Swim away from everyone’s bullsh*t. (Picture: Getty/metro.co.uk)

A gym in Georgia caused outrage this week when they put up a sign telling women not to go into the swimming pool when they’re on their period.

They argued that the ban was introduced for hygiene purposes, having previously had the water ‘contaminated’ by a woman on her period. Right.

Now, clearly, this is an absurd ban.

Banning menstruating women from a pool is not only a bizarre form of misogyny (why are you so scared of women’s bodies, bros?), but it would also be very difficult to enforce. Unless you perform vaginal checks on each woman who enters, there’s simply no way to know if women are on their periods when they walk through the doors.




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But the ban itself isn’t what we’re concerned about. We’re more freaked out by the response to the ban.

When we shared news of the ban on Facebook, our post was flooded with comments. Nope, not comments talking about how insane the gym’s ban is (there were a few of those, mind you). Comments suggesting that the ban makes total sense, that it’s ‘gross’ for women to be in pools while menstruating, and claiming that ‘99.9% of women wouldn’t go swimming on their periods’.

Now that’s concerning. Why are so many people so freaked out by the idea of a woman swimming on her period? And why are so many women suggesting that swimming with a tampon in would be ‘gross’ and ‘unhygienic’?

For the record, it’s perfectly safe to go swimming on your period while wearing a tampon or menstrual cup.

Janice Rymer, a spokesperson for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists told metro.co.uk: ‘It’s both safe and hygienic for women to go swimming while they are menstruating, if they wear a tampon or menstrual cup.

‘These will collect the menstrual fluid before it leaves the body, unlike pads which will become wet in the water and won’t absorb the menstrual flow.

‘Women should remember to change their tampon and menstrual cup regularly according to the heaviness of their menstrual flow.”

So no, period blood will not ‘leak out’ and spread in the water.

You won’t leave a trail of red-tinted water behind you as you swim. You won’t end up swimming in a mini pool of your own blood.

As long as you’ve got a tampon or cup in there, there won’t be any visible evidence that you’re on your period while you’re swimming.

And it’s entirely hygienic, too.

Period blood is not dirty. It’s not toxic. You won’t die if it touches you.

So if any period blood happened to leak out and get into the water (which, as we’ve explained, is pretty unlikely), it wouldn’t cause anyone else any harm.

Swimming on your period is not ‘gross’

And suggesting that it is is an absurd form of misogyny.

Women on their periods are not contaminated or dirty. They’re just going about their business, and happen to be menstruating. To suggest that the choice to swim on your period is disgusting is just another way of saying that women on their periods are disgusting.



And that is just a way of saying that women are disgusting. Which is deeply, deeply wrong.

You can take pills to stop your period. But women shouldn’t feel pressured to do that just so they can swim.

It’s totally understandable that many women would want to take contraceptive or period-delaying pills if they’re planning to go on a holiday involving a lot of water sports and beach days. It’s entirely safe, and it does help to avoid the faff of packing tampons.

But the suggestion that women should delay our periods any time we fancy a swim is absolutely absurd.

Everything you need to know about taking a pill to delay your period for special occasions and holidays

Using a tampon or menstrual cup is an easy, hygienic, and safe option that you can use without any pre-planning – why do we need to go to the effort of getting rid of our periods just to make other people comfortable?

Women have periods. We’re used to it. Everyone else needs to get used to it too.

Swimming while you’re on your period is actually good for you

The low-intensity exercise is a great way to reduce cramps.

Oh, and periods don’t attract sharks

We’ve all heard the rumours that swimming in your periods will attract sharks. Scary.

But that’s just another classic case of people scaremongering about periods because they’re terrified of a little menstrual blood.

As Broadly notes, while sharks can smell blood from a quarter of a mile away, it’s actually very unlikely that they’d be able to smell period blood – because period blood isn’t just blood.

Menstrual fluids include cervical mucus, general vaginal discharge, and endometrial particles, which all mix in and mask the scent of blood.

There is absolutely zero evidence that menstruation attracts sharks. It’s nonsense.


Women shouldn’t be banned from doing anything while on their periods. We’re the exact same people we are usually.

We’re just as clean, just as safe, and just as protected from shark attacks. Suggesting otherwise just reveals your fear and lack of understanding when it comes to women’s bodies. Sort it out.

MORE: Can you get pregnant on your period? Everything you need to know about the risks of period sex

MORE: 13 reasons you should have sex on your period

MORE: For and Against: The big period sex debate

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