When was the feminine pad invented

From Alex H. Parker who designed the central heating furnace, to Marie Van Brittan Brown who created an early version of the modern home security system, Black women have blazed trails in science and technology, art and literature, reproductive justice and politics, and much more.

During Black History Month, we illuminate their contributions, struggles, and achievements, and play tribute to these overlooked heroes. We fight for a future that includes access to all reproductive health care no matter your zip code or employer. Missouri must lead the charge. Are you with us? After years of work, his invention has changed the lives of millions of women in India.

Muruga was shocked. But he also saw a chance to impress her. He decided to produce her sanitary pads himself. At first it seemed a simple task: he bought a roll of cotton wool and cut it into pieces, the same size as the pads sold in the shops, and then wrapped a thin layer of cotton around it.

He presented this homemade prototype pad to his wife and asked her to test it. The feedback she gave him was devastating: his pad was useless and she would rather continue using old rags. Where did he go wrong? What was the difference between his sanitary pads and those available at the shop? Muruga started experimenting with different materials, but was faced with another problem: he always had to wait a month before his wife could test each new prototype.

Muruga needed volunteers and had an idea where he might find them. He askedmedical students at a university close to his village.

In , with the war over, Kimberly-Clark executives were looking for ways to use Cellucotton in peacetime. He jumped on the idea. But Luecke ran into problems almost immediately. Similar doubts plagued Kimberly-Clark executives, but Luecke kept pushing and they agreed to try the idea, making the sanitary napkins themselves.

For the firm that Kimberly-Clark hired to do the advertising, their successful ad campaign gave them bragging rights. For the women who used them, Kotex sanitary napkins changed how they dealt with menstruation. They set a precedent for how nearly all American women would understand menstruation and how they would deal with it up to the present day.

Kat Eschner is a freelance science and culture journalist based in Toronto. Cellucotton, the material used to make Kotex sanitary pads, was used in World War 1 hospitals as a bandage.

Nurses quickly found another use for it. This early ad for Kotex pads reminds buyers that the item is "on sale at stores and shops that cater to women.