Everything you never learned about period blood🩸
Though it's something half of the population is intimately familiar with, too many of us have been taught to be uncomfortable with or even grossed out by our period blood 🩸
Even as conversations around periods have become increasingly mainstream, there is still a stigma around the blood itself. We're taught to soak it up with tampons, make sure it never shows through our clothes, and hide the smell with scented pads (ps, did you know the “bad smell” of period blood actually comes from our blood reacting with the toxins in our period products, not from the menstrual blood itself!? If you don't like the smell, try switching to nontoxic period products).
At the very least, we're taught that menstrual blood is unimportant, nothing more than medical waste.
But, that isn't exactly true. Our blood is much more vital (and healing) than we might think.
On a purely physical level, our menstrual blood contains healing cells. There are actually stem cells in our menstrual blood that help to nourish and heal our vaginal and vulvar tissue.
When we let the blood flow freely by using pads, menstrual underwear, or even free bleeding, we allow our tissues to saturate in those healing stem cells.
(This is part of why I'm not the biggest fan of internal period products like tampons and menstrual cups. They can also put a lot of pressure on our pelvic bowl, contribute to cramping, and irritate our vaginal mucosa).
Moreover, menstruation may also play an important role in lessening our body's toxic burden. There is evidence to suggest that menstrual bleeding actually helps our bodies to get rid of PFAS (those toxic “forever chemicals” that are now in nearly everyone's bloodstream).
There is also a deeper importance.
Menstruation is the most internal time of your cycle. A time of heightened emotional sensitivity, intuition and spiritual connection.
In many Indigenous cultures, menstrual blood was (and in some cases still is) considered sacred and revered for its powers of healing and fertility (Clarissa Ixpahuatzin Gonzalez of Blood Moon Healing talks about this).
It is also a physical manifestation of the “death” phase of the cycle that we move through each month.
When we allow our blood to flow freely and smoothly, with reverence and respect, we allow what is ready to be released to go – both literally and metaphorically. We complete the cycle, and prepare ourselves to enter the rebirth of the next phase refreshed and renewed.
THE SOCIAL CONNECTION 〰
In the west, menstruation has long been seen as dirty, shameful, and taboo.
In 70 AD, Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder said that “Contact with the monthly flux of women turns new wine sour, crops touched by it become barren, grafts die, seed in gardens are dried up, the fruit of trees fall off, hives of bees die, and a horrible smell fills the air…” 🧐
Especially during and after the Victorian era, menstruation was seen as something that women should conceal and keep secret at all costs. And while period positivity has gained a lot of ground in recent years, the stigma around menstruation really continued up until the present. Take for example all of the tampon and pad commercials that focused on discretion and cleanliness and featured blue liquid instead of blood. And the fact that it literally wasn’t even until 2023 (!!!) that researchers first tested the absorbency of period products with real blood.
In the field of critical menstrual studies, there is something called the menstrual concealment imperative. Essentially, it's the way in which women have been socially conditioned to view their periods as taboo and therefore work to manage and "regulate" their own bodies through menstrual "hygiene" and never talking about periods. Were you ever taught (either explicitly or through social cues) to hide your pad on your way to the bathroom, to never wear white on your period, to be embarrassed when buying tampons, or to tell your teacher you're having “female problems”? That's the menstrual concealment imperative at work.
Jill Wood writes that within this framework, “menstruation must be concealed in order to appear as adequately feminine, attractive, and sexually desirable.”
It is essentially a form of social control that causes women to become preoccupied with hiding a natural bodily function and to become cut off from an incredible source of power (aka, the menstrual cycle).
CONNECTING WITH YOUR BLOOD 〰
Empowering practices for reclaiming your flow.
✦ Let your blood flow freely. Opt for external periods products (think pads, period underwear, & even free bleeding) over internal ones (tampons, menstrual cups).
✦ Observe your blood. We can look at our menstrual blood as a vital sign that gives us important information about our body. During your period, take a look at your blood and maybe even keep track of what you see. Is is heavy, light, somewhere in between? What day is it the heaviest? Are there clots? How big are they? Small clots are totally normal, but bigger ones (the size of a quarter or bigger) could potentially indicate something like fibroids or endometriosis
What color is your blood? This can tell you a lot. Ideally, we want our blood to be a bright, vibrant crimson red. Dark, red/purple blood could potentially signify pelvic stagnation. Very pale pink or watery blood could indicate anemia or low estrogen.
✦ Allow yourself to rest & release. As much as you are able to, rest while bleeding. It's a physiologically intense period of physical and emotional release. If you feel like crying, cry. Light a candle and journal everything you are releasing alongside your blood. Warm baths, sleeping in, and curling up on the couch with a pile of blankets are all encouraged.
✦ Try a menstrual blood face mask. If this one is too out there for you, that's totally fair. You do not need to put your blood on your face to connect with it. However, if you're into the idea, it's worth trying – if for no other reason than that it helps you get intimate with your body. You can read more about them here.
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Dive deeper into period stigma in Chaos & Control
Episode 05: Are Periods Obsolete? explores menstrual suppression and the ways in which women’s bodies and health have been and continue to be disregarded by the medical system
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This post is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. If you’re experiencing sudden or irregular menstrual concerns, or have any concerns about your reproductive health, it’s best to consult your doctor or a trusted healthcare professional.
