There is officially another alternative to the tampon! So if you’re not into the menstrual cups (aka the diva cup, lily cup, etc.) and you’re over tampons, then Flex may be the thing for you.
The disc-shaped device is disposable just like tampons but promises way more pros. According to Flex’s website, the device can be worn for up to 12 hours and hold the same amount of fluid as 5 tampons. Whoa. Plus, it apparently helps to relieve cramps.
The company has already raised $1 million in funding from Y Combinator, which provides seed funding for elite startups.
The biggest promise that the menstrual disc boasts is that unlike tampons, you can wear your Flex during sex.
CEO Lauren Shulte said,
“Flex is so shockingly comfortable that women tell us they forget they’re on their period while they’re wearing it. We’ve built a product that allows couples to increase their opportunity to have sex by 23 percent. The great tragedy of people avoiding sex on their period is that this is really the time when women want it most.”
In addition to aiding women’s health, Flex also as a conscious-raising agenda as well. As Shulte explained, Flex is trying to raise awareness for how the female body works and to decrease the stigma around periods. And most importantly, they want to engage non-menstruating men in the conversation as well. She previously told Bustle,
“We’ve got to normalize periods as early on as possible. Until menstruating humans are prepared to fully engage men in a dialogue, we will remain in an echo chamber. If we genuinely want to see menstruation become less taboo, it will be critical to have men as our allies. We must come at the issue with compassion and empathy. Rather than chastising men for their lack of knowledge (or assuming they have no knowledge), we can begin by asking men questions to see where they are at with their own understanding… and take the conversation from there.”
We are so here for that! To learn more about Flex, head to their website here.
