The internet is up in arms over one seemingly innocent comment about swimming and periods. When a mum recently admitting to foregoing tampons while swimming she didn’t quite expect the uproar she received online. What do you think? Is this ok?

Writing to discussion forum MUMSNET the woman says the discussion came about recently and she wanted to know if other women also went swimming during their periods.

“I did go swimming as my period was pretty much over (day 5),” the woman assured readers. “Would I swim whilst heavy? I would say no I wouldn’t … Are there actually any rules about it? Would a tampon be suitable if you did want to swim?”

However commenters were quick to voice their disgust on why a woman would ever enter a swimming pool without a tampon in the first place. Many called the act vile and disgusting. Is it?

But it was one particular comment that had people stumped. One commenter advised that entering cold water will stop the flow of your period.

As weird as that sounds, there is actually a scientific theory that backs this up. “It’s not that you stop bleeding,” Jessica Shepherd, professor of clinical obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Illinois says. “It’s more that there’s pressure to stop blood from flowing out.”

Which is all well and good when you’re IN the water but what happens when you walk OUT?

The original poster after reading all the comments felt the need to come back and explain that she wasn’t mid way through her period, she was towards the end. So not much blood. But still. Does that make it better? What do you think?

Images: Pixabay and Mumsnet