there is a stem on the bottom of the cup, but most women find it more comfortable to cut that off and just gently grip the bottom of the cup, squeeze and twist, and out it comes. Taking it out can be messy at first, but if you do it over the loo that will catch all the mess and you will find it only takes a couple of months before you can take it out easily and without spillage.

I used to empty mine every couple of hours when my flow was heavy (better than changing my tampon and pad every hour, a ladycup holds a lot more than cotton pads or tampons) and just when I went to the loo once my flow was lighter. It gets a bit heavy if too full, but it's so easy to empty that I found that rarely happened. There is no risk of toxic shock syndrome if you leave it in too long, but if you forget it is there and leave it for 5 days (not me, a friend) you will start to notice a bit of an odour and a yucky discharge.

You can sterilise it in boiling water, and some with milton sterilising solution. There is a bag to keep it in between uses, but you could get a tub if you were happier with that. One cup will last you around 10 years, so they say. A huge saving on the environment