4 Weird Ideas People Used To Have About Women’s Periods

By Helen King, The Open UniversityIt wasn’t that long ago that it was believed that regular periods were essential for women's health and in their absence, a loss of blood through another orifice was a fair substitute.In a classical Greek text linked to Hippocrates, the Aphorisms, it was written that “a nosebleed is a good thing if the menstrual period is suppressed”. So too was vomiting blood. And these beliefs lasted in western Europe until the middle of the 19th century.But what was the theory behind what now seems a pretty alarming set of beliefs?1. A build up of blood caused illness read more

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