History Of Menstrual Products My Experience

"Since when have sanitary pads existed?" Menstruation comes every month, but did you know that the pads, tampons, and menstrual cups we use now are in fact not such old inventions? Being "able to choose" a menstrual product that suits your body is, at the longest, a matter of one century, and by our country's standard, only a few decades old. In the clinic, the topic of menstrual products often leads not to a simple product comparison but to the question of "how do you treat your own body?" So today, while following the history of menstrual products, I will organize how to use each product safely.

The history of menstrual products is the process of moving from "covering it up" to "managing it." Long ago, folding cloth to make one's own, or boiling and reusing cotton pads, was common. Until disposable products spread, menstruation was closer to an area hard to reveal, to be quietly endured.

Domestically, the flow began to change as the first disposable pad appeared in the early 1970s. In 1971 a belt-type pad fixed with a string at the waist, and in 1976 an adhesive pad stuck to underwear, spread. They look cumbersome now, but to the women of the time they were a change that greatly transformed life.

Widening the view to world history, the timepoint goes up a little more. The modern applicator tampon was devised by the American physician Earle Haas and registered as a trademark under the name Tampax in 1933, and the first commercial menstrual cup of a fold-and-insert form is recorded to have been patented by the actress Leona Chalmers in 1937 (VOXAPOD History of Menstrual Products 2020, Leona Chalmers, Wikipedia). In other words, it means that most of the products we take "for granted" are inventions less than 100 years old.

Looking at the spread timepoints of the tampon and menstrual cup, you can see the process by which menstrual management widened from "one way" to "several options." The tampon settled in early abroad, but domestically, even up to the 1980s-90s, the perception that it could be unfamiliar or uncomfortable was strong. After the 2000s, as education and information spread, perception slowly changed.

The decisive turning point is 2017. This year, the menstrual cup first received approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety domestically and could be officially distributed (Korea Economic Daily 2017). It amounts to moving from an era of uniformly managing with a single pad to an era of "choosing" a tool according to flow and lifestyle.

A question often heard in the clinic is "what should I use?" The right answer differs from person to person. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) too guides that the suitable product differs according to menstrual volume, lifestyle, individual preference, and physical condition (ACOG Your First Period). That is, rather than there being a "good product" set apart, the product that suits your body and daily life is closer to the best choice.

Menstrual products diverge largely in absorption method and the position worn. Since the management point differs depending on whether it is a product placed externally or a product inserted into the vagina, I have organized them in the table below. It is better to view them as the generally recommended management direction rather than as definitive figures.

ACOG recommends unscented products since scented products can irritate the vaginal acidity and mucosa (ACOG 2024). For sensitive skin, options with less friction and fragrance, like unscented cotton pads or period underwear, tend to be less of a burden. With any product, keeping hand hygiene before and after use is basic.

If your vulva or vagina feels different from usual, rather than blaming the product alone, having it checked once is also a way. If choosing a menstrual product troubles you, get a consultation

A concept you must know when using products inserted into the body, like tampons and menstrual cups, is toxic shock syndrome (TSS). It is a rare but potentially suddenly-progressing condition, reported to be related to toxins made by some bacteria. As cases associated with high-absorbency tampons in the 1980s became known, the standards for material and absorbency labeling and warning text were put in order, and occurrence since then is reported to have greatly decreased (US FDA, CDC).

The directions recommended for prevention are as follows.

• Choose the tampon of the lowest absorbency matching the flow. A product of excessive absorbency, which would stay long, is not recommended.
• Do not wear one tampon beyond 8 hours. During the day, change at intervals of 4-8 hours as a standard.
• On low-flow days, alternating with a pad is also one way.
• Wash your hands before and after insertion and removal.

The menstrual cup is guided as having lower risk since it catches rather than absorbs, but it is hard to declare that the risk is "none" (FDA). Keeping the recommended wearing time and the habit of washing cleanly between uses is important. There may be individual variation, so we recommend finding the product and cycle that suit you.

The 2017 controversy over pad ingredients threw the question of "what do you let touch your body?" at society as a whole. After that, ingredient disclosure, organic pads, and changes in packaging method followed quickly. It was a time when the meaning of menstrual products expanded beyond simple consumer goods to products connecting health, environment, and human rights.

In clinical experience, among those whose vulva often itches or burns, not a few react sensitively to fragrance or a particular material. In such cases, it helps to try switching to unscented, low-irritation products, and if symptoms still continue, to look once at the causes and management of vulvar itching. If a change in the smell or color of discharge accompanies it, it may not be simple irritation but recurring vaginitis, so distinction is needed.

The same goes when menstruation itself feels different from usual. If the cycle is erratic or the pattern of pain has changed, it may not be a product problem, so we recommend referring to when irregular periods or menstrual pain bother you and checking once. The habit of checking ingredient labels is small, but it becomes a starting point for respecting your own body.

Now it is an era of, beyond choosing a pad, understanding your own menstrual rhythm itself. Even in the same person, the change in volume, pain, and mood differs from month to month, and within that pattern lie the signals the body sends. Small records like the following help.

1. Record the cycle, volume, pain pattern, and emotional change together.
2. Find lifestyle habits (sleep, exercise, meals) that suit your hormonal rhythm.
3. Try shifting perspective from "enduring menstruation" to "caring-for menstruation."

Menstruation is close to a mirror that reflects women's health. Just as the change in tools is also the evolution of a society that respects the body, when the small observations of each month accumulate, you can notice the signals of change more quickly. If you are curious about the broader context, it is also good to read menstruation, a barometer of women's health together.

Whichever menstrual product you choose, I believe its start is "a heart that understands and respects your own body." If discomfort continues even after changing products, or if the menstrual pattern has changed and bothers you, do not agonize alone but get it checked. Start a menstruation and women's-health consultation

Written by: Lee Dong-hee, Director · OB/GYN Specialist · View physician profile

First published October 21, 2025 · Last reviewed May 30, 2026

References: US FDA, The Facts on Tampons and How to Use Them Safely, CDC Healthy Habits Menstrual Hygiene, ACOG Your First Period, 한국경제 (2017), VOXAPOD History of Menstrual Products (2020)

This article is intended to provide general health information and is not a substitute for individual diagnosis or treatment. If you have symptoms, please consult through a medical visit.