The History of the Menstrual Cup

By Alma Bengio

If you’re looking for the most effective, environmentally-friendly, and safe product to use during your period, menstrual cups are the way to go. While some think the cup is gaining popularity now, it has actually been around for a very long time, since 1867 to be exact. To give you a rough timeline, cups were invented about a decade before pads, and around half a century earlier than tampons. 

But the menstrual cups we know today were invented in 1937 by actress Leona Chalmers. She patented the cup made from latex rubber, purposefully wanting to make the product comfortable and something you don’t realize it’s there. But some found it simply odd to wear a product that you then manually emptied out. The fact that it was reusable internal protection was a new and quite unpopular concept people were not accustomed to. However, it was the most convenient. By purchasing the product once, there is no need to worry about not having tampons in your purse or pads if your period comes unexpectedly, and as eco-consciousness has grown over the years, people are turning to the cup as the ultimate sustainable purchase. 

While it may not be your usual way of dealing with your period, it’s definitely the quickest and most efficient. Once you get used to it, it’s easy to insert and remove, with a very straightforward cleaning process to ensure the most hygiene. The Viv Cup specifically has a ring at the end to make it even simpler. If you haven’t tried it yet, I strongly recommend you try it out. It’s a game-changer.