Made of latex, silica gel or thermoplastic, it is soft and elastic. It's bell-shaped with a short handle under it. The bell-shaped part is stuck in the vagina to collect menstrual blood flowing out of the uterus. The short handle can keep the menstrual cup balanced in the vagina and make it easier to take it out.
Menstrual cups come in different models. When choosing, the main factors to consider are the width of vagina and the amount of menstruation. Generally divided into large and small models, you can choose the size that suits you after trying it on. Women who have basically never given birth can choose a small size, and women who have given birth can choose a large size.
Historical development:
As early as 1867, the prototype of the menstrual cup was born and passed the patent application. At that time, the main body of the menstrual cup was a rubber bag with a silver ring on the edge, and the bag was connected to the belt through a silver hook. When in use, the sponge should be put into the pouch, and then the pouch should be completely or partially put into the vagina.
The first bell-shaped menstrual cup appeared in 1932, and was patented by Goddard company of the United States. Since then, almost all menstrual cups have continued this shape without much change.
However, because it uses vulcanized rubber as the cup material, it is hard and heavy, and naturally it can't go too far on the commercial road. 1987, Keeper company introduced the menstrual cup made of latex, which made it possible to commercialize the menstrual cup.