Read an earlier discussion of this: What did European and American women use for menstruation in the 19th century and before?
See the B-ettes tampon. See the tampon directory.
Ads for teens (see also introductory page for teenage advertising): Are you in the know? (Kotex napkins and Quest napkin powder, 1948, U.S.A.), Are you in the know? (Kotex napkins, 1953, U.S.A.), Are you in the know? (Kotex napkins and belts, 1964, U.S.A.), Freedom (1990, Germany), Kotex (1992, U.S.A.), Pursettes (1974, U.S.A.), Pursettes (1974, U.S.A.), Saba (1975, Denmark)
More ads for teens: See a Modess True or False? ad in The American Girl magazine, January 1947, and actress Carol Lynley in "How Shall I Tell My Daughter" booklet ad (1955) - Modess . . . . because ads (many dates).
DIRECTORY of all topics (See also the SEARCH ENGINE, bottom of page.)
CONTRIBUTE to Humor, Words and expressions about menstruation and Would you stop menstruating if you could?
Some MUM site links: homepage | LIST OF ALL TOPICS | MUM address & What does MUM mean? | e-mail the museum | privacy on this site | who runs this museum?? |
Amazing women! | the art of menstruation | artists (non-menstrual) | asbestos | belts | bidets | founder bio | Bly, Nellie | MUM board | books: menstruation and menopause (and reviews) | cats | company booklets for girls (mostly) directory | contraception and religion | costumes | menstrual cups | cup usage | dispensers | douches, pain, sprays | essay directory | extraction | facts-of-life booklets for girls | famous women in menstrual hygiene ads | FAQ | founder/director biography | gynecological topics by Dr. Soucasaux | humor | huts | links | masturbation | media coverage of MUM | menarche booklets for girls and parents | miscellaneous | museum future | Norwegian menstruation exhibit | odor | olor | pad directory | patent medicine | poetry directory | products, current | puberty booklets for girls and parents | religion | Religión y menstruación | your remedies for menstrual discomfort | menstrual products safety | science | Seguridad de productos para la menstruación | shame | slapping, menstrual | sponges | synchrony | tampon directory | early tampons | teen ads directory | tour of the former museum (video) | underpants & panties directory | videos, films directory | Words and expressions about menstruation | Would you stop menstruating if you could? | What did women do about menstruation in the past? | washable pads
Leer la versión en español de los siguientes temas: Anticoncepción y religión, Breve reseña - Olor - Religión y menstruación - Seguridad de productos para la menstruación.

Some European women regularly menstruated
into their clothing:
More evidence (Part 2)

A 19th-century German comments on menstruation, with a proposal for a menstrual pad and belt: from Friedrich Eduard Bilz's Das Neue Naturheilverfahren (about 1890)

Read the discussion here.
(translated text continued from here)
Translation by Harry Finley (the original text is at the bottom of this page):
soon becomes soaked with blood. If the woman doesn't have several such middle pieces for changing she's condemned to wear the piece that was already very dirty and burdensome after a few days for the whole period. That this pad must be washed after menstruation stops is not a pleasant duty for finer women, who want others to know as little as possible about the whole process. In addition, because the pad can't be perfectly cleaned, just like those for women bearing children and after having delivered, it's seldom the ideal of cleanliness and asepsis.
Recently, therefore, one has made pads (with belt) with absorbent material specifically for menstruation. The material is fine wood shavings and pulverized moss.
The absorbent material must be fine enough to hold as much blood as possible and destroy any bad smell. It must cause no harm and be soft.
It can't be loosely held but must sit in a narrow "pillow" made of quite porous material. The middle piece must have an impermeable casing, preventing soiling. It must be cheap - thus enabling poorer women to use it - and easily and without fuss disposable, unlike the sponge, which has to be cleaned after use.
The pad must fit exactly the form of the woman's body and ride up as little as possible, sit perfectly, nowhere fold and rub, easily be put on and taken off - in short, offer the menstruating woman comfort, not annoyance.
The attachment of such a pad should be made in such a way that it sits completely securely, not letting it fall, and that it's easily removed after soaking and replaced with a new one.
The following product meets these requirements:
1. The pad with wood-shaving pillow from the bandage factory of Paul Hartmann in Heidenheim [see his ads here].
The belt girdle of this pad, made of calico or tricot and made in different sizes, sits securely on the ridge of the hip bone. The upper edge circles the waist. The lower edges run like a bathing suit from the crest of the iliac inward and down together. While it clings to the form of the belly, without sticking out in any way, it offers the advantage of protecting and warming the pelvic organs.
The woman can wear the middle piece, which connects the front and back pieces and bears the absorbent material, for the entire period.
The belt girdle has three buttons on each part: underneath and front and back, which correspond to the button holes on the middle piece.
(continued)

(continued)

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