Reason why ‘free bleeding’ is so controversial as an American rapper admits to doing it onstage causing divide
Thanks to stigma being erased and the concept being normalised, more and more women and people who menstruate are giving ‘free bleeding’ a go during their periods.
For those who aren’t familiar with the concept, it sees people ditch pads, tampons, menstrual cups, and anything else that might block or collect their flow.
Instead of relying on disposable products, ‘free bleeders’ choose to bleed naturally into their environment, whether that be onto a towel at home, into period underwear, or even onto some old clothes.
While some people simply opt to ‘free bleed’ for comfort and to avoid the feeling of a pad or tampon, it’s also been used as a form of menstrual activism that destigmatises periods by drawing attention to them, rather than hiding them.
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It also allows women to save on the financial costs of period products, which can rack up when you have to fork out for them every month.
However, as the term has grown in popularity and drawn more attention, particularly among Gen Z, it’s resulted in some divisive conversations - and highlighted that sadly, not everyone around the world gets the choice of whether they want to free bleed.
The unfair idea that periods are ‘dirty’ and should be hidden away is age-old, and we’re only just squashing the stigma surrounding them.
In many parts of the world, period stigma and taboos mean that people who are menstruating are excluded from regular day-to-day activities such as attending school.
As outlined by Action Aid, in some cases, women and girls are even prevented from living in their homes, eating certain foods, taking part in religious activities or socialising while they are on their period.
Nepal only passed its law criminalising the practice of banishing women to huts during their periods in 2019, as per The Guardian.
As for the UK and US, while periods are of course much more widely accepted, ‘free bleeding’ is still not completely accepted by everyone.
You’d just need to look at the response to American rapper Ashnikko saying that she was about to start ‘free bleeding’ on stage during a festival over the weekend.
During her set at Sziget Festival in Budapest, the 30-year-old musician said while performing: "Just so everyone knows, I feel like I'm right about to start my period, so if I'm free bleeding at any point on this stage, respect and love.”
She then turned the moment into a lyric and sang, 'Free bleeding in Budapest!' three times, before telling those watching: "That would be so cute."
However, the reaction was mixed, and while some fans praised her, other Instagram users wrote: “Gross” and “Bro that is just weird. Wear a pad or something. Free bleeding makes everything worse because of the mess. People are insane.”
While others defended her, writing: “Free bleeding is perfectly natural. It’s how our bodies are designed and intended to be” and “As someone bleeding profusely and heading off to work, this is very charming. Every move we made to destigmatize menstruation is huge.”
Dr Susanna Unsworth, women’s health expert at Intimina told Tyla: “Free bleeding is really just a new term for something quite simple.
“From a medical perspective, there is no particular health benefit to free bleeding. Menstrual blood leaving the body is the same whether it is absorbed by a sanitary pad or allowed to soak into underwear or clothing.
“Equally, there is generally no significant health risk to the individual from choosing to free-bleed, provided normal personal hygiene is maintained.”
The only thing to be aware of is that period blood has the ability to carry bloodborne viruses like Hepatitis C, which is able to live outside of the body for up to three weeks, while Hepatitis B can remain viable for at least seven days.
However, as long as you're being sanitary as usual and avoiding ‘through-the-skin exposure,' you'll be fine.
Topics: Women's Health, Gen Z, Celebrity, Entertainment, Health, Periods
Madison Burgess