Just when we thought we've heard it all...
A Seattle nurse took to Twitter last week to talk about two young women who were hospitalised after trying to use a vacuum hose to end their periods early.
"Ladies... Please stop using your vacuum hose to end your period early. You're gonna wind up sucking out a lot more than blood! There were 2 cases of this so far this week and both women had to be admitted. Just... STOP!(sic)" she wrote.
Ladies... Please stop using your vacuum hose to end your period early. You're gonna wind up sucking out a lot more than blood! There were 2 cases of this so far this week and both women had to be admitted. Just... STOP! 🛑🚑
— Twinny 💜🖤 (@OdesseyT99) June 5, 2019
The women were reportedly aged 23 and 19, and both went into "shock" after the DIY menstrual extraction method triggered a rush of blood, rather than the stop they had hoped for.
According to Daily Mail, the so-called 'Menstrual Extraction' was first described by feminist activists Lorraine Rothman and Carol Downer in the 1970s as a way to perform an at-home abortion before Roe v Wade, but has reportedly seen a resurgence in popularity, this time being pitched as a method to end periods early.
Dr. Adeeti Gupta, OBGYN and founder of Walk In GYN Care, told the publication: "It's a terrible unsafe idea. It can lead to severe vaginal injuries and infections.
"Menstrual bleeding is an active and natural process, it's not just sitting in the uterus in a pool that can be sucked out. Please don't even think about it."
However, if you still dread your monthly periods, here are three of safer options to stop your periods.
- Birth control:
People can also use a form of hormonal birth control to plan when to have their periods or stop them entirely.
- Exercise:
The movement of the muscles during exercise may also help more uterine blood exit the body, potentially reducing the duration of a period.
- Intrauterine devices (IUD)
: A hormonal IUD may stop most periods. An intrauterine device (IUD) is a type of contraception that a doctor inserts into the uterus through the cervix.