The tampon with applicator was invented in 1929 by Dr. Earle Haas (1888-1981). The design, submitted for patent in 1931, consisted of a narrow tube nestling inside a bigger tube containing a cotton plug. When the narrow tube was pushed into the bigger tube, the tampon was guided into place in the vagina. Dangling from the end of the tampon was a piece of string that could be used for easy withdrawal.
The use of disposable plugs for menstrual flow dated back to the ancient Egyptians who invented tampons made from softened papyrus. Over the years women improvised with the materials at hand: in Rome it was wool, in Japan paper, in Indonesia vegetable fibers, and in Africa rolls of grass.
Haas registered the name Tampax as a trademark. In 1934, Haas's patents were purchased by a group of investors, leading to the birth of the Tampax Sales Corporation. The corporation's most significant contribution was to figure out how best to market the concept to women. The idea caught on quickly and women found tampons offered many advantages over conventional sanitary napkins: they were not visible under clothing and could be worn during activities like swimming.
Over the years tampons have been improved to fit inside women's bodies more efficiently. In 1976 an expandable tampon was patented by Dr. Kermit Krantz, a professor of anatomy at the University of Kansas. For women, tampons came to symbolize freedom and comfort, but the product has not been without controversy. There have been health concerns that tampons left in too long can cause toxic shock syndrome, where toxins from the Staphylococcus aureus bacterium are released into the bloodstream.
