Let’s face it, pretty isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when we think of period products but the nixit disk is here to challenge your expectations. With its cool branding and premium packaging, it makes having a period more a more pleasurable experience than, say, shoving a tampon up your sleeve and shuffling your way to the bathroom.
Reusable period products have come on leaps and bounds in recent years with everything from reusable pads, pants, applicators, cups and discs on offer. It’s never been easier to shop around for a product that suits your body and cycle to a tee, whilst minimising your impact on the environment. According to the Women’s Environmental Network, the average person who menstruates gets through over 11,000 disposable products in a lifetime, so switching from single-use plastics to sustainable alternatives is just one way to empower people with periods to make informed choices, whilst saving money and doing your bit for the planet.
Back in the summer of 2020, the team tried menstrual cups for the first time and truth be told, we haven’t so much as entertained a tampon since but with the dawn of menstrual discs, we couldn’t help but feel we’re sleeping on something good. We’re officially intrigued by the flat-flying saucer design and barely-there fit. In Casa Amor speak, our heads have been turned, people.
Made out of medical-grade silicone, the nixit is a one-size-fits-all internal menstrual disc with a unique circular shape that conforms to your body. Petal soft, suction-free and capable of holding up to 70ml of menstrual fluid, it’s ideal for those with heavier periods or anyone intimidated by the traditional seal on a menstrual cup.
With a long list of benefits including an auto-dump mechanism that disposes of menstrual fluid when you’re on the toilet due to the nature of the squat position (what a time to be alive), one of the nixit’s biggest draws is the freedom to have solo or partnered penetrative sex whilst it’s in place, since it doesn’t take up any real estate in your vaginal canal like the menstrual cup. Game-changer!
Keep scrolling to read how the team got on with the nixit disc, as well as a beginner’s guide on insertion, removal, and how to have penetrative sex.
Beginner’s Guide to nixit
What is nixit and how does it work?
nixit is a reusable disc-shaped menstrual cup that collects, rather than absorbs, menstrual fluid (up to four super plus tampons worth, to be exact!). Unlike bell-shaped menstrual cups, nixit sits right under the cervix in the vaginal fornix and stays tucked behind the pubic bone – no suction required to create a secure seal. It is soft and flexible, made to conform to one’s anatomy, which is why it is one-size-fits-all – no guessing game required. It provides 12-hour protection and can be used for around five years if cared for properly – helping to reduce one’s single-use period product waste. Because it doesn’t obstruct the vaginal canal, users are able to have mess-free period sex while it’s inserted!
- disc-shaped menstrual cup
- no plastic or single-use packaging
- no strings or suction to stay in place
- no unnecessary chemicals or toxins
- solo or partnered mess-free period sex friendly as it sits in the vaginal fornix (not canal)
- can be worn for up to 12 hours before needing to remove and wash
- reusable and lasts up to around five years
- one size
- doesn’t require awkward folds to insert
- holds 70 mL (4 super plus tampons worth of blood), making it the best for heavy flows
How to insert
Start by sitting on the toilet and squeeze the sides together to form an 8 shape. Insert one end into your vagina, pushing it back and down towards your tailbone (rather than up like a tampon), before tucking it up behind your pubic bone. There are some insertion videos on our Instagram highlights and on our TikTok page that you may find useful.
If this isn’t comfortable, other positions like standing, deep squatting, or one leg up on the toilet seat can help. Different positions work for different people!
How to remove
Now for the removal part! For those wondering, yes, you will be able to reach it. Firstly, it helps to be as relaxed as possible (sometimes easier said than done) so we recommend taking some deep calming breaths when you are in the removal position (some people prefer on the toilet, some prefer in the shower, etc.).
Try using a finger to reach inside your vagina to find the rim of your nixit. Hook your finger over the rim and pull out slowly, keeping the cup level to avoid spillage. Some users find gently bearing down helps to untuck their nixit so it is easier to grab.
Most importantly, nixit must be removed at least 12 hours after insertion. Some find setting an alarm helps to remind them because they forget they are even on their period while using nixit.
How to self-empty
What’s neat about menstrual discs is that you don’t need to fully remove them to empty them in between the 12 hours. This is particularly convenient for when you’re out in public or if you have a heavy flow! While sitting on the toilet, you may find that some menstrual blood is emptying from the cup. This is because the act of gently bearing down will untuck nixit from behind your pubic bone. Tilting your hips forward can help this process too. Once finished, you may want to use a finger to re-tuck nixit or do some kegels to get it back into position. Voila! When you go to fully remove it at the 12-hour mark, it will likely be less messy.
