This blanket by Thinx is designed to soak up blood, so that women on their period can have sex without ruining the bed sheets.

Thinx, which creates absorbent underwear to be worn in place of tampons or panty liners, has transferred its patented technology to a bedspread.

The four-layered black material forms one side of the New York company's Period Sex Blanket. These layers include a moisture-wicking cotton, an anti-microbial lining, a super-absorbent fabric, and a leak-resistant barrier to absorb liquid like a sponge.

When menstruating, women are encouraged to place the blanket over the bed black-side up, to be laid on during sex. Afterwards, it can be washed in cold water to remove any liquids absorbed.

The blanket has a quilted satin with red stitching covering on the other side, to resemble a typical bed comforter. It is designed to be used throughout the month, rather than just when required, and elsewhere in the home. Thinx suggests "cuddling or lazy Sundays on the couch".

The company describes the Period Sex Blanket as a "taboo-smashing innovation", and the product forms part of its mission to make menstruation more widely talked about, which has been ongoing since Thinx was founded in 2010.

Also trying to normalise periods, Flex Company's tampon similarly aims to allow women to experience "mess-free" sex during their periods, while Ailsa Inglis' menstrual cup is targeted specifically at young girls.

Thinx first developed the blanket's absorbent textile for its period-proof underwear. The company then introduced organic tampons, including some sold without an applicator to be more environmentally sustainable.

Last year, it launched a sliding package for tampons, featuring a sleeve decorated with a simplified illustration of a woman's labia, complete with squiggles of pubic hair.

The provocative graphics used by Thinx for a series of suggestive ads across New York's subway came under fire in 2015 for challenging the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority guidelines.

For the launch of the Period Sex Blanket, the company hosted a three-day-long interactive installation in the city, where visitors were invited to touch the product and test its absorbance with different liquid.

Architecture studio The Principals designed a pavilion "inspired by the product" for the pop-up, comprising a "curving series of screens designed to guide people into more intimate interactions with each other and their environment", according to studio founder Drew Seskunas.

Thinx's pop-up took place at 158 Mercer Street, and ran until 23 June 2018.

Photography is by Jin Lee and Dana De, unless stated otherwise.

Project credits:

Design direction: Meng Shui
Graphic design: Miles Barretto,  Douglas Escalante, Supisara Ngaovithunvong
Product design: Douglas Escalante, Alexander Mae
Space and installation design: The Principals
Campaign art direction: Anna Mackenzie