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Original poster

Menstrual blood

103 replies

MotherEarthisaTerf · 13/08/2023 21:23

Sorry if this is a repeat thread but I had a quick look first.

It's the first time anyone's done an assessment of period products absorbency using blood and not just saline. Doctors have been using fuck all data to assess whether a woman has a "heavy flow" up until now.

https://srh.bmj.com/content/early/2023/07/03/bmjsrh-2023-201895

"Understanding the capacity of different products could help doctors to estimate whether a person is in need of further tests or treatments, as excessive menstrual bleeding could put them at risk of anaemia, or be suggestive of other underlying medical problems.“I might ask a patient, ‘what’s your period like?’ and she might say, ‘well, I soak a pad about every two hours’ – but I don’t necessarily have the time to ask what brand it is or if it’s super maxi,”

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/aug/08/menstrual-discs-may-be-better-for-heavy-periods-than-pads-or-tampons-study

(Apologies for the term menstruators in that article Hmm)

https://srh.bmj.com/content/early/2023/07/03/bmjsrh-2023-201895

OP posts:
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Igmum · 14/08/2023 15:09

Well...

Oh, and menstruating individuals (FFS 🤦‍♀️)

Menstrual blood
nepeta · 14/08/2023 15:25

An interesting study.

Erasing women as a sex happens step by step, like this. When it's about periods, it's menstruators, when it's about pregnancy it's pregnant people, when it's about giving birth it's birthers, when it's about menopause it's people experiencing menopause.

The total effect of this is to erase the old meaning of 'woman' from language and to leave us with no simple way of referring to the class of victims which suffers from sex-based oppression. The second total effect is that 'woman' is being colonised to mean a bunch of sexist stereotypes "likes makeup and heels" or even submissiveness, passivity and weird stuff such as "prefers to be choked in bed".

This is not happening to men, only to women. Soon we will explain how children are born by beginning: "When a man loves a menstruator very much..."

WanderingWitches · 14/08/2023 15:34

I didn't realise period pants held so little!
They are always raved about on mumsnet. I can only assume those people don't have extremely heavy periods like I do.
For the first few days of my period I have to use tena pads while in bed or it will leak absolutely everywhere as soon as I sit up.

UpperLowerMiddleClass · 14/08/2023 16:12

I was also told the average period blood loss was one eggcup. Yeah right… unless they mean eggcups for ostrich eggs?!

SingingSands · 14/08/2023 16:24

UpperLowerMiddleClass · 14/08/2023 16:12

I was also told the average period blood loss was one eggcup. Yeah right… unless they mean eggcups for ostrich eggs?!

This is what I was told as a young teen. I was always therefore convinced that something was very, very wrong with me and I was too scared to go to the doctors about it 😞

It's dangerous to not have accurate information.

popebishop · 14/08/2023 16:44

I definitely had my leaflet from school all about periods that said it's about one eggcup of actual blood, I guess there are bits of tissue in there too etc. That would've been in the 80s/90s.

NeighbourhoodWatchPotholeDivision · 14/08/2023 16:54

I read on MN in AIBU between 2010 and now that it was one eggcup, and the rest was "other fluids".

YesterdayO · 15/08/2023 00:29

WanderingWitches · 14/08/2023 15:34

I didn't realise period pants held so little!
They are always raved about on mumsnet. I can only assume those people don't have extremely heavy periods like I do.
For the first few days of my period I have to use tena pads while in bed or it will leak absolutely everywhere as soon as I sit up.

Period pants aren’t just one-size-fits-all for what they hold.

Modibodi say the light-moderate holds 10ml, the maxi holds 50ml.

Other brands sell a range of absorbencies too.

WanderingWitches · 15/08/2023 00:30

YesterdayO · 15/08/2023 00:29

Period pants aren’t just one-size-fits-all for what they hold.

Modibodi say the light-moderate holds 10ml, the maxi holds 50ml.

Other brands sell a range of absorbencies too.

Show quote history

That's the point of the study though, that these brands are only testing with water, not blood so their data is incorrect.

