Research and online communities suggest many people feel better when switching from tampons to reusable menstrual cups or discs, but national usage remains low. Prices, habit, and stigma still stand between theory and everyday adoption.
By the time a person gets to her third menstrual cycle using a new product, the question is no longer “Will this work?” It’s whether the routine feels livable.
For thousands of women in online groups, that question has an answer that sounds less like medical advice and more like relief: fewer symptoms after swapping tampons for reusable menstrual cups or discs.
In Facebook groups with upwards of 85,000 members, women share how their period symptoms improved after ditching tampons for menstrual discs. Cherie Hoeger. CEO and founder of Saalt. a reusable period care brand. said a group she helps run has a “25. 000 member” base and that members “just answers the questions for each other. ” with symptoms “alleviated” repeatedly in posts and replies.
A small but promising new study backed up some of those anecdotes. The study. published in May by People Science. involved 256 participants and asked them to log daily symptoms—cramping. headaches. fatigue. bloating and food cravings—over three menstrual cycles. Seventy-eight percent of participants reported improved symptoms after using reusable menstrual cups or discs over tampons.
The online interest predates the latest research. A private Facebook group, “Put A Cup In It Community,” has more than 85,000 members and was created 10 years ago. On Reddit, the subreddit r/menstrualcups has 31,000 weekly visitors. Users can ask questions about periods and reusable period care products like menstrual cups. menstrual discs. cloth pads and period underwear. Dedicated users also promote environmental and practical benefits, including waste reduction, cost-friendliness and potential symptom management.
Still, most people don’t use them.
Apple Women’s Health Study data shows only 1 in 5 women have used cups or period underwear. Pads and tampons remain the go-to products for menstrual care.
Hoeger said she believes awareness is shifting even if behavior hasn’t fully followed. Ads for Knix’s leakproof underwear were spotted inside New York City subway cars this spring and also ran on Hulu. Last year. Kristen Bell starred in Knix’s anti-taboo campaign and told Women’s Wear Daily that she “loves period underwear. ” describing it as “freeing. ” “easier. ” and “more sustainable.”.
That visibility, Hoeger argued, is helping move reusable products out of the shadows—but it has not erased the friction of adoption.
Reusable products come with a clear tradeoff: more upkeep, in exchange for longer-term use.
The average woman spends approximately $20 on feminine hygiene products per cycle—about $18. 000 over her lifetime. according to estimates from The National Organization of Women. By contrast. an average menstrual cup costs between $20 and $40 and can last for up to 10 years depending on the specific product.
Menstrual cups are inserted into the vagina during a period and sit below the cervix to collect menstrual blood. Mayo Clinic says many people report increased comfort, less irritation and the ability to wear a cup for longer periods of time than a pad or tampon.
Hoeger recommends discs over cups for women with in-uterine devices (IUDS), saying cups rely on suction to stay in place and may displace the IUD, while flat discs are more flexible and expand as menstrual blood accumulates.
Period underwear can be worn like regular underwear and washed in the laundry to be reused between menstruating days or cycles. The garments use extra layers of fabric to absorb menstrual blood and prevent leaks.
Material choices differ across product types, but reusable options often center on silicone or fabric rather than disposable absorbents. While some popular tampons contain chemical and heavy metal contaminants. menstrual cups and discs are typically made from medical grade silicone. though some brands may use latex or thermoplastic elastomers. Period underwear can be made from cotton or other materials like nylon and spandex. and comes in a range of absorbency levels.
Yet the same features that make reusables cost-effective can make them harder in daily life. Some women find these products messy because they require upkeep and cleaning in between cycles, unlike disposable pads and tampons that can be discarded immediately after use.
That hesitation matters because the story of symptom relief hinges on what happens after insertion.
Marybec Griffin. a researcher on the People Science study and the Master of Public Health program director at New York University. said people’s perceptions of menstruation can shape the pain they experience. “If you’ve been told your whole life menstruation is gross. it’s dirty. it’s painful. you’re going to go into that experience thinking that and expecting it. ” Griffin said.
She also suggested that products can contribute to real symptoms. “When you insert a tampon, it’s fibrous and dry,” she said. For menstrual cups and discs, Griffin said they’re designed to be soft, flexible and conform to the body. Tampons absorb natural moisture, which can lead to microtears and friction.
Healthline says tampons can cause pain that resembles cramps by triggering pelvic pain. But scientific evidence does not support a direct connection between tampons and cramps. Griffin said in parallel with the broader medical point that period cramps occur in the uterus while tampons sit in the vaginal canal.
The People Science study found a correlation between menstrual cups and discs and reduced symptoms. but Griffin said more research is required to prove causation. She also hopes the study will support more research into mitigating period pain. “especially at a time where women’s health research is being defunded.”.
For some people, the barrier is not only stigma or comfort—it’s money.
Hoeger said reusables are the “gold standard” in period care, but she understands that people are “very skeptical” about them. “It took me a while to make the switch,” she said. “(People) see them as these fringe alternatives.”
Griffin said people often stick with whichever method they were first taught when they started menstruating. “Oftentimes. people choose to manage their menstruation with whatever’s ‘been handed to them when they were first menstruating by an older female in their lives. ’” she said. If a mother used tampons, Griffin said, a daughter is more likely to use them too.
When switching does happen, Hoeger said it’s usually tied to major life moments. “It’s usually a life change,” she explained. “They just had a baby, and their anatomy has changed. Or they’ve just entered college, and suddenly cost is a big factor. It depends on the age they’re in, but for Gen Zers, cost is huge.”.
Put together. the facts create a stubborn picture: symptom relief appears real for many participants and is widely shared online. and reusable options are designed to last and to fit the body in ways disposables cannot. But adoption remains limited—because learning a new routine is harder than buying what you already know. and because skepticism can outlast research.
For a product category that may help with pain and comfort, the next chapter may hinge less on whether menstrual cups and discs can work—and more on whether people can be convinced, trained, and supported long enough to make the switch stick.
menstrual cups menstrual discs tampons period pain People Science study Saalt Apple Women’s Health Study reusable period products Gen Z cost