While menstruation is "a problem as old as Eve" according to Leona Chalmers in an ad appearing in 1950 for the first menstrual cup, until recently there have only been three mainstream products developed to manage menstruation: the pad, the tampon, and the menstrual cup. Shara L. Volstral in her book Under Wraps: A History of Menstrual Hygiene Technology argues that menstruation is political. She writes about a girl on her first day of school navigating the politics of menstruation. Should she wear a skirt or pants? Will her pad show? She writes, "Wendy knew enough that she needed to alter her behavior while at school to act like she was not menstruating. She learned these cues from her friends, family, and societal reinforcement. The second issue is that the menstrual hygiene technologies enabled her to pass as a non-bleeder on that first day of school." (1-2) Looking at the evolution of menstrual technology, we can track the evolution of female priorities and values. However, all three of these objects reveal the importance of containing menstruation and hiding it from observers. 

The earliest form of menstrual technology is the pad, which has been used in some form or another since the beginning of the species. The disposable commercial pad was not created until the late 19th century in the USA by Johnson and Johnson. Before the 1970s and the invention of self-adhesive pads, women had to wear belts to keep pads in place. The invention of The New Freedom Pad, an adhesive pad developed by Kotex, ended the belted-pad industry almost immediately. Pads continued to improve, getting smaller and thinner and developing wings to protect underwear against leaks.

Around the same time that the modern pad was being invented, a patent for the first ever menstrual cup was created by S. L, Hockert. This menstrual cup resembled the uterine supporter, consisting of a menstrual cup connected to a wire that would be inserted into the vagina. That wire would be held in place by a belt around the woman's waist. It is unclear if this menstrual cup was ever actually created, but it was certainly not advertised. 

The first commercial menstrual cup was created in 1937 by Leona Chalmers. Menstrual cup production began around 1950 coinciding with World War II. Production was quickly brought to a halt due to rubber shortages related to the war. Until recently, menstrual cups were largely abandoned for several reasons. Menstrual cups were made with a thick rubber that was hard and uncomfortable to wear. Women were also uncomfortable inserting things in into their vaginas. This concern also affected initial tampon sales. 

The early and mid-twentieth century preference for the pad reveals a general disgust for menstruation. With a pad, a woman did not have to directly confront her menstruating body the way she would with a menstrual cup or a tampon. Nothing was inserted into the body. The pad, unlike the menstrual cup, did not require women to touch their menstruating vagina. Women were also able to easily dispose of the evidence of menstruation. Menstrual cups had to be washed; pads could simply be thrown away or burned. 

The growing popularity of tampons around 1970 marks a shift in female priorities. The British Medical Journal published an article about "Dr. Aveling's Tampon Tube" in the section on latest innovations in medicine. This early version of the tampon was more complex, requiring the operator to tie four pieces of cotton together with string. These cotton pieces were then saturated with glycerin before being smooshed into the applicator. It is unclear whether women were buying these early versions of tampons, or if women were even able to use tampons without the help of a doctor. 

The first commercial tampon appeared in 1933 when Earle Haas, a general practitioner created Tampax. The product was initially controversial. Shara Vostral writes, “For many people, there was a lot of discomfort with the idea of women touching themselves in any way in their vaginal or labia area, especially young girls...A lot of people argued that [tampon use] was not only inappropriate because it might break the hymen, but it might be also pleasurable and might be a way for girls to experience orgasmic pleasure.” The Tampax applicator alleviated the former complaint; women were able to insert a tampon into their vagina without actually having to touch it.

As women became more active during World War II, the tampon became more popular. While they did not immediately eclipse pads as the primary choice of menstrual product, a survey taken in 1940 claims that about a quarter of women used them. Various new brands began to appear with names that were feminine and delicate like Lilette and Pursette. One brand of tampon was called Fibs, suggesting that the tampon allowed the woman to live a small lie, that her period did not exist. This idea of concealing menstruation continued into the 1970s with the introduction of the deodorizing tampon. These tampons boasted a "fresh, delicate scent," seeming to suggest that menstruation was a dirty process that needed to be counteracted. The popularity of the tampon is directly linked to its ability to allow a woman to deny the existence of menstruation. Women could participate in activities like swimming that would have previously been limited by menstruation. Tampons were small and discreet, allowing women to carry them in purses without notice. They also allowed women to absorb their period within their bodies unlike the pad, which collected menstrual blood outside the body. Women only had to look at menstrual blood for a moment before immediately disposing of the tampon. 

