Once inserted, I forget I have my period altogether. It's so convenient since it only needs to be changed 2x/day: once in the morning, once at night. No more excusing myself and carrying my purse to the bathroom with me which basically announces to the world: I have my period! This is the next best thing to not having a period at all. I will NEVER use a tampon again.

I'm in my mid 40's, 3 pregnancies, fibroids, peri-menopause symptoms and a couple farm labor jobs later, my pelvic area can be really uncomfortable during my periods! Instead is so comfortable, easy and non-drying that I panic when I can't find them in my small town and have started shopping online for them....yay for great protection at an affordable price!

Have been using for at least 10 years if not more. And I will NOT go back to the tampons. I hope they never quit making.

So easy to use (once you get the hang of it) and so much easier than dealing with tampons (and the string that always seems to get in the way). Wish this product would have been around when I was a teenager. Great for when I am traveling as well since you can wear it for up to 12 hours.

I absolutely could not live without Insteads. They take the headache out of having a period. I never could stand the feeling of wearing pads, and tampons worked okay, but I have such a heavy flow I'd have to change them all the time, and I was constantly leaking. I decided to try Insteads when I went on a cruise, because you can wear them for up to 12 hours. This sounded better to me than trying to constantly change tampons while enjoying the beach in a swimsuit. Lo and behold, they were wonderful. I will say it did take me some time to get used to handling them. At first, it was difficult to figure out how to get it out once it was in. And there is a trick to getting it in--you have to tuck it right behind your pubic bone or it will leak. But once you figure it out, you can't feel it, and you don't leak. If you have trouble getting it out, just bear down and contract your muscles as though you were going to have a bowel movement. Then you'll be able to hook your finger under the rim and get it out. Sorry, I know that's a graphic description, but these are the biggest problems people face when using this product. Also, when you pull it out, make sure you keep your hand to the side, otherwise you will have a mess. Generally, this is okay because you only have to change cups in the morning when you get up and at night when you go to bed, so you are usually at home in your private bathroom where you can wash your hands easily. Sometimes you will spring a leak when you are going to the bathroom. This is because the contraction of your bladder and surrounding muscles squeezes the collection container and forces some of your menstrual flow out. But generally that is not something you have to worry about when you are walking around. On my heavy day, one cup usually only lasts 6 hours instead of 12, but that's a lot better mileage than I was getting out of tampons. Insteads are wonderful for light days too, because they don't wick away your body's natural moisture. They allow me to be comfortable on light days without having to worry about panty liners. Bottom line: this product is wonderful because you can't feel it, you can wear it for 12 hours on most days, there is little risk of TSS, it allows your body to keep your natural moisture, and it's very convenient. I never use anything else.

I first tried these many years ago and had some leakage issues with them, but my partner and I found them great for intercourse (he could feel it, but it didn't bother him...and was worth it for the extra cleanliness). I hadn't used them for years, and decided to give it a go again after unsuccessfully trying the diva cup recently (the diva cup goes up unlike instead which seems to go straight back... for some reason removing the diva cup was extremely painful for me). This time around I think I finally found just the right way to insert the instead cup and haven't had any leaks! (in my case, push it back further to make sure it forms a seal). Unfortunately, these are disposable and not earth-friendly. I would LOVE to see this company make a reusable version!!!! So, with that said, I reserve these for nighttime use (perfect because you don't have to worry about taking out a tampon after 8 hours or a soggy pad...also gives your body some respite from the dryness of tampons). In my opinion, these are messy to remove... particularly during heavy flow, which is why I find it MUCH easier to just remove it in the shower in the morning. If you give these a chance and really take the time to find the proper insertion spot for your body, these are great. Again, the only improvement would be introduction of a reusable option!

I love this product. The only dislike i have is on heavy days i have to wear a panty liner. Other wise this product is perfect for me.

I have very light periods due to taking birthcontrol pills. These are perfect for light flow days, when a tampon cannot be used. I love having the option of using an internal protection product instead of panty liners. I feel clean and fresh and there is no order like when I used panty liners. I just love these.

I'm so glad I found this board to see how many other people are using these cups--they are a wonderful invention. So comfortable, less cramping, less waste. I've been using them for about 5 years. Yes, they can overflow, especially at night, but you just have to be vigilant. I'm getting heavy flows due to perimenopause, so I have to empty out more often, but I'd much rather do that than change a tampon every two hours. I have tried the permanent cup but I find these much easier to insert. I wish this company would make a permanent cup in this shape. The biggest drawback to Instead is one I found mentioned earlier: if you have an acrylic manicure, the blood gets into the cracks between your real and fake nail! Great idea to wear gloves, though. I hope Drugstore keeps carrying this product because the store I was getting them from seems to have stopped stocking it.

Ended up here because all my [...] local stores have stopped carrying this product. I can't believe all of you gals who are so freaked out by seeing the blood! Whether it's soaked up via tampon/pad or right there in the cup, it's always there. If you can't deal with it, you're just not comfortable with what's really going on with your body, and I suppose nothing's going to change that. And look, if it's not comfortable for your to wear, that's one thing, but I don't see how looking at/removing this product is any worse than looking at/removing a used tampon or pad.That said, I have been using this product for 10+ years, and I love it. Tampons always sucked, imo, and I was so happy to find something better. I agree that for very heavy flow days, you need some backup, and wearing it during sex has had mixed results for me. But for overnight it beats anything else. And no matter what any commercial says, I never forgot a tampon was there, but I have forgotten Instead was there. 'Nuff said.