The Surprisingly Long History of the Menstrual Cup

When you think of reusable period products, menstrual cups can feel like a very modern invention. I remember first hearing about them about 10 years ago and automatically assuming they were some new product designed by a progressive millennial determined to revolutionise periods. I held that assumption for a while.

Turns out menstrual cups are much older than most people think. 

Early menstrual collection devices were being patented in the United States as far back as 1867, although those designs looked quite different from the cups we know today and never quite made it to the mainstream market.

By the late 1920s, recognisable menstrual cups were being advertised and sold. One called the Hy-Kup appeared around 1928 and was made from rubber. Remarkably, its basic shape wasn’t all that different from modern cups. 

Then came one of the most important names in menstrual cup history. Leona Chalmers. 

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In 1937, American actor and inventor Leona Chalmers patented a bell-shaped menstrual cup made from rubber. Her design was also surprisingly similar to the menstrual cups we use today. She even wrote a booklet openly discussing periods, anatomy and menstrual products at a time when menstruation was rarely talked about publicly. 

So why weren't people using cups everywhere in the 1940s?

There were a few problems. Firstly, World War II caused major rubber shortages, which interrupted production of the cup, causing Chalmers to close business. 

There was also another hurdle: period stigma. 

Disposable pads were becoming increasingly popular, and a reusable internal product that had to be inserted, removed, emptied and washed was a pretty radical idea for the time. 

Chalmers sold rights to her design in the 1950s, and the business was relaunched as Tassette, with a major advertising campaign. Some people loved it. Others simply weren't comfortable handling menstrual fluid or inserting and removing the product.

There was a rather interesting business problem. Reusable products aren’t great for repeat sales.

People who liked the cup didn't need to buy another one very often. Back then, a reusable cup could last three to five years, meaning satisfied customers weren't constantly coming back to purchase replacements. Which was great for the customer, great for waste reduction, but not necessarily great for a company relying on repeat sales.

The company eventually introduced a disposable version called Tassaway in 1969, but by the mid-1970s the business had disappeared.

The menstrual cup wasn't quite finished yet. Jumping forward to 1987, a latex rubber cup called The Keeper helped bring reusable menstrual cups back to the market. This also kickstarted other brands to jump on board. In the early 2000s, things really started to change.

The UK-based Mooncup launched in 2002, becoming the first commercial menstrual cup made from medical-grade silicone. The DivaCup followed in 2003 in Canada. These softer silicone designs helped bring cups to a much wider audience.

At the same time, attitudes towards periods were beginning to change.

People were talking more openly about menstruation, sustainability and the amount of waste created by disposable products. Then the internet and social media arrived. Suddenly you could actually learn all you needed to know about menstrual cups.

How do I fold it? Where does it sit? How do I get it out? What size do I need?

Information that had once been almost impossible to find was everywhere. This really helped turn menstrual cups from weird idea to mainstream period product

Today there are menstrual cups available in different shapes, sizes, firmness levels and designs from companies all around the world. But the basic concept hasn't really changed much.

Insert it. Bleed. Empty it. Wash it. Reuse it.

And that's perhaps the most impressive part of the story. Nearly a century after Leona Chalmers patented her cup, we're recognising that a product designed to be used again and again makes so much sense. This almost 100-year-old idea may turn out to be one of the most forward-thinking period products we've ever created. We owe a lot to Leona Chalmers, thanks girl.