SEE other lubricated tampons: Dale (1930s-1940s, U.S.A.) and Pursettes
(1950s-1970s, U.S.A.)
More 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 and belts, 1949, 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)
See early tampons and a list of tampon on this site - at least the ones I've cataloged.
 
|
 
Gynotex wet and dry menstrual tampons (2005, The Netherlands)
Introduction and box
Women have inserted commercial "wet" - lubricated - tampons
since at least the 1930s in America (see Dale
and Pursettes) and have used sponges (more here) probably for thousands of years. Gynotex comes
from Europe and is probably not available in the U.S.A. I don't know how
expensive it is.
The instruction leaflet (here) says this
wet tampon sponge (with no string or applicator) contains CHG (chlorhexidine
gluconate), a chemical sometimes used as a germicidal mouthwash, among other
things; it kills bacteria in the mouth and presumably in the vagina. Women
douched for decades with Lysol, Zonite
and similar stuff, and some women swore by them (a 79-year-old woman wrote
a testimonial to MUM), but read
an essay discouraging the practice and the chemicals
used.
Mark Dujardin of the company sent this when I asked him about the substances
used in the tampon: "Gynotex-dry is made of toxic free polyether foam. Gynotex-wet is made of PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) sponge,
which is mainly used for chirurgical [surgical] tampons. The lubricant is
on water basis, antiseptically for keeping the quality for 3 years."
|
No, it's not really THIS big! The wet sponge, white, (above) measures
2" in diameter and is 13/16" thick. The dry sponge (not pictured)
is about 1 13/16" wide and 1" thick and pink.
|
The wet sponge. The weight of the sponge on my scanner caused the dent
-the straight edge - on the right side
|
Each tampon comes wrapped in foil, above; the dry tampon has blue lettering,
the wet one red.
|
NEXT: Instructions, box
Cardboard American sponge can with sponge.
Orange-design can with sponge. Black
can and sponge.
Beautiful (Australian?) sponge can with sponge
lacking a net.
Anna Health Sponge (U.S.A., 1940s?)
The contemporary Sea Pearls (from the U.S.A.)
menstrual sponge
The contemporary Gynotex (from the Netherlands)
menstrual sponge
Main sponge page
SEE lubricated tampons: Dale
(1930s-1940s, U.S.A.) and Pursettes (1950s-1970s,
U.S.A.)
© 2005 Harry Finley. It is illegal to reproduce or distribute any
of the work on this Web site in any manner
or medium without written permission of the author. Please report suspected
violations to hfinley@mum.org
|