Before you freak at the mention of *whispers* … periods, hear me out. If you are a woman who has gone through puberty, you probably have your period about a dozen times every year. You’ve likely had numerous awkward conversations with parents and teachers about it, regrettably ruined at least a couple pairs of underwear, and figured out your own personalized routine to regulate and control your flow. If you’ve never experienced a period, I’m sure that both your curiosity and your fascination are overwhelming. Either way, there are some pretty scary things—in terms of health, economics, and the environment—going down, err, down there.

The Diva Cup is a product that aims to combat these injustices thrust upon our menstrual cycles. A silicone, flexible, reusable cup, the Diva Cup is worn in the base of the vagina and collects your period blood. The Diva Cup can be worn for twelve hours at a time, then is washed and reinserted, completely eliminating the need for tampons and pads. It’s virtually leak-free, lasts two years, and has no harmful chemicals or additives, unlike other menstrual health products. The average woman spends about 200 dollars every year on between 300 and 400 tampons and pads, not only spending excessive amounts of money, but creating tons of unnecessary waste.

When I first started using the Diva Cup, about a year ago, it was at the least, unfamiliar. I looked at it and thought “This is gonna go in me?” But after the first insertion (arguably no less complicated than the first time I put a tampon in), I was a serious advocate. Not that I look forward to my monthly bleeding, but now I actually feel good about the personal and larger-scale effects of what I’m doing to make the biological process intuitive and celebratory, as opposed to obtrusive. I know that I’m keeping myself healthier, fighting oppressive aspects of our throw-away culture, and reducing my personal waste, all while embracing and better understanding my womanhood.

Check out what some other Divas have got to say:

Sylvie Wise:

“My diva is my best friend! She made me realize just how awesome it is to be a lady! I am almost sad to have to put her away each month. Diva Cups change the world!”

Danielle Prizzi:

“I have been using a diva cup for just a year now and I have realized I have become much more in touch with my cycle. Using this product allows me to become more intimate with my femininity, through directly dealing with my menses. I feel strongly for the ecological and economic savings by being able to re-use the same product over and over again. Easy to use, I boil it once every few months for sanitary purposes, and I find myself enjoying this product.”

Amy Franz:

“From my experience, the diva cup has improved my life as a busy (and poor) college student – no more worrying about spending $8 on a box of tampons every one to two months, no more changing a tampon every time you use the restroom, and no more fear of a tampon falling out of your pocket in front of people! not to mention, by using the diva cup you eliminate all the toxins that’s in a tampon and reduce waste.”