Stems are not like tampon strings!
Menstrual cups are designed with many different features from one cup to the next. One of those features that may vary between brands is the stem. A cup may have a long stick, tab, ball, ring, no stem at all, or may have a mixture of these. They can be long or short, solid or hollow, thick or thin.
Most brands have a specific stem; however, some brands offer an option to choose the stem that you prefer.
Purpose of the Stem
The purpose of the stem is to locate the cup and, if needed, helps you to reach and wiggle the cup down low enough so that you are able to get a good grip on the base of the cup.
The stem is NOT meant to be used to completely remove the cup. The stem itself will not support the weight of the cup, especially if it contains extra weight from your flow. Instead, use the stem to bring the cup lower until you can pinch the base of the cup securely.
How to Trim Your Menstrual Cup Stem?
The stem can be trimmed down if the cup feels too long, if it’s uncomfortable or poking you, or if the stem is hanging outside of your body.
Tools
- Clean and sharp pair of scissors, nail clippers or knife.
Instructions
- Trim off small sections of the stem at a time.
- Insert the cup and see if it feels comfortable and if you
can still remove the cup without any problems. - If the stem still feels too long, you can trim off a bit
more. - Continue to try the cup on after
each cut to ensure that you will still be able to reach it easily.
Notes
- Do NOT cut the complete stem off all at once.
- You may find that you need a bit of that length to reach and/or remove
the cup. Rather, trim off small sections of the stem at a time. - Most – but not all – stems include grip rings. This makes for an easy cutting guide.
CAUTION! For those of you who choose to cut the stem completely off, be sure that there is enough connection that you do not cut into the cup base.
Some cups, such as Venus Cup, are designed with an extra piece of material (e.g. silicone) or a “seal” that can be found typically inside of the cup where the stem meets the base. This acts as a reinforcement so that the stem is attached securely. It also gives the user a safe area to trim without cutting into the cup.
On a side note, if you would rather keep the stem intact and it doesn't bother you while wearing the cup, it's perfectly fine to leave it as is.
Red Herring has been sharing her experience and knowledge of menstrual cups on YouTube since 2015. She has worked on or with several menstrual cup companies but chooses not to be credited.
"I want to help people find the right menstrualcup for their situation.Not pressure them to buy a menstrual cup [that I might have helped with] for the sake of sales."
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Amazing info! Im going to try a menstrual cup soon and I want to be ready for anything 🙂