"Aunt Flo" is every woman's good friend. We all know that we need to use sanitary napkins when we have our period. However, on this amazing earth, there are many other feminine hygiene products besides sanitary napkins. Today, let's get to know the members of the feminine hygiene product family.
Sanitary napkins: the nation's best friend in the global village
The modern version of the sanitary napkin is said to have been invented by an American man who deeply loved his wife. He accidentally discovered that wrapping clean cotton fibers and highly absorbent pulp in soft cloth to make a long, strip-shaped pad could effectively alleviate his wife's menstrual pain and inconvenience. This type of pad began to become popular in Europe and America in the 1940s and gradually evolved into a product made from disposable materials.
Sanitary napkins are absorbent materials, primarily made of cotton, non-woven fabric, pulp, or polymers and polymer composite paper formed from these materials. The side design is mainly to prevent leakage. Because they are at an angle to the sanitary napkin body during use, they are more prone to friction against the groin area. Therefore, sanitary napkins with soft side materials are more popular among women. The adhesive backing of sanitary napkins is made of a waterproof material, which retains menstrual blood within the napkin to absorb the menstrual flow from the vagina.
Advantages: Inexpensive, easy to buy, and very convenient to replace.
Disadvantages: Uncomfortable, not breathable, prone to bacterial growth; prone to side leakage, causing embarrassment; not easy to carry, not discreet, and unsuitable for use during exercise.
Sanitary belt: the ancestor of sanitary napkins
The name "sanitary belt" originates from World War I. American nurses serving in France, those women in light white uniforms, were pioneers of modern professional women. Even during menstruation, they needed to maintain their elegance, agility, and competence, so they made a bold experiment with menstrual products: using bandages and medicated cotton, they created the earliest sanitary belt. It is for this reason that it is hailed as one of the "Ten Greatest Inventions of the 20th Century."
Over thirty years ago, in rural China and some remote towns, many women used multiple layers of cloth to make sanitary napkins. These were reusable sanitary napkins, also known as menstrual belts. After use, they could be washed, dried, and reused. The difference from modern sanitary napkins is that the latter are disposable, while the former are reusable. These sanitary belts were made of fine cloth, strip-shaped, about 6 centimeters wide, and came in various lengths (small, medium, large), generally about 1.2 feet long. They had holes at both ends for threading a string, and were worn across the crotch and tied around the waist with a thin string. Higher-quality sanitary belts had a thin layer of rubber on the inside of the fine cloth to prevent leakage. Their shape resembled a man's tie, wider in the front and narrower in the back.
Advantages: Environmentally friendly, reusable
Disadvantages: Incomplete cleaning can easily lead to bacterial growth.
Tampons: A popular but controversial member
Tampons with applicators were invented by Dr. Earle Haas of Denver, USA, in 1929, patented in 1931, and launched in the United States in 1936. Another account states that tampons were designed in 1950 by a gynecologist in West Germany. Because tampons do not interfere with clothing or exercise, they have become popular, especially among women in Europe and America. However, due to the traditional Asian preference for suppositories, tampons are rarely used by women in Asian countries.
Tampons, also known as sanitary tampons, are cylindrical cotton tampons that are inserted into the vagina to absorb menstrual blood during menstruation. They are inserted into the vagina to effectively absorb menstrual flow. Tampons are convenient for wearing without affecting clothing and movement, making them popular among women in Europe and America. However, tampons are not suitable for girls who have never had sexual experience or whose hymen is still intact.
Additionally, because tampons compress the vaginal walls, they can sometimes cause vaginal ulceration. Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS): Nearly half of TSS cases occur in women during menstruation, but fortunately, this condition is extremely rare. Because tampons are in close contact with the vaginal epithelial cells, the body's resistance may decrease. Due to prolonged intervals between tampons, the endometrium may dry out and crack as the tampons absorb the moisture, allowing Staphylococcus aureus to enter the bloodstream, causing symptoms such as sore throat, fever, joint and muscle pain, and low blood pressure; in severe cases, it can even lead to shock. The high absorbency of tampons may lead users to believe that they don't need to change them frequently, thus increasing the risk of infection. Therefore, the absorbency of tampons is believed to be related to Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS).
Advantages: High comfort, odorless, small size, easy to carry, suitable for use during exercise.
Disadvantages: Difficult to replace, expensive, and prone to triggering TSS syndrome.
Menstrual Cup: A Rising Star That's Become Very Popular
A menstrual cup is a menstrual product inserted into the vagina. It is made of latex, medical-grade silicone, or thermoplastic, and is soft and elastic. It is bell-shaped with a short handle at the bottom. The bell-shaped part collects menstrual blood flowing from the uterus, while the short handle helps maintain the cup's balance within the vagina and makes removal easy.
The menstrual cup automatically opens and stays in place after insertion into the vagina. Depending on individual needs, after about four or five hours, gently pull it out, wash it with water, and it can be put back in without drying. If using a public restroom or office restroom, you can bring a bottle of water to wash it on the toilet. Before and after each menstrual period, you can thoroughly disinfect it with soap or diluted vinegar. The menstrual cup costs approximately two to three hundred yuan, and only one is needed per menstrual period. Such a cup can be used for 5 to 10 years.
Although menstrual cups are still relatively rare, they are not a new invention. A prototype was created and patented as early as 1867. Its main component is a small rubber pouch with a silver ring around its edge. This pouch is connected to a belt by a silver hook. To use it, a sponge is placed inside the pouch, and then the pouch is inserted completely or partially into the vagina. The first bell-shaped menstrual cup appeared in 1932, patented in the United States by Goddard L. J. Since then, all menstrual cups have maintained almost the same shape with little change. However, because they used vulcanized rubber as the cup material, they were hard and heavy, naturally limiting their commercial success. Menstrual cups only became truly commercially viable in 1987 with the introduction of latex menstrual cups by Keeper.
Advantages: Environmentally friendly, low cost, reusable
Disadvantages: Insertion and removal require some skill; cleaning is necessary after each removal; not recommended for virgins.
After seeing so many members of the feminine hygiene product family, do you feel like you've opened a door to a whole new world? Ladies, it's important to learn more and choose the right products for yourselves – take control of your health!
The above content is exclusively authorized for use only and may not be reproduced without the copyright holder's authorization.
