BC in 3000 BC

Birth control has always been a taboo to speak about. There are many opinions on the subject, many methods to choose from, and it has seen quite the history. This brief list might make you happy with whatever form of contraception you currently use or have used in the past.

In ancient China, women would take a shot of mercury after intercourse. Believing they were protected from pregnancy was enough to risk the kidney failure and brain damage back then.

Did you know that the first condom made its grand debut around 3000 BC? It was made from animal intestines and fish bladders. Men would soak them in warm milk to do the trick. Somehow the modern latex or plastic doesn't sound so bad now, huh?

Ancient Sumatran women created diaphragms from opium plants. Ain't that a trip? (See what I did there?)

Ancient Europeans were really on to something when women strapped a pair of weasel "ahems" to their legs. They were believed to possess magical properties that would prevent pregnancy, but we're thinking that the men got freaked out after seeing a pair of weasel berries hanging from a woman's leg and weren't too interested in getting it on after that.

The ancient Greeks believed that drinking dirty blacksmith water was a great contraceptive. Unfortunately, no one knew about lead poisoning back then, or how the women who drank this water regularly would be affected. Thankfully we now know better than to poison ourselves with dangerous chemicals.

As it turns out, Plan B is not a novel idea. In ancient times, Pennyroyal was used to induce abortion and menstruation in women. A member of the mint family, it was ingested to achieve "desired" result. Similarly, Queen Anne's Lace is a plant whose seeds were taken orally after sex to block progesterone synthesis. As a primitive form of the "morning after" pill, the seeds are still used to prevent pregnancy today. Who would have thunk?

Fortunately for women today, there are many different and effective forms of contraceptives that are healthy and won't cause brain damage. But it is best to find the method that works for you, so check out Citizens for Citizens Family Planning .

Source: BC in 3000 BC

Filed Under: birth control, local-expert-family-planning

Categories: Commentary