The New Kind Of Menstrual Cup That Might Make Period Sex Even Easier
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Pregnancy & Motherhood
Experts weigh in on the pros and cons of Flex, a menstrual disc that promises "mess-free period sex."
By Korin Miller
If you don't want to abstain from sex during your period but also aren't into ruining your sheets, you'll want to know about Flex, a menstrual "disc" that aims to take the mess out of period sex. Much like a menstrual cup, Flex is a device that goes inside the vagina to catch period blood. To use one, you simply insert the disc, which is made of a medical-grade polymer blend, in your vagina so it sits at the base of your cervix, where it collects the blood. According to Flex's website, the disc can be worn for up to 12 hours. After that point, you simply hook your finger under the edge, remove it, and dispose of it in the garbage.
Unlike reusable menstrual cups, Flex is shallow enough to fit like a cap over the cervix instead of descending down into the vagina. This difference supposedly makes period sex even more comfortable than it is with a menstrual cup, which is excellent, because you shouldn't have to miss out on a week of sex each month if you don't want to. Period sex can be great, and it may even have health benefits like alleviating cramps, according to women's health expert Jennifer Wider, M.D.
The Flex Company, which devised the product, raised more than $1 million in funds this month, Crunchbase reports, showing there's some real interest in taking a different approach to sex during that time of the month. But as with any new product, one question keeps coming up: Is this safe?
Wider tells SELF that it seems like it is. "It's just being brought to the market, so there isn't a ton of data," she explains. "But the mechanism is very similar to the menstrual cup, which has been studied and is safe." Maureen Whelihan, M.D., an ob/gyn at the Center for Sexual Health & Education, agrees, telling SELF that menstrual discs are really "no different than using a tampon," except that you can wear them during sex.
Flex also states on its website that it has "not been linked to toxic shock syndrome (TSS)," a rare, potentially life-threatening bacterial infection that has been associated with tampons. Michael Cackovic, M.D., an ob-gyn at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, backs that up, telling SELF that the discs come with a lower risk of bacterial infections than tampons (possibly because tampons may create microtears that can more easily bring about infections).
Menstrual discs aren't perfect, though. Like anything else you insert in your vagina, there's a chance a menstrual disc could cause vaginal irritation, Cackovic says. That could be exacerbated by not taking it out at the right time. Wider says that some women may forget that the disc is in there because they don't see any bleeding, but "it's very important to follow the instructions and remove when appropriate."
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You may also like: Women Try A Device To Eliminate Cramps
Photo Credit: Courtesy of The Flex Company
Korin is a former New Yorker who now lives at the beach. She received a double B.A. in International Relations and Marketing from The College of William & Mary (which she doesn't use at all now) and an M.A. in Interactive Journalism from American University. Korin has been published in... Read more
SELF does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional.
Topicsmenstrual cupsmenstruationperiodsnews
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