Informational Pamphlets on Girls’ Puberty and Sexual Health
Scope and Contents
Produced by menstrual product corporations, including Modess Corp., International Cellucotton Products Co., Personal Products Corporation, Kimberly-Clark, and Tampax, these pamphlets include informational advice on sexual health and menstruation for a young audience. Pamphlets and booklets are intended as advertisements, featuring descriptions of menstrual products and their uses. Materials in the collection constitute fictional narratives of puberty and informational pamphlets on sex and courtship. Topics covered include menstruation, dating, masturbation, homosexuality, motherhood, pregnancy, and gender relations.
Dates
- Creation: 1933 - 1992
Access Restrictions
The collection is open for research use
Use Restrictions
Standard Federal Copyright Law Applies (U.S. Title 17)
Historical note
The first commerically available and disposable menstrual products were likely Johnson and Johnson's "Lister's Towels" or "Sanitary Napkins for Ladies" from the 1890s. Its use was limited, however, and it was the introduction of Kotex in 1921 which led to the expansion of the market for disposable menstrual products.
References:
Sanitary Suspenders to Mooncups, V&A, https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/a-brief-history-of-menstrual-products
Feminine Hygiene Products, Smithsonian, https://www.si.edu/spotlight/health-hygiene-and-beauty/feminine-hygiene-products
Extent
.25 linear ft. (1 box)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Thirty pamphlets related to education of girls and young women about menstruation and sexual health.
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically
Acquisition
Purchased from Eclectibles, April 2023
Processing Information
Processed by Ruth Mercedes and Lillian Austin, completed September 2023
- Title
- Informational Pamphlets on Girls’ Puberty and Sexual Health
- Author
- Ruth Mercedes and Lillian Austin
- Date
- September, 2023
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
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