RoseslnTheHospital · 15/08/2023 06:28

The study looked at one brand of period pants only, called Knix, using their Super Absorbency version. On the Knix website it says that the Super range is for heavy flow and can absorb up to 8 tampons worth of flow. Of course they don't specify which size tampon or what that equates to in ml. But the study showed it was only about 2 to 3 mls of their blood product that was absorbed.

Mollymalone123 · 15/08/2023 06:42

I once went for a weekend away and out of nowhere came on. It was awful- I was walking around with tampon and two pads and literally panicking as when I moved I could feel huge clots come out. All I did was put up with it as you think what’s the point in seeing gp about this as I was near the menopause. Looking back now I’m horrified that I didn’t go to walk in centre or somewhere for help as it was so bad. I felt faint and so embarrassed as we were at a hotel and I bled on the sheets. The weekend away was a disaster.Few months later I got an endometrial ablation and it worked but I had to get it done privately because I wasn’t deemed ‘bad’ enough and it was the ‘menopause’

BellaAmorosa · 15/08/2023 07:25

popebishop · 14/08/2023 10:42

"Methods A variety of commercially available menstrual products (tampons, pads, menstrual cups and discs, and period underwear) were tested in the laboratory to determine their maximal capacity to absorb or fill using expired human packed red blood cells. The volume of blood necessary for saturation or filling of the product was recorded.

Results Of the 21 individual menstrual hygiene products tested, a menstrual disc (Ziggy, Jiangsu, China) held the most blood of any product (80 mL). The perineal ice-activated cold pack and period underwear held the least (<3 mL each). Of the product categories tested, on average, menstrual discs had the greatest capacity (61 mL) and period underwear held the least (2 mL). Tampons, pads (heavy/ultra), and menstrual cups held similar amounts of blood (approximately 20–50 mL)."

Interesting to see just how little period pants hold.
Not entirely sure what 'expired human packed red blood cells' are, but don't fancy Googling!

Yes, I was really surprised that period pants performed so badly, given that they are touted as more absorbent than pads and tampons.

grass321 · 15/08/2023 07:41

It's the first time anyone's done an assessment of period products absorbency using blood and not just saline. Doctors have been using fuck all data to assess whether a woman has a "heavy flow" up until now.

I measured mine recently. (Not due to idle curiosity but pre orthopaedic surgery as my iron levels are poor due to very heavy periods and the consultant was concerned about the need for a blood transfusion).

Took a red Tampax and weighed it before and after. Actually the ml capacity was similar to that stated on the packet. Then counted how many I used in a period to find my total blood loss (on the basis I tend to change them when they're near or at capacity). A slightly grim exercise but it makes it easier to explain to the doctor.

JustHereWithMyPopcorn · 15/08/2023 07:43

I’m sure we were always taught it was a tablespoon of blood (maybe two?). We all knew it was a ridiculous misrepresentation yet somehow accepted it. Medical gaslighting for women is so insidious.

BellaAmorosa · 15/08/2023 07:48

Actually, to be fair to period pants and reusable pads manufacturers, some of them say that they use cough syrup to simulate blood when doing their own absorbency tests. Which is better than using saline, I would have thought.

Nevermay · 15/08/2023 08:17

I don't expect the results from real blood would be any different from the results using saline

RethinkingLife · 15/08/2023 14:31

Nevermay · 15/08/2023 08:17

I don't expect the results from real blood would be any different from the results using saline

Those of us who tend to pass large clots might have a different expectation. In my experience, clots are not absorbed well by any product. One of the reasons why some research might be useful.

jellyfrizz · 15/08/2023 14:49

DraggedKickingandScreaminginto40s · 14/08/2023 08:36

This doesn't surprise me at all, I remember watching something with Dr Robert Winston( really like him) years ago, were he referred to how much a woman will lose during her period and said it was an egg cup amount. I Sat there and thought What the fuck?!? where hell did he get that info.

Yes! This amount must be in some medical text book because I've seen it somewhere too and it's always stuck with me because of how wrong it was.

Ohthatsabitshit · 15/08/2023 15:12

I think it must be VERY dependent on the period pants because I have various boring period related problems and as a result a very heavy flow and I find them a total life changer. They definitely hold 50ml, and I would have guessed more like double that. I’m not squeamish, Or hysterical. I too have been told the eggcup nonsense.

