To this day, no one dares to point out a single inventor or a precise date that marks the appearance of this innovation that revolutionized women’s lives. However, it is known that at least 2,500 years ago, women already used something to stop the blood flow “in those days”. One of the first records of tampons appears in the manuscripts of the Greek Hippocrates, who lived between 460 and 370 BC and is considered the father of medicine. In one of his works, he mentions a menstrual protection that was used inside the vagina – it is not possible to know more details because there are few descriptions about the object.
Until the beginning of the 20th century, the most used sanitary pad was the “toalhinhas”, popular name for strips of fabric folded into three parts, then washed and reused. «They weren’t as practical as today’s products, but they fulfilled their function well, as long as they were used well dry, avoiding the humidity that brings inflammation and fungus», says gynecologist Mauro Abi Aidar, from the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp ). Studies for the creation of disposable pads began in Germany, at the end of the 19th century. The first of these products, a kind of bandage that women put on their panties, appeared in stores in 1890. Other significant advances took place in the 1930s. At that time, Modess arrived in Brazil, the first disposable pad sold in the country. In 1933, in the United States, the first patent registration of a tampon appeared – here, the novelty would only arrive four decades later, with the OB
“What is certain is that these products have greatly improved the quality of life for women. In any case, they should take some precautions when using them, such as avoiding buying scented pads, which can cause allergies, changing the product whenever it is damp, and leaving tampons only for special occasions, such as beach or bathing. swimming pool”, says Mauro.
1854
American inventors register the first patents for a belt with washable absorbent fabrics, to replace the old washcloths used until then
1890
In Germany, the first disposable pad appears, Hartmann’s, a bandage sold in a box of six units. Years later, the product arrives in England and the United States
1894
German inventors create a panty with a kind of attached washable belt. The creation, however, is not successful and soon falls into disuse.
30’s
Modess, by Johnson & Johnson, is the first disposable pad to arrive in Brazil. The product, which was imported from factories in the United States, only began to be industrialized here in 1945
1933
The first tampons are patented in the United States. Four years later, the American doctor Earle Haas put on sale Tampax, the pioneer internal product with applicator
1974
In Brazil, OB is launched, the first tampon in the country. The name comes from ohne binde, a German expression that means something like «no towel».
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