We have all been taught as children that menstruation is a private, woman’s issue, something that has to be talked about in hushed voices, or better still, not at all. As children in school, our greatest fear was staining our skirts, and even now, we are perpetually afraid of staying out for too long while menstruating. Periods are something that has been kept under the covers (literally!) for centuries, but what if we could forgo the fear, shame, and stigma and just bleed freely?
What Is Free Bleeding?
As the name suggests, free bleeding is the practice of not stopping or collecting blood flow while menstruating by not wearing sanitary products (like pads, tampons or cups). While free bleeding is a valid lifestyle choice for many, it has been used to protest the tampon tax (which is still prevalent in many countries), and to fight the stigma about menstruation.
However, free bleeding is not an entirely new concept, as there have been accounts of the practice dating back to the 17th century early modern England. As it turns out, the subject has been widely debated ever since the beginning of menstrual activism in the 1970s, and consequently in online communities. In 2015, a series of photographs titled ‘There Will Be Blood‘, taken by Emma Arvida Bystrom for VICE sparked controversy about the free bleeding movement.
Musician, feminist activist and marathon runner Kiran Gandhi made headlines back in 2015 when she participated in the 26.2 miles long London marathon while free bleeding. In her blog post titled ‘Sisterhood, Blood and Boobs at the London Marathon 2015‘ she states that her decision not to wear a tampon was to challenge the stigma surrounding menstruation and to complete the race “in the safest and healthiest way possible for [her] body“. She also speaks at length about economic oppression leading to menstrual hygiene inaccessibility in rural communities and how we, as a society, have a long way to go in accepting a natural bodily process without attaching the ‘taboo’ label on it.
In the same year, poet and illustrator Rupi Kaur faced backlash on Instagram for posting a picture of herself sleeping on her bed with her pyjamas stained in period blood. After the post was removed from Instagram twice for violating community guidelines, she took to Facebook to write a heartfelt post addressing the issue. She points out the double standards of this misogynist society where countless women and even underage children are objectified, sexualised and ogled at; whereas this natural process is shunned, and seen as ‘dirty’.
The most recent instance of free bleeding was demonstrated in 2017 by transgender activist Cass Clemmer, who shared a poem and a picture of themself menstruating. Their aim was to prove that it is not only women who menstruate, trans men, get periods too. Although the post received tremendous backlash online, it served to drive home the fact that menstruation is a gender-neutral process.
Are there any benefits of free bleeding? Is it safe and hygienic? While there are no real health benefits to free bleeding, it is basically free and produces much less sanitary waste. A few menstruators have even admitted that they experience reduced cramps while menstruating freely, although it is not scientifically or clinically proven.
Free bleeding is safe to practice at home if you have a comparatively lighter flow and don’t mind washing and changing clothes frequently. In public, however, there is always a risk of contracting blood-borne viruses like HIV and Hepatitis, and it is not particularly hygienic to leave bloodstains everywhere in public places. Blood exposed to air also leads to an unpleasant odour, so you will find yourself changing clothes more often than not.
Menstruation should be practised according to one’s preference, but free bleeding is more of a movement than a daily practice. It has been used all around the world to advocate for the normalisation of menstrual blood, fight the inaccessibility of menstrual hygiene products, and to raise awareness about the tremendous environmental impact of sanitary products.