SEE other
                        lubricated tampons: Dale
                        (1930s-1940s, U.S.A.) and Pursettes
                        (1950s-1970s, U.S.A.)
                      
                      
                      
                      More ads for teens (see also introductory page for
                        teenage advertising): Are
                          you in the know?
                          (Kotex napkins and Quest napkin powder, 1948,
                          U.S.A.), Are
                          you in the know?
                          (Kotex napkins and belts, 1949, U.S.A.)Are you in the know? (Kotex napkins, 1953, U.S.A.),
                        Are you in the know? (Kotex napkins and belts,
                          1964, U.S.A.), Freedom
                        (1990, Germany), Kotex (1992, U.S.A.), Pursettes (1974, U.S.A.), Pursettes (1974, U.S.A.), Saba (1975, Denmark)
                      See early tampons
                        and a list of tampon
                        on this site - at least the ones I've cataloged.
                      
                      
                      
                          
                          
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                                Gynotex wet and dry menstrual
                                  tampons (2005, The Netherlands) 
                                  English
                                    instructions
                                Since most visitors to this site
                                  read English, I show the English
                                  instructions, below. Click for the
                                  whole instruction sheet in seven
                                  languages (PDFs): front and back.
                                Women have inserted commercial "wet"
                                  - lubricated - tampons since at least
                                  the 1930s in America (see Dale and Pursettes)
                                  and have used sponges (more here) probably
                                  for thousands of years. Gynotex comes
                                  from Europe and is probably not
                                  available in the U.S.A. I don't know
                                  how expensive it is.
                                The instruction leaflet (here) says
                                  this wet tampon sponge (with no string
                                  or applicator) contains CHG
                                  (chlorhexidine gluconate), a chemical
                                  sometimes used as a germicidal
                                  mouthwash, among other things; it
                                  kills bacteria in the mouth and
                                  presumably in the vagina. Women
                                  douched for decades with Lysol, Zonite and
                                  similar stuff, and some women swore by
                                  them (a 79-year-old woman wrote a testimonial
                                  to MUM), but read an essay
                                  discouraging the practice and the
                                  chemicals used.
                                Mark Dujardin of the company sent
                                  this when I asked him about the
                                  substances used in the tampon:
                                  "Gynotex-dry is made of toxic free
                                  polyether foam. Gynotex-wet
                                  is made of PVA (polyvinyl alcohol)
                                  sponge, which is mainly used for
                                  chirurgical [surgical] tampons. The
                                  lubricant is on water basis,
                                  antiseptically for keeping the quality
                                  for 3 years."
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                      NEXT: box, Gynotex tampon 
                        Cardboard American
                          sponge can with sponge. 
                          Red can with
                          sponge. Black can
                          and sponge. 
                          Beautiful (Australian?)
                            sponge can with sponge lacking a net.  
                          Anna Health Sponge
                          (U.S.A., 1940s?) 
                          The contemporary Sea
                            Pearls (from the U.S.A.) menstrual
                          sponge 
                          The contemporary Gynotex
                          (from the Netherlands) menstrual sponge  
                        Main sponge page 
                          SEE
                        other lubricated tampons: Dale
                        (1930s-1940s, U.S.A.) and Pursettes
                        (1950s-1970s, U.S.A.)
                        
                      © 2005 Harry Finley. It is illegal to
                        reproduce or distribute any of the work on this
                        Web site in any manner  
                        or medium without written permission of the
                        author. Please report suspected violations to hfinley@mum.org
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