From pregnancy through menopause, women’s needs change as they age. Supplements provide a way for women to meet these evolving requirements while strengthening nutrient reserves.
Women need multivitamins that closely meet RDVs for iron, calcium, folate, vitamin D3 and folic acid – whether prenatally or postmenopausally – regardless of whether they’re expecting or postmenopausally.
Menopause
Menopause occurs when women stop having periods and stop producing hormones from their ovaries, leading to symptoms like hot flashes, vaginal dryness and mood changes. Menopause typically happens between age 45-55; its precursor phase can last as long as eight years before full menopause sets in.
Nutrition, fitness and avoidance of triggers can all be effective ways of managing symptoms, but many women require medical assistance too.
The 40s
At 40, women may begin experiencing changes related to perimenopause, including irregular menstrual cycles, hot flashes and loss of muscle mass.
Tampons quickly rose in popularity following healthcare and marketing interviews that revealed most women, once acquainted with proper tampon insertion technique, never returned to pads.
Period product advertising helped define ideals of femininity and beauty while stressing the importance of hiding menstruation from public view. The Museum’s collection highlights these concerns.
The 50s
Since WWII’s conclusion, women have eagerly adopted products designed to make life simpler, such as tampons. While doctors and religious leaders were initially resistant, gradually they came around.
As women continued their growing participation in the workforce, they needed protection more discrete than pads or bulky sanitary belts. Advertising reassured women they could still lead normal lives while menstruating; for instance, one vintage ad featured three women riding horses and playing basketball while menstruating.
The 60s
In the 1960s, women gained greater independence both financially and professionally, but birth control pills were still only available with a valid prescription from physicians.
Advertisements for tampons and douching products reassured women that their period blood was nonvisible or smelly; however, synthetic tampons with high absorbability created the perfect environment for bacteria that led to potentially life-threatening infections like toxic shock syndrome.
The 70s
In the 1970s, second-wave feminist activism flourished rapidly with women taking an increased role in society. But environmental and health concerns about tampons linger: from plastic applicators ending up as waste to the risk of toxic shock syndrome associated with high-absorbency synthetic materials.
Women-led companies are emerging to address these concerns with innovative yet eco-friendly innovations and are striving to destigmatize period talk while offering safe and effective products.
The 80s
Due to increased health concerns about synthetic materials and applicators of tampons, numerous women-led companies offering cloth pads, menstrual cups, and other alternatives in feminine hygiene products has come about (1).
These new products reassure women that they can pass as healthy and that their bodies are normal, while providing education on self-examination and providing them with a sense of empowerment that comes from knowledge.
The 90s
During this era, thanks to innovations and girl power initiatives, tampons became increasingly popular, with applicator designs becoming more user-friendly. Furthermore, this decade witnessed an upsurge in organic and natural products, reflecting increased environmental consciousness.
Due to health concerns surrounding superabsorbent tampons and Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS), cloth options such as menstrual cups and reusable pads emerged as viable solutions.
