For as long as I can remember, I’ve always dreaded my period: Those five days a week when my uterus punishes me for not being pregnant. Aunt Flo could just text me every month and say, “Congratulations! You’re not pregnant!” Instead, she’d rather go full-on dramatic. My uterus feels like she’s throwing things around and saying, “After all this work I’ve done collecting all this blood so you can get pregnant! Here! Just take it all!” Okay, maybe I’m being a little dramatic, but you get my point. Those five days every month, 60 days in a year, have always been the worst.

Period cups and period discs are the new, hot trend. (And they’re among some of our favorite menstrual products, too!) I eyed them and researched them for months. They looked uncomfortable and in my initial opinion, gross, compared to the tampons that I’d been using for many years. Their promises though – 12-hour leak protection, reduced cramps/dryness, and mess-free period sex – intrigued me. The last promise really intrigued me, especially since my partner prefers not to have sex if Aunt Flo’s in town.

After much deliberation, I finally took the step and ordered my first kit. There are many different kinds of period cups/discs to choose from, some are reusable while others are disposable. You can also choose between period cups and period discs. Personally, I chose disposable discs. The fact that I could throw them away when I was finished helped me decide – though reusable cups are a more environment-friendly alternative! The ones I chose are the ones that you can supposedly have mess-free period sex while wearing. Here’s my experience using them for the very first time.

Check out our Menstrual Hygiene Day guide here for more information on cups, discs, and other period products.

Inserting my First Disc

It was a Friday morning and as I was getting ready for work, I knew it was period time. Sitting on the toilet with my new period disc in hand, for less than 20 seconds I argued with myself. Staring at this contraption that was supposed to hold my period blood for the next 12 hours, it looked larger than I expected. Halfway freaking out for a bit, I reminded myself that I’ve waited for this moment for months. I’ve been eyeing this product for a long time and now. I had it in my hands so I needed to do it. Taking a deep breath, I pinched the disc as instructed and slid it in. I pushed the cup up behind my pubic bone and wondered if I did it right. Grabbing my phone, I pulled up an instructional YouTube video from the company I ordered it from and came to the conclusion I had it in, correctly. Standing up, I realized I really couldn’t feel the disc at all.

Related image

Changing My Disc

Later that evening, it had been 12 hours since I had put my first disc in which meant it was time to change it out. I had comfortably worn my first-period disc, all day with no leaks. I went to the bathroom and peed several times throughout the day with absolutely no leaking or spotting. I was at a concert that evening which is the last place you want to be when you’re on your period. It means having to go to the bathroom several times to change your tampon so you don’t leak through. This time, though, I only had to pack one period disc in my cross-body purse instead of several tampons.

Before the music started, I went to the bathroom which I do before a long show anyway. Sliding my finger in, I hooked it up so I could grab the lip of the disc and pull it out. There was some blood in the disc but much like most of my periods, my first day is always a lighter day. Placing the used disc in the packaging of my new disc, I threw it in the trash. Then, I pinched my new cup and placed it inside myself. When I pushed it up behind my pubic bone, I knew it was in place. For the rest of the evening, I was able to enjoy my concert without getting called away by Aunt Flo throwing her fits.

Image result for im a bit of a pro gif

My First Full Disc

The next day was my heaviest day of all. Don’t get me wrong, my disc still stood up to the 12 hours of leak-protection. When I changed my disc, however, it was a bloody mess. They say that you’re just supposed to dump the disc into the toilet so all of the blood gets flushed away. Since this was my first time, I obviously wanted to hold the bloody cup up in front of my face and look at how well it held up. In doing so, I dropped a small drop of blood on my shirt. Luckily, it was a Saturday and I was just cleaning house all day so I was able to change shirts. I don’t even want to think about what I would have done if I would have been at work or in town. I dumped my cup and placed a new one in. I was more than thrilled that I wouldn’t have to change it for another 12 hours.

Related image

Mess-Free Period Sex

Later that evening, I decided to put this mess-free period sex promise to the test. It took some discussion and convincing it would be mess-free since my partner is not a fan of period sex but ultimately, I got what I wanted. This night was my heaviest night so I was a little skeptical of if it would actually hold up. During sex, my partner could not feel the disc at all and I was still naturally wet like any other time when we have sex. When we were finished, there was not one drop of period blood – anywhere! When I peed afterward, there was absolutely no spotting! This product just became my new best friend!

Image result for period sex gif crazy ex girlfriend

The rest of my period went extremely well. I changed my disc every 12 hours, once in the mornings when I woke up and again in the evenings. I still have two discs from my first kit and I look forward to getting my next months supply. The five days a month that I used to dread no longer have control over me. I can comfortably travel, attend parties, and have all the sex I want. I look forward to the fact that I’ll only need to keep one or two discs with discreet packaging in my purse at any given time instead of half a box of tampons. All of my built-up expectations were exceeded when I tried the product for myself. The next time someone asks if I have a tampon I’ll be able to say, “No, but I have a disc if you’d like to try it!” I can confidently say I’ll never go back to using tampons.

Try It Yourself!

Interested in period discs? We previously have reviewed the Softcup. Read about our thoughts here, or buy it on Amazon!

This writer used FLEX discs, which you can also get on Amazon.

If you’re looking for a more environmental, reusable option, our choice of period cups is the XO Flo Cup. Read our review here, and get it at Gladrags.

Finally, why not try both and see what works for you? FLEX offers a discovery kit, with their cup and discs! Get it on Amazon.

Note: Some links are affiliate links, which help support the site. All opinions are 100% honest and my own. I only recommend things I would use myself! Read more about our affiliate links.