A Redditor recently took to the r/menstrualcups community to share a shocking discovery made during their first pap smear. After a question from their clinician, redditor xredditxthrowxawayx realized they had been wearing a menstrual cup for over a year — an incredible time considering the recommended wear time is no more than 12 hours.

As the story goes, they had initially removed the stem of the cup and flipped it inside out to make the cup shorter for comfort. Apparently, that did the job because they’d soon forget it was even there. To make matters worse, they were also on birth control which reduced their period to just a few times a year. Because of the position of the cup, their lack of sexual activity, and their infrequent periods, the lodged cup went unnoticed.

Fast forward to their very first pap smear when the clinician noticed a foreign body up there and asked if they had a menstrual cup in. I think we can all imagine the horror. And well, you can read the rest in their own words:

“I got my first cup(s) about 8 years ago, a pack of 2 Eva cups. About 1 or 2 years ago(?) I was trying to check my cervix height and felt something that felt like the (very thick) rim of a cup, but I wasn’t sure. I tried to pull it out but couldn’t get it out, so I left it alone. I wasn’t sure if it was a cup or maybe my anatomy changed??

I don’t know, my brain is obviously pretty dumb. I didn’t wanna try harder to pull on it because if it wasn’t a cup I didn’t wanna hurt myself or cause pain. I didn’t go see a doctor because I was * pretty * sure it wasn’t a cup. Plus I have a history of sexual trauma and prefered to ignore it and not have anyone looking at or touching me down there.

Fast forward to earlier this week, I finally worked up the bravery to go in for my first pap smear. Speculum goes in, and clinician asks me if I have a cup in because she saw a white/yellowish latex looking something. I was obviously confused, but after some talking with her, realized that probably was what it was (she confirmed it didn’t look like a growth or weird anatomy, definitely was a foreign body). She gives me permission to try and take it out, so I went to the bathroom and worked my hardest to pull it out, and whatda ya know 😳😳😳

I can’t believe it never caused and infection or tss or anything. I’ve had bad smelling discharge for a while now, but figured everyone did and I was just sensitive to the smell. Didn’t get that checked out because trauma and also it didn’t have a fishy odor like I read online and I’m not sexually active, so I figured nothing was wrong. I feel so incredibly stupid and embarrassed 🤦‍♀️”

This Redditor’s story serves as a cautionary tale for all internal period product users, especially those that have worried if they have left a menstrual cup in too long. The recommended wear time of your period care product should be strictly adhered to. In the case of cups, that’s a max of 12 hours! While this story ends with nothing worse than a bit of embarrassment, the risks of leaving menstrual products in place for longer than recommended are very real. If you ever feel that something is off, it’s always worth exploring and, seeking medical guidance if necessary.

UPDATE! You all had questions! I reached out to the poster & they were kind enough to reply:

Did it cause any issues or damage?

“No physical damage. Only issue I had was when it was stuck up there I kept having stinky discharge, which I suspected was possibly BV, but since it wasn’t that hallmark fishy odor or an abnormal color, I just assumed I was over reacting or overthinking it. Now that it’s out, the smell has basically instantly gone away which is a fucking god send lmao. I still have discharge but now it smells like nothing!”

What did your doctor say?


Nothing notable. I was at a clinic and only saw nurses because it was originally supposed to be a pap smear. The cup was discovered white she was trying to look at my cervix and get the smear. After I removed the cup, I told her she was right and she basically just said yeah I thought so! (: She did the pap smear and that was that.

How long had you been using a cup before this?

“About 4 or 5 years”

Do you think you’d ever use a cup again?

“I think I will use cups again especially for heavier periods, but I naturally prefer cloth pads and use them more often because it’s just less of a hassle imo. I know I got lucky that I didn’t get an infection or TSS and I definitely plan to be more careful about what’s up there. I’m just relieved that the stinky discharge is no longer something I have to deal with now that the cup has been identified and removed.”

Want to stay up on the details if they continue to unfold? Check out the Reddit post below: