With the help of modern science and the latest technology, more and more contraceptive methods are fast becoming available to the public. Although many campaigns are being launched left and right to widen the public awareness on the subject of birth control and help explain how the different contraceptive devices and products work, these often overlook the history of birth control. How did birth control come about?
Back in the day, there were no scientific explanations to prove how birth control worked and people just improvised and went with whatever seemed to work. The oldest methods of contraception (not including abstinence from sex) are the withdrawal method, certain barrier methods, and herbal methods.
The withdrawal method, also known as the coitus interruptus, involves withdrawal of the penis from the vagina before a man reaches his orgasm. It probably predates any other contraceptive method. Experts said that once the connection between a man's emission of semen into the vagina and conception was suspected or established, men have started practicing it. Different religions have their own views on the subject of withdrawal. According to the book of Genesis, Onan incurred the wrath of God by ?spilling his seed on the ground? in opposition to the custom to impregnate his sister-in-law. Ancient Chinese and Indian beliefs indicated that coitus reservatus, or withdrawing the man's penis without ejaculating, helps retain a man's virility as they believed that ejaculating releases the yan, the essence of masculinity. They believe that this method isn't regarded as the most reliable method of contraception as some men lose control and forget to ?pull out? when it's time.
Barrier methods were designed to stop sperm from reaching a fertile egg by means of caps and spermicides. Early Egyptian women have historic records of using a vaginal suppository made up of a concoction of substances that were said to kill sperm. Asian women were said to have used oiled paper as cervical caps, while European women used beeswax. The first condom came about sometime in the 17th century. It was first made of animal intestine. Although the first condom is not as effective as the modern latex condoms, it was used both as a means of birth control and as protection from syphillis, which was then greatly feared as there were still no known cure for the disease.
Throughout the course of history, a lot of different abortifacients have been used by many women. These are natural or synthetic substances that may induce an abortion. A certain 2nd century Greek gynecologist named Soranus suggested women to drink water that blacksmiths use to cool metal. Some women drank solutions mixed with mercury, arsenic, or other toxic materials for the purpose of preventing pregnancy. It works by poisoning the woman's body so that it will not be conducive to support pregnancy.
The herbal method was said to have been used by ancient tribes to control population. The herbs tansy and pennyroyal were said to have worked the same way as the above-mentioned abortive chemicals, poisoning a woman enough to prevent her body from conceiving, but not enough to kill her. But aside from being abortive, some herbs were used as preventive measures for pregnancy. The hibiscus rosa-sinensis may have antiestrogenic properties that change the hormone levels of women. Papaya seeds were said to have been used as a male contraceptive.
The modern day intra-uterine device (IUD) was said to have come from a folktale about Arab traders who inserted small stones into their camels' uterus to prevent pregnancy. However, the first IUD that covered the vagina and the uterus was first marketed in the early 1900s. Then finally, the first modern IUD was created in 1909.
Times have changed, and so have birth control methods. They have been enhanced and improved to further accommodate the people who intent to use them. People who have become more and more liberal as culture and society have evolved.
A controversial topic such as birth control may seem like a modern issue, but it's not. Contraceptives have been used in one form or another for thousands of years throughout human history and even prehistory. In fact, family planning has always been widely practiced, even in societies dominated by social, political, or religious codes that require people to ?be fruitful and multiply.? The history of birth control can be traced back many centuries. In fact, women all over the world have been using birth control method even before there were any modern medical contraceptive innovations or procedures. However, many of these pre-modern methods were not always as safe or effective as those available today. Centuries ago, Chinese women drank lead and mercury to control fertility, which often resulted in sterility or death. During the Middle Ages in Europe, magicians advised women to wear the testicles of a weasel on their thighs or hang its amputated foot from around their necks. Other amulets of the time were wreaths of herbs, desiccated cat livers or shards of bones from cats (but only the pure black ones), flax lint tied in a cloth and soaked in menstrual blood, or the anus of a hare. It was also believed that a woman could avoid pregnancy by walking three times around the spot where a pregnant wolf had urinated. In 1850 B.C., the earliest known contraceptive device for women was the pessary. Pessaries are objects or concoctions inserted into the vagina to block or kill sperm. By 1850 B.C., Egyptians used pessaries made of crocodile dung, honey, and sodium carbonate. Crocodile dung is alkaline. The condom was invented in Egypt around 3000 B.C. Ancient drawings clearly depict men wearing condoms, sometimes made of material that may have been animal hide. It's not clear what they were made of or whether they were used for sex or ceremonial dress. The oldest known condoms which dated to about 1640 were found in Dudley Castle near Birmingham, England. They were made of fish and animal intestines. Condoms in those days were used to prevent sexually transmitted diseases rather than for contraception. Charles Goodyear patents vulcanization of rubber in 1844. Soon, rubber condoms are mass produced. Unlike modern condoms that are made to be used once and thrown away, early condoms were washed, anointed with petroleum jelly, and put away in special wooden boxes for later reuse. On 1906, Cyrus McCormick, inventor of the mechanical harvester, is diagnosed with schizophrenia. His wife, Katherine, dreads passing on the mental illness to future children. Later, she forms a partnership with birth control pioneer Margaret Sanger. She funds contraception research with her sizeable fortune. And the result was the development of the birth control pill. The first birth control pills which were introduced more than 40 years ago, contained high levels of estrogen and progestin. A major achievement in the history of medical science was the introduction of birth control pills. It was an answer for women who faced problems during abortions. During the 1960s, the Searle drug company receives FDA approval for Enovid, the first birth control pill. ?The Pill? revolutionizes contraception. It's 100% effective but has terrible side effects, including life-threatening blood clots. Today, it is well known that the condom is the only effective barrier to HIV and to many, but not all other sexually transmitted diseases or STDs. Despite this, neither condoms nor other forms of contraception are used consistently by those who most need them. Women today have many more choices to make with birth control than they did in the centuries ago, when abstinence, withdrawal, and condoms made of linen cloth or animal intestines were the only known options. With all of the reliable and more hygienic modern contraception methods out there today, finding the one that's right for her lifestyle and health history can be a bit confusing.
Both Abbey Grace Yap & Cecill Artates are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Abbey Grace Yap has sinced written about articles on various topics from Accounting Guide, Advertising Guide and Medicine. The writer, Abbey Grace Yap, is an active advocate for health consciousness and disease awareness. She possesses a deep passion in discovering new health-related information and sharing it to her readers.Choose Variety of High Quality Medicines at. Abbey Grace Yap's top article generates over 27100 views. to your Favourites.
Cecill Artates has sinced written about articles on various topics from Cure Anxiety, Health and Fitness. Cecill Artates is a writer, athlete, and women's health advocate. She is also active in promoting reproductive health among women and the youth in disadvantaged communities.Choose Variety of High Quality Medicines at. Cecill Artates's top article generates over 74000 views. to your Favourites.