Athena Menstrual Cup Review

Athena Menstrual Cup Summary

• Made from medical grade silicone
• An affordable menstrual cup
• The Athena Cup is made in China
• 2 sizes, both have lower than average capacity
• Large variety of colours
• Money-back guarantee
• The company also make the Athena Menstrual Cup Wash

It can be hard to find the Athena Mentrual Cup stores. You can get it easily on Amazon.

Athena Menstrual Cup Review

The Athena Cup is one of the cheaper menstrual cups available on Amazon USA. The product description on Amazon claims that the Athena Menstrual Cup is made from “100% Platinum Medical Grade US DOW Corning Silicone.”

The Athena Menstrual Cups appears to be very similar to the Dutchess Cup in terms of price, design and that both of them are manufactured in China. Apart from that, there actually isn’t that much information about this cup. For example, we wish there was more information about the following:

• What Platinum medical grade silicone means. This is a bit unusual and no other menstrual cup includes “platinum” in their description
• Where and how the cup is manufactured (it’s most likely China, as far as we can tell)

You can check out the Athena Cup for yourself on Amazon:

Or, consider one of our top picks for menstrual cups instead:

Best Overall	Best New Cup	Best for Low Cervix	Best Soft Cup	Best for Period Sex
Lena Cup	Saalt Cup	FemmyCycle	Sckooncup	Ziggy Cup
Check price	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price

Is the Athena Cup Comfortable? 

The Athena Cup is one of the softer menstrual cups. This means that most people should find that it’s very comfortable. It’s actually similar to a tampon, in that you can’ really feel it when it’s inside of you.

If a menstrual cups feels uncomfortable, it’s not right! A few of the common reasons for this include:

• You didn’t insert it correctly. It’s not under your cervix, but behind, or in front of it.
• It’s too big for you (try a smaller cup size).
• The cup is too firm, and pushes strongly against your vaginal canal walls/urethra (try a softer cup).

Athena Cup First Impressions

https://youtu.be/UfOPbZwCOlg

2 Sizes of Athena Cup

There are two sizes of Athena Cup, a small (size 1) and a large (size 2). Athena mentions that size 2 is perfect for someone with a heavy flow, but at 25 ml capacity, it’s actually smaller than average. You’d do much better using one of these high capacity cups—some of them are up to 38 ml.

Athena also mentions that size 1 is suitable for someone with a low cervix. However, at 62 mm, it’s not really one of the shorter cups on the market today. Instead, consider one of these Low Cervix Menstrual Cups that are a full 15 mm shorter.

Athena Cup Size 1

• Light to Normal Flow
• Low to Medium Cervix Height
• Great for Beginners and teenagers
• Best for Pre-Pregnancy

Athena Cup Size 1 Dimensions

• 42 mm diameter, 62 mm length, 20 ml capacity

Athena Cup Size 2

• Heavy Flow 
• Any Cervix Height

Athena Cup Size 2 Dimensions

• 45 mm diameter, 65 mm length, 25 ml capacity

Get the Best Price on the Athena Cup

Athena Cup Capacity: Lower than Normal

The capacity of the small Athena Cup is only 20 ml, while the large holds 30 ml. Compare this to both the small and large Diva Cups that hold 30 ml.

If you have a very light flow, then the Athena Menstrual Cup might work well for you. If you don’t, then you’ll probably want to consider a higher capacity period cup.

You can check out some of our favourite options here:

The Best High-Capacity Menstrual Cups

Best Overall	Most Affordable	Newest High Capacity Cup
Super Jennie	Anigan Eva Cup	XO Flo
42 ml capacity	37 ml capacity	38 ml capacity
Check Prices	Check Prices	Check Prices

Athena Menstrual Cup: Money-Back Guarantee

We LOVE companies that stand behind their products here at Reusable Menstrual Cups. Specifically, we love to recommend menstrual cups that have a money-back guarantee.

