The History Of Birth Control - Bhargav Patel

The History of Birth Control

Bhargav Patel

   The majority of people in the world may think that the contraceptive pill or condom was and is the only form of birth control available. This is not true, birth control has been around for hundreds of years and it wasn’t invented in past 20 years or so. The earliest accounts of birth control go all the back to 3000 B.C. Egypt. Most sources show that birth control was founded around 1850 B.C. to 1550 B.C. in Egypt. An Egyptian manuscript shows a recipe of making a paste full of dates, acacia and honey. This paste is then put all over a piece of wool and used as a pessary to prevent contraception.¹

   Another entry talks about the adventures of Casanova and his birth control experiments. In his memoirs, Casanova mentions the use of sheep bladder condoms and using half a lemon as a cervical cup.¹ Other early accounts show that the first condoms were invented around 3000 B.C. People would use fish bladders, linen sheaths and animal intestines.²

   Condoms, which is probably the most used form of birth prevention, were not always made of rubber as mentioned above. Condoms started off as animal intestines and bladders.² Then in 1839 a man named Charles Goodyear invents the technology to vulcanize rubber. This was then used in the manufacturing of condoms.¹ This was a revelation as people could now just use these new condoms and not worry about it coming of or tearing apart.

   Birth control was always popular in the Victorian era but from 1839 (invention of rubber condom) to 1873, the popularity of birth control skyrocketed due to the numerous advertisements about syringes and alum. As talked about in class there were numerous methods of contraception like coitus interruptus, pessaries, lemons, vaginal sponges, abortion etc.³ I’m not saying these were all safe and reliable but they were popular. Females could get abortions for around $10 - $11 at the doctors³. As discussed in class, the popularity of birth control led to low birth rates and in 1873 the Comstock law came into effect. It outlawed any advertisement of birth control to be sent through the postal service. This lasted up till 1965.³

   The law did have an effect on birth control but not a major one. Women still had abortions and if contraception would fail then they would try to induce their own miscarriage.³ After all these harmful ways one woman finally founded something reliable. In 1916 Margaret Sanger opened the first birth control (family planning) clinic in Brooklyn, NY. She was sent to jail for creating a public nuisance.² This would impact how future generations would conceive. People then began planning out if they or should not have kids.  

   All these ancient methods have had an impact on birth control in our society today. As discussed in class, there were crazy methods of birth control in the Victorian Era. Even though they were not reliable and safe, they taught us our mistakes and how we can improve upon them. The mistakes made in the Victorian Era made us realize the harmful ways of birth control and how we can make more safe and reliable birth control methods.

  

References

1.    1. Time Magazine, "A Brief History of Birth Control." Last modified May 03, 2010. Accessed February 28, 2014. http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1983970,00.html.

2.    2. Thompson, Kirsten. Our Bodies Ourselves, "Birth Control." Accessed February 28, 2014. http://www.ourbodiesourselves.org/book/companion.asp?id=18&compID=53.

3.  3.   Moore, Crystal. "Sexuality Within The Victorian Family." Last modified February 18, 2014. Accessed February 28, 2014.