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Tampax.com is a treasure trove of candid, science-based answers to your burning questions. It’s our mission to break the taboos around period talk.

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Thanks to our partners, we're making a difference by providing products to those who need it and by making period conversations as normal as periods.

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Learn about the ingredients and materials that Tampax uses in their tampons, as well as safety info to give you peace of mind with your period protection.

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Tampax is constantly striving to change how people see and experience periods, whether that’s by making period conversations as normal as periods or providing products for those who most need them — but that goal requires working together. It’s through the power of partnership that Tampax can make a difference in everyday lives.  
We’re already seeing results: Since 2019, Tampax has donated 6.3 million tampons with the help of our partners!


Tampax 2015

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Feeding America

Safety first

Tampax_1936

Can You Flush Tampons? The Facts on Tampon Disposal and Recycling Tampax

Tampax 1940s

### 2002: 
#### The Next Big Thing in Period Care
That groundbreaking new tampon was Tampax Pearl, which debuted in 2002 with a plastic applicator and rounded tip; it was an immediate success. In addition to an easy to insert plastic applicator, Tampax Pearl was designed with FormFit expansion to gently expand to fit her unique shape. That, plus a LeakGuard braid to help stop leaks before they happen, made Tampax Pearl up to 100% leak free to help women be worry free on even their heaviest days.

### 1985
#### Tampax Breaks TV Taboos
In an effort to break a crazy taboo, Tampax uses the word “period” in one of our TV ads, a revolutionary move at the time. It was all part of our mission to stop people from making women feel ashamed or embarrassed about a perfectly natural function of the female body.  

### 1986
#### 50 Years of Living Life Without Limits
Tampons were named one of the “50 small wonders and big deals that revolutionized the lives of consumers.” We like to think Tampax had a part in that, considering we celebrated our 50th anniversary that same year and boasted a market share of over 60 percent at the time. 


Ingredient Transparency

Tampax 2012

## Helping End Period Poverty
Periods are a force of nature. Together, we can make them a force for good. No one should have to have their period without period protection, which is why Tampax and our partners at Always donate one  tampon or pad to those in need for every specially marked [Tampax PURE](/en-us/all-products/pure/) or Always PURE pack purchased. Tampax partners with Feeding America® to deliver period products to families in need and girls in school across the country. Feeding America® is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. With 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries across the U.S., the organization makes it possible for women and girls everywhere to get period protection that makes them feel comfortable and confident.

Tampax also understands that people may unexpectedly find themselves in need. When people are forced to evacuate during a disaster and are displaced, it can be tough to find basic supplies — including often overlooked period protection. We’re proud to partner with and donate to Matthew 25: Ministries, an international humanitarian aid and disaster relief organization helping 18 million people in need each year.
## Helping Stop the Stigma
Tampax also strives to dismantle the taboo, hush-hush culture around periods, and a major part of that effort involves working with like-minded partners. At Tampax, we believe education leads to empowerment — and in turn the ability to make informed decisions about period protection. To provide parents and kids of all ages with expert advice around puberty and periods, we’ve partnered with Girlology. Girlology’s two founders - both of which are doctors and moms - help parents and kids Fear Less & Know More about puberty, periods and health.

Not only that, but periods have long been maligned as “gross” or unhygienic, leading to period stigma that prevents those who get periods from talking about it. That’s why we’ve teamed up with the nonprofit PERIOD, which works to destigmatize periods and end period poverty by making period products more accessible. The organization also fights for systemic change towards menstrual equity — which means making your period products affordable, accessible and safe.
## Learn More About Our Partners
__Feeding America®__ is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through a network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs, Feeding America provides meals to more than 40 million people each year. Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food security among the people they serve; educates the public about the problem of hunger; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Individuals, charities, businesses and government all have a role in ending hunger. Donate. Volunteer. Advocate. Educate. Together we can solve hunger. Visit [www.feedingamerica.org](https://www.feedingamerica.org/) to learn more.


__PERIOD__ was founded in 2014 by two 16-year-old high school students with a passion for periods. To date, PERIOD has addressed over 1 million periods through product distribution and registered over 700 PERIOD chapters in all 50 US states and in over 40 countries. For more information, visit [Period.Org](https://www.period.org/)

There’s nothing worse than feeling a little *squish* in your pants and being faced with the potential horror that you might’ve just started your period unprepared. “When should I get my period?” you wonder, followed by “Did I just start my period?” are not the best things to cross your mind on a day you’re not expecting it. Be your own period prepper with the Tampax Period Calculator to know when your flow is about to start.
For those vagina-havers with regular cycles (how’s it feel to be genetically lucky?), use our period calendar tracking tool to find out when you can roll the dice with your favorite pair of white jeans. 

