When there were no pads than women used. The lady was asked to put money into a special box on her own, taking a package of gaskets from a stack on the counter.

Now modern women have learned to cope with the monthly problems put on stream, but before everything was not so smooth. In the question of what to do with the blood, women got out as best they could. They used everything from scraps of rags to natural materials like sea sponges.

Nowadays, there are many different feminine hygiene products that girls can choose from: pads, tampons and menstrual cups. Women used to stay at home or somehow isolate themselves during their periods due to religious or cultural reasons, but the invention of pads essentially freed them from this and now they can safely travel around the world. Now few women will remember when pads appeared and who invented women's pads.

Let's look at a number of developments and changes in relation to menstruation and related inventions. Some of these inventions are quite creative, and some are extremely spectacular, so it's quite interesting to see how it all developed. Well, let's find out how feminine sanitary pads were invented.

Ancient world

Gaskets first appeared in Babylon and Ancient Egypt. Egyptian women took softened and used as a hard tampon. In Greece, tampons were made from fluff wrapped around small pieces of wood. In Rome, pads and tampons were made from soft wool. In other parts of the world, paper, moss, wool, animal skins and grasses were used as materials. All this was used to absorb menstruation. At the same time, an interesting case has come down to us from Ancient Greece. A woman who wanted to get rid of a very stubborn admirer threw her menstrual rag at him.

1839

Charles Goodyear creates the technology to vulcanize rubber, which is also used in the manufacture of condoms, intrauterine devices, douching syringes, and the vaginal diaphragm.

1850s

Fearless inventors have patented a wide range of products: menstrual bags and bandages, as well as vessels made from springs, wire, buttons, flaps, webbing, flaps and belts. Not many tried to put it up for sale.

1873

In the United States, the Comstock Act was passed, which made it a federal crime to distribute and attempt to sell pornographic material or any conceptually similar material. In response to birth control, the industry is coining the term "feminine hygiene" and is beginning to advertise its products as being available without a doctor's prescription.

1896

Lister's Towels, the first commercially available sanitary napkins, go on sale. Produced by Johnson & Johnson (and named after Joseph Lister, a pioneer in sterile surgery), they may have become too avant-garde for that prim time.

Early 20th century

Many American women used homemade pads, often made in haste using the bird's eye weaving method. They used the same cotton material used for baby diapers. They fastened these rags or rags in such a way that it was not visible from under their underwear or makeshift belts.

1911

Midol appears on the market, which was intended to relieve headache and toothache during caries. True, in the end, this drug began to be used by girls during menstruation to get rid of pain.

World War I

The French Nurses realized that the cellulose bandages they used to dress the wounded absorb blood much better than ordinary cotton, they began to use for their own purposes.

1920s

Kotex (a combination of "cotton" and "fabric") appears in stores. These disposable pads were a big step forward, as they were very convenient, since now the pad did not need to be attached to the body with special straps. Cotex makers have urged store clerks to lay out their products so that women can come and grab pads themselves, and to place a discreet money box nearby so they don’t have to say the words “pad” or “menstruation” aloud in front of some male clerk. There's also a fashion revolution going on, with women's underwear now becoming closed, allowing for a better hold of the belt and padding in place.

True, pads still cost too much and not all women can afford them. Therefore, women continue to use more traditional methods.

1927

Johnson & Johnson introduced their Modess pads, which became Kotex's main competitor. There are literally hundreds of manufactories producing women's goods.

1930-1960

For years, Lysol has been the go-to disinfectant used as a female contraceptive and in the kitchen and bath as a cleanser. Even if this remedy did not actually help prevent pregnancy, the manufacturers tried to convince women of the opposite with the help of advertising. A similar brand, Zonite, played on women's fears of feminine smell during menstruation.

1930

Leona Chalmers patented and produced the world's first reusable menstrual cup. However, after the advent of disposable cups, many women disdained to wipe their blood from the cup, because it was easier to throw it away.

Below is a drawing of a bowl from the patents of Leona Chalmers (far left). The patent shows that it is very similar to the Tassette, Tassaway and The Keeper cups that were produced later. Chalmers suggested making the cup out of vulcanized rubber.

1931

Dr. Earl Haas files a patent for the invention of the tampon. In his invention, he was the first to include an applicator, the design of the tampon was made in the form of a tube, which is still used today. Gertrud Tendrich bought the patent for $32,000 and founded Tampax in 1933. At first, she made tampons right at home using a sewing machine and a special press machine that Dr. Haas invented.

