8 Things You Need To Know About Free Bleeding On Your Period

1. It just means not wearing pads or tampons during your period

Or any other type of menstrual protection for that matter. Instead the blood collects on the woman’s underwear or clothes.

2. It’s not actually a new thing

Nope, women have in fact been free bleeding for centuries. Sanitary products like pads and tampons only hit the mainstream back in the 1930s. Before this date many women would have used materials worn outside their clothes to collect the blood, much the same way free bleeding works today.

3. But it became popular again in 2014 thanks to a hoax

Anti-feminist organisation 4Chan launched a campaign called Operation Free bleeding. While the campaign was designed to provoke anger from around the web, it had the opposite effect and brought free bleeding back to the fore in a positive way.

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4. Some women find it more comfortable

Not everyone can wear tampons and many women find sanitary pads uncomfortable. Others find menstrual cups inconvenient due to the constant washing they require (not the kind of thing we want to be doing in the office sink) and so for some free bleeding can seem like the logical choice.

5. Some do it for social reasons

Here in Ireland we’re pretty lucky that when our lady flow comes to town we just have to nip to the shops to pick up a packet of pads or tampons, but that’s not the case everywhere. In 2015, Kiran Gandhi free-bled while running the London Marathon to raise awareness of the lack of access to sanitary products in other parts of the world.

6. For others it’s an environmental thing

Once you’ve popped that pad into the bin, you probably don’t think about it again, but sanitary waste is a big issue, with women throwing away an average of seven pounds of feminine hygiene products each every year. After running the London Marathon last year Kiran Gandhi voiced her environmental concerns. “Women’s bodies have never been burdensome to the Earth, and the products we use to care for ourselves should not be either,” she said.

7. You can buy pants especially designed for free bleeding

Free bleeding doesn’t mean ruining every pair of sweat pants you own. In response to its increased popularity, special period underwear has flooded the market. Basically, they’re pants with extra reinforced material that soak up the excess liquid.

8. Free bleeding could save you €200 a year

€200 is the average amount Irish women spend on sanitary products each and every year. Over a lifetime, free bleeding for the duration of your period could save you roughly €6000.

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• menstruation