Me: I'm 23 years old and had my first period when I was 9. I always had *very* painful periods- my cramps were so bad I'd puke and I'd puke until it was just blood. No pain medication or heating pads or anything really seemed to help. My mom knew about all this but I never insisted I see a doctor about it. My flow was also really heavy and often unpredictably clotty. I quickly developed a strong hatred towards this function of my body and could not see why I should have to put up with it.
Fast-forward to college: I got hormonal birth control for the first time, Lo-Ovral (I think). It was ok, didn't really help much though. Shortly after that, I got on Depo-Provera. I love Depo. It stopped my periods and the only other side affect was weight gain. I was on it for nearly 3 years and it was great.
A few months ago: I decided to go off Depo. It was a really hard decision but I was trying to lose some weight and I (and a nurse practioner) thought I might have an easier time if I tried different birth control. I was prescribed Desogen and told I could stack to continue to suppress my period. While on Desogen, I ended up buying a Diva Cup at Whole Foods (thinking that if I ended up with bleeding again for some reason, I didn't want to deal with the hassle and mess of pads and tampons).
A few weeks ago: I decided to not skip straight to the next pack of pills. Why? I'm not sure because I sure as hell regret it now. It was partially a monetary decision- didn't want to have to buy the next pill packs as soon. Anyway, I'm currently on my period and using my Diva Cup with great success. I've generally been using the C-fold and inserting it while sitting on the floor or in the bathtub. Sometimes it doesn't pop open right away but I've had zero leaks. Also, I did chop off the entire stem as it was slightly pokey and not needed for removal.
In conclusion: I still *hate* my period and I plan to go back to Depo once my perscription for Desogen runs out. BUT- I believe if I'd known about cups sooner, I would've had a much easier time in elementary - high school. I also intend to recommend cups to others when they comment on the annoyances of pads and tampons.
Edited to add: I do have a "very" tilted uterus (at least that's what they tell me) and it has not affected the use of my cup.