You can watch the history of the tampon in this short video in English

1940s

Johnson & Johnson launches a PR campaign for their Modess pads called "Modess...because" (because Modess), transforming generic ads for feminine hygiene products into high-end works of art and fashion photography.

1950s

A tampon without an applicator Pursettes with a lubricated tip is on sale. There are also tampons for teenage girls that can be effectively hidden in their wallets.

1959

Menstrual cups are being given a second chance when Tassete introduces their cups, but this time trying to bet big on advertising. True, the women turned out to have a different opinion and were still not interested in them, so the bowls again disappeared from sales.

1963

Women's pads with adhesive tape, Stayfree minipads, hit the market for the first time. They heralded the end of belts, clips and pins for all women in the West.

1971

There is a menstrual withdrawal, which made it possible to pump out all the menstrual flow. In America, women's self-help groups are even springing up to remove menstrual flow. It was also possible to remove fertilized eggs. The procedure was very popular. About 20,000 procedures were performed. After abortion became legal in America in 1973, the popularity of menstrual withdrawal waned.

1987

The Keeper launches a new generation of reusable menstrual cups. It proved to be more successful and can still be found on the market today.

2003

In America, there are special pills that allow you to suppress periods of menstruation and provide birth control. Women who take these pills only experience menstruation four times a year. However, studies to determine long-term safety for adolescents have not been published so far.

Gaskets in the USSR

It is worth talking about the USSR separately, since we were among the last to start supplying modern pads and tampons to the country. Until the 1980s, tampons could not be found at all, and pads were produced in insufficient quantities and were difficult to find in a pharmacy. Pads were then called “hygiene products”, completely copying the situation in the USA in the 30s. There were special books for Soviet schoolgirls that explained how to use a gasket. There was also detailed instructions on how to make a disposable pad from gauze and cotton, so our women themselves produced all the necessary hygiene items.

Tampons appeared in the USSR by the beginning of the 90s, causing an unprecedented boom among women. The magazine "Burda" at that time wrote that thanks to tampons they would gain unprecedented comfort and freedom, all this was carried out on purpose in order to further undermine the already unstable political situation.

In America, there is a museum of menstruation. You can watch a short video about it below.

Our days

Over the past twenty years, the sanitary napkin has evolved in a revolutionary way. Gone are the days of bulky belts and diapers. With the invention of more absorbent materials and better designs, pads are more comfortable and practical than ever. The invention of "wings" fixes the pad in underwear, and the invention of "scented pads" reduces odor.

Unfortunately, women still use tampons and pads more than cups. Although bowls are already beginning to receive a second life, because our generation understands that the Earth cannot endlessly turn into a garbage dump for our hygienic waste.

Text: Elena Dogadina

The topic of menstruation in the media is still taboo- and its discussion is also veiled with euphemisms like "these" or "critical" days. It seems that it has always been like this, but in fact it is not - in the USSR for many years they openly wrote about menstruation, and articles were accompanied by drawings of the uterus. We understand the history of attitudes towards menstruation in the USSR - with the help of the press, books and historian Pavel Vasiliev.

By this time, when the egg matures, the woman has blood, or, as they are otherwise called, regula, or menstruation.<...>In Russia, this usually happens in the 13th or 14th year.<...>From the age when the maturation of eggs and regulation begins, the girl begins to turn into a girl. She begins to grow stronger, her voice changes, sometimes her character changes. At this time, girls sometimes become very irritable.

"WORKER", No. 6, 1923

← IN THE TWENTIES AND THIRTY YEARS the party press published texts about menstruation in at least every second issue. Doctor of Historical Sciences Alisa Klots believes that this can be explained by the early Soviet hygiene campaign - it was actively carried out until the post-war years, when the main migration from villages to cities took place and the population learned basic hygiene skills. During this period, they wrote about menstruation in a medically dry and to the point. Candidate of Historical Sciences, postdoctoral student at the Van Leer Institute in Jerusalem Pavel Vasiliev says that in the first years after the revolution in the country « emancipatory sentiments were strong » .

During bleeding, the insides of the uterus swell, the uterus becomes loose, filled with blood. The opening in the cervix opens a little, and the blood pours out. Menstruation lasts differently: 3-5-7 days - and appear every 3-4 weeks. If menstruation lasts longer or appears more often, then this is already a disease, and you need to see a doctor.

