Media Drum WorldA woman who works as a sex coach smeared menstrual blood on her face to show periods are ‘beautiful and powerful’.
Is this one of Gillian Anderson’s missing scenes from Sex Education?
Demetra Nyx, from California, shared the powerful images to Instagram in an effort to take a stand against the stigma placed around periods, which often sees them portrayed as dirty and taboo.
The 26-year-old got her first period when she was 12, but was ashamed of it and thought it was disgusting; a belief which caused her to try and hide it.
She had an IUD fitted, but the device gave her heavy, painful periods which made it difficult for Demetra to even leave her bed.
After a year the sex coach had the coil removed, and from then she started getting more in tune with her menstrual cycle.
Her opinion towards periods changed and, no longer ashamed, she began speaking freely about her cycle on social media in captions which accompanied pictures of her blood.
One photo shows the word ‘shameless’ written in blood on her leg. The caption explains:
I used to spend my time worrying about what other people thought of me… And yet. It turns out none of that was ever necessary. I don’t do anything I do now for anyone’s approval…
Because what I have gained on this journey, finally, is the deepest love and total approval of my Self.
What if you deeply, truly loved and *approved* of yourself?That is why I post my blood. It is a little to liberate other women and a lot to please my Self.
I get so much pleasure from this ritual and I love feeling so free to share it and I love not caring what the reactions will be.
For almost a year, Demetra has been sharing selfies in which her face is tainted red with blood.
In one photo, she explains why she chooses to make the bold statement, writing:
I will do this every month until people are no longer shocked by it.
I will do it until little girls stop being taught that the natural functions of their bodies are disgusting and unclean.
I will do it until women stop feeling like they can’t have sex on their period because it is gross.
The post continues:
I will do it until we stop being embarrassed that we sometimes bleed through our clothing. Through your sheets.
…. if I do something soooo shockingly disgusting and put it out in public… maybe someone somewhere will feel like: ‘well, if she can do *that*, maybe I don’t have to hate my period after all. Maybe my body isn’t that gross after all.’
The 26-year-old’s posts have been met with mixed opinions, with some calling Demetra ‘disgusting’ and ‘sick’, while others have supported her message and called her ‘awesome’.
Though not everyone agrees with the way Demetra’s gone about it, the message behind her images is important and thought-provoking.
What do you think of the pictures?
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.