Free Bleeding: The New Menstrual Trend In 5 Questions

If you are one of those women who are tired of spending a fortune on period products, you may have been tempted to follow the new menstrual trend: free bleeding. We will explain what this practice involves and what dangers it entails in 5 questions.

1- What is free bleeding?

Free bleeding, which literally means "free bleeding" in French, is a menstrual practice that is gaining more and more followers.

As surprising as it may seem to women who are used to wearing tampons or sanitary pads, this practice involves not using any hygienic protections and letting the menstrual flow run freely.

Note: free bleeding should not be confused with the practice of instinctive free flow. In the latter case, women learn to retain the blood by contracting the perineal muscles and do not let it flow.

2- What is the origin of free bleeding?

The practice of free bleeding emerged in the United States in the 1970s. It was born out of a feminist movement aimed at breaking taboos around menstruation and reducing the environmental impact of menstrual products.

This menstrual practice is therefore not new. But it is currently experiencing a resurgence of interest, due to feminist and/or ecological convictions or simply for economic reasons.

Not wearing menstrual products is sometimes used as a symbolic gesture to protest against period poverty, which refers to the difficulties in accessing sanitary products for financial reasons.

3- What are the advantages of free bleeding?

Women who adopt free bleeding highlight the advantages of this practice, which is still very marginal:

• the reduction of expenses related to menstrual products such as tampons and sanitary pads, and the significant savings it allows.

• the reduction of waste produced by disposable products, thus reducing the ecological impact of menstruation.

• the liberation of women's bodies, as well as the possibility of developing a better understanding of their bodies.

• the fact of eliminating the risk of toxic shock associated with prolonged use of tampons.

4- What are the health risks of free bleeding?

Even though the practice of free bleeding naturally avoids menstrual toxic shock syndrome or TSS, it is not without danger to women's health.

Given the growing enthusiasm of younger generations for this practice, some gynecologists have been quick to sound the alarm. Not wearing menstrual protection indeed requires increased vigilance and very rigorous intimate hygiene to limit the risk of complications.

The main health dangers of this practice are:
• the risk of infection due to bacterial proliferation from prolonged contact with blood.
• the risk of vaginal flora imbalance.
• the risk of skin irritation, again due to prolonged contact of blood with the skin.

5- How to practice free bleeding?

If the previous explanations have made you want to try the free bleeding experience, note that this practice is not suitable for all women and in all situations.

First of all, it should be noted that this practice is not recommended for women who have heavy periods or who wear an IUD, as it is more difficult to manage menstrual flow.

You should also be aware that the risks of infection, disruption of vaginal flora balance, and skin irritations are amplified in certain situations, such as intense physical activities.

Therefore, if you want to do without periodic protection and join the growing community of free bleeders, try it out on a day when you do not plan to exercise or go to work.

This way, you can be more relaxed and limit health risks. You will be more comfortable washing regularly and following another recommendation related to this practice, which is to drink plenty of water so you go to the bathroom more often...

To get through the night without any trouble and especially without staining your sheets or mattress, free bleeders also recommend sleeping on a bath towel.

If the idea of changing and washing your underwear or even your pants more often during your period does not deter you, there are not too many problems in adopting this new menstrual practice intermittently. It will, of course, be easier to do without protection when you do not plan to go out to work or visit friends.

You will then discover that this form of letting go is beneficial for demystifying the period and significantly reduces your consumption of tampons and sanitary pads.