For those who feel reluctant to try the cup, your fear is justifiable. Here are my thoughts and experiences using the period cup as a beginner—unfiltered, raw, and intimate.

A menstrual cup is a soft, reusable cup that’s inserted into the vagina for periods. Unlike pads and tampons, it does not absorb, but collects the blood.

If 91% of women who tried period cups said they’d recommend one to a friend, then something somewhere isn’t right. Let’s start with the juiciest bit: Doing business in the pharmaceutical line.