Tampax
Encyclopedia
Tampax is a brand of tampon
from Procter & Gamble
. It was originally both the name of an independent company for over 50 years, based in Palmer, Massachusetts (with headquarters in New York), and the product itself. Renamed Tambrands, Inc. in 1984, P&G purchased it in 1997. It was noted for decades as having the dominant share of the tampon market, challenged in the USA mostly by Playtex
, J&J, Kimberly-Clark and briefly by P&G's failed product from the 1970s called "Rely
". The "Rely" tampon was pulled from the market after being associated with toxic shock syndrome
(TSS).
During World War II
, Tampax produced large quantities of wound dressings for the military. It was noted for having a mostly, almost exclusively, female workforce for much of its history. Financially, while still independent, it was also noted for carrying no debt for most of its corporate lifetime and ranked ~#4 on the Fortune 500
list for return on equity. The original product was designed from the start as flushable and biodegradeable.
Tampon
A tampon is a mass of cotton or rayon or a mixture of the two inserted into a body cavity or wound to absorb bodilyfluid. The most common type in daily use is designed to be inserted into the vagina during menstruation to absorb the flow of menstrual fluid...
from Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble is a Fortune 500 American multinational corporation headquartered in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio and manufactures a wide range of consumer goods....
. It was originally both the name of an independent company for over 50 years, based in Palmer, Massachusetts (with headquarters in New York), and the product itself. Renamed Tambrands, Inc. in 1984, P&G purchased it in 1997. It was noted for decades as having the dominant share of the tampon market, challenged in the USA mostly by Playtex
Playtex
Playtex and PlayTex are a brand and trademark. It used to be associated with bras and women's undergarments. Currently there are two separate companies with the Playtex name....
, J&J, Kimberly-Clark and briefly by P&G's failed product from the 1970s called "Rely
Rely (brand)
Rely was a brand of superabsorbent tampons made by Procter & Gamble starting in 1975. It was recalled from the market in September 1980 because it was linked to toxic shock syndrome....
". The "Rely" tampon was pulled from the market after being associated with toxic shock syndrome
Toxic shock syndrome
Toxic shock syndrome is a potentially fatal illness caused by a bacterial toxin. Different bacterial toxins may cause toxic shock syndrome, depending on the situation. The causative bacteria include Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes...
(TSS).
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Tampax produced large quantities of wound dressings for the military. It was noted for having a mostly, almost exclusively, female workforce for much of its history. Financially, while still independent, it was also noted for carrying no debt for most of its corporate lifetime and ranked ~#4 on the Fortune 500
Fortune 500
The Fortune 500 is an annual list compiled and published by Fortune magazine that ranks the top 500 U.S. closely held and public corporations as ranked by their gross revenue after adjustments made by Fortune to exclude the impact of excise taxes companies collect. The list includes publicly and...
list for return on equity. The original product was designed from the start as flushable and biodegradeable.