__How do menstrual calculators work?__
Glad you asked. Basically, your body runs on a four-part “menstrual cycle” — and while you might assume that phrase means just the week of bleeding, in actuality, your menstrual cycle also refers to the weeks you don’t bleed. Your body is still grinding and putting in work — it’s not like your reproductive system just goes all-out the one week you bleed.
[You start with the menstrual cycle (your period, when the lining of your uterus sheds), followed by the follicular phase (when the follicles in your ovaries mature and get ready for the prime time: ovulation), then comes (you guessed it) ovulation (when the egg is released), followed finally by the luteal phase (when the egg makes its way down your fallopian tubes and gets ready to bleed)](/en-us/period-health/menstrual-cycle-phases/).

Knowing this, you can track your period and your cycle. Voila!

It’s like those annoying SAT logic questions. If luteinizing is def gonna happen, then the menstrual cycle is def gonna happen next, and it’s only a matter of time before you bleed. You can also tell other ways to see where in your cycle your body is, like tracking your basal body temp (your temp when you first wake up), and checking your cervical mucus, both of which are helpful to know if you want to see if you’re ovulating, aka at your most fertile. But since seeing your period is an easier way of pinning down where you are in your cycle, tracking the days you bleed can also help you fill in the missing gaps to better picture your cycle’s timeline. 

It’s using this information that you can get a chronological, clearer picture of what to expect. 

Of course, not everyone’s cycle is totally the same. The average length that people usually go by is 28 days, but [anywhere from 21 to 35 days is normal too](/en-us/period-health/menstrual-cycle-phases/), so don’t stress if you tend to be on the earlier or later side, as long as it’s consistent for your bod. If you’re on birth control, this can also help give you a more stable idea of your cycle, as birth control regulates your period a bit better. 

But whether your period is three days, five, or seven days, whether it comes every month or more like every month-ish, you can still use a period calculator to better learn your cycle.
__How to Use a Period Tracker:__
Simply input the length of your average period and the length of your last period, and let the period calculator do the rest. 

Pop in the date your last period began, the length of time it lasted, and the average length of your cycle to get a better idea of when you can reasonably expect your next period. If you have no idea how long between your periods, make a note the next time it starts and when it ends so you have it on hand for next month. Better late than never amirite?

You can also use a “period tracker” for way more than just predicting bleed week. Since ovulation usually occurs on the [14th day of your cycle](https://www.medicinenet.com/menstruation/article.htm) (with Day 1 of your cycle being the first day you bleed), you can also learn and track peak ovulation.

Period Calendar Bottom Text

Tampax 1986

### 1934
#### Taking Care of Business 
Enter a Denver-based female entrepreneur who purchased the tampon patent and set about building a female-led, female-focused company to produce, market, and sell tampons. At the very beginning of the business, she was actually hand-sewing the tampons herself before scaling to machinery.

Time to Tampax with Amy Schumer

Tampax Our Ingredients | Tampax®

## Let’s Talk About It. Seriously.
Our mission is to make period conversations as normal as periods so women and all who bleed can feel educated, empowered and limitless every day of the month. 

Tampax is proud of our 80+ year history as a brand founded by a fearless female entrepreneur. Our founder created an all-female workforce to sell tampons - from women factory workers to traveling nurses who educated the public. She even convinced newspapers to run public ads - at a time when no respectable lady was supposed to be talking about vaginas, let alone things that went inside of them.
 
We continue to believe in a culture of confidence, female empowerment, and courage that comes with knowing women can live their life without limits, even while on their periods. Period. 

Sadly, society has created a world where there's no real talk about women's bodies, periods, or tampons. And when we don't talk about periods, people feel like they can't talk about periods. This lack of conversation self-perpetuates myths and misinformation, makes people worry about the unknown, leads them to put up with physical discomfort, and results in a lack of knowledge that still holds us all back today.

