Few takers for a different type of absorbent

[Photo provided to China Daily]

Tampons are often sold in drugstores, for example, to treat gynecologic inflammation by using them as anti-cervical erosion suppository, Fu says. "The Chinese tampon market is still in the infant stage, and the requirements for tampon production are much higher than those for sanitary pads."

XinXiang Changsheng products are now sold through e-commerce platform Taobao.com, an Alibaba venture, and range from normal menstruation tampons to medicinal and customized ones. Their prices vary from 0.38 yuan ($0.06) to 1.8 yuan each. "Tampons have some advantage over sanitary pads. For instance, they are easier to carry and give greater physical freedom to women during their menstrual period," Fu says.

The United States-based Johnson & Johnson's O.B. tampons have been available in China's supermarkets or personal care and beauty chain stores since 1993. But other foreign brands, such as Procter & Gamble, have given up the idea of expanding their tampon market to China, because the lack of sex education among Chinese women has made them averse to use of tampons－some even are afraid that they will lose their virginity by using tampons.

Of course, medical experts warn that improper use of tampons could lead to death from toxic shock syndrome, but such a possibility is very rare.