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What Did Women Use for Sanitary Protection Before Commercial Pads and Tampons?

By Tracee Cornforth, About.com

Updated: September 24, 2007

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board

Question: What Did Women Use for Sanitary Protection Before Commercial Pads and Tampons?

Answer: You might be surprised to learn that, according to the Museum of Menstruation, in the 19th century American and European women probably wore nothing to contain menstrual bleeding. In fact, not only did women wear nothing to absorb menstrual blood, they also did not wear underwear.

"What European and American Women Wore When Menstruating"; Museum of Menstruation and Women's History; accessed 09/19/07

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