Let’s get real. The last extensive period conversation many people had was likely about their first period. It was probably awkward. They were probably awkward. People should be allowed more than one conversation about their bodies and their periods, because lack of conversation leads to miseducation, misinformation and missed opportunities.
## No Shame. No Stress. No Limits.
Tampax is building on our [bold history](/en-us/about/our-story/history-of-tampax/) by helping women, and others who bleed, imagine a future without limits. What if we could talk freely about our periods? What if we could be empowered with facts about our bodies, rather than silently stress-Googling? Tampax believes talking about your period should be as easy as any other life update, like a hard day at work or an exciting new boo. The topic of tampons should be as neutral as toothbrushes or shampoo. No shame. No stress.
## Tampons Are Our Business, but You Are Our Priority 
We are, and have always been, about improving the lives of women and other people who bleed. We put you at the core and each of our [products](/en-us/all-products/) have been created, updated or advanced based on your needs. We’ve also made it our business to clear up any period-related mysteries, because not having the right information can be scary and create barriers that are keeping you from living your fullest lives. To change this, we are [partnering with other period powerhouses](/en-us/about/partnerships/) and experts to provide opportunities to laugh, teach and talk about periods, while sparking conversation and supporting those who are doing the same. When it comes to periods, we’re ready to shatter the limitations that hold all who bleed back. Let’s do this!

Tampax 2019

Which Tampon Sizes Do you Need? Know Your Flow 

### 1940s
#### Tampax University Is Now in Session
World War II pushes more women into the workforce, and the need for reliable, limitless period protection becomes a driving force in the popularity of tampons. Tampax responds by creating our own formal education program to teach women about tampons and the best way to use them.  
In 1941 Tampax established the company’s first educational department. The women educators became known as the ‘Tampax Ladies,’ traveling to colleges and schools, as well as trade shows and conventions. 
Also in 1941, at the New Brunswick Plant, Tampax produced cotton bandages and surgical dressings for the U.S. military alongside the tampon assembly lines.

Our Ingredients - Article List

### 2019
#### Go With the Flow
Did you know that you can use different tampon sizes depending on your specific period flow? Tampax worked to spread the word on this common misconception— and that only Tampax Pearl tampons have five absorbencies (Light, Regular, Super, Super Plus and Ultra), so you can find the best match for your changing period flow. Not sure how to find the right size? Use our guide for picking the [best tampon sizes for your flow](/en-us/tampon-truths/best-tampons-sizes-for-heavy-light-flow/). 


Our Sustainability Goals Towards Reducing Waste

### 1960s/1970s
#### The Tampon Boom
While still dominating the tampon game, competition starts to get fierce as companies like Playtex, Kimberly-Clark, and Johnson & Johnson debut their own versions. Magazine ads focus on how tampons are discreet and let you wear whatever you want when you’re on your period.
In 1972, tampon ads are shown on TV in the U.S. for the first time ever, marking a major milestone towards normalizing period talk and bringing more awareness about tampon options to women across the nation.

### 1980s
#### Tampax Begins TSS Education
Tampax began an educational campaign discussing both Tampax tampons and Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) to educate women on the effects, symptoms, and treatment options. Learn more about [Toxic Shock Syndrome Causes, Symptoms and Treatment options](/en-us/period-health/toxic-shock-syndrome-causes-treatment/).

Tampax, with a little help from Amy Schumer, is on a mission to help provide education on periods and tampons. Get your questions answered here!

Amy Schumer and Tampax are teaming up to make period conversations as normal as periods – removing the stigma around periods and tampons so people can laugh about them, learn about them and have a more comfortable period experience. Join us!

Talking Tampons and Periods with Amy Schumer | Tampax®

Period

Tampax_1934

__TAMPAX PARTNERS WITH AMY SCHUMER TO TURN YOUR QUESTION MARKS INTO PERIODS__
*U.S. adults are getting a failing grade when it comes to understanding the reproductive system, and Tampax is on a mission to help close the knowledge gap*

Health education entered schools in the 1920s. But 100 years later, we’ve made little progress. Sadly, 41% of women are not 100% confident they know how to correctly insert a tampon, according to recent research conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of Tampax1. One reason for this confusion is that in the US, only 29 states are required to teach sex and reproductive health education and of those, only 22 states require the content to be medically accurate2. Tampax, the leading period protection brand, is working to change that by joining forces with comedian and actress Amy Schumer to ensure people understand what is going on with their bodies, so they can take control over their periods, feel educated and empowered about using tampons, and have a more comfortable experience.

TAMPAX PARTNERS WITH AMY SCHUMER TO TURN YOUR QUESTION MARKS INTO PERIODS

Mathew Ministries

Let's Talk About It | Time to Tampax with Amy Schumer

Your flow is different every day.  
Your tampon should be, too.

