Menstrual Discs Make Mess-Free Period Sex Possible — Here’s How

Slowly but surely, period cups are taking off here in Australia. As someone who switched to cups about two years ago and never looked back, I can't recommend them enough.

So, of course, my curiosity was sparked when I discovered that the popular Canadian period care company Nixit started shipping its popular period discs to Australia. Here's everything you need to know before investing in a period disc.

If you've never heard of a period disc, they're basically just another style of period cup, only shaped differently, and they collect your flow in a slightly different area of the vagina.

Traditional period cups are like an upside-down bell-shape and sit inside your vagina using suction to stay in place, whereas discs are disc-shaped and sit at the base of the cervix in the vaginal fornix, without the use of suction.

Basically, you hold the disc between your thumb and forefinger and squeeze to narrow it gently. Then you insert it by gliding it back and down towards the tailbone and rest it against the pubic bone. To remove, untuck the front rim and gently pull it out. If you're more of a visual person, you can find a full how-to here on Nixit's site.

A few disc users had some tips for us when it came to inserting them:

“I pinch along the Nixit disc as I insert (instead of just punching the middle). It helps me to get the disc further inside, past the entryway muscles, and that made a huge difference because then I couldn’t feel it after insertion (I was feeling it before).”

"I turn my Nixit menstrual cup to the side by rotating it 90 degrees so the cup is facing sideways. When it is halfway in, turn it like a key back so that the opening is facing upwards. This works so well for me!”

“The tip that worked best for me was to use two hands to keep the fold, and push it against the side of your vagina before letting it open, then tucking it under the pubic bone.”

You can wear a menstrual disc for up to 12 hours. However, depending on your cycle, you might need to change it more frequently.

According to Nixit, the disc can hold the same as four super plus tampons worth of flow and two times more than a traditional cup.

No, if inserted properly, your menstrual disc shouldn't leak. It's worth removing and reinserting it if you find that it is.

Yep, since the canal is left free for penetration, you should be able to have relatively mess-free period sex with partners or still be able to masturbate with toys, unlike when wearing traditional cups that block the canal.

When on your period, the easiest way to clean the disc between insertions is to wash it with cold water. Then, after you've finished your period, you can wash it with warm water and unperfumed soap. You can also pop it in boiling water for five minutes before letting it completely air dIt'sit's best to store your disc in a clean bag or between periods box.

Got more questions about Nixit's menstrual discs? You can find a full FAQ here.

Pretty interesting, huh? If you're already using period cups, a disc might be your next period care adventure. However, if all of this is new to you (cups, discs etc.), we'd recommend wearing a pair of period undies or liners during your first few uses, just until you get the hang of it. We'd also suggest testing them out on days when you're just chilling around the house, just in case you run into any trouble.