With the introduction of deodorizing tampons, a large number of women began questioning the current menstrual technology options. Chris Bobel, in her article "From Convenience to Hazard: A Short History of the Emergence of the Menstrual Activism Movement, 1971-1992," writes, "Increasing numbers of women began to question the safety of menstrual products and, more fundamentally the social construction of menstruation as a shameful process" (740) This concern was validated with the emergence of Toxic Shock Syndrome. 

In 1975, Procter and Gamble began testing a new tampon called "Rely". Rely was a hyper-absorbent tampon which could reportedly absorb a woman's entire menses. This ultra-absorbent tampon was shaped like a teabag and contained chips of carboxymethylcellulose. Women reported vomiting and diarrhea after using samples of Rely. A year after the tampon was formally released, the FDA changed its regulations requiring companies to register its products. (Bobel 743) The products were not strictly monitored until the outbreak of Toxic Shock Syndrome in 1979 and 1980. 

Between October of 1979 and May of 1980 there were fifty-five reported cases of Toxic Shock Syndrome. Seven of these cases were fatal. In July of 1980 the Center of Disease Control released a report linking TSS to tampon use. Three quarters of the women with Toxic Shock syndrome were using Rely tampons. Procter and Gamble reluctantly removed their product from the shelf in August of 1980. 

After the TSS outbreak, feminist health groups began lobbying for tampon manufactures to provide a complete list of ingredients. They were ultimately unsuccessful. The Atlantic Monthly notes the irony, “To this day, a tube of mascara or a bottle of shampoo has to come with a list of ingredients, but not a box of tampons.” TSS did cause manufacturers to rethink the tampon. In 2001 Tampax released the Tampax Pearl, a tampon with a plastic applicator, a kite like shape, and a leakguard braid at the base of the tampon. The invention of these more comfortable tampons caused women to forget the past risks associated with the device. The inconspicuousness, comfort, and convenience of tampons eclipsed the health risks that the technology posed.  

 Philip Tierno, a microbiologist who is invested in TSS research estimates that eighty percent of women who are of menstrual age use tampons. However, women are starting to explore other options signaling another shift in attitudes about the female body. The Diva Cup, has gained popularity because of the environmental effects of disposable tampons and pads. The use of Diva cups also show a shift in the way some women feel about their menstruating body. The text on the Diva Cup site reads, "Many women feel uneasy about changing their menstrual care routine. Years of dealing with the sights and odors of disposable tampons and pads cause the familiar reaction: “ick!”. The DivaCup empowers women to connect with their bodies and menstrual cycles like never before." While the Diva Cup is hardly mainstream, it does reveal a market that is beginning to view the female menstruating body as something powerful rather than disgusting. At the very least, care for the environment is becoming more important than making menstruation invisible. 

The other alternative product that is gaining popularity is Thinx underwear, This product resembles a regular pair of underwear, but reportedly holds up to two tampons worth of liquid. The underwear have different absorbency levels for different days of the cycle, heavy, medium, light, and lightest. They also come in various styles including boyshort, cheeky, and thong. Tampons are also being redeveloped with increasing concern for female health. Lola tampons come in a beautiful white box with tampons in varying shades of blue. The tampons are 100% cotton with no chemical additives. 

While menstrual technology is certainly advancing, the American society still views the unrestrained menstruating body as taboo. While nudity is rampant on Instagram, a shot of a college student lying in bed with a period stain on her sheets was considered explicit. Rupi Kaur posted this photo on Instagram and it was removed within twenty-four hours. The film 50 Shades of Grey, based on the erotic novel, chose to cut a scene where the protagonist’s tampon is removed before sex. If they had included the scene it would have meant an NC-17 rating. The sustained popularity of the tampon seems to reaffirm America's desire for menstruation to remain invisible. However, the popularity of menstrual cups and Thinx panties reveal a shift toward the acceptance of natural female bodily function.