Patient's question:
I know what women use during their menstrual period and what is not good for them. But I am particularly curious about what ancient women used during their menstrual period, whether it was hygienic or clean. The help I want to get: What did ancient women use during their menstrual period?Doctor's answer:
Hello, regarding this matter, it is said that long ago, women would fill their pockets with ash when they felt their pants were wet and then stuff the ash into their lower body. That's why back then, bleeding was often referred to as "you're going to eat ash." However, the truth is quite simple. Ancients were already adept at 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 multi-layered cloth as menstrual pads. These were reusable pads that could be washed and dried for reuse. In rural areas, some women also used grass paper as menstrual pads. Grass paper, as the name suggests, is made from straw, which is 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, while the ash had to be disposed of after use and should not be left exposed.