History+of+Tampons

**__Ancient Tampons__**
The history of tampons is rather colorful. The oldest record of this article is documented in the fifth century. Hippocrates, a physician in Greek times, documented them as a medical supply derived from lint wrapped around lightweight wood. In other places around the world, women improvised with whatever materials they had on hand. In Egypt, women used softened papyrus. In Rome, they used wool. In Japan, they used paper. In Indonesia, women fashioned tampons out of vegetable fibers. And finally in Equatorial Africa, Women fashioned rolls of grass. (Kowalski, Sarah; 1999)

**__Introduction into American Culture__**
Tampons have been used in American Culture since close to discovery. However the modern tampon (with applicator) was not invented till 1929 Dr. Earle Haas to be used as a medical product. (Bellis, Mary; 2010) Till that point, women had used Fax tampons that had extra gauze for removal instead of the modern string. The first commercial tampons were introduced in the late 1920's or early 1930's. This introduction was 40 years after the introduction of commercial pads. In 1931, Gertrude Tendrich bought the patent and rights to the tampon and Tampax company. (Bellis, Mary; 2010)

__**Early Marketing**__
Marketing for the early Tampax company was very different from Tampon marketing today. In the first decade of the Tampax company, Tampons were marketed as a medical advancement. Even though tampons had been around since before common era, they were new to commercial use. Early ads painted tampons as safer, cleaner, and more advanced than bulky infectious pads. Over the next ten years, a continuous study of 429 drug stores noted in 1945 that tampon sales had at least ten percent of what commercial pads were selling. This simple study showed that in ten years, Tampon sales had multiplied to five times it's original marketing.

**__Modern Marketing__**
Modern marketing has dealt with more modern problems. In the 1970's, an urban myth spread that tampons would take away your virginity. This myth spread to the point that ads were being released to address this issue. Even Cosmogirl addressed this issue repeatedly once in 1994. One popular ad stated in 1990, (Kowalski, Sarah; 1999) Now in the new millennium, the focus has shifted more to comfort and wearability. In many commercials today there is the talk about the tight fitting dress that cannot show anything. The current ads include everything from girls in white dresses dancing in clubs to cheerleaders doing jump splits in the big game. A lot has changed in 80 years.
 * "'Are you sure I'll still be a virgin?'" The photograph shows two girls, and the premise is that the ad is a testimonial from a teenage girl who was worried about losing her virginity by using tampons, and so asked her friend to give her the facts ("Her mom is a nurse so I figured she'd know"). The answer? "She told me she'd been using Petal Soft Plastic Applicator Tampax tampons since her first period and she's a virgin. In fact, you can use them at any age and still be a virgin." ||