Fun Facts You Didn't Know About Ancient Birth Control
Birth Control Through The Ages…
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Wonder How She Got Him to Wear It:
A French cave painting from 10,000 B.C. shows a man wearing a condom during intercourse.
Early Birth Control:
Egyptian women inserted the tips of an acacia shrub (plus dates, cotton, and honey). Body temperature fermented it into an ingredient now found in spermicides.
And We Complain About Latex?
A brew of alcohol and dried beaver testicle was used to prevent pregnancy during the 1700s.
Commandeered Caps:
During WWII, a British company made cervical caps from rubber originally destined for hotel flooring.
The Yesterday Sponge:
Women in Constantinople reportedly used a sponge dipped in lemon juice as a form of birth control.
SOURCE FOR FACTOIDS: THE CONTRACEPTIVE MUSEUM, CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY (EGYPT, CONSTANTINOPLE, PREGNANCY IN 1700S); WOMEN’S HEALTH CARE, A PRACTICAL JOURNAL FOR NURSE PRACTITIONERS (CONDOMS). TUBES: INSADCO PHOTOGRAPHY/ALAMY
