Heralded as the catalyst of the sexual revolution and the solution to global overpopulation, the contraceptive pill was one of the twentieth centurys most important inventions. Pdf a history of the birth control movement in america. Very informative book regarding the history of contraceptive herbs and the destruction of traditional midwifery by the emergence of male doctors. All of these claim a special expertise in matters of ethics and morality, and so have shaped the discourses on and practices of birth control over the centuries. The birth control pill, an oral contraceptive, involves a hormonal method in which estrogen and progestins progesteronelike substances are taken cyclically for 21 or 84 days, followed by 7 days of inactive or no pills. The morality of contraception center for american progress. The most complete history of birth control ever written. Original research article in contraception guttmacher institute. A history of family planning services factsheet factsheets. Medical eligibility criteria for contraceptive use. Owen had considerable influence on charles knowlton, whose book the fruits of philosophy was published anonymously in 1832.
A history of the contraceptive pill paperback 28 sep 2010. The story, as the author shows, is not one of unalleviated progress, and anything but a simple passage from ignorance to enlightenment. The handbook of contraception a guide for practical management edited by donna shoupe, md division of reproductive endocrinology and infertility departments of obstetrics and gynecology and family. Now in its sixth decade, the availability of the contraceptive pill on the national health service has become an expected and central element of statesponsored birth control. Because people have been trying to understand how not to get pregnant for centuries, the history is a long one. A clinical guide for contraception clinical guide for. With the latest report on the pills link to depression, youre probably as frustrated with our contraception options as we are. It has not only transformed the lives of millions of women but has also pushed the limits of drug monitoring and regulation across the world. Many factors contribute to the lack of birth control use and contraceptive failure. Since the major responsibilities of pregnancy, birth, and child rearing fell on women, they found methods for controlling fertility. For further information on methods of contraception currently available in the uk, see fpa contraception information. And, indeed, education about the history of birth control in this country is useful only as one contribution to a more comprehensive familylife and humansexuality education program. Introduction contraception has an open access mirror journal, contraception. The earliest method of contraception was probably coitus interruptus.
A history of contraceptives in america was funded by the georgia tech foundation, simon fraser university, the rockefeller archive center, the. However, contraception will remain a selected list category and could be reconsidered at any time in the future. List of books and articles about birth control history. Divided into three sections covering selection and cost comparison, individual methods of contraception, and risks and benefits for various patient groups, the editor presents a clear pathway to. Feb 18, 2015 a brief history of contraception feb 18, 2015 72 videos video by the atlantic in the march issue of the atlantic, olga khazan investigates the future of birth control, from remotecontrolled. In this engaging new book robert jutte offers a history of contraception from the ancient world to the present day. This bookm the first history of contraception for almost fifty years, provides a scholarly and highly readable account of procreation and attempts to prevent it from. This fine scholarly book expands on riddles previous work, contraception and abortion from the ancient world to the renaissance, to discover why and how womens extensive knowledge and use of plants, herbs, seeds, bark, and roots was lost after the 19th century. American women why they use contraception and what benefit they expect or have achieved from contraceptive use. Honorable mention, john cawelti book award, american culture association, 2002 a choice outstanding academic title, 2004. Medical history of contraception norman edwin himes both an exhaustive survey of many cultures over a period of three thousand years, and a thoughtful application of sociological discipline to the history of medicine, medical history of contraception. Also a very good primercontext for reading fisher and szreters oral history interviews. This book historically proves that the catholic faith on the serious sinfulness of contraception is apostolic and thus immutable. The book of genesis references withdrawal, or coitus interruptus, as a method of contraception when onan spills his seed ejaculates on the ground so as to.
The birth control pill a history planned parenthood. Highly recommended for students of the history of medicine at all levels. Yet the tiny objects caused much suffering and continued to be controversial in the u. According to the book of genesis, the biblical character onan incurred gods wrath by using coitus interruptus instead of following local custom and impregnating his sisterinlaw after the death of his brother. In this engaging new book robert j tte offers a history of contraception from the ancient world to the present day. Discover librarianselected research resources on birth control history from the questia online library, including fulltext online books, academic journals. Planned parenthood has played and continues to play a central role in making safe and effective.
Linda gordons classic study, the moral property of women, is the most complete history of birth control ever written. This book covers the history of contraceptive devices in america from the mid1800s to the late 20thcentury, from the condom to the depoprovera birth control shot, from the blackmarket trade to a thriving multimillion dollar medical industry. The history of birth control, also known as contraception and fertility control, refers to the methods or devices that have been historically used to prevent pregnancy. Aletta jacobs opened the first birth control clinic in amsterdam. Interesing froa historical perspective as well as a womens. The intrauterine device iud is the most popular means of reversible birth control in the world, with 160 million users. Barrier methods of contraception were later developed.
Methods of birth control male birth control methods include withdrawal of the male before ejaculation the oldest contraceptive technique and use of the condom, a rubber sheath covering the penis. Blacker cp, voluntary sterilisation oxford university press, 1934. By the 1870s a wide variety of birth control devices were. Please check the relevant section in this guide for authors for more details. A history of contraceptives in america, historian andrea. The aim of this chapter is to document the historical diapause between the acquisition and the application of relevant biologic knowledge to birth control. Anthropological studies show that means of contraception existed in antiquity. More than ever this subject is of acute concern to a world facing serious population problems, and the author has written an important new appendix examining the development of and. A really enjoyable and informative history of contraception in the western world certainly a good place to start for anyone looking to get into the subject. This book, the first history of contraception for almost fifty years, provides a scholarly and highly readable account of procreation and attempts to prevent it from ancient greece to the late twentieth century. What to know about the history of the intrauterine device. A history of contraceptives in america, historian andrea tone, phd, notes that such devices were widely available in the u.
