Blood in the Shower: A Visual History of Menstruation and Clean Bodies

Abstract

In 2017, pad brand Bodyform® launched the ‘Blood Normal’ campaign.1 By depicting realistic-looking blood, the campaign marked a first for a disposable menstrual product. In the advertising video, blood was shown trickling down the thighs of a showering woman. Despite its novelty, the image of the bleeding woman in water calls back to longstanding debates about menstruation, water, and cleanliness. In this article, I discuss the visual and cultural history of this imagery, exploring how Bodyform’s campaign compares to older narratives. Drawing from ethnographic material, critical menstrual literature, and historical research, I investigate how the seemingly groundbreaking ‘Blood Normal’ campaign leans on decades of links between periods, water, and cleanliness.