Feminine hygiene is a general euphemism used to describe personal care products used by women during menstruation, vaginal discharge, and other bodily functions related to the vulva. Sanitary napkins (American English) / Sanitary towels (British English), pantiliners, tampons, menstrual cups, and feminine wipes are the major categories of feminine hygiene products.
In the 1930s, the term was used in the United States to refer instead to birth control.
Famous quotes containing the word feminine:
“It is not a piece of fine feminine Spitalfields silk—but is of the horrible texture of a fabric that should be woven of ships’ cables & hausers. A Polar wind blows through it, & birds of prey hover over it. Warn all gentle fastidious people from so much as peeping into the book—on risk of a lumbago & sciatics.”
—Herman Melville (1819–1891)