Menstrual Cups & Stigma

I recently became a lover of both podcasts and menstrual cups, and this has been something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately. A menstrual cup is a menstrual product alternative made of medical grade silicone or TPE that is both safe and reusable, therefore better for the environment and your body. Something I noticed when I made the switch to cups was the shame and negative attitudes towards cups and my cup. In particular, my one roommate and I had an argument because she didn’t want me boiling my cup (a step I do to sterilize it between cycles, with my own separate pot) in front of her or her boyfriend, and proceeding to tell me it makes her uncomfortable. This made me think a lot about women’s bodies and also the topic of menstruation being one of shame, secrecy, and taboo that is frowned down upon in normal day-to-day discussions. I feel that these attitudes towards menstruation in particular stem from fear, lack of awareness, and possibly even sexism. Why is there this idea of periods being a personal and secret topic when people have periods and it is a normal bodily function? Why do some feel that a period is dirty and unsanitary? Does it stem from bad sex education? Or from something completely different? Is my roommate just a jerk or does she feel my cup is disgusting and I should boil it outside over a campfire so that no one else is uncomfortable at my comfortableness towards my period and cup? These are all thoughts appearing in my head during my switch to cups and also after listening to this podcast episode of “Say More,” (sisters & menstrual cups) hosted by two of my favorite poets. If you’re curious, it’s available on Spotify, Apple Music, the podcast app, and probably other places as well.