Here’s the details you need to know about the Athena Menstrual Cup:

If you don’t like the product, they’ll give you a full refund. If you order the wrong size, they’ll exchange it with the right size for free. There are no timelines or gimmicks; they just want happy customers.

How to Use the Athena Cup

If you’re new to menstrual cups, you may feel a bit nervous and worried about how to use your Athena Cup. It can be a bit intimidating—it’s a LOT bigger than the tampons you’re probably used to.

There are a few simple steps to making it work for you. But, keep in mind that it takes most people 3-4 cycles to really feel confident in using their Athena Cup, so don’t give up on it too soon.

Here’s how to use your Athena Cup:

• Wash your hands well with soap and water before handling your Athena cup, inserting or removing it.
• Fold your Athena Cup, and insert it (details on this in the next section).
• You can leave it in for up to 12 hours, or empty it sooner if you have a heavy flow.
• Wash your cup with a mild, water-based soap or menstrual cup wash and water. Rinse well. Reinsert your cup.
• At the end of your cycle, you can boil it in a pot of water on the stove for 5 minutes to sterilize it.

Should I Use a Menstrual Cup Wash?

A common question that people have about menstrual cups is how to clean them. Should you use a mild soap, or a menstrual cup wash?

In reality, the choice is yours. Menstrual cup companies usually recommend either option (unless they make a wash!).

The cleansers are nice, and will leave your cup smelling nice and in tip-top shape. You can check out some of our favourites options for menstrual cup washes here:

Best Menstrual Cup Wash

Best Overall	Most Economical	Best Menstrual Cup Wipes
Divawash	Dutchess Cup Wash	Lunette Wipes
Check Price	Check Price	Check Price

How to Insert the Athena Cup

In order to insert the Athena Cup, you should follow a few simple steps:

• Wash your hands, as well as the Athena Menstrual Cup with a mild soap and warm water.
• Fold the Athena Cup (see the video below for menstrual cup folds), and insert it into your vaginal canal. Push it back, towards your tailbone, and not up towards the sky.
• It should pop open easily. If it doesn’t, rotate it one full turn one direction, then the other. Or, jiggle it around a little bit.
• You can check to make sure it’s sealed by running your finger along the top rim.
• Your Athena Cup should sit as low in the vaginal canal as possible, so that the stem is almost sticking out of you.

Menstrual Cup Folds

Can I Use the Bathroom when Using the Athena Period Cup?

A common question that people have is whether or not they can use a period cup while going to the bathroom. We have some good news for you! You don’t have to take your cup out when going to the bathroom. That’d be very inconvenient to take your cup out every single time you had to pee.

Let’s talk anatomy for a second. You have three holes “down there.”

• Anus, where poop comes from
• Urethra, where pee comes out of
• Vagina, where you insert a tampon or menstrual cup

In theory, none of these things should interfere with each other. However, you may have the experience that it takes a long time to pee while using the Athena Cup. This is because it can push against your vaginal canal walls, which in turn can push against your urethra.

The urethra is a tube, and pushing against it can restrict it a little bit. This means that the urine will travel more slowly through it.

Is it a big deal? Not really, as long as you don’t feel discomfort. If you do, switch to a smaller and/or softer menstrual cup.

Athena Cup Leaking Help

Some people find that their Athena Menstrual Cup is leaking. The first thing to remember is to not give up. Most people don’t really get the hang of using a menstrual cup for a few cycles. Just wear a pad, and don’t worry too much about it.

Beyond that, there are a few things you can do to prevent your Athena Cup leaking. Check out this excellent video for some quick tips:

Is your Athena Cup still leaking after trying these tips? Then you may have to consider a new cup.

If your cup is too small for you, it’ll never really seal to your vaginal canal walls and leaking will result.

Maybe your cup is too big? Then, it’ll also not fully seal and will also leak.

The other problem might be that your cup is very soft (the Athena Menstrual Cup is considered to be a softer menstrual cup). Some of these cups are difficult to insert correctly, no matter what you do. You may want to consider one of the firmer menstrual cups.

