See the contemporary P&G tampon Trust. See the other tampons Procter & Gamble sold around the time of Rely.
Read also the important following articles (issues listed) in the Rochester (New York) Patriot newspaper, which investigated Rely in 1975 and 1976, years before the toxic shock crisis: 23 July-5 August 1975 (front cover) - 6-26 August 1975 - 11 December 1975-13 January 1976 - 1-14 September 1976) - a letter to a customer assuring her that Rely was safe (April 1980) - and a letter from Procter & Gamble (22 September 1980) announcing that it was stopping distribution of Rely because of health concerns
See also the product safety page on this site, and you must read the definitive government site dealing with menstrual products safety: the Food and Drug Administration's at http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/ocd/tamponsabs.html See the super Rely tampon, two sections of its instructions, and an ad for Rely from 1980 And see some other tampons Procter & Gamble sold around the time of Rely and also early commercial tampons
See also the booklets How shall I tell my daughter? (Modess, various dates), Growing up and liking it (Modess, various dates), and Marjorie May's Twelfth Birthday (Kotex, 1928).
And read Lynn Peril's series about these and similar booklets!
See more Kotex items: First ad (1921) - ad 1928 (Sears and Roebuck catalog) - Lee Miller ads (first real person in amenstrual hygiene ad, 1928) - Marjorie May's Twelfth Birthday (booklet for girls, 1928, Australian edition; there are many links here to Kotex items) - Preparing for Womanhood (1920s, booklet for girls; Australian edition) - 1920s booklet in Spanish showing disposal method - box from about 1969 - "Are you in the know?" ads (Kotex) (1949)(1953)(1964)(booklet, 1956) - See more ads on the Ads for Teenagers main page.
CONTRIBUTE to Humor, Words and expressions about menstruation and Would you stop menstruating if you could?
Some MUM site links:
homepage | MUM 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.

Rely menstrual tampon: It Even Absorbed the Worry!
Second radio ad on MUM promoting Rely

The Rely tampon, apparently promoting the illness toxic shock in a few users, killed and maimed scores of women in the U.S.A. around 1980. Its maker, the Procter & Gamble Company, then took it off the market. (Rely main page.)

Listen to three radio ads promoting Rely tampons less than a year before the tampon left the market. Produced by Benton And Bowles Inc. in 11/8/79. I thank this generous radio man for sending them:

Mr. Finley--

The Rely radio spot brought back memories. I went through my collection of spots and found three thirty seconds radio spots for Rely. If you would like to hear them I can send them to you. I spent 17 years at a local AM/FM station with my major job assignment was transferring commercials onto the cartridges used in the air studios. . . .

I also have one for Cathy Rigby. . . .

I have been enjoying your site for years -- your talents, time and presentations are enjoyed by many

****

 Click for the first ad.
 
 Click for the third ad.
 Click for the radio spot telling listeners not to use Rely tampon.
 Listen to Olympic gymnast promote Stayfree pads on the radio (1982).

It became the most famous tampon in history, after Tampax (see a very early Tampax.)

Rely main page.

© 1999, 2007 Harry Finley. It is illegal to reproduce
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Please report suspected violations to hfinley@mum.org