one for the girls

I'm not sure whether any of you guys will be able to understand this, but for the few girls in our course I'm sure you'll agree: one of the greatest products that none of us could live without is sanitary pads and tampons. Before pads, women would often use rags or cloths in their place, which would be both uncomfortable and would not work nearly so well. With the development of the pad, and technology in materials and ergonomic design, there is greater absorption and less leakage, and a more comfortable fit. 

The disposable pad first came around at the end of the 1800s, but was not commonly used due to lack of availability and high prices. They were primarily used by nurses, who had easy access to the right kind of absorptive materials. However early pads were also very thick (up to 2cm), and prone to leaks. From there, the materials used such as wood pulp or cloth were improved upon by adding a polyacrylate gel that improved absorption, thereby allowing the thickness to be reduced to something more comfortable. Being able to secure the pad as well, and the addition of wings, made pads more reliable and they began to be used more and more over reusable pads. 

Nowadays, almost every woman uses pads, and tampons, during menstruation. This is a product we could not live without, and makes each month a lot easier!

Holly Squirrell