Dutch writer Heleen van Royen gave a whole new meaning to the term ‘selfie’. One of the 200 pictures in her book Selfmade shows her removing a tampon, in close-up.

Heleen van Royen (1965) made her debut in 2000 with The Happy Housewife. After that came more novels with candid descriptions of sexuality, as well as various columns. Currently she has sold over 1.7 million books in the Netherlands. Her novels have been published in twenty countries.

A very intimate look

Selfmade offers a very intimate look into her life: Van Royen exposes herself up to the point of literally being naked. She does this based on five themes: light, love, sex, mortality and gloom. In the Dutch television show De Wereld Draait Door – which showed the infamous picture – she explained why she wanted to show that bloody tampon: having your period means another month you’re not yet in the menopause. ‘It all still functions.’ She took pictures of the action using both a webcam and an iPhone. ‘The webcam pictures were the prettiest.’

The pictures could also be seen in an exhibition with the same title, which was on show in September 2014 in the Letterkundig Museum in The Hague (the Netherlands). A print of the tampon selfie has been sold for € 1.900.

See also:
There will be blood
Psychological test

Period! is an independent, online magazine about all aspects of menstruation. Period! is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. If you’re suffering from medical complaints, always visit your doctor or GP. Editorial articles can contain affiliate links. Sponsored collaborations can be found in the category Spotlight. Do you have any questions? Check our contact page.