Skip to main content

The timeline can be navigated with the “Scroll Left” and “Scroll Right” buttons or by dragging the pointer to a date on the timeline waveform (located at the bottom of the screen on the desktop version and on the left of the screen on mobile). To filter by a particular topic and see a smaller section of the data, make a selection on the dropdown “Filters” menu or click “Search” to do a keyword search. Hover over the abbreviated filter tags in the blue boxes to see the complete name of the filter, or click a filter to display all the data with this tag. If you want to take a deeper dive into a specific topic by viewing a narrative essay page and a curated timeline, click on “Stories.”

Read More
Drawing of a menstrual blood extraction device. A cylindrical container with a grated surface at one end attaches to a thin, curved rod.
Menstrual blood extractor device, patented in 1977. (Photo: mum.org)

Menstrual blood "extractor" patented.

Date: 1977

RHRR
MHT
Menstrual blood extractor device, patented in 1977. (Photo: mum.org)

Continuing the cultural belief that menstruation is a "problem" to be remedied, the menstrual blood extractor is envisioned as a home-based machine used to suck the blood from the uterus.

The inventor claims it can shorten the period to one day. The machine is never known to be widely manufactured.

A similar device, the Del-Em, was invented by members of a feminist self-help group in 1971 to be used for home abortions in the pre-Roe v. Wade era.