SoftCup | 1990s Menstrual Disc

Researched by Quinn

Measurements: product, 69 mm diameter
Materials: Kraton, a thermal plastic [1, 2].
Timeframe: Invented in 1994 [3], sold in the northwest US in 1996 [6], and sold across the US in 1997 [5, 2], and is still sold as Softdisc as of 2024 [3]
Inventor(s): Audrey Contente [3, 4, 5]
Item Location: Period Nirvana Asheville, NC
Credit: Kim Rosas
Category: Menstrual Disc
Other: Box is sealed

SoftCup is the first menstrual disc device created and sold for the sole purpose of collecting period blood. Presumably the concept is based on the birth control diaphragm however there is no record to indicate this in interviews with the inventor, Audrey Contente.

“After 10 years of R&D, the first menstrual disc and what would later become “Instead” is first introduced to the market in 1994 by Audrey Contente at Ultrafem, Inc. In 1998, the product is acquired by Evofem (formerly Instead Healthcare), a privately held company focused on over-the-counter women’s reproductive health products. Under Evofem, “Instead” begins to grow a cult following in the US.”

Instead SoftCup sold for 2.99 per box of 6 in 1996, making each .50 cents.

SoftCup, now sold as SoftDisc, was acquired by the Flex Company in 2016, makers of a nearly identical product that launched in 2015. SoftCup is still sold today and the product design has not changed much since its original launch.

Sold by: Ultrafem (1996-1998), Evofem (1998-2016), Flex (2016-Present) [3]