TikTok’s period scooping trend shows how little we still understand about menstruation
Social media has a habit of turning health topics into viral trends. The latest example is “period scooping”, a term circulating widely on TikTok that promises a way to manage or even shorten menstruation.
The idea sounds intriguing, even empowering. In reality, it reveals how much confusion still surrounds periods.
The term “period scooping” is being used to describe several different practices. One involves consciously contracting pelvic floor muscles while on the toilet or in the shower to push out menstrual fluid that has collected in the vaginal canal. This is not new and it is not dangerous. Many people have discovered it themselves over time. But it does not shorten a period, it merely reduces its flow for a short while. Menstruation is the shedding of the womb lining, a process driven by hormonal changes. What happens in the vaginal canal cannot stop or speed that up.
More concerning are posts that frame “scooping” as washing out the vagina with water, a shower head or soap. This is essentially douching, a practice that research has repeatedly linked to infections such as bacterial vaginosis and thrush, and to more serious complications like pelvic inflammatory disease and premature births. The vagina maintains its own protective environment, including an acidic pH and a balance of beneficial bacteria. Introducing water or soap disrupts this system and increases the risk of infection.
Read more: Just don’t douche – what your vaginal biome can tell you about your health and pregnancy
There are also videos encouraging people to insert fingers or pipettes to remove menstrual fluid. Again, this is not a new behaviour but it is unnecessary and carries risks if fingers or pipettes are not clean, or products such as hand moisturiser or soap are introduced internally.
What is striking is that these trends are emerging at a time when there are more effective menstrual products than ever. Menstrual cups, period underwear and reusable pads allow people to manage heavy bleeding, exercise and even swim without leaking. The persistence of “hacks” suggests a gap in education rather than a lack of options.
The same goes for other viral claims. Some influencers promote drinks made with lime juice, salt or spices as a way to shorten periods. This is physiologically impossible and so, unsurprisingly, there is no scientific evidence supporting such claims.
The menstrual cycle is governed by hormonal signals between the brain and ovaries over an average of four week cycles. Food and drink cannot abruptly interrupt this process. A healthy diet can reduce inflammation over time and may help with symptoms such as pain and heavy bleeding, but no food, drink or even medication can stop a period immediately.
Similarly, some social media influencers may claim that you must have a monthly period to stay healthy. This is misleading. Hormonal contraception can safely reduce blood loss and pain, with some methods eventually stopping periods for several months or years. For some people, particularly those with anaemia or endometriosis, this can be extremely beneficial. Periods can be a sign of overall health in certain contexts (elite sports training, or in recovery from anorexia or other health conditions), but they are not biologically required every month.
Another trend seems to take a more positive approach, celebrating menstrual blood as something powerful and even applying it to the skin as a face mask. Menstrual fluid does contain stem cells, and scientists are studying them for potential use in regenerative medicine. The womb sheds and rebuilds tissue every cycle without scarring, a process that fascinates researchers. But rubbing menstrual fluid directly onto the skin cannot deliver anti-ageing effects. The skin acts as a barrier, so these cells cannot penetrate to where they would have any biological impact.
Where this research does hold real promise is in healthcare. Menstrual fluid may eventually help diagnose conditions such as endometriosis or cervical cancer through simple testing. Biobanks are already collecting samples to support this work. Scientists are also exploring how these unique stem cells might aid wound healing or tissue repair. These developments are still in early stages, but they highlight how valuable menstrual fluid could be if not subject to societal taboos and stigma.
Menstruation itself is rare among mammals. Only about 1.6% of species experience it, among them some primates, a few bats, the spiny mouse and the elephant shrew. In humans, menstruation is thought to be linked to a protective reproductive strategy. The uterine lining prepares itself in advance for pregnancy and may help filter out embryos that implant abnormally or invade too aggressively. If fertilisation does not occur, that lining is shed as menstruation. Yet despite its biological significance, it remains surrounded by myths and misinformation.
Menstrual ignorance and stigma shapes behaviour. Feelings of shame about smell, discharge or infection can push people toward harmful practices like douching. Lack of education means many learn about their bodies through social media rather than reliable sources. Even medical training has historically paid limited attention to menstrual health.
Read more: Menstrual health literacy is alarmingly low – what you don’t know can harm you
Better education from an early age would change this. Teaching children that menstruation is normal, not something secret or shameful, would help dismantle myths before they take hold. It would also make it easier for people to seek medical advice when they need it.
Social media can play a positive role by opening conversations and challenging taboos. But it should not be the primary source of health information. Many viral trends are designed to capture attention or sell products, rather than provide evidence based guidance.
Menstruation is not dirty, and it is not a problem to be hacked. It is a protective biological process that still holds great scientific potential. Treating it as normal rather than something weird or shocking would be a better starting point than most viral trends.
Strange Health is hosted by Katie Edwards and Dan Baumgardt. The executive producer is Gemma Ware, with video and sound editing for this episode by Anouk Millet. Artwork by Alice Mason.
If you’ve got a question about a viral trend or video you’ve seen and you’d like us to delve into the science behind it in a future episode, please email us at strangehealth@theconversation.com.
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Sally King is the founder of Menstrual Matters, a non-profit online platform about menstrual health and associated rights issues. She previously received funding from the ESRC for her doctoral research into PMS. She is a visiting fellow in menstrual physiology at King's College London and an unpaid elected board member of the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research (SMCR).