Patient's question:
I know what women use during their menstrual period and what is not good for them during that time. But I am particularly curious about what ancient women used during their menstrual periods and whether it was hygienic or clean. The help I want: What did ancient women use during their menstrual periods?Doctor's answer:
Hello, regarding this matter, there is a legend that long ago, when women experienced that, they would fill their pockets with ash and, upon feeling their pants wet, would insert the ash into their lower body. So back then, it was common to call menstruation "you're eating ash." However, the truth is simple: ancient people were already skilled in weaving cotton into fabric long ago. According to research, the history of cotton cultivation by ancient people dates back over 5,000 years.More than 30 years ago, in some remote rural areas of China, many women still used multiple layers of cloth as menstrual pads. These were reusable menstrual pads—after use, they were washed and dried before being used again. In rural areas, there were also those who used grass paper as menstrual pads. This so-called grass paper was actually made from straw, harder than cloth but more absorbent, making it a disposable product.
Generally, women wrapped cotton ash in cloth to make menstrual pads. The cloth could be washed and reused repeatedly, while the cotton ash would need to be disposed of after use and should not be left exposed.