How Women Managed Periods in the Middle Ages

Do you know how women in the Middle Ages dealt with their period?

There were no pads, no tampons, just a piece of cloth tied around their waist.

It was painful and totally unsanitary. Back then, women didn’t wear underwear.

Yeah, you heard that right—nothing at all.

Their pants had an opening in the middle so they could go to the bathroom without taking them off.

It might sound convenient, but when they had their period, it was a complete mess.

No pads, no tampons, no comfort of any kind.

They had to tie that same piece of cloth around their waist, wash it every single day, and reuse it.

Some women even wrapped cotton around a stick to make a homemade tampon—painful, dangerous, and not hygienic at all.

Others didn’t use anything. That’s why the red dress became their secret weapon.

It didn’t just hide the bloodstains—it also helped them stay looking elegant.

And in ancient tribes, things were even worse.

People believed menstrual blood was toxic, so women were often kicked out, isolated, and treated like they were cursed.

Many women were physically weak, and some even went into menopause before they turned thirty.

But what really made their lives even harder was still yet to come.