Jan 28, 2019 | About Menstrual Cups
Menstrual cups are a new thing, right?
Actually, these little lifesavers have been around longer than you might think! Menstrual cups have actually been in the making for almost 100 years!
Before menstrual cups and tampons women had to survive their periods with rags and a “sanitary belt.” When tampons were introduced, many people hoped that the quest for a period solution was now complete. As time went on, however, people were educated on the potential risk for Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) and massive amounts of waste associated with tampons.
Thankfully, the menstrual cup was already being perfected.
The very first menstrual cup was patented in 1932 by the midwifery group of McGlasson and Perkins. In 1937, the first useable commercial cup was patented by an American actress named Leona Chalmers. This patent was so well designed that many similar, bell-shaped cups still exist today, including the Pixie Cup!
The menstrual cup, although designed in the 30’s, has not always been a popular period option. First of all, advertising was difficult in the early 1900’s, because periods were a taboo subject! Secondly, the “rubber” cup was intimidating because it was not reusable and people were not comfortable with cleaning the cup. Finally, the cup was not well received by those who erroneously believed that they would lose their virginity by using the cup.
In the later 1980’s, the menstrual cup was reintroduced, and this time it was well accepted! In the early 2000’s the rubber cup gave way to silicone and the rest is… well, history!
“The issue we now face is making the cup available to women in need.”
The menstrual cup is becoming more and more popular all the time as women recognize its benefits as an eco-friendly, budget-friendly, good-for-your-body period option! The issue we now face is making the cup available to women in need in the United States of America and around the world, many of whom do not have access to any period products at all.
That is where Pixie Cup comes in. We offer you something extra special. Not only do we provide several styles and sizes of cups for different body types, but for every cup purchased we give one away to a woman in need! When you buy a Pixie Cup, you are purchasing period freedom for someone else. Give back so you AND someone else can live free.
That’s how you make a difference, one cup at a time. ????
Dec 10, 2018 | Buy One, Give One
“A woman in need.”
We all hear this phrase all the time… and we say this phrase a lot. Here at Pixie Cup, we give a menstrual cup to “a woman in need” for every cup purchased, but sometimes this phrase sounds just a little distant.
It doesn’t sound like someone you know. Maybe someone you love. Maybe someone just like…. you.
It’s like saying “out there somewhere, millions of miles from me, there is a new ‘menstrual cup user.’ Yay.”
It’s easy to think of sad things, and then move on. But the sad things are really REALLY important. Maybe those are the things that we should think about MORE.
Today, we wanted to give you a little glimpse into the reality of what “a woman in need” receiving a Pixie Cup actually does look like.
According to The 2017 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress, the amount of homeless women in the United States is 215,709. 215-freaking-thousand women. That’s a hecka big number. Of those, probably 60% are likely to experience a period this month.
Take a moment to imagine this. If you are woman in an unstable living environment, you have a lot on your mind. You are constantly trying to figure out where to spend the night, and where your next meal will come from, and are more concerned about personal safety than the “smaller” things like period products. Since you are not coming home to the same place every night, everything you own has to be portable. Also, if you are not able to maintain a healthy, nutritious diet, your period can be irregular and hard to predict. In addition to the simplest of needs such as clothes, toothbrush, soap, and small food items, do you have the extra room to lug around extra boxes of tampons and pads? Not to mention, where would you get the money to afford these items? The cost of menstrual products can be up to $15 or $20 each period!
Homeless women deal with these difficulties on a monthly basis, and have to struggle through the pain and mess of a period in the worst of conditions.
When we provide a homeless girl with a free menstrual cup, we offer her the gift of freedom.
We give her the freedom to sleep without fear of leaks when no restrooms are accessible. We give her the freedom to stay clean and sanitary without spending hundreds of dollars each year. We give her the freedom to be flexible to seek work, and not worry about whether or not she will be able to afford the next box of tampons.
When you buy a Pixie Cup for yourself or a friend, we give one Pixie Cup from you to one woman in need, which will provide her with period freedom for years to come.
Now that’s something to talk about.
If you already have a Pixie Cup but would like to donate another to a woman in need, you can do just that HERE!
