Menstrual blood is blurring the boundaries of the human body. Once this blend of blood, mucus, and tissue leaves our bodies, we wonder if it is no longer part of us, where it goes, who it might nourish or harm, what more-than-human bodies it might encounter.

The practice of using blood as a fertilizer prompts us to imagine how we might design to re-use or compost our bodily waste, together with biomaterials that might aid with absorbing and collecting menstrual blood. What would future menstrual pads look like if we designed for these practices? Which species would be entangled with human menstrual care?

Pad made with sphagnum moss & agar

Pad made with gluten & pH-sensitive agar