This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Eric McClure. Eric McClure is an editing fellow at wikiHow where he has been editing, researching, and creating content since 2019. A former educator and poet, his work has appeared in Carcinogenic Poetry, Shot Glass Journal, Prairie Margins, and The Rusty Nail. His digital chapbook, The Internet, was also published in TL;DR Magazine. He was the winner of the Paul Carroll award for outstanding achievement in creative writing in 2014, and he was a featured reader at the Poetry Foundation’s Open Door Reading Series in 2015. Eric holds a BA in English from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and an MEd in secondary education from DePaul University.
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A protective cup is a hard shell that is inserted into a jock strap or compression shorts to protect the male genitalia while playing physical sports. Some men believe that they don’t need to wear a protective cup when playing or competing, but the reality is that a protective cup is a necessary precaution if you want to protect yourself from the risk of permanent damage. Determine the size of cup that you need based on your waist line, and get a jock strap or pair of compression shorts based on your personal preference. Even if it feels kind of awkward to wear a cup at first, don’t worry. You’ll get used to it as you keep wearing it!
General Sizes
19–22 in (48–56 cm) – Extra Small/Pee Wee
22–28 in (56–71 cm) – Small/Youth
28–30 in (71–76 cm) – Medium/Teen
30–36 in (76–91 cm) – Large/Adult
36–46 in (91–117 cm) – Extra Large/Adult
Tip: If you’re putting your cup on in a locker room, don’t feel embarrassed. They’re a normal part of playing competitive sports, and if your classmates or teammates aren’t wearing them, they’re being foolish.
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