Everything you ever wanted to know about free bleeding

You don't need tampons and sanitary pads when you free bleed. Photo Courtesy: Instagram/ Heckin_meme

There are a plethora of menstrual products available in the market and we have been demanding the Government to reduce tax on some of them. After all, you have to wear a sanitary pad when you are on your period, right? Well, not really. You can let go of all your menstrual products like tampons, pads, and cotton cloths to simply bleed on your clothes. And that's ladies is what you call operation free bleeding.

What Is Free Bleeding Exactly?

According to a report published in Hello Giggles, free bleeding refers to a menstruating woman who is making the choice to abstain from using any sanitary products. That means no tampons, pads, panty liners, menstrual cup, etc. She bleeds naturally, as her body intended her to. 

But, Should You Do It Too?

Though, free bleeding focuses on the comfort of women by shunning every menstrual product but should you attempt it? The answer is yes. You should--and not just because it sends out a strong feminist message. Turns out, it's healthy too. For starters, free bleeding leads to a healthy vagina. According to a report published in Clued In, free bleeding keeps your usual vaginal fluid and healthy bacteria where they should be--in your vagina. In fact, did you know that tampons not only soak period blood but also a third of vaginal and cervical fluids? And that's not pretty.

Now, you may argue that you don't use tampons but sanitary pads to do the job. Well, they are not great either. Pads do soak period blood but also keep your vaginal area moist--making you feel uncomfortable. Also, if you don't change your sanitary pads after every few hours, it can lead to a build-up of bacteria.

You Do a Great Service to the Planet by Free Bleeding

Ladies, you may make a strong case by saying that you dispose your sanitary pads at regular intervals, but you have no idea what this is doing to the planet Earth. In India alone, menstrual waste adds up to 113,000 tonnes annually.

"We have found ignorance regarding the raw materials used in making most sanitary products that are falsely assumed to be only cotton and plastic--the products are more than 90% plastic with super absorbent polymers and non-woven plastic components that make it extremely difficult to dispose off in a backyard shortcut way," says Shreejaya, activist from EcoFemmem, Thiruvananthapuram, in an interview to IANS.

How You Can Free Bleed

Sure free bleeding has environmental and health benefits, but let's admit it: it's really not practical. Imagine coming to work and attending a meeting while free bleeding. Now, you may end up being successful at delivering a strong feminist message, but chances are you might land in a soup too. Moreover, can you really imagine going through the day leaving stains everywhere you sit? Well, not really.

But, if you wish to free bleed without things getting tricky, you can try a few hacks. For instance, wear double underwear when you are on your period. So, even though your essentials will get soaked with blood, the layers will not make it possible for the period blood to seep through your clothes. Also, you can wear dark-coloured pants and bottoms to avoid visible stains.

Also read: You can make your period end faster naturally. Here's how 

Also read: This menstrual product can help you with mess-free period sex