“People with vaginas unite to conquer climate change!” Introducing the war cry of Hiccup., a company defending your planet and your period’s right for a better and safer future.  Founded in 2018 by a vaginal activist, Meenal Velani, Hiccup. is in the business of making menstrual cups mainstream. And they’re in it for more than one good reason.

First up: Hiccup. cares about vaginal comfort and health!

Most urban Indian women use sanitary napkins and tampons for their menarche needs. However, these products are far from being absolutely safe and comfortable. Sanitary pads house carcinogens and tampons can lead to toxic shock syndrome (TSS), a rare but serious bacterial illness. There’s more. Using pads and tampons beyond 4 hours at a stretch also increases chances of cervical cancer and their improper disposal could lead to Hepatitis B among waste collectors.

As if that wasn’t enough, the discomfort of using these products is undeniable (personal vouch!). Meenal who used pads herself for the majority of her decade old menstrual life recounts how “there was nothing natural about wearing a squab of plastic and gel, with blood and mucus sloshing all around. The wetness, discomfort and constant itchiness made me feel annoyed at best, pure rage at worst!”. Although tampons are a slight improvement, with Meenal even being able to “finally swim on [her] period”, the “itchiness and panic about TSS remained”.

This is exactly why Hiccup. was conceived. After her disappointments with sanitary napkins and tampons, Meenal tried menstrual cups about 3 years ago. Menstrual cups are funnel-shaped and silicone-based (hence comforting) and are meant to be worn internally during your period. Unlike sanitary pads and tampons, cups collect blood instead of absorbing it and can be used for upto 12 hours at a stretch. When used correctly, they have no side effects, whatsoever!

For Meenal it was “love at first use. [The cup] went in “swoop” and stayed there. No leaks. No signs of red when I went to pee. If it weren’t for the cramps, I could’ve easily forgotten I was on my period”, she recounts. That was the day the journey toward Hiccup. truly began.

Second: Hiccup. cares for the environment!  

Hiccup. cares about your carbon footprint. One hiccup can be reused for up to 10 years, so 3-4 cups in your period’s lifetime. As against this, imagine using 11,000 pads or tampons. That’s 54 kgs of plastic, cotton, or rayon (excluding the plastics we buy and dispose of them in) per person floating around the planet for years!

Third: Hiccup. cares about your money’s worth and period poverty

One hiccup costs as much as 2 months’ worth of alternative period supplies and can last for 10 years. Badass-ers, do the math! That's about Rs. 1.03 lakhs savings in your lifetime. Hiccup. also aims to end period poverty. It’s reported that 23 million girls drop out of school due to poor access / affordability of proper menstrual hygiene facilities. These little girls take to cloths, grass or even rags. Hiccup. endeavours to change that. So it has tied up with NGOs and also started the “Buy 1, Donate 1 scheme” to help increase access to cups in rural areas.

The brand also aims at building a community that is body, sex, and period positive! We at BeBadass believe that Hiccup. is in it for all the right reasons. It’s a brand that truly stands for “Better Periods and a Better Planet”!

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