According to Modern Womans Digest, A great rebellion against patriarchy, or an insane, unsanitary trend? What do you think?
Or, you know, ruin the carpet. -_- You didn' t source anything and I' ve never heard of it so I cannot help but wonder, is this for real ?
I could, but I don't wanna link to it because it has some explicit pictures. But if you google "free bleeding" its the first result.
I am in the camp that thinks these people are in the way too extreme, lol. ._. A period isn't unnatural or ~gross~, but leaving your blood everywhere without taking responsibility for it is both incredibly disgusting and massively inconsiderate of the people around you. Blood can be very unsanitary -- it's the reason why doctors get rid of and sterilize their needles after using them. There's a plethora of potential diseases that someone could catch from someone else's possibly infected blood getting into their skin/system. There are also the people who are deathly afraid of blood to consider, not to mention the sheer mess that blood can make on things. There was one kid at my high school that ended up bleeding a whole bunch over a chair, and one of my friends almost ended up sitting in a dry patch of it... The only way I could see this being okay is if your period is abnormally light, but even then, you should not be content with leaving your blood (or any other bodily substance) anywhere without cleaning it up, or taking the proper actions to ensure it doesn't end up making a mess in the first place. The small population people who twist around their "support" for a movement just to act like an ******* without repercussion just make me sick.
I found blogs describing free flowing as a meditation thingy, done laying in/on clothes you don' t mind staining with blood (technically women are always free flowing, this just puts the arbsorber elsewhere). And then I found this : http://theothermccain.com/2014/02/01/is-freebleeding-a-hoax/ I think I' ll stop digging right here and dismiss it as a hoax.
Possible tmi warning, but if you're squicked out by basic details about periods, be aware that 12 year old girls have stronger stomachs than you. I've heard about this before and I have mixed feelings. I understand and, to an extent, agree that periods (and menstrual blood by extension) are unnecessarily shamed in our society. I can remember far too many occasions in high school where a girl bleed through her pants and was met with laughter and ridicule. It's really sad to see, especially when it's a process that most people with vaginas experience. I also can say that pads and tampons are really expensive--a box of tampons will typically get me through a month and a half and easily runs $10 - $20. Sanitary products can also be really uncomfortable. I've never used a diva cup so I can't speak for it, but wearing a pad is essentially having a warm, moist washcloth shoved between your legs, rubbing against your nether regions all day and night... not to mention the potential for leakage when you are bleeding heavily. I personally find tampons very comfortable but they can be awkward to put in and pose their own health risks (toxic shock etc). Pads and tampons are also not very environmentally friendly. All this said, I understand people's frustration with the system, but I don't really think this is an appropriate reaction. In my younger and more vulnerable years I've been caught by surprise without a pad or a tampon on hand and I can say that bleeding all over yourself is really unpleasant, probably more unpleasant than using sanitary products. Blood is also a pain to get out of clothing and underwear. On a less selfish (and more important) note, this is also really unsanitary. Diseases are transmitted through blood, after all, and if you're not using any kind of sanitary product, that blood will easily leak onto whatever you're sitting on. Even if you're not carrying any kind of disease, I'd rather not get your menstrual blood on my butt just because I happen to take the seat after you. I suppose this is mitigated if you are willing to clean up after yourself, but that would require carrying around germ-killing cleaners, which I don't think is really an appealing prospect. I feel like such a bad feminist when these subjects come up (though I know that's of course not true, first of all this is not a part of mainstream feminism and it's not as if feminism is some kind of hivemind). I'm similar about body & pubic hair -- I understand where the argument comes from and I do believe patriarchy influences how society views women's hygiene, but I am also weird about germs. The body hair debate is quite different because it doesn't affect anyone else if you let your hair grow free while this does. What I find interesting is that people seem to be criticizing tampons for requiring penetration and pads for I don't know what reason, but make no mention of cups or sponges. I know both are rather popular with feminists, and they offer a very different experience from the pad or the tampon.
Good lord, this sounds disgusting to me. I, honestly, would rather be clean than sit around in soggy, bloody clothing. It's really not normal, honestly. I am also concerned for the cleanliness of their house if they go about free bleeding on all of their furniture and carpets/floors.
Even if it is a hoax, it is completely horrific, not to mention diseases and general unhygienic that everyone else has mentioned, it's also ridiculous in saying that this will free women in some way. I would feel much more vulnerable not wearing anything than I would free flowing because I would be exposed. I don't really think it is seen as something unclean and unnatural any more, well not by Western cultures because we are accepting and understand that practically all women get one and it is just a natural process that can't be helped. There are other countries without access to sanitary products where it is probably viewed as more disgusting because of this fact. My mum's friend at work was traveling over to Africa and asked all the ladies to buy and donate a bag of sanitary towels so she could take them across with her because during the girls time of the month, they couldn't leave the house or anything because of the embarrassment and unhygienic aspect. They sadly don't get a choice in it, but we do and I think it's stupid not to take that option.
