Gasp!  Talking about periods is totally taboo!  But, why?  Women endure a monthly menstrual cycle typically from the age of about twelve until they’re well into their fifties.  That’s an average of about forty years of regular periods – not including when they stop during pregnancy!  Let’s educate (and maybe entertain) ourselves a little here and take a peek into how women dealt with their periods in the past.

This particular topic has really intrigued me for quite some time.  I’d often find myself thinking, while watching a movie like Little Women, “What did these lovely women of the late 1800s use for feminine hygiene products?”.  So, why not delve into how past generations and civilizations of women handled their monthly visit from dear Aunt Flow!

Menstruation & feminine hygiene products throughout the ages.

Ancient Romans believed menstruating women were pretty much – witches.

Ancient Greek women used to make tampons with bits of wood and lint, encasing the wood pieces inside the material.

The term “on the rag” originated from women using rags as make-do pads.

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There was a great deal of religious shame surrounding menstruation during the medieval period.  Blood was thought to contain the body’s toxins and germs, hence why menstrual blood was considered to be dirty.

The term “period” was not used to describe menstruation until 1822.

In the 1850’s, women would pin cotton and flannel inside their bloomers when it was that time of the month. 

Nineteenth century Britains thought menstruating women ruined food.

Lister’s Towels produced the first commercially available pad on the market in 1896.  The product was a flop though because women where too ashamed to be seen buying the product.

WW1 nurses invent the modern pad with cellulose and acrylic cotton bandages.  Kotex uses the idea to develop their own pad.  Johnson & Johnson rebrands Lister’s Towel and pad sales begin to take off, though mainly amongst wealthy white women.  In order to make the transaction a little more discrete, customers just take a box of pads and leave a nickel on the counter in return.

Used from the 1890s to the 1970s.  Women wore these monstrocities (pictured below).  Loops of elastic with a thick cotton pad pinned or clipped to them.

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Tampax is created in 1933 with a patent invented by Earl Haas a couple years earlier.  A widely popular misconception back in the day, tampons were mainly only advertised to married women, as folks believed you could lose your virginity by using them.

Stayfree retails the first pad with an adhesive strip in the early 1970s.

TSS awareness starts after a brand of tampons hits the market that contains a material which generates bacteria.  Rely tampons are recalled in the early 80’s.

What is TSS?  TSS is Toxic Shock Syndrome.  A rare, but potentially life threatening condition caused by the release of bacteria into the body.  Tampons were linked to TSS due to an inappropriate material being used (which is no longer) and also possibly caused by leaving a tampon in the body for too long.  Tampon manufacturers put warning labels on their products for just this reason.  Source: hellowclue.com/articles/cycle-a-z/toxic-shock-syndrome

In 1985, the word “period” is spoken out loud for the first time in a Tampax commercial, by Courtney Cox.

Menstrual cups make a come back in the 2000’s.  Though they were first developed in the 1930s and not successful.

Thinx develops the first period proof underwear in 2011.  These absorbent and quick dry bottoms can hold up to four tampons worth of flow.

Sources: www.simplehealth.com/blog/a-history-of-menstrual-hygiene www.metro.co.uk/2015/05/20/history-period-a-look-at-menstruation-through-the-ages

How women got through periods of the past was very eye-opening!

After researching this topic, it was shocking to learn the history of how feminine hygiene products came to be. Who knew menstrual cups were first invented so long ago?!!! The only thing that upsets and disturbs me is that there is still such a stigma about discussing periods.

How do you feel about this? Do you feel that women should discuss their menstrual cycle more openly? I sure do! Please, share your thoughts in the comments.