The most fascinating "mansplaining": Watch this video about the history of tampons

The menstrual product was first invented by the ancient Egyptians, but wasn't patented until the Depression era!

Published October 31, 2014 5:01PM (EDT)

       (<a href='http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-140512p1.html'>Jiri Hera</a> via <a href='http://www.shutterstock.com/'>Shutterstock</a>)
(Jiri Hera via Shutterstock)

Once, when I was about 15, I was standing in my parents' kitchen thinking about menstruation (as 15-year-olds are wont to do) when a question came to mind: Who invented tampons? I decided to ask my mother, who is not known for her trivia skills. She responded immediately, without blinking.

"Dr. Herman Tampon."

Clearly, I needed to go to the Internet. Wikipedia told me that tampons were originally used by the ancient Egyptians, which was a good enough answer for me at the time -- so I stopped reading.

That means I didn't learn the following, fascinating history of tampons, which is much more interesting than you or I likely would have expected; thankfully, the explainers at Fusion realized this, and decided to make a video detailing the ubiquitous menstrual product's history. The first in the new website's "Mansplainer" series, the video is packed with not-entirely-useful-but-very-intriguing information that could maybe (maybe) make for a good conversation opener one day. If, of course, you are surrounded by people who also contemplated menstruation a lot as teenagers.

Watch the video below:


By Jenny Kutner

MORE FROM Jenny Kutner


Related Topics ------------------------------------------

Feminine Hygiene Products Fusion Menstrual Products Menstruation Periods Tampons Video