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Free bleeding is the practice of menstruating without blocking or collecting the period flow. In recent years it has become a subject of public debate.

History

The movement started in the 1970s as a reaction to toxic shock syndrome, a rare and sometimes fatal condition that can be caused when bacteria grow in tampons worn to absorb menstrual bleeding. It regained popularity in 2014 as a result of a prank originating on the internet site 4chan. Kiran Gandhi ran in the London Marathon while free bleeding as a symbolic act to combat menstrual stigma around the world. The movement focuses on women's and gender minorities' own comfort.

Products

Free bleeding underwear, a result of the free bleeding movement, has received media attention. These products are in response to the use of tampons.

References

1. "Free bleeding is a call to action". helloclue.com. Archived from the original on 2023-10-21. Retrieved 2022-07-28.
2. Bereznak, Alyssa (2016-09-16). "Silicon Valley's Quest to Make Periods Cool". Archived from the original on 2023-10-21.
3. Moss, Gabrielle. "What Is Free Bleeding, Exactly?". Archived from the original on 2023-10-21. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
4. "Kiran Gandhi's free-bleeding act ignites global awareness on menstruation". Zee News. 2015-08-20. Archived from the original on 2023-10-22.
5. "'Free bleeding' and the stupidly clever feminists who fell for it". 2015-08-15. Archived from the original on 2016-06-08.
6. "Kiran Gandhi discusses free-bleeding while running the London Marathon, and using the period as protest". 2015-08-11. Archived from the original on 2018-12-25.
7. "I Tried Free Bleeding Into Period Panties and This Is What Happened". 2016-04-07. Archived from the original on 2023-10-21.
8. "What It's Really Like to Free-Bleed During Your Period". 2015-06-03. Archived from the original on 2015-07-29.

Further reading

• Schomburg, Teresa (2022-05-02). Dobrosavljević, Valentina (ed.). "Menstruation: Raus aus der Tabu-Ecke". WDR 5 (Radio broadcast). Neugier genügt (in German). Westdeutscher Rundfunk. Archived from the original on 2022-05-02. Retrieved 2022-05-02.

• Feminist theory
• Feminist movement
• Menstrual cycle