Read 1930s criticism of Zonite and Lysol.
See an Australian
douche ad (ca. 1900) - Fresca douche powder (U.S.A.)
(date ?) - Kotique douche liquid ad, 1974 (U.S.A.)
- Liasan (1) genital wash ad, 1980s (Germany)
- Liasan (2) genital wash ad, 1980s (Germany)
- Lysol douche liquid ad, 1928 (U.S.A.) - Lysol douche liquid ad, 1948 (U.S.A.) - Marvel
douche liquid ad, 1928 (U.S.A.) - Midol menstrual
pain pill ad, 1938 (U.S.A.) - Midol booklet (selections),
1959 (U.S.A.) - Mum deodorant cream ad, 1926 (U.S.A.)
- Myzone menstrual pain pills ad, 1952 (Australia)
- Pristeen genital spray ad, 1969 (U.S.A.) -
Spalt pain tablets, 1936 (Germany) - Sterizol douche liquid ad, 1926 (U.S.A.) - Zonite
douche liquid ad, 1928 (U.S.A.) - the Odor page
See how a woman wore a belt in a Dutch ad.
See a classy 1920s ad for a belt and the first
ad (1891) MUM has for a belt.
See how women wore a belt (and in a Swedish
ad). See a modern belt
for a washable pad and a page from the 1946-47 Sears catalog showing a great variety.
More ads for napkin belts: Sears,
1928 - modern belts - modern washable
- Modess, 1960s
Actual belts in the
museum
And, of course, the first Tampax AND - special
for you! - the American fax tampon,
from the early 1930s, which also came in bags.
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).
 
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The Perils of Vaginal Douching
by Luci Capo Rome, Family Nurse Practitioner (© 2000 Luci Capo
Rome)
Vaginal douching has been a great concern
for me, as a health-care professional. During my many years of caring for
women, I have found that many douche on a regular basis. I have informed
my female patients of the reasons not to douche. Vaginal infections can
be eliminated by its cessation. My purpose in writing this article is to
educate and support women with regard to this needless practice.
Vaginal douching is a centuries-old practice that is still done today.
The most common reason for its use is hygiene. It is being done by more
than sixty-seven million women in the U. S. It goes back to the time of
Hippocrates when douching was the only means of cleansing the pelvic cavity
due to lack of medications, such as antibiotics. Only physicians and nurses
were to perform vaginal douching when absolutely necessary.
Through time, it was determined that vaginal douching was an ineffective
method for vaginal cleansing. This practice has been done by many ethnic
groups following sexual intercourse and/or after completion of the menstrual
cycle. Many devices were invented to continue with this so-called form of
feminine hygiene. Multiple solutions were developed, vinegar and water being
the most common one.
The healthy, normally developed vagina is self-cleansing. Daily, the
feminine public continues to be subject to wide-spread false advertising
which emphasizes the need for douching in order to attain the ultimate in
feminine charm and freshness. These ads seen in women's magazines and on
television foster, especially among the ill-informed, a primitive attitude
toward the vagina. This is a potential threat to female sexuality, suggesting
that it is a dirty place.
During the 1920's through the 1940's douche ads were seen in popular
women's magazines such as Cosmopolitan, and McCalls. These douche solutions
carried such names as Lysol, Sterizol,
and Zonite. The so-called disinfectants destroyed
the normal bacteria in the vagina. Today, we still have douche products
on the market such as Massengill and Summer's Eve. It is unfortunate that
these products exist. They are taking money and time from women by emphasizing
their use and benefits.
Vaginal douching has many risks. Actually, what is does is wash away
the normal bacteria that are friendly. Lactobacilli give off a natural form
of hydrogen peroxide that keeps the vaginal pH balance more acidic. Thus,
the bacteria that can lead to serious concerns do not get the chance to
grow and multiply into the upper reproductive tract. Many studies have been
done in regard to the risk factors that are associated with vaginal douching.
Among them are sexually transmitted diseases, tubal pregnancy, inability
to become pregnant and, possibly, cervical cancer.
Through education and communication, my hope is that such a senseless
activity be stopped, that the vaginal health in women improves and that
the risk factors be reduced. My wish is that the commercial douching products
come down off the shelves when women no longer purchase them.
© 2000 Luci Capo Rome
See a 1959 Midol pain-pill booklet recommending douching
See an older American douche syringe and read
what a woman once famous in "feminine hygiene" wrote about douching.
And see a still older American douche set, Mon
Docteur (My Doctor in French) with instructions, from about 1929.
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© 2000 Luci Capo Rome. 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
See also Australian
douche ad (ca. 1900) - Fresca douche powder (U.S.A.)
(date ?) - Kotique douche liquid ad, 1974 (U.S.A.)
- Liasan (1) genital wash ad, 1980s (Germany)
- Liasan (2) genital wash ad, 1980s (Germany)
- Lysol douche liquid ad, 1928 (U.S.A.) - Lysol douche liquid ad, 1948 (U.S.A.) - Marvel
douche liquid ad, 1928 (U.S.A.) - Midol menstrual
pain pill ad, 1938 (U.S.A.) - Midol booklet (selections),
1959 (U.S.A.) - Mum deodorant cream ad, 1926 (U.S.A.)
- Pristeen genital spray ad, 1969 (U.S.A.) -
Spalt pain tablets, 1936 (Germany) - Sterizol douche liquid ad, 1926 (U.S.A.) - Vionell
genital spray ad, 1970, with Cheryl Tiegs (Germany) - Zonite
douche liquid ad, 1928 (U.S.A.)
The Perils of Vaginal Douching (essay by Luci
Capo Rome) - the odor page
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