Many cultures, such as Ancient Rome, believed that menstruating women were a dangerous influence on people and things around them. In Pliny's encyclopedic book series Naturalis Historia, the Roman scholar explained that menstruating women would make wine sour, seeds sterile and fruit trees wilt. As a result of this "scientific fact," menstruating women were kept secluded during their cursed menstrual cycle and not much thought was given to creating menstrual "products" to make a woman's period easier to handle.

Even late into the nineteenth century, some still believed menstruation to have strong environmental effects. In 1878, The British Medical Journal published a statement that menstruating women were medically unable to successfully pickle meat. Female factory workers in France at the time were asked not to work in sugar refineries during their periods for fear they would spoil the food.

Many religions around the world today also have guidelines for menstruating women that are based on ancient beliefs: Menstruating Greek Orthodox women should not take communion, Islamic women can not have sex during their periods and Orthodox Jewish women don't touch or pass objects to their husbands during their time of the month.

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