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Menstrual pads have been mentioned as early as the 10th century, in the Suda, where Hypatia was said to have thrown her "feminine rags" at an admirer in an attempt to turn him off.

Through the ages women have used different forms of menstrual protection. The Museum of menstruation has articles and photos of some early forms of menstrual protection. Including among other things, knitted pads, and menstrual aprons. Women often used strips of folded old cloth (rags) to catch their menstrual blood, which is why the term "rags" was used to refer to menstruation.

Disposable menstrual pads appear to have been first commercially available from around 1895 through Curads and Hartmann's. Maxi Pads had their start with nurses using their wood pulp bandages to catch their menstrual flow, creating a pad that was made from easily obtainable materials and inexpensive enough to throw away after use. Products like the Johnson & Johnson Lister's Towel failed because of a lack of publicity. Unlike today, the subject of menstruation was not as widely discussed or advertised. One advertising company addressed this, by allowing women to place money into a box (so that the woman would not have to speak to the clerk) and take a box of Kotex pads from the counter themselves. Kotex would appear to be the first of these early disposable menstrual pads to really take off. Several of the first disposable pad manufacturers were also manufacturers of bandages, which could give an indication of what these products were like.

Until disposable sanitary pads were created, all women used some form of cloth or reusable pad to collect menstrual blood. Even after they were commercially available, for several years they were too expensive for many women to afford. It took many years for disposable menstrual pads to become commonplace, but since then in most areas of the industrialised world, their use became almost exclusive.

The first of the Feminine Hygiene were generally in the form of a cotton wool or similar fibrous rectangle covered with an absorbent liner. The liner ends were extended front and back so as to fit through loops in a special girdle or belt worn beneath undergarments. This design was notorious for slipping either forward or back of the intended position.

Later an adhesive strip was placed on the bottom of the pad for attachment to the saddle of the panties, and this became a favoured method with women. The belted sanitary napkin quickly became unavailable after the mid-eighties.

The ergonomic design of the pad also changed through the 1980s to today. With earler materials not being as absorbent and effective, and early pads being up to 2 centimetres thick, leaks were a major problem. Variations such as quilting the lining, adding "wings" and reducing the thickness the pad by utilising products such as sphagnum. The ergonomic designs changed over the years. For example, the Australian Libra brand initially had a pad that was wider at the front, tapering at the back to provide a more aesthetic appearance. The current variation now has a wide dovetail at the back, giving functionality a higher priority.

Cloth menstrual pads made a comeback around the 1970s, with their popularity increasing in the late eighties and early nineties. Popular reasons why women choose to switch to cloth menstrual pads include: comfort, savings over time, environmental impact, and health reasons.

There are many styles of cloth menstrual pads available today. Popular styles include All in Ones (AIO), inserts on top style, envelope stye, and folding style cloth menstrual pads.

There are several different types of disposable Maxi Pads:

The shape, absorbency and lengths may vary depending on manufacturer, but usually range from the short slender panty liner to the larger and longer overnight. Long pads are offered for extra protection or for larger women whose woman's undergarments might not be completely protected by regular length pads, and also for overnight use.

Other options are often offered in a manufacturer's line of pads, such as wings or tabs wrap that around the sides of the woman's underwear to add additional leak protection and help secure the pad in place. Deodorant is also added to some pads, which is designed to cover menstrual odour with a light fragrance. There are even pantiliners specifically designed to fit into thong/G-string type underwear.

Alternatively, women can use a washable or reusable cloth menstrual pad. These are made from a number of types of fabrics--most often cotton flannel, or hemp (which is highly absorbent and not as bulky as cotton). Most styles have wings that secure around the underpants, but some are just held in place (without wings) between the body and the underpants. Some (particularly the older styles) are available in belted styles. Washable menstrual pads do not need to be disposed of after every use and therefore offer a more environmentally friendly and economical alternative for women. Many women report that washable products are equally or more comfortable than disposable ones and are just as effective a form of protection. They are considered especially comfortable during the post-partum period, when the woman may have a very sensitive vulva. Also called "mama pads", reusable menstrual pads can be found on a number of websites, or can be easily made at home (instructions are available online). Washable pads are often advertised in feminist publications such as Bitch magazine, as well as environmental and natural health magazines. Reusable cloth menstrual pads have become a popular alternative among some groups of women, (e.g. feminists, environmentalist and mothers who use cloth nappies/diapers), because they are more environmentally friendly, but they are also gaining in popularity among more mainstream women, because they are allergen, chemical and perfume-free, and can be more comfortable for women who suffer from irritations from using disposable pads.

A papyrus sanitary pad has been developed in Uganda for the rural poor, targeted at primary school girls who might otherwise be prevented from attending school during menstruation.

Menstrual pads are worn to absorb menstrual discharge (and thereby protect clothing and furnishings). They are usually individually wrapped so they are easier and more discreet to carry in a purse or bag. This wrapper may be used to wrap the soiled pads before disposing of them in appropriate receptacles. Some women prefer to wrap the pads with toilet paper instead of (or as well as) using the wrapper. Menstrual pads (of any type) should not be flushed down the toilet, as they can cause blockages. In the west, public toilets almost always include a purpose made receptacle in which to place soiled pads.