The Roots of Contraception

Even before, women have already used
birth control to avoid pregnancy
especially if she had children.
Pregnancy is considered as a dangerous
business for women even before the
advent of modern medicine, and many
women have died because of this
occurrence. Most of the birth control
methods that were developed were done
so with trial and error, and some of
the secrets were quietly passed down
through generations.
The earliest forms of birth control
were rituals, use of amulets, dances,
and myths. By the 2nd century, Greek
gynecologist Soranus already knew that
women became fertile every ovulation
period, and thus promoted the rhythm
method. Unfortunately, he was wrong on
his assumption that ovulation period
happens during menstruation, rather
than prior to it. Soranus also
recommended several, less scientific
ways to prevent conception: holding
one's breath while drawing the body
back during sexual intercourse to
avoid sperm penetration in the uterus;
sperm dislodging by jumping backwards
seven times after intercourse; and
sitting on bent knees in order to
provoke sneezing. Also, 1st century
prostitutes are said to have grounded
their pelvises just to increase their
partner's pleasure, with the
assumption that these movements
simultaneously divert the sperm away
from the womb.
To prevent conception, ancient Roman
women wore a leather pouch containing
a cat's liver on their left foot
during intercourse. Another ritual was
the spitting in the frog's mouth three
times to prevent conception. Other
European women were advised to turn a
grain mill's wheel backwards four
times at midnight. While others sought
the idea that if they inserted a
finger inside the vagina and “swished
it around” after intercourse, this
could dislodge and confuse the sperm.
Around the same time frame, women in
other parts of the world wore birth
control necklaces or carried amulets
in order to avoid pregnancy.
However, in cultures where the moon is
believed to be responsible for
fertilizing crops, women sleep under
the moonlight just to prevent
moonbeams from impregnating them. In a
similar situation, Papuan Islanders
worries about their homosexual males
getting pregnant. To ensure that this
does not happen, they held ceremonies
during which they fed themselves limes
to prevent conception. A much reliable
way used during ancient times was
continuous breastfeeding that can
prevent ovulation until the child
turns three years old. When talking
about abstinence, some women in
Catholic Europe during the Middle Ages
opted for a life in the church. This
decision was encouraged partly because
the vocation meant money which was
then turned into an inheritance over
time.
Another known method of birth control
would be the use of oral
contraceptives. These were already
available 4,000 years ago, and some
women in ancient China drank mercury
just to prevent pregnancy. After this,
women in India used carrot seeds,
while an aboriginal group in Eastern
Canada drank brewed tea from beaver
testicles. These are just a few
examples of how women prevent
pregnancy long before birth control
pills were invented.