My Athena Cup Won’t Open

If you use one of the softer menstrual cups like the Athena Cup, a problem that you can have is that won’t open. The firmer menstrual cups just pop open and into place, which is why we usually recommend them for beginners.

But, you have the Athena Cup and it’s not opening inside you? Here are a few tips and tricks:

• Try a different menstrual cup fold. Some of them work better than others, depending on your body shape and menstrual cup.
• Point the cup down, towards your tailbone, and not up, towards the sky.
• Jiggle, or twist the cup one direction, then the other.
• Run your finger around the rim of the Athena Cup to see if there are any obstructions.

More tips for Getting your Menstrual Cup to Open

Maybe your Athena Cup is too Big, or too Small

If you menstrual cup is too big, it will never really seal to your vaginal canal walls because there will always be some folds in it.

If your cup is too small, it’ll move around inside of you and also never really seal.

In these cases, try a smaller, or bigger cup and see if that works better for you. The company allows you to exchange the small Athena Cup for the large one and vice-versa, so take advantage of this if your cup won’t open, or keeps leaking.

How to Remove the Athena Menstrual Cup

Removing your Athena Cup is not so difficult if you follow a few simple steps:

• Wash your hands.
• Try to grasp the base of the Athena Menstrual Cup with 2 fingers.
• If you can’t do that, pull down gently on the stem until you can grasp the base.
• Squeeze in with your fingers to break the suction seal.
• Pull out the Athena Cup

You have the experience, especially after waking up in the morning that you can’t pull the Athena Menstrual Cup out. This is because it can travel up the vaginal canal a little bit while you sleep.

If this happens, relax, and try again in a couple of hours. It won’t get lost up there. Don’t worry too much, okay?

Can the Athena Cup Get Stuck?

The good news is that the opening to your cervix is very small (except during childbirth), and nothing as big as a tampon or menstrual cup can get through there. This means that those things will never be “lost.”

However, you may find that your Athena Cup is stuck, particularly in the morning. While you sleep, menstrual cups can often move further up the vaginal canal.

Don’t panic if you find that your Athena Menstrual Cup is stuck. Relax, and try again in an hour. Put on a pad if you need to catch the leaks.

Try to reach for the base of the cup, and squeeze in to break the suction seal before you remove the cup.

If you can’t reach the base, pull down gently on the stem until you can. But, what if you can’t reach the stem?

Push down with the muscles in your pelvis, while reaching with your fingers. This should work for the vast majority of people.

Besides that, ask a trusted partner for help, or go to the doctor. They’ll have your menstrual cup out in less than a minute.

Help! My Menstrual Cup is Stuck!

Is the Athena Cup really “FDA Approved?”

Besides the things mentioned above, we also have some hesitation about recommending the Athena Cup with regards to FDA approval. There are actually very few menstrual cups on the FDA approved list and the Athena Cup doesn’t appear to be one of them.

However, they say on their product description that it is, “FDA approved so you don’t have to worry.” This appears to be a misleading statement.

Athena Menstrual Cup Reviews

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSBo6NQ1CAk

People that Like the Athena Cup are Saying:

“It’s soft and flexible, but not too soft. The quality and ease of use is similar to the Diva Cup but the Athena is half the price.”

“This menstrual cup was easy to use even for a first time user. It just pops open easily and it’s also easy to remove. I loved that it was a few bucks cheaper than something like the Diva Cup, but it seems comparable in quality.”

Related: How to Insert and Remove a Menstrual Cup.

“The Athena Cup very affordable, as well as being comfortable and durable. I’ve been using it for over a year now and it still looks new.” 

“I honestly didn’t think this would work that well. I expected the Athena Menstrual Cup to leak like crazy but I haven’t had any problems with it.”

