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As a person graced with a monthly period, I’m fairly grateful to live in a time where there are tons of options about how I want to approach this time of the month, and the new year is always a good time to see what’s out there and switch things up. And believe me, there are a lot of products to try, from CBD tinctures to menstruation-friendly teas and, of course, sustainable period products. I’m also bit of a period geek, so I love to check out and weigh the pros and cons of all kinds of products in this space and have a few favorites that easily usurped tampons as my favorites.
So when I first got clued in to the Nixit Menstrual Cup, I had a feeling it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. A cute, easy-to-insert, reusable option that fits the needs of my body and my period? Sign me up. Menstrual discs are also known for being great for those with heavy flows; a recent study actually showed that they held the most blood of all popular period products, including tampons, pads, period underwear, and bell-shaped menstrual cups (more about them later). Nixit says its disc can hold up to 70 mL, aka about 4 super-plus tampons’ worth of blood, and features a double rim for extra leak protection. Add in that Nixit is a female-founded brand that’s passionate about vaginas, menstrual health education, and our planet (hard same), it really felt like I’d met my menstrual match.
So, while we’re in this intimate setting, I’ll be upfront: I have an IUD (Liletta hive, rise up!) and one of the first things I learned early on was that a lot of menstrual cups on the market (particularly the bell-shaped ones) were no longer going to be a good fit for me, per my doctor. That’s because the suction that’s necessary for the design of a lot of the more cup-shaped cups poses a higher risk of dislodging an IUD, studies have found, due to the suction and pressure they can put on the area. That meant I had to part ways with a few of my previously well-loved cups, which had me (temporarily) considering a return to tampons or pads. That was when I came across menstrual discs (aka disc-shaped cups, like Nixit), which sit at the fornix generally, don’t use suction to stay in place, and had my OB-GYN’s seal of approval.
Nixit Menstrual Cup
To go over product specs, the disc has a 70mm diameter but is made from a soft, body-safe silicone so it can easily mold to your vagina’s unique dimensions. You simply fold it in half (it ends up being comparable to a regular tampon) and slide it in and back against your fornix. You can often get it settled by just pushing it with one finger (check Nixit’s cool visual for assistance). From there, you can set it and forget it as it collects your menses for the next 12 hours. I’ve worn it to swim, have sex, go to the gym, and lay around, and I barely notice it’s there. Clean-up throughout your period is as simple as rinsing it with water and mild soap, though I have my eye on their specially designed wash and cleaning wipes as gentle and vulva-friendly options. In between periods, you can give the disc a nice sterilizing boil. The disc is designed to be hardy enough to last years — so if you take good care of her, she’ll take care of you for a long, long time.
As your menstrual disc and period sex fairy godmother, I’ll also give you a heads up that it is totally normal to not be able to reach your menstrual disc after sex for about 15 to 30 minutes, just because the vaginal canal can nearly double in length and the cervix sits higher when a person with a vulva is aroused. Don’t be scared, you’re okay! Still remember to pee after sex though.
But with that knowledge, you very much might find that the Nixit menstrual cup fits perfectly into your lifestyle and your vagina — and I can’t recommend it enough.
Before you go, check out just a few of the other menstrual products we totally love:
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