"Worker", No. 6, 1923

→ RESEARCHER ERIK NAYMAN WRITES, that Alexandra Kollontai treated menstruation as something unpleasantly obligatory for women, from which it would be nice to get rid of. It was believed that menstruation stood in the way of a woman to full equality with a man, but at the same time they were not considered as an important female experience. This is just a phenomenon that women are subject to, and therefore they wrote about them, as well as about any other "medical", highly specialized information - a necessary minimum. For additional data or in case of cycle deviations, it was advised to go to the doctor.

Menstruation is thus not a disease; by the letter of the law, a woman during menstruation is not subject to exemption from work. But there are a number of women in whom, due to certain conditions of the body, menstruation is extremely difficult, especially in the early days.<...>Doctors prescribe to a woman who is not working at the enterprise complete rest (lying in bed) for one or two days.

"WORKER", No. 7, 1924

← DISCUSSIONS ABOUT MENSTRUCTION AND EQUALITY were also conducted at the level of whether to take days off on the days of menstruation. Soviet history professor Melanie Ilich writes in her study "Soviet Women Workers and Menstruation: A Research Note on Labor Protection in the 1920s and 1930s" that there was a menstrual holiday in factories and industries where there were more women than men. Women could take a day off a few days a month - although some deliberately did not use it. Pavel Vasilyev believes that this is also characteristic of the current situation: on the one hand, menstrual days off can be considered a progressive legislative initiative; on the other hand, they seem to automatically imply that the female body functions worse than the male body for several days a month, and the male body is taken as the standard.

But not all party publications of this period have strong feminist sentiments. For example, in the "Women's Journal" in 1926, the material "Chemistry of Women's Moods" was published - it describes that a woman becomes uncontrollable for several days a month, and in psychiatry she is destined for a diagnosis of "menstrual psychosis": "Consequently, the sanity of a female personality in the period of menstruation is definitely limited. Statistics illustrate this idea by pointing to an increase in the propensity to crime. It turns out that about 50% of all suicides among women fall during the period of regulation.

If the meeting of the female egg cell with the sperm does not occur, the unfertilized egg cell still moves into the uterus and dies. The surface layer of the swollen mucous membrane of the uterus narrows; it is accompanied by bleeding; there is what we call menstruation.

"Worker", No. 7, 1947

→ AFTER THE WAR, in the second half of the forties - early fifties, in magazines, medical details, attention to health and hygiene is replaced by concern exclusively for the reproductive condition of women. The press reminded that if menstruation went astray or discharge appeared, a woman immediately needs to see a doctor until complications arise - she will have to become a mother.

Pavel Vasiliev adds that in the Stalin period, in the context of militarization, the country was interested in new citizens, and above all in soldiers. This is most noticeable in the post-war years, when a woman was seen as an "incubator" for the production of people, and not only in the USSR - other countries affected by the war also sought to make up for the losses. During this period, medical negligence, cases when a doctor caused damage to a woman’s reproductive health by his actions, were punished especially severely, adds Vasiliev. Accordingly, menstruation itself was not talked about at that time - they were simply mentioned in articles about pregnancy, the causes of infertility, or abortion.

The main concern of parents in this regard is to better prepare the girl's body for a normal menstrual cycle.<...>In physically developed, hardened, healthy girls, menstruation usually takes place regularly, without disturbances; on the contrary, sickly girls often find it difficult to endure the onset of menstruation, lose weight, and lose their already modest strength.

"Worker", No. 3, 1963

← FROM THE END OF THE FIFTY- in the early sixties, mentions of menstruation in the press pop up only as part of advice for the mother of a teenage girl. Grandmother, doctor and teachers at school should be ready for the girls' menstruation, and mom should provide information to her daughter in advance so that she is not afraid of blood. And the entire environment of the schoolgirl should be prepared for the fact that her behavior will change, she will begin to study worse and be rude - it is believed that this is a normal stage in her life associated with "turning into a mother." Pavel Vasiliev suggests that menstrual knowledge from the late fifties to the eighties goes into the sphere of the family, and the responsibility for storing and transmitting this information lies only with the mother.

