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Free Bleeding - another fad?

(246 Posts)
MissAdventure Sun 18-Nov-18 11:44:01

Has anyone heard of this idea.
It is that women shouldn't be made to feel in any way uncomfortable about the menstrual flow, and can choose not to wear sanitary protection if they so choose.

MissAdventure Sun 18-Nov-18 11:45:30

This link explains the ethos behind the idea better than I can.
helloclue.com/articles/culture/whats-all-fuss-about-free-bleeding-why-does-it-matter

Sparklefizz Sun 18-Nov-18 11:45:39

Whaaaaaat???
It'll be "free not-wiping one's bottom" next!!! confused

EllanVannin Sun 18-Nov-18 11:48:46

Whatever next ? ( rolls eyes ) For goodness sake !

EllanVannin Sun 18-Nov-18 11:50:34

Imagine all the washing to say nothing of ruined clothes. No self-respecting woman would go along with this idea.

MissAdventure Sun 18-Nov-18 11:53:26

The idea is that natural blood stains don't necessarily ruin clothes.
They see nothing wrong with visible blood stains on their clothing if it happens to occur.

petra Sun 18-Nov-18 11:58:15

I remember a protest by some women outside parliament (menstruating) as a protest against VAT on sanitary products.
Some of you might remember who ruled that we added VAT on the price wink

MissAdventure Sun 18-Nov-18 12:02:20

There is apparently a famous runner who finished a marathon or something with blood running down her legs.
She said she did it in honour partly for women who have no access to sanitary protection, and also because she herself had no access to be able to keep changing.

Sparklefizz Sun 18-Nov-18 12:07:23

MissA Plenty of chafing for her then!

Sparklefizz Sun 18-Nov-18 12:08:34

What about leaving stains on the seats of public transport, office chairs, etc ? How hygienic is that?

MissAdventure Sun 18-Nov-18 12:14:06

Yes, its quite encouraged by some, but I think they are quite radical.
There are others who just choose to free bleed at home.

FlexibleFriend Sun 18-Nov-18 12:48:27

If it happens it happens and I wouldn't be ashamed but I certainly wouldn't be proud of staining someone's sofa either. Like everything there are always extremes but it's not for me. I like my white knickers to stay white and that would be impossible with free bleeding. As for putting on yesterdays blood stained jeans, has she got no sense of smell?

trisher Sun 18-Nov-18 12:49:05

If I cut myself and it bleeds on my white shirt/sheet/towel/pants I spend ages soaking the stain out. When I was menstruating I did the same with any stains that escaped the protection I wore. Is it more feminist if I stop doing this? And do these women have very light periods? Because at one point if I hadn't used protection I would have been permanently sitting in a puddle (Yuk!)

MissAdventure Sun 18-Nov-18 12:52:33

You can buy free bleeding knickers.
I'm not sure what they're all about, but more environmentally friendly, I think.
I presume they may be washable towel material.

FlexibleFriend Sun 18-Nov-18 12:55:02

All my knickers are washable but as I discovered recently I sometimes have to leave them in soak for days to remove the stains. That was bad enough as a one off let alone every month. I just think they have no standards. Or very low ones.

Jalima1108 Sun 18-Nov-18 12:56:53

That was very odd - I typed out a post to this, must have clicked on something (fat finger) and found that I couldn't type, but was putting blue dots on the post or drawing blue lines instead of words.
Has this happened to anyone else - is it something new on GN?

sodapop Sun 18-Nov-18 12:56:55

Same here trisher for a long time I had to wear huge pads and was constantly checking to make sure I hadn't leaked. The freedom post hysterectomy was fantastic.
I am not ashamed of being a woman with all that entails but I think this is a step too far. No consideration for others or personal hygiene.

sodapop Sun 18-Nov-18 12:58:43

That made me smile MissA could be taken two ways smile

Jalima1108 Sun 18-Nov-18 13:00:22

I cannot see how this will help those girls and women who have no access to sanitary protection either in this country or overseas. It must be very embarrassing for them and I have heard of girls who will not go to school when they have a period because they either can't afford it or have no access to any.

Surely it would be better to donate to charity, campaign and lobby for all women and girls to have access to sanitary protection so that they can retain their dignity.

This seems like the 'Me, Me, Me, Look at Me' Brigade rather than a genuine desire to help others.

NanTheWiser Sun 18-Nov-18 13:02:58

It'll never catch on...

Luckygirl Sun 18-Nov-18 13:04:41

Why do you have to do this to flag up that you are not ashamed of having periods??

Perhaps we should just crap anywhere at will to show that we are not ashamed of having bowels.

This is quite ridiculous. Silly women with nothing to do with their lives except draw attention to themselves.

janeainsworth Sun 18-Nov-18 13:05:50

From the link that MissA posted
“Then in 2017, transgender period activist Cass Clemmer posted a photo showing a period stain on their pants to highlight that periods don’t just happen to women. Cass has also created a coloring book to illustrate that people of all genders get periods.”

Who knew?

Jalima1108 Sun 18-Nov-18 13:06:58

Perhaps we should just crap anywhere at will to show that we are not ashamed of having bowels.
grin

Let's go back hundreds of years, emptying our chamber pots out in the streets from an upstairs window

Bridgeit Sun 18-Nov-18 13:08:59

I beleive it says in the bible ( Old Testament) that women during their menstruation had a seperate ( straw ) area to live in.
Well if the OP suggestions is for real there will be an awful lot of cleaners required!

Luckygirl Sun 18-Nov-18 13:34:22

people of all genders get periods - oh no they don't!

I feel a pantomime coming on! grin