History of Menstruation

Poll

How much do you know about periods?

• Nothing, but I'm willing to learn!

• Why are you asking me...I'm a guy

• Enough, I guess

• Ew!! Blood!

Multiple Choice

How did menstrual treatment change from the 1700s to the 1800s?

• All women stopped wearing skirts and started wearing pants.

• Women used rags to collect menstrual blood.

• Women taught hygiene practices to large groups of young girls.

• Women used detachable pads connected to a waistband and tucked them into crotchless undergarments.

Multiple Choice

What is one way the Industrial Revolution changed feminine hygiene products and/or the stigma surrounding menstruation?

• Charles Goodyear vulcanized rubber and factories began to utilize that rubber for genital products

• Edward H. Clarke debunked Harvey Kellogg's idea that women should not be educated due to menstruation

• Factories prioritized the production of feminine hygiene products.

• The new Sanitary Apron quickly outsold Hoosier Sanitary aprons because it prevents cloth stains.

Multiple Choice

Checkpoint: Why did women use cellucotton pads?

• They could easily be found at home (First - Aid Kits)

• Working class women brought home cellucotton after a long day of working in cotton factories.

• It proved to absorb blood extremely well during WWI.

• Women enjoyed the texture of cellucotton (it was much softer and lighter compared to sanitary belts).

You should have paid attention​

Final Exam!!

Multiple Choice

In the 1800s, what were the rags (used for menstruation) made of?

• Cow hide

• Sheepskin

• Cotton Fiber

• Bear fur

Multiple Choice

True or False: In the 1900s, women used menstrual cups because it was promoted by actress Leona Chalmers.

• True

• Flase

Multiple Choice

Why was "The Pill" highly controversial?

• The scientist founded it in Communist Russia.

• It was extremely expensive and didn't actually help PMS.

• Its main side effect was birth control, which many viewed immoral.

• Women took "the pill" when pregnant as a form of abortion.

Multiple Choice

Why did StayFree produce commercials convincing women that hygiene products did not harm a woman's sexual purity?

• The fashion industry pressed Stayfree to sell tampons because they wanted to produce tighter-fitting clothing.

• Courtney Cox convinced them to.

• Stayfree wanted women to use tampons to prevent them from taking "the pill"

• In order to sell more products, they needed to convince women that their products were not harmful.

Multiple Choice

How did Kellogg and Clarke use menstruation to argue against the idea of new women?

• Menstruation blood was extremely messy and they didn't want women to stain chairs in classrooms.

• They claimed that PMS made women moody.

• They said that menstrual blood flowed to the brain, preventing women from comprehending information.

• New women were believed to have heavier cycles.

Multiple Choice

True or False: Women had more periods during the 1700s than they do now.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

True or False: The Hoosier Sanitary Belt remained popular up until the 1970s.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Which woman fought for educational rights after debunking the claim that women should stay at home when menstruation?

• Millicent Fawcett

• Emmeline Pankhurst

• Mary Putnam Jacobi

• Maria Montessori

Open Ended

How much have you learned from this presentation? How could we have done better?