JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Menstrual blood (MB) has historically been treated as a hygiene issue, largely excluded from clinical discourse and diagnostic consideration. However, menstruating individuals are increasingly discussing the appearance of MB online, particularly on social media platforms, where they seek advice, share experiences, and assign health-related meaning to menstrual characteristics.

Objective:

This study aimed to examine how MB is represented in social media discourse and to explore individuals’ perceptions of its potential use as a diagnostic tool.

Methods:

A qualitative social media listening study was conducted using data collected from TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and Reddit via Mention and Apify. After transcription and filtering, 349 posts were included in the final dataset. Data were coded and analysed using Atlas.ti, with additional network and sentiment analyses conducted to identify patterns and associations.

Results:

Most posts originated from Reddit and Facebook, with a majority focused on seeking help. Descriptions of MB centred on colour (especially brown, bright red, pink, and black), consistency (notably coagulation), and, to a lesser extent, smell. These visual and sensory attributes were frequently associated with self-assessed health conditions—including endometriosis, miscarriage, hormonal changes, and infections—as well as with perceived fluctuations in the normal menstrual cycle. Discussion of MB as a diagnostic tool was less frequent but predominantly positive, highlighting interest in non-invasive, home-based diagnostics.

Conclusions:

Social media users already engage in informal diagnostic reasoning based on MB appearance. These lay insights offer valuable clues to clinicians and researchers, suggesting the need to integrate patient-described menstrual characteristics into diagnostic frameworks.