Athena Menstrual Cup Pros:

1. It’s cheaper than many of the more established period cups. Many of the other cups like the Lunette, Moon Cup, or Diva Cup can run in the $30-40 range.
2. There is a nice variety of colors (14). We especially love the midnight black one that won’t become stained or discoloured with repeated use, unlike the white or clear menstrual cups.
3. There are obviously lots of satisfied customers (according to the reviews on Amazon).
4. Athena appears to be committed to quality customer service. They say on their product description, “We place our whole reputation on delivering the best customer service. If you have any issue, we will fix it – If you don’t like our product, we will refund it – And if you get your cup and feel it is the wrong size we will replace it! That is our commitment to you. No timelines, No gimmicks – We are only happy when you are!”
5. A wide variety of Athena Cup colours

An Introduction to the Athena Cup

Athena Menstrual Cup Cons: 

1. No real information is available on the Athena Cup and the company appears to not even have a website. There are very few websites that have reviewed this product apart from this one. It’s usually a bad sign when there is no real information about the product on the Internet.
2. They claim to be on the FDA approved list, but we couldn’t find evidence of this.
3. The sizing of the cup based on light-regular-heavy flow is very, very unusual in the menstrual cup world. Other cups are based on cervix height (low-high), as well as pre-vaginal birth or post-vaginal birth. Some cups also make a differentiation based on age, usually younger or older than 30.
4. Deceptive marketing. They say that their small cup is great for someone with a low-cervix, but it’s actually not that short. They also say that their big cup is good for someone with a heavy flow, but the capacity actually isn’t that high.
5. Lower than average capacity

How to Clean the Athena Cup

Menstrual Cups are not that cheap, so it makes sense to look after them well. If you take care of them, top-quality, medical grade silicone cups can last for 5-10 years. Here’s how to clean the Athena Cup:

• Be sure to clean your Athena Menstrual Cup with mild, water-based soap and water whenever you take it out. Do not use harsh abrasives, or cleansers.
• You can also use a special menstrual cup wash (see chart below for the top-rated options)
• Make sure to wash off any soap residue well
• To deep clean your cup, you can boil it in a pot of water on the stove for 5 minutes. Keep an eye on things, and do NOT let the cup stick to the bottom or side of the pot. This is one of the fastest ways to ruin your Athena Cup
• The other fastest way to ruin a menstrual cup is to store it in airtight container. Keep it in the cloth bag that came with it. Airflow is key to preventing bacteria growth

Compare Menstrual Cup Washes

What about the Athena Cup Wash?

The company behind the Athena Cup also makes the Athena Menstrual Cup Wash, which you can easily find over on Amazon.

If you want to keep your menstrual cup in tip-top shape, and prevent things like Toxic Shock Syndrome or yeast infections, then you should clean your cup almost every time you take it out to empty it (with the exception of public bathrooms).

You have two choices for this: plain soap and water, or a menstrual cup wash like this one and water. Which option is better?

If you have some money to burn, then go with the Athena Cup Wash. It smells really nice, is made from natural ingredients, and lathers up well. It’ll leave your menstrual cup squeaky clean and smelling nicer than washing it with just soap.

However, if you’re looking to go frugal for your period, skip the special cleansers and stick with plain soap. It’s not really necessary.

If you want to check out the Athena Cup Wash for yourself, head on over to Amazon:

Athena Menstrual Cup Wash Review

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vH0ZNqrFY7E

What about Sex with the Athena Cup?

A common question that people have is whether or not they can have sex with the Athena Cup, or other traditional menstrual cup. It’s an excellent question with an easy answer: no!

Well, kind of. For anything up to penetrative sex, a period cup like the Athena Cup is a nice option. That’s because unlike with tampons, there are no strings hanging out. Your partner may not even know that you have your period.

However, for penetrative sex, there just isn’t room up there for everything. Even if you tried to have sex while wearing the Athena Cup, it’d probably be pretty uncomfortable for both you and your partner.

Trust us, don’t even try go down that road. People have, and results have not been great.

If you want to have sex during your period, we recommend the Instead Soft Cup. It’s a flat, flexible disc that fits right up under your cervix. Compare this to regular cups that sit very low down in your vaginal canal.

