By Melissa Philippe

Let’s talk about something raw, honest, and long overdue: free bleeding, menstrual shame, and the two-faced nature of the global conversation around period access.

Not long ago, I made a post about something deeply personal: being allergic to my own period blood. Yes, allergic. Since my very first cycle, I’ve experienced discomfort, inflammation, and burning sensations that many endure but few dare to speak about. I’ve tried it all: pads, organic tampons. But after years of experimentation, what brings me the most relief? Some period underwear, old underwear, a towel, and the simple act of free bleeding.

It’s non-invasive, low-waste, and honours my body’s natural rhythm. Yet despite its benefits, free bleeding remains taboo. In Western society, it’s often dismissed as unsanitary, lazy, or even “gross.” But here’s the hypocrisy: in the same breath that we shame women for bleeding freely, we express global outrage when girls in other countries are excluded from school simply because they bleed.

We cry out, “How inhumane!” We say, “That’s oppression!” We launch donation drives and back “period poverty” campaigns. We should do so because access to menstrual care is an absolutely fundamental right. But what we rarely do is turn the lens inward and ask: why is natural menstruation still so unwelcome, even here?

Let me be clear: No girl should ever be forced to miss school or sit out of life because she bleeds. However, we must also challenge the Western narrative that not managing your period with commercial products is somehow a sign of weakness or failure. Choosing to rest or free bleed should not be equated with being dirty, lazy, or less than.

It’s one week out of the month. If seven days of bleeding can unravel a woman’s worth, career, education, or power, then our systems were never designed with us in mind. That’s not progress, that’s patriarchy wearing activism as a costume.

We can and must advocate for global menstrual equity without demonising low-waste, body-led choices like free bleeding. The two truths can exist side-by-side:

• No one should be pushed out of society, education, or work because they menstruate.
• And no one should be shamed for how they choose to experience and manage their menstruation.

Until we honour both realities, we’re not breaking the cycle, we’re just rewrapping the shame in prettier packaging.

🌿 So, what is free bleeding?

Free bleeding is menstruating without using tampons, pads, cups, or cloths to collect the flow. Some may use reusable period underwear, while others just wear old undies and towels. It’s a personal choice that’s often both body-honouring and eco-conscious.

Why do people choose to free bleed?

• As a political statement, to challenge stigma and protest the “pink tax” and financial gatekeeping around menstrual care.
• Environmental reasons: Avoid landfill waste and reduce exposure to harmful chemicals in many commercial products.
• Economic accessibility: For many, period panties or basic at-home solutions cost significantly less.

🤐 Shame Still Reigns—Especially in the West

Even with rising conversations around “menstrual equity,” period shame remains deeply embedded in Western culture.

• 58% of women in the U.S. still feel ashamed of being on their period.
• 51% of men believe menstruation shouldn’t be talked about in the workplace.
• 92% of teens now say menstruation should be openly discussed as a health indicator, not something dirty. That’s progress, but only just.

🌍 A Global Crisis of Period Poverty

More than 500 million people worldwide lack access to safe and dignified menstrual care. Let that sink in.

• In sub-Saharan Africa, 10% of girls miss school during menstruation.
• In Kenya, that number spikes to 95% missing 1–3 days every month.
• In India, 1 in 4 girls miss school during their cycle.
• Even in the U.S., nearly 1 in 4 students struggle to afford period products, and 37% of adult menstruators experience product insecurity.

This isn’t just a “developing nations” problem. This is a worldwide issue, impacting education, employment, and dignity.

🧾 Progress Is Possible And Already Happening

There are glimpses of hope.

• Scotland became the first country to make period products legally free in schools and public buildings.
• In the U.S., 64% of menstruators have struggled to afford period products. That’s why workplace and public access legislation is growing.
• Period activism is gaining traction, from school policies to social media campaigns breaking the silence and taboo.

But access alone is not enough. Respect must come with it. Respect for the body, for rest, for choice.

✊🏽 My Body, My Flow—And My Fight

Choosing to free bleed isn’t just about comfort but reclamation. It’s about listening to my body instead of silencing it to fit a system that never made space for me in the first place.

The global fight for menstrual justice must include all of us: those who bleed in silence, those who can’t afford to bleed “correctly,” and those who choose to bleed freely. We must push back against shame in every form, whether exclusion from school in Nairobi or judgment in a break room in New York.

Because menstrual freedom isn’t just about products. It’s about dignity, autonomy, and truth.

We’re not truly free until we can respect how each person chooses to move through their cycle. We’re still caught in the same crimson loop, with nicer packaging and better hashtags.

Let’s break the cycle.

For every girl, woman, and menstruator, wherever, and however, they bleed.