Free bleeding - the act of freely menstruating without the use of a tampon, sanitary pad, menstrual cup or anything else designed to soak up your flow - is ramping up in popularity among women and people who menstruate, and the reasons are very interesting.
Despite it being the choice of the person in question, free bleeding still finds itself at the centre of debate.
While some people opt to ditch the tampons and other sanitary products for reasons such as preference, comfort or health - others partake in free bleeding as part of a larger movement.
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While it isn't a new phenomenon, social media suggests it is becoming a trend among Gen Z as they try it out for the first time or openly embrace it.
Why do people free bleed?
Some of the reasons people have taken to free bleeding throughout history include resisting against patriarchal expectations, the hefty price of period products and to call out the fact that the majority of products are bad for the environment.
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In 2015, Kiran Gandhi chose to free bleed while running the London Marathon in an effort to tackle period secrecy and taboos.
The act received a lot of backlash, negative responses and judgement - much of which came from men.
The controversy around free bleeding
A journalist, James Delingpole, declared that Gandhi had made the choice due to a joke she had fallen for.
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He wrote for The Spectator: "Poor Kiran, and the liberal outlets which had applauded her gesture, were the victims of a cruel hoax", going on to suggest her free bleeding had occurred due to the chatroom 4chan, who had previously littered social media with faux-feminist accounts campaigning for 'Operation Free Bleeding' in an attempt to discredit the movement.
Where did free bleeding come from?
It's believed that free bleeding gained momentum in the 1970s as a response to the risk of toxic shock syndrome (TSS), as per Flo - not on an internet forum.
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TSS is a rare but potentially fatal condition which is caused by an infection. It can happen when using tampons, and is one of the major reasons why menstruating people are urged to change their tampon every eight hours at least.
Following the marathon, Gandhi wrote for the Independent: "Because it's all kept quiet, women are made to think that they shouldn't complain or talk about their own bodily functions, since no-one can see it happening. And if you can’t see it, it’s probably 'not a big deal'.
"And so I started bleeding freely."
The resurgence of free bleeding
A quick look on social media will show you that people are embracing free bleeding with open arms.
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One person wrote on X: "Chose the red skort this morning and now I'm free bleeding. Feminine intuition."
Another said: "Free bleeding in white sweatpants. Goodnight everyone because I dont give a f**k."
For those not comfortable enough to go entirely without a product, brands have started to create 'period pants', which are a type of underwear that absorbs period blood and stops your blood from 'leaking'.
Benefits and risks of free bleeding
Aside from feeling more powerful and feeling more comfortable with your period if this is the choice you want to make, there are also studies which suggest there are traces of lead, arsenic and potentially toxic chemicals in tampons.
It will save you money, and some people have suggested that they've felt less cramps, too.
As for health risks, there are none that you pose to yourself.
However, as period blood can carry viruses, and Healthline states that 'hepatitis C can live outside of the body for up to three weeks, while hepatitis B can remain viable for at least seven days', you should avoid 'through-the-skin exposure' to be on the safe side.
Kya Buller