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The earliest historical evidence of tampon use can be found in ancient Egyptian medical records that described tampons comprised of material derived from the papyrus plant. In the fifth century B.C., Greek women fashioned their protection by wrapping lint around a small piece of wood, according to writings of Hippocrates, a physician considered to be the father of western medicine.
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Dr. Earle Haas patented and invented the modern day tampon (with applicator).
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Haas filed for his first tampon patent on November 19, 1931 and originally described it as a "catamenial device," a term derived from the Greek word for monthly.
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The o.b. Tampon. Invented by German gynecologist Dr. Judith Esser-Mittag in the 1940’s, the o.b. Tampon was marketed as a “smarter” alternative to applicator tampons by emphasizing greater comfort and doing away with the need for an applicator.
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Gertrude Tendrich would go on to form the Tampax company and begin mass production. Within a few years, the Tampax arrived on store shelves and by 1949 appeared in more than 50 magazines.
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Frequently, DIY solutions were employed by women with active lifestyles (like dancers) and, as Friedman points out, women in “dubious professions” of the era like acting, modeling, prostitution—and sports.
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"Designed for your body", Tampax came out with the 5 sized tampons in 2014.