There is another theory explaining this state of affairs: in the sixties and eighties, it becomes more difficult to talk about menstruation, perhaps also because of a new, even more conservative view of the family. In The High Title of a Communist: Postwar Party Discipline and the Values ​​of the Soviet Regime, Edward Cohn concludes that the Khrushchev period in the USSR became almost more "moralizing" than the Stalin period. For example, if under Stalin it became known about the mistress of some official, this could be followed by simple conversations and reprimands - under Khrushchev, the sanctions for such actions were much stricter. The moral image of the builder of communism is constructed as never before clearly and in detail.

At least twice a day, with clean hands with short-cut nails, it is necessary to wash the external genitalia with slightly warm boiled water; dried blood on the external genital organs leads to contamination and irritation of the skin, from here the inflammation can go to the vagina and internal genital organs. You should not take a bath during menstruation, swim in the sea, in the river (you can not douche the vagina). Washing should be in the shower. You can't have sexual intercourse. It is necessary to use hygienic gauze pads, which should be tied to the belt and changed as they get dirty; Loose tights should be worn and changed more often.

"The Concise Encyclopedia of the Household"
1966

Let's start with the fact that menstruation in ancient times and now are slightly different phenomena. First of all, because a stable cycle was more of a rarity than the norm. Poor nutrition and lack of vitamins led to hormonal imbalance, and this, in turn, led to menstrual irregularities. Menstruation could stop altogether if the woman was severely emaciated.

Tampons and Ancient Egypt

Very often on the Internet you can find a statement that tampons were known to the ancient Egyptians. Hippocrates, the "father of medicine", is also mentioned in this context, who allegedly mentioned small wooden sticks wrapped in soft linen that women inserted into the vagina.

Dr. Helen King, who has devoted many years to studying menstruation historically, claims that the original Hippocratic quote has never been found, and the myth was widely used in advertising campaigns for well-known brands - manufacturers of personal care products for women.

Popular

The same goes for claims about tampons in ancient Egypt and Greece. But there is evidence that the Romans attached subligaculum - absorbent cotton pads - to underwear.

Middle Ages

If you very briefly answer the question of what women did during menstruation until the 19th century, then the answer would be: nothing. Most of the Europeans did not wear underwear, so there was nowhere to fasten the fabric.

However, there were also exceptions. An alternative "for the rich" method was rag pads, which were fastened between the legs with a special belt that was fastened around the waist. For example, we know that Elizabeth I, Queen of England, owned three black silk sashes.

The "civilized" approach to their hygiene also included pieces of tissue that were thrust into the vagina to stop the bleeding. But most women simply let the blood flow naturally. This, apparently, according to the records, did not surprise anyone.

Laura Klosterman Kidd, an expert on the subject, studied 17 women's diaries and letters with recommendations on what to pack on a trip. She did not meet a single mention of objects that could somehow make life easier for a woman during this period.

1800

Nothing changed. A German doctor wrote in 1899: "It is absolutely disgusting to bleed on your shirt and then wear it for four to eight days, it can easily lead to infections."

Yes, some women did use "menstrual tissues", but most women could not afford such an expensive pleasure.

At the same time, women "these days", for example, were forbidden to work in factories, especially food ones - it was believed that they could "poison" products.

1900

Linen was securely attached to the so-called hygienic belt. The first advertisement showing disposable napkins appeared in the USA in 1888. Up to this point, any advertisement that touches on the topic of menstruation was considered taboo.

The product did not attract consumers and was discontinued.

1920

The women also used a hygienic belt, but this time they settled for disposable pads. World War I nurses discovered the absorbent properties of special medical paper - they used it to absorb blood from open wounds, but they were also quite suitable for menstrual blood.

Inspired by this idea, Kimberly Clark invented Kotex, the first disposable menstrual wipes.

1930

The first tampons with a cardboard applicator appear. In 1934, Tampax introduced its product to the market. It was recommended for use only by married women, because it was widely believed that tampons were only suitable for women who had already lost their virginity.

1940

War, women have to move a lot, there is no time for hitches. This is how the first tampon without an applicator appears. Between 1936 and 1943, tampon consumption increased fivefold.

1950

Time ago. And again a hygienic belt, but not a word about menstruation. Women should be silent about this uncomfortable period of their lives. But menstruation should not serve as an excuse for refusing homework.

1960

Washable rag pads. The time of the struggle for women's rights has changed almost nothing in relation to menstruation.

The pace of life forces you to be active: a friend's wedding, a meeting with school friends, a trip to the sea, romantic dates...

But there are days when, for obvious reasons, your freedom is limited.
It is during this period that the menstrual cup will help you a lot, thanks to which you will have time to do everything you have in mind, without slowing down and without changing habits.

