Rely main page.
Read also the important following articles (issues listed) in the Rochester (New York) Patriot newspaper, which investigated Rely in 1975 and 1976, years before the toxic shock crisis: 23 July-5 August 1975 (front cover) - 6-26 August 1975 - 11 December 1975-13 January 1976 - 1-14 September 1976) - a letter to a customer assuring her that Rely was safe (April 1980) - and a letter from Procter & Gamble (22 September 1980) announcing that it was stopping distribution of Rely because of health concerns
See also the product safety page on this site, and you must read the definitive government site dealing with menstrual products safety: the Food and Drug Administration's at http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/ocd/tamponsabs.html See the super Rely tampon, two sections of its instructions, and an ad for Rely from 1980 And see some other tampons Procter & Gamble sold around the time of Rely and also early commercial tampons
HOMEPAGE
CONTRIBUTE to Humor, Words and expressions about menstruation and Would you stop menstruating if you could?
Some MUM site links:
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Read 10 years (1996-2006) of articles and Letters to Your MUM on this site.
Leer la versión en español de los siguientes temas: Anticoncepción y religión, Breve reseña - Olor - Religión y menstruación - Seguridad de productos para la menstruación.

Articles criticizing the Rely menstrual tampon, 1975-76, years before the toxic shock crisis

The tiny Rochester (New York) Patriot newspaper, a biweekly - its first page is reduced, below - was apparently the first to publish now historic articles about the Rely tampon, in 1975 and 1976. The searing stories alerted other newspapers to the problems with the tampon, which culminated in the fury of publicity surrounding the toxic shock tragedy five years later (read two 1980 letters from Procter & Gamble about Rely). And what the paper drew attention to had nothing to do with toxic shock!

Below is the front page of the edition carrying the first story, which starts on the next page.

Front part of the instructions. See the super Rely tampon, and an ad for Rely from 1980. Main Rely tampon page
See also the important following articles (issues listed) in the Rochester (New York) Patriot newspaper, which investigated Rely in 1975 and 1976, years before the toxic shock crisis: 23 July-5 August 1975 (front cover) - 6-26 August 1975 - 11 December 1975-13 January 1976 - 1-14 September 1976) - a letter to a customer assuring her that Rely was safe (April 1980) - and a letter from Procter & Gamble (22 September 1980) announcing that it was stopping distribution of Rely because of health concerns.
And see the other tampons Procter & Gamble also sold around the time of Rely.
Tambrands kindly donated these articles to the museum, which bear markings from that company.

Start the articles.

Start the article. Front part of the instructions. See the super Rely tampon, and an ad for Rely from 1980. Main Rely tampon page

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