History of Birth Control
Birth Control: A History
Throughout history people have tried to prevent pregnancy in many unique ways. Some methods were effective others were not, but as technology improved and more about the human body became known, the effectiveness of birth control steadily increased. The first evidence of birth control comes from ancient times, and once it begins great advancements were achieved that continue to today. There are thorough recordings throughout the Greek and Roman eras, the Middle ages, and the American West, all the way through today.
When first addressing this subject it may seem that none of the people throughout history could possibly have found an effective form of birth control or a safe method of abortion because their ways are not ours. Today we have pills with very complex structures with just the precise chemical make-up to change our bodies from fertile to infertile temporarily. How could any ancient civilization even come close to that type of innovation? It is true that the people in history were very limited in their knowledge of the human body and alkaloid chemistry was a distant dream, but they were very resourceful in their use of plants and other methods when it came to population control and avoiding social stigmas especially in the upper classes. The first evidence of birth control begins in ancient times, especially in Egypt. For example, in the Berlin Papyrus that dates back to 1300 B.C.E. a prescription is written for prevention of pregnancy: "You should [make] for her a prescription to loosen semen" (Riddle 66). These scrolls verify how far back the practice of oral contraception goes but this is only the first written record. It is probable that these practices dated back much farther than that written record. Oral contraception was a very important part of Egyptian life according to the evidence. In these times fertility and population growth and decline were essential to survival. Sometimes it was necessary to
Throughout history people have tried to prevent pregnancy in many unique ways. Some methods were effective others were not, but as technology improved and more about the human body became known, the effectiveness of birth control steadily increased. The first evidence of birth control comes from ancient times, and once it begins great advancements were achieved that continue to today. There are thorough recordings throughout the Greek and Roman eras, the Middle ages, and the American West, all the way through today.
When first addressing this subject it may seem that none of the people throughout history could possibly have found an effective form of birth control or a safe method of abortion because their ways are not ours. Today we have pills with very complex structures with just the precise chemical make-up to change our bodies from fertile to infertile temporarily. How could any ancient civilization even come close to that type of innovation? It is true that the people in history were very limited in their knowledge of the human body and alkaloid chemistry was a distant dream, but they were very resourceful in their use of plants and other methods when it came to population control and avoiding social stigmas especially in the upper classes. The first evidence of birth control begins in ancient times, especially in Egypt. For example, in the Berlin Papyrus that dates back to 1300 B.C.E. a prescription is written for prevention of pregnancy: "You should [make] for her a prescription to loosen semen" (Riddle 66). These scrolls verify how far back the practice of oral contraception goes but this is only the first written record. It is probable that these practices dated back much farther than that written record. Oral contraception was a very important part of Egyptian life according to the evidence. In these times fertility and population growth and decline were essential to survival. Sometimes it was necessary to
Bibliography: Riddle, John M. Contraception and abortion from the ancient world to the Renaissance. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University, 1992. Hill and Wang, 2002, c2001. Brodie, Janet Farrell. Contraception and abortion in nineteenth-century America. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1994.