History of Sanitary Pad in Ancient Period

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Table of Contents

Introduction
History of sanitary pads
Sanitary pads in modern time
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Historical criticism is a branch of history that looks at literature to acquire evidence on the political and economic events of the time during which the works were produced. It also involves looking at the historical events to be able to explain the contact of the work. It involves distinguishing between the true and false events of the past. It uses both the documents that have been handed down and facts.

History of sanitary pads

During ancient times, women did not have the services of a supermarket or drugstore chain from which they could obtain hygiene products like sanitary pads. Due to this, they made them out of various available materials. These included natural and biodegradable materials that ranged from papyrus, wool to grasses and fibers of vegetables (Victoria, 2007).

Hieroglyphics dated around 1550 BC describe how lint when inserted into the vagina could prevent conception. This is also evidence of tampon use for contraception found in copies of old Greek and Hebrew writings. This indicates that if tampons were being used for contraception they could have also been used for menstruation (Museum of menstruation, 2007).

The museum of menstruation reports that there are possibilities that many women did not use tampons or any sanitary pads; rather they just left a trail of blood behind them (Museum of menstruation, 2007).

The information regarding what women used is inadequate due to certain factors.

To begin with, European culture, due to the predominance of men being in charge has a little recorded history of women, in addition, most women were illiterate therefore, they could have not kept any records themselves more so, what they used when menstruating. In India, women bled and still bleed into their clothing during periods of menstruation. At this time they are isolated in a cowshed and cannot participate in normal activities (Museum of menstruation, 2007).

Sabine Hering and Gudrun Maierhof in the book, The Indisposed Woman report that German women hardly used any commercial sanitary pads in the late 19th century, this further reinforces the suspicion that n the period before the 19th century and even in the 19th century most women did not use anything (Greene, 2007).

In the 19th century, most women used washable pads or nothing at all (Greene, 2007) For those who used pads they mainly used cloth pads that had belts for tying around their waists so that they could stay in place. Japanese women made their T-shaped pads called Uma. In Norway, the women used knitted menstrual pads while in Italy they used cotton pads. The pads used in Italy measured 24.5x 11 inches and were folded into thirds so that they formed a belt around the waist. (Museum of menstruation, 2007) Some ladies wore sanitary aprons to prevent the blood from leaking onto one’s clothing. The menstrual apron and pads holds were made of rubber but covered with cloth.

When women traveled they would take the cloth pads house with them to wash them or burn them wherever they were staying. This trend of using menstrual cloth pads continued for most of the nineteenth century.

Greene argues that while some women used washable cloth it is still possible that others bled into their clothes for example women from rural and lower classes and most American slaves (Greene, 2007).

The early twentieth century saw the entrance of disposal Kotex into the market though it was mainly used by women with money. As women become more enlightened about their bodies and hygiene the use of disposable commercial pads increased since their use was not limited only to rich women. The first commercial tampons were available in the US in the late 1920s. Presently both tampons and disposable sanitary pads are available to women. Commercial washable or reusable pads are also in today’s market. Disposable pads have adhesive tape that sticks the pad onto the underwear. They may have wings that wrap around the woman’s underwear to protect against leakage on the sides. There are also varieties in the size of the pads with longer pads being made overnight use. Some pads even have deodorant added to them to ensure that the menstrual odor is covered with a fragrance (Museum of Menstruation, 2007).

Sanitary pads in modern time

Currently, environmentalists are advocating for the use of washable pads as they are equally comfortable, sometimes even more comfortable than disposable pads. They have the advantage of reducing the amount of waste in the environment since due to their disposable nature it is not necessary to keep buying and thus keep disposing of wrapping and the pads themselves. This leads to a reduction in the amount of waste in the environment (Healthoptions.com, 2007).

The sanitary pads are also made of different materials depending on the manufacturer. The reusable ones are made of cotton cloth or hemp, a lighter material that is equally absorbent. The disposable ones are made of a material like a sphagnum which also has high adsorptive qualities (Museum of Menstruation, 2007).

The tampons available today have applicators unlike those that were used before. Moon cups and the keeper (a rubber cup) are other newer options available to women. They are also more environmentally friendly as they can be used for up to 10 years without replacement (Healthoptions.com, 2007).

Conclusion

In conclusion, the sanitary pads options available to women have increased. The choices are so many today that the focus has changed from just maintaining women’s hygiene and ensuring that they are comfortable to ensure that the options they take are friendly to the environment. This is evidenced by the large variety of sanitary pads available to the public and advertised to the public.

References

Victoria HC, 2007 Talk, feminine Hygiene Product Alternatives.
Greene M, 2007, Museum of Menstruation, What did European and American Women
Use for Menstruation in the 19th Century and Before? Web.
Environmental friendly Tampons and Sanitary Pad Alternatives, Healthtopics.com. Web.
Museum of Menstruation, Early Commercial American Menstrual Tampons.

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History of Sanitary Pad in Ancient Period

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