How can I have penetrative sex?
Believe it or not, nixit sits in the same place as a contraceptive diaphragm. Your vaginal canal will be clear for mess-free, penetrative solo or partnered sex. Fun fact: your vaginal canal elongates and expands when aroused, so your nixit will move a bit further away from your vaginal opening. We recommend waiting a couple of hours after sex to try removing it. Neither you or your partner(s) should be bothered by nixit in the process.
How should I practice using it?
Month 1:
- Try inserting nixit before your period, so that you can get some practice with insertion and removal. Remember the three steps – insert, tuck, and check. If your vagina is dry, water-based lube is a great way to help glide the cup in!
- Use overnight or on lighter days.
- Use a pad or period underwear as backup protection.
Month 2:
- Try using nixit for your entire period. Always remember to insert, tuck, and check.
- Still use back-up pads or underwear if you need to.
- Empty nixit regularly so that you get used to your flow and work out how long you can leave it in for at a time.
Month 3:
- By now, you should have a good idea of your flow, so you can leave nixit in for longer stretches on light days.
- You’ll be so comfortable using nixit that you may forget it’s there. Setting an alarm every 12 hours may be helpful to remember to remove, wash, and reinsert.
Leaking Issues
Leaking can be caused by a few different things and it is important to understand when it’s happening. This could be any specific time of day or days of your cycle – not to mention during any specific activities!
Leaking when waking up
This can happen when nixit might be full. Or if it isn’t full, it may have shifted while you were laying down for an extended period of time. Either way, we recommend drawing up on your pelvic floor as you stand until you can get to the bathroom to adjust or empty it.
Leaking when using the bathroom
It is entirely normal to see some blood when using the restroom as the effort of bearing down can sometimes cause nixit to come untucked and self-empty. We always recommend doing a tuck and check to ensure nixit is still inserted properly. We find it best to try and keep your finger on the rim as you stand to make sure it goes back into place. You can then do a few kegel excersies to really secure it back in place.
Leaking when in place
Firstly, check and see if nixit is covering your entire cervix when inserted. To do this you want to be in a comfortable position. Insert your finger into your vagina and move it in a circular motion to feel around the walls, which will feel spongy. Continue to do this, moving your finger up your vaginal canal, until you feel something that feels a bit like a nose, or a nose behind a thin layer of sponge – you found your cervix!
Leaking because it’s untucked
The insertion position that you use can often make a big difference not only to how snuggly nixit sits, but also how well it prevents slipping and leaking. Inserting in a deep squat often does the trick as it creates extra room in your vaginal fornix so nixit can sit better. Bearing down gently (like you normally would when having a bowel movement) while inserting nixit in a deep squat also helps. You can use your thumb to guide it back as far as you can (almost like a thumbs-down motion) and tuck it up as high as you can behind your pubic bone. Once inserted, you can relax and then do a few kegels, that really helps settle it in.
The Team’s nixit Reviews
Lareese says
It’s common knowledge that I am something of a menstrual cup stan, so much so that I’d consider myself an activist at this point, tirelessly campaigning for my friends and family to ghost tampons for good. Ever since that summer of 2020 when Team Zoella tried menstrual cups for the first time, I haven’t looked back, so you can only imagine how insufferable I’ve been at the thought of giving a menstrual disc a try. I never thought I’d be excited to have a period, but here we are! Now, the shape intrigued me whilst the diameter intimated me. On first look, the disc looks huge especially compared with a traditional cup product but once folded and inserted, there’s really no difference in size particularly as they sit differently in the body. Flatter and considerably more supple than the traditional menstrual cup, the nixit is a one size fits all shape that works with your body.
There’s a certain knack to the insertion and removal method but rest assured, practice makes perfect and you soon find your groove after a couple of cycles. One of the best things about the nixit cup is its positioning. Due to its disc-like shape, it sits tucked between the space behind your cervix (the vaginal fornix) and your pubic bone, so rather than pushing it in and up, you glide it in and back towards the tailbone, parallel with the floor. No scary suction business or fancy folding techniques here. So if your main concerns with trying a menstrual cup is the thought of it sucking onto your cervix or disappearing entirely (impossible by the way), then this suction-free disc could be just what you’ve been looking for. I’ve heard that they’re particularly well-suited for those with lower cervix and people with an IUD. Admittedly, when I first inserted it, I hadn’t tucked the rim upwards towards my pubic bone so I could feel it slightly when sitting down but a quick visit to the ‘how to use’ section of the nixit website and I was enlightened, and sitting comfortably in time for Love Island. Removal was sightlier messier than I’m used to as you have to get stuck in there with a clean finger to hook the rim and slide out, though that wasn’t a dealbreaker for me, some people might prefer a product with a stem.
