As the International Day for Women is approaching (March 8), I decided to write about something that is significant to a woman’s life – her monthly menstruation and how innovation has played a subtle yet pivotal role in normalizing this cyclical event.
In the early 1700s, women would basically utilize old strips of cloth as pads and would simply wash and re-use them. Those who lived on farms would repeatedly use sheepskin as a menstrual aid and just boil it clean with every use. For women who travelled, they would make a heap of cheesecloth sacks stuffed with flattened cotton – the used cotton would be thrown away after each use and new cotton would be put in the re-usable cloth sack.
After several years, the first commercial sanitary pads created by Johnson & Johnson came out in 1896. The reaction at that time wasn’t good and the pads failed to sell because most women were shocked at the thought of purchasing the pads thereby declaring to the public that they were menstruating.
The world saw women still using rags and cotton in the early 1900s. Pins were used to fold fabric with flat cotton padded to their underwear. Sanitary aprons and bloomers made of thick fabric were available to prevent clothes from staining.
Then in 1920, Curads by Kotex was introduced to the market when French nurses in the First World War figured out that Curad bandages were much more absorbent than their homemade menstrual rags.
The 1930s saw the invention and production of the first reusable menstrual cup, however after a few years of using, many women resisted what felt like a backwards step as these were seen to be old-fashioned. Women thought it was much more up-to-date to dispose of one’s menstrual aids.
By the 1950s, Tampons became very popular and a company named Pursettes marketed the first sanitary products in a fashionable way, that is, it was packaged in a black carrying case and promoted to fashionable women.
It was around the 1970s that most companies started selling pads with adhesive support. This put an end to the necessity of belts, pins and other bulky attachment accessories. In those years, companies experimented with different shapes and designs and eventually, the ‘winged’ pads came out of the market.
Then in 1978, Proctor and Gamble created the extra absorbent tampon. It was made from a new material that expanded when it was inserted thereby creating a cup shape. However, it wasn’t until the early 1980s that health professionals realized that the material contributed to hundreds of Toxic Shock Syndrome cases and resulted to many deaths. This impelled harsher product approval methods for women’s hygiene products.
Then came the 1980s which witnessed a change in pads and tampon advertising. In those years, there was massive concentration on women shown as being ‘active’ during their menstrual periods with so many commercials displaying women doing different sports. There was also an unusual drift of using blue liquid to illustrate the absorption level of products in advertisements, for instance, an ad would show a tampon in a cup of blue liquid or the same blue liquid being poured on a sanitary pad.
In the 1990s, the focus was on invisibility. Applicator tampons got smaller, pads got thinner and brands started using packaging techniques that “cleverly conceal” the sanitary products.
In underdeveloped countries where menstrual periods are denounced (like India and many parts in Africa), adolescent girls deal with many challenges each month along with physical discomfort and shame. Aside from the fact that pads and tampons aren’t always available in rural areas, they’re also costly. Reusable pads seem to be the solution but keeping them clean is tough when girls have to hide their period from others.
Actually, reusable pads are an effective way to provide girls, especially those in low-income situations, access to sanitary products that are affordable and safer than unsanitary, less absorbent materials such as rags and mattress stuffing. However, reusable pads come with a unique set of challenges. Oftentimes, reusable feminine products can cause significant health problems when not appropriately cleaned. Social stigma and cultural taboos about menstruation also prevent girls from washing their reusable pads with normal laundry and causes embarrassment when hanging the pads outside to dry after they are washed. The reusable pads then remain damp and form bacteria that can cause reproductive infections and illness. Making matters worse, many girls often decide to skip school out of fear of being embarrassed and humiliated.
Luckily, a group of out-of-the-box thinking students from California’s Yale Business School created “Flo,” an adaptable, multipurpose period management system that allows girls to face their periods with dignity. Flo allows for longer-lasting menstruation management and is a low-cost option in places where disposable sanitary pads may be seen as being too expensive.
Flo is a transportable device that allows girls to carry, clean and dry reusable pads discretely and safely. The invention is comprised of two bowls lined with a basket casing, a string and a sealable carrying. Water and detergent go into the bowls so that the pads can be properly cleaned. The basket casing converts into a hanging rack that can be covered with a piece of cloth so that the pads can be hung discretely outside. With this simple innovation, periods can be safer, healthier and less unsettling to girls’ daily lives.
What’s the point?
Even in the 21st century, there are still places on this planet that considers menstruation as taboo, as something shameful and dirty. This concept, if not corrected, will remain and will continue to enslave women. However, if the topic can be freely discussed and the innovations related to it are recognized, women can truthfully say that they have justly and finally been liberated from the shackles of narrow-mindedness and bigotry.
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Author’s email: legis616821@gmail.com