So what is this thing? This is a container for collecting secretions, which can have a different shape, texture and color. It can be made from different materials and have different tails. But its main task is to make your critical period more comfortable without hitting the budget.

Installs just like a tampon, does not require frequent monitoring

Tight installation prevents liquid from spilling in any position and in any environment. Therefore, you can safely go in for sports, including swimming, or just relax alone or with loved ones, at least day and night. For you and other people, your cycle is in the "off" position.

Unlike tampons and other hygiene products, a menstrual cup does not betray its presence even to you. It takes shape inside the body and you don't feel it at all.
cap is absolutely neutral. It maintains the natural balance of the flora, leaves no fibers and does not allow the liquid to come into contact with the internal environment. Thus, it is more physiological for the body than other hygiene products.
In addition, the cap is quite an economical thing. Having bought only once, you will forget about other means for several years.

If our arguments seem insufficient to you, you can read the real reviews of our clients.

Why should you buy it in our store?

We have been working since 2009, and we advise girls on a daily basis. Use the feedback form. We have the widest selection. And this is not surprising, because we know that you are different, each with its own characteristics. Therefore, we always have a product that will suit you perfectly.
We offer the lowest price on the market. And if you can find cheaper, write via the feedback form, and we will sell you at this price.
We provide cheap delivery, and we carry it out throughout Russia. You can choose the most convenient one.

Silicone cap. Where could I buy? Internet shop

We invite you to learn more about the advantages over pads and tampons, to find out how different brands differ: MeLuna (meluna) with a ball, with a ring, with a stem,

Who Invented Gaskets? How did women get along without them before? What's new today in this sector of the market?
The candidate of philological sciences, lecturer in the department of advertising at the Moscow Institute of International Law and Economics named after V.I. A. S. Griboyedova Marina Vladimirovna PETRUSHKO .
- The topic of "critical days" was and still remains a taboo in many cultures of the world. Over its centuries-old history, it has acquired myths - somewhere women were forbidden to cook food during this period, somewhere they were isolated in special huts. Until now, completely different religions forbid them to cross the threshold of temples on such days. How did women at different times and in different countries solve this problem? The Egyptians, for example, rolled papyrus tampons. In Greece and the Roman Empire, it was customary to use sheep's wool, treated in a special way. Residents of the North crushed alder bark to the state of sawdust or used moss. In China and Japan, special paper was used. Russian peasant women are self-woven linen... Until the end of the 19th century, washed pads hung on ropes, resembling a crocheted washcloth with loops at the ends, were a common landscape of European and American courtyards. They were fastened to clothes or a special belt.

German ladies' magazines and brochures published patterns that could be used to tailor and sew such belts to individual measurements. It was the practical Germans who set up the process of industrial production and "public" advertising in the press of disposable cotton pads. Paul Hartmann's factory produced "Hartmann's MULPA Damen-binde". "MULPA" was positioned as the only pocket-sized pads, indispensable for travel.

In 1895, these products appeared in England and the USA, bringing the factory to the level of an international manufacturer. A year later, Johnson & Johnson released their Johnson & Johnson disposable pads, named after Dr. Lister, a promoter of surgical antisepsis. But both of them did not have much commercial success. Cultural and religious traditions, as well as public opinion, interfered with the appearance of bright and noticeable advertising of essential goods.

The boom in the popularity of disposable hygiene products came in the 20s of the XX century. Women felt their own social significance, felt freer and more relaxed. They began to drive cars, play sports, and obtained permission to smoke in public places. In the First World War, women from many countries took an active part as medical personnel, sisters of mercy. It is with the professional activities of the sisters of mercy that the success story of disposable pads is also connected.

Medical authority has always been a favorite means of persuading buyers. People trust doctors more than anyone else. In their first press advertisements in January 1921, the Kotex company, a pioneer in the production of disposable pads, explained the origin of the new type of pads as follows: "American nurses working in France during World War I first tried the new bandage based on wood pulp as sanitary napkins. It turned out that this dressing is more hygroscopic than cotton. And at the same time, it is not as expensive." So the popular "Kotex" were born today.

The German manufacturers of hygiene products for women "Camelia" in the same years attracted sister of mercy Tekla for cooperation. In addition, the pad brand logo was complemented by a cross, emphasizing the connection between the advertised product and the fact that the sister of mercy is also a representative of the Christian Hospital.