I'm going to have to go with the latter and say that it's an insane and unsanitary trend that I believe is fighting a non-problem. At the end of the day, menstrual blood is bodily waste and it's treated like the rest of them as a result of this. We can all acknowledge that everybody poops, pees and vomits and all of these things are natural but despite this you don't really hear people talking about them in a public setting or even private settings because it is kind of gross and something that doesn't really need to be talked about unless the subject rears its head. So why is menstrual blood special? The way I see it, there's no difference between a girl being ridiculed and laughed at for having her period stain her clothes in public and anybody else being ridiculed for pooping/peeing themselves in public. Ideally nobody should be ridiculed for these things but sexism doesn't enter into the equation so I'm inclined to believe that this doesn't even attack the root of the "problem". Now maybe it is a societal issue that does cause problems but at the moment, I can't really think of any. Now I won't deny that periods are shamed for other reasons but even then I don't think this is the right solution. I think most of this shaming arises from ignorance that can easily be combated with more comprehensive sexual education. For example, I'm twenty and I'm still learning a bunch about the female anatomy that I should've learned in school. Hell, even my dad who's in his forties is still learning new things now that he has custody of my little sister. Even the inverse happens. Like I've had to explain how boners work to girls because they think you only get an erection when you're aroused which is very far from the truth as most guys can tell you. Also... This just pisses me off for how it trivializes actual rape and it's even more reason to not support this movement.
Well...no comment on this. Whoever chooses to follow this trend go ahead really I shouldn't freely throw my opinion at something like this but personally it just seems like another thing someone came up with out of boredom..I mean really? the whole concept of this seems daft but who am I to say anything about this.
This is probably a bit off topic, but would you say you feel the same about belching and passing gas, both of which are also natural bodily functions? I'm sure you know how a lot of people find those two things funny, and some even go as far as to have belching contests (I'm not sure about the latter). Admittedly, when my friend and I were kids, we had a belching contest, but that was a long time ago. In any case, do you personally think those things also fall under the category of "Things That Shouldn't Be Talked about in Public" like urination, defecation, and menstruation because they're considered "gross"?
Let it be known that in my last post, I was talking about how people in general act and not myself in particular. Personally I couldn't care less if you talk about any of those things. But I can see why others wouldn't want to, especially in certain environments like a professional or public one. My personal opinion is that it depends on where you're at and who you're with. I know I wouldn't like talking about my bodily functions with some random person and I doubt they would either but I wouldn't mind burping, farting or loudly declaring that I'm going to destroy the toilet(*shot*) around my friends. And yeah, this is very irrelevant. BACK TO THE ORIGINAL TOPIC!
Why not just piss freely too? That's more natural to all life, not just females. Fluid discharge is generally unhygienic, especially in excess. Blood especially, linked to some of the most deadly conditions that can transfer through contact into the bloodstream. I'd piss myself if I have no choice, but I would like to reuse these clothes, even donate to charity if need be, rather than ruin them simply because I feel freed by it.
Tbh I could care less what you choose to do as a person, man or woman. If you're bleeding, from anywhere on your body, it's less likely anyone will be getting close to you aside from medical physicians. As long as you're not dripping blood up and down the sidewalk, I say do what you feel is right. The only issue I have with this is the potential health hazard it might carry with it. -Snow Queen
This is not true at all. We come into physical contact with other human beings way more often than you might think. Maybe I'm just hyperaware of it because I'm a bit squicky about germs, or because I work in food service (where your hands must be clean at all times), but consider every time you hand a cashier money, every time your hand brushes someone else's when you're walking in a crowd, that kind of thing... also consider more passive contact, like touching a surface with someone else's blood. Menstrual blood can easily leak through your clothing and onto other surfaces. Medical physicians are not the only ones who stand to risk from people leaking bodily fluids all over the place.
I meant to say if it's seen. I personally won't approach anyone who's bleeding unless I absolutely have to for some reason or another. I understand how much physical contact I make with others in a general day. That's why after using the bathroom and washing my hands I dry them and use the paper towel to grab the door handle. When dealing with cashiers I typically lay my money on the counter and let them drop the change in my hands. I tend to stay away from crowds, if at all possible. But my general point was the risk this might be causing, which yes it would affect others aside from medical physicians (i.e. the workplace). It's not that I'm queasy when it comes to blood it's just so unsanitary. I've seen blood before, I lost plenty one time as a child, that doesn't bother me. I'm okay with my blood, it's other peoples blood I'm weary of. That's mostly due to paranoia but some of it is actually justified. -Snow Queen
Not at all. Do you know how many people go through a public bathroom in a single day? If anything I'd say this is under-reacting. I'd prefer walking in with an aerosol can of disinfectant spray and sanitary wipes. That's too bothersome to carry around constantly though so I make do. Public bathrooms are one of the most disgusting places I can think of. You're basically walking into a shared toilet and your lucky if half of them flush. You wouldn't believe how many people I see leave a bathroom without washing their hands. It's vile. -Snow Queen
I dunno. Maybe it's just your area, because public bathrooms here, at least at the places I regularly go to, are taken care of well. I just wash my hands, dry them with the air blower, and go on my way.
She wasn't talking about how they're maintained. Even if it's cleaned every night, thousands of people are likely to use a single toilet in a public bathroom every single day in between cleanings and an awful lot of those people may not have washed their hands before touching the door handle to leave the bathroom.
