, tampons are easy to be inserted and removed as compared to menstrual cups and this is another point of comparison between the two. Also, women preferred tampons to reusable menstrual cups since the process of having to clean the cup for usage was considered gross and dirty.
No matter which method of menstrual flow management you use, it is always important to wash your hands thoroughly with soap each time you change the product. The preferred option out of tampons and menstrual cups depends upon your comfort and suitability.