I can’t speak to the period sex benefits as sh*gging on my period is the last thing on my mind ha but I think for those who happen to be at their horniest when bleeding, this is a game-changer. For anyone who has a monthly bleed, I’d encourage you to give it a whirl and see how you get on.
Danielle says
I absolutely LOVE trying new period products, and similarly to Lareese, I’ve been tampon free (other than the occasional emergency) for two years! I think because I spent SO long just ‘dealing’ with my period using just tampons every time I invest in a new product it immediately makes my monthly more manageable, I haven’t met a product that I don’t like and use so far and that includes nixit! I think it’s because these modern solutions are actually created by women who you know – have periods. Not only are they long-lasting, better for the planet, super soft, and easy to use, but the packaging is also lush!
On to nixit – the thing I like most about nixit is that it’s SO soft. Apologies in advance for what I’m about to say… there is honestly nothing worse than putting something dry up your vag, and even worse getting it out, we’ve all been there. So there’s definitely less friction with nixit than a cup. I wanted to use this bad boy on lighter days so as soon as I came I was pinching and digging around getting it in place. Like a man assembling some Ikea furniture, I had to go back and read the instructions again before I got it in the right place as there is a definite skill to it that’s harder to grasp if, like me, you’re used to using a cup. Once in it was a dream, I could barely feel it and I could move on with my day left with only the worry of a code red – luckily I was WFH. When it came the removing the disc I sort of boshed my finger in there and hooked it out, worried there might be a bit of a splash zone but alas there were no casualties other than the loo. I actually found it easier to get out than a cup due to there being no suction.
When I used nixit on my heaviest day there was certainly a bit more leakage and overall I just haven’t felt as comfortable or confident using it on these days compared to a cup, however, I am pretty heavy and I also just suffer with CONSTANT paranoia that I’ve leaked. I’ll 100% be using this little disc for the 2 days on either side of my heaviest day as it’s super easy and comfortable to use, it also means I can have sex without the worry of any remnants of my cycle joining the party. I’m so pleased to add another gadget to my period gang and highly suggest giving it ago!
Darcey says
I am ever-changing my go-to period products, I am a period marketer’s dream, about as loyal as Ekin-Su when I see something new and exciting which has the potential to change my life. So naturally, when I was asked to try nixit, I was willing to give it a go! Now I must admit recently I haven’t been using my menstrual cup as often, why you ask? My nails are too long. They jab my insides and it’s not particularly pleasant, so I have reverted back to tampons (please don’t hate me). However, the Nixit Cup is designed to work around your body and because insertion is different, I thought it might sit better with me.
The reason the cup is so tricky is I have a very low cervix, especially on my period, which means it suctions around it and I have to prise it off, TMI? So you can imagine my nails are really digging in when I’m at the end of my vaginal canal. nixit however is designed to sit between your cervix and your pubic bone, which also means you can have sex with it in! I, unfortunately, didn’t try that, but I do think it’s super cool that they’ve invented something which means you can have period sex without all the mess!
So let’s get into inserting and removing, inserting it was weirdly not too hard, there’s a knack to it but after a few goes I’m sure it would be super easy. I did find it difficult to find the right position for me though, I don’t know if it’s because of my low cervix or actually my technique was terrible and in fact, I did find it hard ha, but I did feel it at first. However, after some time my body got used to it and it was all good, so maybe my body was just getting used to the new shape? Removal was messier than a cup, not overly messier but with a cup usually, a lot of the blood stays in the cup whereas with nixit it kind of has to all spill out due to the shape and size of it. I don’t mind the mess at the end of the day it’s your own blood, but I do get why some people would like a cleaner removal!
All in all, I do think potentially my cervix was a bit low for this? It is meant to be good for low cervix peeps, but mine is particularly low and with the nails as previously mentioned, not a good combo. However I think nixit is really great for people wanting to try out a cup but who find it a bit daunting, as I find from speaking to my friends its the suction of menstrual cups that puts them off and the fear of not getting it out, whereas with nixit you kind of just flick it up and out, I think it’s much easier! Also being able to shag on your period without the mess is pretty cool (obvs period sex with the mess is fine too and something I also do), but it’s nice to give people the option I think. I’d recommend giving it a go!
