I'm 25, a long time cloth-pad-user, but in the past 6-9 months I've started getting really bad clotting. There are times when I can even feel the clots slipping out, and lying down on my back for the first two days of my period is a no-no, unless I want to leak over the back of the pad. I've been wishing I had a cup for a few months now, so bought a Mooncup (UK) at the weekend (for only £13.99 - this is the cheapest I've seen them!).
The problem (why I didn't get one sooner & why I haven't tried this one yet): I have vaginismus. This is a condition where the vaginal muscles involuntarily spasm, or stay in a tightly contracted position. I don't have the psychological issues that women with vag. often have (I have a healthy attitude to sex & sexuality, etc), but I do have vaginal muscles that do not want to open. For the past 6 months since my diagnosis I have been working on dilating - this is where you slowly introduce penis-shaped things into the vagina, gradually going up in size. I started off with a tampon applicator that was 13mm in diameter, and I'm now on a dilator/vibrator that is 35mm (though that one is still a squeeze and rather painful - I have to convince the muscles to open up with a smaller dilator first, then switch). (Oh, and I also have a retro-verted uterus, but I'm hoping that won't be an issue).
I just wondered whether anyone else has been in the same situation as me? I've done a search for vaginismus and nothing came up, but when I looked through the memories there were a couple of comments. However, everything I've seen has been people who haven't been diagnosed with vag. wondering why their cup won't go in. Are there any vaginismic women or ex-vag. women here who have successfully used a cup?
I'm not too worried about inserting it for a practice (although I haven't tried yet), since I'll try it after dilating first, and a 'C' folded Mooncup has a diameter of 25-30mm. I've also been reading through this community and experimenting with some of the other folds. My main concern stopping me from trying it out initially is that after it pops open I may not be able to get it out again because I won't be able to fold it down as small (and a concern for once I can insert & remove is that I won't be able to insert it 'on the fly' without dilating first). I cannot insert two fingers together on the outset - I have to insert one, then the other, then gently convince the muscles to let both in together.
However, I am determined to be able to use a Mooncup eventually!