BellaAmorosa · 15/08/2023 15:25

Ohthatsabitshit · 15/08/2023 15:12

I think it must be VERY dependent on the period pants because I have various boring period related problems and as a result a very heavy flow and I find them a total life changer. They definitely hold 50ml, and I would have guessed more like double that. I’m not squeamish, Or hysterical. I too have been told the eggcup nonsense.

Yes, you wonder about the knickers they used in the test because 2ml is less than half a teaspoon! And while I've never measured my flow, I've seen a few demo videos when they pour several tablespoons of a blue liquid into the gusset of the pants and let it soak in. So further investigation needed, I think.

SpicyMoth · 15/08/2023 15:45

Nevermay · 15/08/2023 08:17

I don't expect the results from real blood would be any different from the results using saline

Why not though?
Blood is thicker than water, menstrual blood is, I'm guessing, thicker than regular blood (with all the other stuff going on, clots, mucus etc)

I have not once in my life had a tampon actually expand or absorb in the way they're advertised to, and I have very heavy periods.
Maybe my period is abnormal and I need a Dr's visit, but the blood doesn't particularly "absorb" very well at all.
It just kinda... Sits there on whatever product? Being it's "mucusy" self lol

I'm genuinely excited to see the results, I think they'll be night and day tbh!

OnTheBoardwalk · 15/08/2023 22:07

An egg cup! I've never believed this rubbish

i remember my Dr when I was 16 telling me my periods would get better after I got pregnant

as PP have said clots change the dynamic massively. I remember 'fighting' with my Dr about my issues until I took a photo to show him

DraggedKickingandScreaminginto40s · 16/08/2023 06:05

The medical community need to be doing proper research into periods, its shocking they haven't/aren't.

I can say that for me sometimes the blood is thick and clotty, and other times it is pretty much the same consistency as regular blood. I know this from the times i've being caught out unexpectedly, and flooded during the night. Trying to get to the bathroom with it streaking down my legs and filling my hands that I am cupping to prevent a blood bath on the carpet whilst trying to get to the bathroom.

This is normal for me but not every period, I don't have any signs of other issues. some months are painful, some months are really heavy, some months the period has been and gone in 3 days some months it could last 5 to 6 days.

My mum always had low iron and was sometimes enemic, so took iron tablets.(she blamed heavy periods)
So as as adult I've always taken multi vits n minerals (which have 14mg of iron in) plus try to make sure I eat iron rich food.

Window82 · 16/08/2023 06:25

DraggedKickingandScreaminginto40s · 14/08/2023 08:36

This doesn't surprise me at all, I remember watching something with Dr Robert Winston( really like him) years ago, were he referred to how much a woman will lose during her period and said it was an egg cup amount. I Sat there and thought What the fuck?!? where hell did he get that info.

I remember this too @DraggedKickingandScreaminginto40s and also thought wth! Egg cup in maybe the first bleed of the period and then some. It was minimising women tbh. Men could not cope.

Helleofabore · 16/08/2023 06:31

popebishop · 14/08/2023 10:42

"Methods A variety of commercially available menstrual products (tampons, pads, menstrual cups and discs, and period underwear) were tested in the laboratory to determine their maximal capacity to absorb or fill using expired human packed red blood cells. The volume of blood necessary for saturation or filling of the product was recorded.

Results Of the 21 individual menstrual hygiene products tested, a menstrual disc (Ziggy, Jiangsu, China) held the most blood of any product (80 mL). The perineal ice-activated cold pack and period underwear held the least (<3 mL each). Of the product categories tested, on average, menstrual discs had the greatest capacity (61 mL) and period underwear held the least (2 mL). Tampons, pads (heavy/ultra), and menstrual cups held similar amounts of blood (approximately 20–50 mL)."

Interesting to see just how little period pants hold.
Not entirely sure what 'expired human packed red blood cells' are, but don't fancy Googling!

I have had this discussion with a teen family member who was asking for period pants. I mentioned that in our family it was unlikely that these would work except for the spotting days but that they were unlikely to work usually. I was always disbelieving of the ‘just a spoonful a day’ type tripe.

I am glad to now have the figures. I honestly couldn’t see how those pants worked except as a back up.