Our Story
Courtesy Cups not only invented the first portable menstrual cup sanitizer, but we’re committed to Changing the Cycle of period poverty through education and advocacy.
Transforming Communities
In the US, 1 in 5 teens miss school because of their period. Did you know missing just two days a month means students are more likely to be underemployed and live in poverty? That’s why we will be donating one cup for every cup purchased to support teen period health.
Educating Teens
Many of us were taught euphemisms for our periods and our body parts. Even comprehensive sex education programs neglect to discuss menstruation and the external vulva.
Courtesy Cups is commited to supporting organizations that advocate for menstrual equity and destigmatizing periods.
Affecting Policy
Today, 27 states still tax tampons as a luxury item, 8 states provide free menstrual products in public schools, and pads and tampons manufacturers are not required to disclose ingredients.
We believe:
- Periods shouldn't be taxed.
- Everyone should have access to menstrual products.
- We have the right to know what we're putting in our bodies.
The Journey
In 2015, Courtesy Cups founder, Savannah Daniels, joined the US Army. She was a truck driver in the National Guard and spent weeks at a time in the field sleeping outside with little access to toilets, electricity, and running water. She needed a solution for my period, something discreet that could be sterilized on the go.
The menstrual hygiene industry has seen little to no innovations in the last 80 years. Although 30 million women opt for cups, there's still a lack of portable sterilizing solutions available in the market. So she created a sterilizer that uses only room temperature water.