Gynaecologist Warns Against Women Using Vacuums To End Their Periods Early

A gynaecologist has warned against a shocking trend that sees women using vacuum hoses to 'suck out their period blood'.

In a tweet that went viral this week, a Seattle nurse revealed she had seen two cases of women attempting to end their periods early with hoovers in just one week at her hospital.

The medical professional, who was tweeting under the name @OdesseyT99, sparked horror on social media with the revelation.

And Dr Alex Eskander, consultant gynaecologist at The Gynae Centre, tells Pretty52 that the practice could also lead to serious health problems including infection.

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"Ladies...please stop using your vacuum hose to end your period early," the nurse wrote in her tweet. "You're gonna wind up sucking out a lot more than blood! There were two cases of this so far this week, and both women had to be admitted. Just...STOP!"

In follow-up tweets, the nurse explained that the women who had attempted the procedure, aged 19 and 23, went into shock and had to be admitted to hospital, add they were "lucky they aren't dead."

She said: "I don't know if it was Eureka, Dyson, Hoover or some Walmart brand, but yes... An actual vacuum cleaner."

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She added: "Your period has a steady flow of its own that for all intents and purposes your body can tolerate. A vacuum increases that flow over a 1,000 times which your body can't tolerate, therefore sending you into shock."

The response to this disturbing trend has been one of shock for many, with people showing disbelief that women are actually trying to stop this periods in this way.

"If you take the combined contraceptive pill, you can take two packs of pills back to back without a break to delay the bleeding," Dr Alex Eskander tells Pretty52. "If you are not taking the combined contraceptive pill then your GP or gynaecologist can prescribe norethisterone, which is a drug which will delay the start of your period."

Dr Eskander added: "If your period has already begun, taking ibuprofen can help to lighten the flow of blood. Additionally, orgasms cause the uterine muscles to contract, and so could help in excreting the blood from the body."

And speaking to MailOnline, Dr Adeeti Gupta, founder of the Walk In GYN Care, added that the trend was "very real".

Worryingly, these kinds of procedures, officially named menstrual extractions, aren't new.

While home vacuum cleaners appear to be the latest appliance being used, menstrual extractions have been occurring since the early 1970s.

Carol Downer explains in her book, A Woman's Book of Choices, that the technique was developed by a group of feminists in the 70s who used a device called a Del Em, fashion by one of the members of the group.

The Del Em is a device that can be made at home with a jar, rubber stopper, tubing, one-way valve, caulk, syringe, cannula and speculum. It works by creating a vacuum tht sucks the contents of the uterus out through the cervix.

The device was originally used to perform at-home abortions before Roe Vs. Wade when abortion was illegal.

These days, women are performing menstrual extractions "as a way to avoid her period during an upcoming vacation or romantic encounter, or maybe she just wants to avoid going through severe cramping," MIC report.

Topics: Life News, Life, Health

Ciara Sheppard

Ciara is a freelance journalist working for Tyla. After graduating from the University of Sussex, Ciara worked as a writer at GLAMOUR Magazine and later as the Assistant Editor of Yahoo Style UK.

@ciarasheppard