Guest Author - Sharon Bejin

How easy we have it when it comes to our monthly period. We simply run to the store and buy one of many products made available to us to get through our menstrual cycle. We may not realize it, but compared to women of the past, we have an easy life. Women’s history in this area is not only interesting, but it also helps us to appreciate how fortunate we are today. Nowadays, women have a vast selection of hygienic products available to them. The women who lived before us would be shocked and envious at how easy we have it when taking care of our menstrual needs.

The history of disposable feminine protection products goes back to the late 1890s when Curads and Hartmanns started selling disposable menstrual pads. The pads that were available back then required the use of special girdles, belts or suspenders. The suspenders looked like the ones worn today, although the suspenders back then also had a waistband with front and back straps that held the pad in place. I am sure it wasn’t comfortable.

Even when the disposable pads became available, many women could not afford them. This forced women to be creative and resourceful when finding a way to take care of their menstrual needs. Women used anything they could find to help them soak up the blood: sponges, animal skin, grass, and material. Many women used cloth padding. When not using the padding, they would soak them overnight to get the stains out, air dry them, and then use them again.

Women who grew up in the 1930-40s can tell you what it was like to use cloth padding and then have to wash them out on washboards. In fact, most of our mother’s are able to share their stories about this with us. Unlike the products we have available to us today, the materials they used were rough. It is hard to imagine wearing the materials they did back then in an attempt to collect menstrual blood; talk about rough and chapping on the skin.

In 1936, Tampax began making tampons. Also created in the 1930s was the menstrual cup; the cup is inserted into the vagina. Just like today, some women did not like the idea of having to touch their vaginal area with their fingers to put these devices into place.

There is even a museum of menstruation that has articles and photos about early protection; type in "museum of menstruation" on Google for more information. It is very interesting to read about this topic and see photos of these devices that helped women before us during their monthly cycle.