Washable pads from Almora, Uttar Pradesh state, India - Nineteenth-century Norwegian washable pads - Italian washable pad, probably from the 1890s - instructions for making Japanese pads, early 20th century? - German, about 1900
See Pad-n-all, with belt from about the 1930s-40s, U.S.A.

Snap-on style washable pad -Washable pad with belt - See how women wear a belt with a pad - see a Swedish ad showing a belt and pad - German pattern for washable pads, probably before 1900 - And see a menstrual sponge

See a Modess True or False? ad in The American Girl magazine, January 1947, and actress Carol Lynley in "How Shall I Tell My Daughter" booklet ad (1955) - Modess . . . . because ads (many dates).
CONTRIBUTE to Humor, Words and expressions about menstruation and Would you stop menstruating if you could?
Some MUM site links:
homepageMUM address & What does MUM mean? | e-mail the museum | privacy on this site | who runs this museum?? |
Amazing women! | the art of menstruation | artists (non-menstrual) | asbestos | belts | bidets | founder bio | Bly, Nellie | MUM board | books: menstruation and menopause (and reviews) | cats | company booklets for girls (mostly) directory | contraception and religion | costumes | menstrual cups | cup usage | dispensers | douches, pain, sprays | essay directory | extraction | facts-of-life booklets for girls | famous women in menstrual hygiene ads | FAQ | founder/director biography | gynecological topics by Dr. Soucasaux | humor | huts | links | masturbation | media coverage of MUM | menarche booklets for girls and parents | miscellaneous | museum future | Norwegian menstruation exhibit | odor | olor | pad directory | patent medicine | poetry directory | products, current | puberty booklets for girls and parents | religion | Religión y menstruación | your remedies for menstrual discomfort | menstrual products safety | science | Seguridad de productos para la menstruación | shame | slapping, menstrual | sponges | synchrony | tampon directory | early tampons | teen ads directory | tour of the former museum (video) | underpants & panties directory | videos, films directory | Words and expressions about menstruation | Would you stop menstruating if you could? | What did women do about menstruation in the past? | washable pads
Leer la versión en español de los siguientes temas: Anticoncepción y religión, Breve reseña - Olor - Religión y menstruación - Seguridad de productos para la menstruación.

 

Lakshmi Murthy: Teaching girls in rural India about
puberty & the menstrual cycle and how to make washable menstrual pads
Using a doll to explain the washable menstrual pads they will make

 

An instructor shows a cardboard demonstration doll with paper dress,
fabric pad and rope belt. (Photo courtesy of Lakshmi Murthy)

 

This museum's doll, which looks like a deluxe version, is made of cardboard and fabric,
and stands 25" tall (63.5 cm). The two horizontal creases at the one-third marks show
where the doll folded up.

 

Lifting the fabric dress reveals a miniature pad and belt that shows the students how to wear the bigger, real ones they will make as part of a two-hour lesson. Just as with many washable pads elsewhere (see here), the holder (red) contains a removable insert that absorbs the discharge (white), which I pulled to the side to show (above).

 

The body side of the doll's holder has fabric bands to hold the white pad., above.

Next: The real pad
First page of project, using the doll, the instruction wheel, pad-making instructions 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |,
explanation of project

Snap-on style washable pad -Washable pad with belt - See how women wear a belt with a pad - see a Swedish ad showing a belt and pad - German pattern for washable pads, probably before 1900 - And see a menstrual sponge
Washable pads from Almora, Uttar Pradesh state, India - Nineteenth-century Norwegian washable pads - Italian washable pad, probably from the 1890s - instructions for making Japanese pads, early 20th century? - German, about 1900
©2002 Harry Finley. It is illegal to reproduce or distribute any of the work on this Web site in any manner or medium without written permission of the author. Please report suspected violations to hfinley@mum.org