Women are encouraged to use some form of birth
control if t hey are sexually active. The two most common forms
of birth control according to The Alan Guttmacher Institute are
condoms (20.4%) and the birth control pill (26.9%). These two
methods are widely known and are easily accessible now, but
where did they come from and how did they evolve into what they
are today?
The first forms of birth control date back to 200
A.D. according to Julie Oyler, M.D. at the University of Chicago
Hospitals. Greek gynecologist Soranus suggested that women
“smear pomegranate pulp, ginger, or tobacco juice around the
vagina to kill sperm.” He also suggested drinking the leftover
water blacksmiths used to cool hot metals, jumping backwards
seven times after intercourse to help dislodge the sperm. What’s
interesting is that condoms were around even longer than that.
Condoms were first seen in 100 B.C. The ancient
Egyptians used linen sheaths to protect men from disease
according to Oyler. In fact, condoms were first introduced to
protect men from disease only. It was later on that they
were used to prevent pregnancy. The condom evolved in the 1500’s
in Italy when the first form of spermicide was introduced, which
was soaking the linen sheath in a chemical solution and drying
it before use. Later in the 1700’s, animal intestines were used
for condoms but had to be re-used because of how expensive they
were. Also according to Oyler, Louis XVI had his condoms lined
in velvet and silk in the 1750’s. The first mass produced rubber
condom was made in 1844. From there, in 1993, 8.5 billion
natural latex condoms were produced. Condoms have been around
for many years, but the pill was only introduced in the last 50
years.
Oyler also states that the first oral contraceptive
birth control pill was first introduced by Dr. Gregory Pincus in
the 1950’s. He proved that repeated injections of progesterone
halted ovulation in animals. With Dr. John Rock helping him out,
Pincus started field testing a steroid pill. Out of 50 women
tested, none of them got pregnant. Enovid was the first licensed
birth control pill that was made available in 1960. However,
research stated that these high levels of estrogen and progestin
were causing health problems. The new pill came out in 1982
which had significantly lower levels of both hormones.
As you can see, birth control has come a long way
over the decades. Condoms and the birth control pill do protect
against pregnancy, but neither protect against HIV/AIDS or
sexually transmitted diseases.