You can check out Instead Soft Cups for yourself over on Amazon to get your period sex on!

https://youtu.be/XLN5mVhcirw

There are even more options for period sex beyond the Softcup. You can see all the choices here:

The Best Period Sex Options

Best Overall	Most Eco-Friendly	Easiest to Insert
Instead Soft Cups	Intimina Ziggy Cup (reusable)	Soft Tampons
Check Prices	Check Prices	Check Prices

What about Toxic Shock Syndrome and the Athena Cup?

A common question that people have is whether or not they can get Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) from the Athena Cup, or other menstrual cup brand. And they also want to know whether or not the risk is higher, or lower than with tampons.

Let’s talk numbers and facts for a minute.

There are thousands of cases of Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) caused by tampons. To date, there is only one case of TSS that was caused by a menstrual cup. It happened because the person cut themselves at the beginning of their period when inserting the Diva Cup.

Of course, it should be noted that there are way more people who use tampons than menstrual cups. This in part could account for the higher incidence of toxic shock syndrome among tampon users.

But, with only one case of TSS from a menstrual cup, the risk does appear to lower than with tampons.

The Takeaway on the Athena Cup:

Although this cup is about half the price of the more expensive cups, you get what you pay for. The Athena Menstrual Cup appears to be a cheap menstrual cup manufactured in China.

Although it may indeed be made from high-quality silicone, it is uncertain. We HATE companies that don’t have official websites because it shows that the product is usually an afterthought, and making money is at the forefront.

Check out the 2-3 star reviews on Amazon for the real-deal on the Athena Menstrual Cup. Many of them mention how flimsy this thing is. Flimsy means that while insertion is easy, it’s really difficult to get it to suction to the vaginal walls. Lack of suction results in leaking, a lot. It’s just not worth it! Trust us, leaking menstrual cups are not a good time.

Spend a Bit More Money for a Top-Quality Menstrual Cup

You’d be better off spending a bit more money and buying a cup from a reputable company like Lunette, Moon Cup or Diva Cup that have been around a long time, have an established history, and are more up front about their product’s manufacturing.

We REALLY hate recommending a menstrual cup that doesn’t have an official company website. This is a huge red flag in our books!

Check out this post, Are Menstrual Cups Expensive? for our breakdown of how much money you will be saving over the medium to long-term by using a menstrual cup instead of tampons or sanitary pads.

When you consider the fact that you can use a menstrual cup for at least two years, and quite possibly up to 10, spending a few extra bucks upfront for a top-quality one isn’t such a big deal. In our experience, the cheap cups like this one just aren’t worth the hassle.

Check out the Diva Cup, Instead of the Athena

It’s the period cup which most people start with, and for good reason. The Diva Cup is a top-quality cup manufactured in Canada from medical grade silicone.

It’s a standard shape and size, and comes in a small and large option. The small one is recommended for people who haven’t given birth vaginally, or is under the age of 30. The large one is for people over 30, or those who’ve given birth vaginally.

Over on Amazon, there are thousands of happy Diva Cup customers. Most of the negative reviews are about menstrual cups in general, and not specifically about the Diva Cup. This makes sense if you consider that the Diva Cup is often the first menstrual cup that people try.

Most people find the Diva Cup easy enough to insert and remove. It’s an average firmness, which means that it should pop open easily inside of you, but it’s not so stiff as to feel uncomfortable. It also doesn’t leak for most people and overall, it’s just an excellent menstrual cup.

Check out: Diva Cup Pros and Cons.

Compare Top-Quality Menstrual Cup Brands

The Athena Cup? It’s not a bad menstrual cup, it’s just not one of our top menstrual cup brands that we like to recommend here at Reusable Menstrual Cups. Check out some of the better options here:

Buy the Athena Menstrual Cup

If you must and want to save yourself a few bucks, you can buy the Athena Cup on Amazon:

Athena Cup: Have your Say!

What are your thoughts about the Athena Menstrual Cup? Is it a cheaper, but still top-quality menstrual cup?

Leave a comment below and let us know.

Last update on 2021-04-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API