Only bleeding: How Swedes opened up about periods

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“It’s alright (I’m only bleeding)”. In 2017, these words were emblazoned on the Stockholm subway or tunnelbana, alongside a giant poster of an ice-skater with a red-stained crotch. The deliberately provocative image was the work of Swedish cartoonist Liv Strömquist, who was on a mission to destigmatise periods. But even in one of the most feminist countries in the world, showing images of menstrual blood in a public space offended many, and triggered a national debate. Stockholm-based broadcaster Maddy Savage meets the artist, and discovers some of the taboo-busting initiatives in culture, business and education that have ridden on the coat-tails of her impact. These include Sweden’s first children’s book about periods (aimed at three to six year olds), featuring a smiling cartoon uterus playing with her friends: the vagina, the brain and a hormone. There is also menstruation-awareness training for industrial factory workers, and period-themed pottery designed for display in the home. With the help of Dr Louise Klintner, a Lund University academic who wrote her thesis on the increased normalisation of menstrual products, Maddy investigates how much of an impact these and other efforts have had on destigmatisation. Debates about public menstrual art have continued, and many on the right believe it’s not what tax payers want to spend money on. Meanwhile menstruation campaigners argue there is much more to be done; Sweden still has a 25% tax on period products and there are growing calls for free sanitary protection for school pupils. (Photo: Liv Livmoder book launch. Credit: Maddy Savage)