#### Find your flow combo with Tampax Pearl

The Stages of Female Puberty: Hair, Boobs, and Other Signs

Tampax and Amy

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The 2020 Tampax Period Education Survey1 revealed there is a significant knowledge gap when it comes to periods and tampons, which leads to misinformation, miseducation and missed opportunities that can limit a woman’s potential. Some of the key findings include:
- Virtually no one (94% of US adults) knows how many days the average menstrual cycle lasts
- 77% of adults believe that a tampon can get lost inside a woman’s body
- More than half of women (62%) can’t locate a vagina on a diagram
- 13% of adults admit to not knowing anything about tampons
- Nearly 1 in 10 adults (7%) think that a tampon can take a woman’s virginity

“When I started working with Tampax,” shared Amy Schumer, “it made my heart hurt to hear about the discomfort people are putting up with because they don’t understand periods or even how to use a tampon properly, and I want to do everything I can to change that. My hope is that through this partnership, we’ll educate ourselves and each other and take the senseless shame out of getting your period.”
Schumer is featured in a series of comedic videos that are aimed at teaching people about their periods and tampons as they watch her get the answers to America’s questions. 

Schumer is joined in this campaign by medical expert Dr. Melisa Holmes, OB/GYN and co-founder of Girlology, a non-profit physician-led health organization, to answer burning questions people have about their bodies, periods and tampons. 

[Check out the content](#videogallery) and help Amy and Tampax make period conversations as normal as periods – removing the stigma around periods and tampons so people can laugh about them, learn about them and have a more comfortable period experience. 

1The Tampax Period Education Survey, 2020 
2Bradford, K., & Johnson, T. (2020, April 1). State Policies on Sex Education in Schools. Retrieved May 11, 2020, from [https://www.ncsl.org/research/health/state-policies-on-sex-education-in-schools.aspx](https://www.ncsl.org/research/health/state-policies-on-sex-education-in-schools.aspx)

The 2020 Tampax Period Education Survey

Only Tampax Pearl tampons have five absorbencies so you can find  
the perfect match for your period flow. Tampax Pearl are available in Light,  
Regular, Super, Super Plus and Ultra tampon absorbencies.

Five Absorbencies to Match Your Flow

## Five Absorbencies to Match Your Flow

Period Tracker

Once upon a time people used the stars for navigation and thought the earth was flat. We’re better than that now. Thanks to modern science (namely period trackers), knowing exactly when to throw an extra Tampax or two into your bag doesn’t have to be a complete shot in the dark anymore. Simply punch your info into our period cycle tracker to see when you might be feeling that PMS bloat, when you can expect your period, and when you’re the most fertile during ovulation.

### Period Tracker

You probably have never really thought about when tampons were invented, or even who invented them. Why would you? We’ve been fortunate enough to have never really known a time where tampons weren’t a thing. But, up until 1929, the prevalent method for women to deal with their period each month was with bulky pads, usually made of some type of thick cloth. As you can imagine, those weren’t really the most convenient or comfortable ways to manage your monthly flow. Imagine walking around with what felt like a diaper stuffed in your underwear. Not fun.
Which is where we came in. While tampons as we know them today were invented in 1929, it wasn’t until 1934 when our fearless female founder bought the patent and started a female-led and female focused company. Tampax has been educating and empowering women and those who bleed to live life without limits since then. Tampons, have revolutionized how we deal with our periods. From introducing a product that helped women join the workforce in the 1930s to normalizing conversations around women's health and period care, Tampax has a long history of game-changing moments that promote well-being for all

Keep reading to learn some of the most fascinating moments in Tampax (and tampon) history.

## Timeline:
### 1931
#### Where It All Began
An inventor patents a new kind of period product made of compressed cotton with a string in the center and housed in a paper tube. And so the “modern-day” tampon was born.

Find Your Flow Combo with Tampax Pearl  1

Find Your Flow Combo with Tampax Pearl

Our Sustainability Goals Towards Reducing Waste Title

Your First Period Guide: Age, Symptoms, Duration & More

### 1997: 
#### Re-Inventing the Tampon
After being acquired by Procter & Gamble, innovation became an even greater priority. Tampax conducted extensive research that concluded, contrary to popular belief, that a woman’s vaginal cavity was not cylindrical — meaning conventional cylinder tampons may not be as effective at stopping leaks. (Fun fact: a vagina is actually flat like the shape of a sleeping bag) Tampax used that data to ultimately lead to the creation of a new tampon featuring widthwise expansion.