Visit The Keeper site at http://www.thekeeperinc.com
Read a partial history of the menstrual cup!
First cup? Tassette, Tassaway, The Keeper, Daintette, Foldene
Leona Chalmer's 1937 book with a drawing of a cup.
And read comments from people who have used a cup.
Do cups cause endometriosis? Not enough evidence, says the FDA.
HOMEPAGE
CONTRIBUTE to Humor, Words and expressions about menstruation and Would you stop menstruating if you could?
Some MUM site links:
HOMEPAGE |
MUM address & What does MUM mean? |
Email the museum |
Privacy on this site |
Who runs this museum?? |
Amazing women! |
Art of menstruation |
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Tampon directory |
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Tour of the former museum (video) |
Underpants & panties directory |
Videos, films directory |
Words and expressions about menstruation |
Would you stop menstruating if you could? |
What did women do about menstruation in the past? |
Washable pads |
Read 10 years (1996-2006) of articles and Letters to Your MUM on this site.
Leer la versión en español de los siguientes temas: Anticoncepción y religión, Breve reseña - Olor - Religión y menstruación - Seguridad de productos para la menstruación.

A History of the Menstrual Cup (continued)
The Keeper of the Tradition

The direct descendent of the Tassette and Tassaway is the reusable The Keeper, which Lou Crawford of Cincinnati, Ohio, has made since 1987. A smaller version, called B, for women who have not had children, appeared in 1989. (The cup end of A is about one-eigth inch - about three millimeters - wider than B. The two varieties are otherwise the same.)

Because The Keeper is an ongoing business, Lou was reluctant to reveal much about her company in an interview (1998), including sales.

She did say that she has not heard of any serious medical problems associated with its use, a positive aspect reported by most cup manufacturers. Lou has asked that Dr. Philip M. Tierno, Jr., a member of the board of this museum and probably the most prominent investigator of the safety of menstrual hygiene products, to test the cup for safety. Here are some of Dr. Tierno's comments. The cup is made of natural gum rubber.

(Readers have sent comments about The Keeper, Instead and other cups to MUM.)

Early on, in searching for a name for the cup, one group of women suggested Liberty Bell, because of its shape. Over the advertised life of the cup, ten years, it also liberates its users from debt, costing around $4 a year - pretty cheap.

Lou mentioned that the cup and the bag that carries it are made in America. Women in neighboring states make the bags by hand.

Call 1-800-500-0077 (U.S.A. and Canada), Worldwide voice mail: 1-877-AKEEPER, Fax: (513) 221-1464, e-mail: thekeeperinc@aol.com or write The Keeper, Box 20023, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45220 U.S.A. It costs $35 plus $2 shipping.

Visit The Keeper site at http://www.thekeeperinc.com
NEXT (Daintette cup)
First cup? Tassette, Tassaway, The Keeper, Daintette, Foldene

© 1997-2006 Harry Finley. It is illegal to reproduce or distribute any of the work on this Web site in any manner or medium without written permission of the author. Please report suspected violations to hfinley@mum.org