The curious history of contraception green, shirley on. Jan 12, 2018 the long, hard road to legal birth control trumps latest rule is just one more setback in the contentious history of womens contraception. The methods to which the ancient scholars refer fall into three general categories. In frauds exposed 1872, comstock expressed concern over the general health of society and condemned those who preyed on the sick, offering their concoctions in the press. Useful insights into current problems can be gained by looking at the history of contraceptive practice. Jul 22, 2001 in 1873, joined by likeminded allies, he successfully lobbied for congressional passage of a bill that branded contraception obscene and prohibited its distribution across state lines or through. Each contraceptive method is covered in a single chapter that includes history of the contraceptive, method of action, pharmacology when applicable, contraindications, and use.
Contraception, in human physiology, birth control through the deliberate prevention of conception or impregnation. Birth control is not an invention of modern times, nor is it a purely personal matter. Medical history of contraception by himes, norman e. The woman who made that happen was margaret sanger 18791966, the founder of the american birth control league, the forerunner of planned parenthood federation of america chesler, 1992. The extraordinary story of birth control from the first fumblings to the present day london. The development, manufacturing, and use of contraceptive methods from the late nineteenth. This factsheet looks at the early development of contraceptive methods, the methods currently available and possible future developments. The founding of this facility, and the clinical provision of contraception that it enabled, marked the moment when physicians started to take the prevention of pregnancy seriously as a medical concern.
Medical papyri described various contraceptive methods used in china in the year 2700 bc and in egypt in the year 1850 bc. Soranos ad 989, a greek physician from ephesus, described seventeen medically approved methods of contraception. Margaret higgins sanger born margaret louise higgins, september 14, 1879 september 6, 1966, also known as margaret sanger slee was an american birth. I am a history buff, so i am used to reading dense works, and i. The first permanent birth control clinic was established in britain in 1921 by the birth control campaigner marie stopes, in collaboration with the malthusian league. List of books and articles about teenagers and contraception. Unless otherwise stated, dates refer to availability in the united kingdom uk. This bookm the first history of contraception for almost fifty years, provides a scholarly and highly readable account of procreation and attempts to prevent it from ancient greece to the late twentieth century. Originally published in 1965, contraception received unanimous acclaim from all quarters as the first thorough, scholarly, objective analysis of catholic doctrine on birth control. Selected practice recommendations for contraceptive use us spr ebook provides guidance for healthcare providers on common, yet sometimes complex, management issues around the initiation and use of specific contraceptive methods. The link between pregnancy and a mans semen was dimly understood even in ancient times, so that the earliest contraceptive methods involved preventing semen from entering the womans. The secret history of birth control the new york times.
Stopes, who exchanged ideas with sanger, wrote her book married love on birth control in 1918. Handbook of contraception and reproductive sexual health. Richard flickr only fully legalised in 1993, contraception in ireland has historically been a point of discord in what is known as a catholic country. Now in its 21st edition, this wellknown text with more than 2 million copies in print has been the leading family planning reference for over 30 years the microand macrovascular, reducing them significantly.
A history of contraceptives in america by andrea tone. Laymen, as well as physicians, could buy electrotherapy devices through catalogs. A brief history of the birth control pill need to know pbs. All of these claim a special expertise in matters of ethics and morality, and so have shaped the. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext.
A history of the contraceptive pill by lara v marks. This handbook offers sound, uptodate, practical information and advice about the complete spectrum of approaches to contraception and reproductive sexual health. Contraception is not an invention of modern times, nor is it a purely personal matter. History of pelvic surgery 1 1 1 1 1 1 hiv a high risk for hiv 1 1 b hiv infection 1 i clinically well receiving arv therapy 1 if on treatment, see drug interactions ii not clinically well or not receiving arv therapy 2 1 2 1 if on treatment, see drug interactions summary chart of u. This book draws upon the vast literature on the subject of contraception to provide a scholarly yet highly readable account of procreation through the ages, from. The us spr ebooks are free for you to download to your apple. Very good book on the histroy of contraception, as seen through the eyes of the canon law of the catholic church. That statement had her gaze snapping back to meet his. History of the birth control movement although contraceptive techniques had been known in ancient egypt, greece, and rome, the modern movement for birth control began in great britain, where the writings of thomas robert malthus stirred interest in the problem of overpopulation. Choice magazines outstanding academic books for 2004the only book to cover the entire history of birth control and the intense controversies about reproduction rights that have raged in the united states for more than 150 years, the moral property of women is a thoroughly updated and revised version of the awardwinning historian linda gordon. Withdrawal coitus interruptus chemical contraception. The morality of contraception family planning is family values, say the majority of americas major religions by eleni towns and sally steenland posted on february 23, 2012, 9. It was not until the early 20th century that birth control became available for married couples.
Even in ancient times, people limited the size of their families. Scotland set a national target for reducing teenage pregnancies and northern ireland for reducing teenage births. Medical history of contraception by norman e himes abebooks. We may have to get creative before this is over, he said, his voice turning even deeper, huskier than before. Marie charlotte carmichael stopes 15 october 1880 2 october 1958 was a british author, palaeobotanist and campaigner for eugenics and womens. Before the 20th century most references to contraception were linked to illicit sexual relations. Robert juttes extraordinary history of contraception enables us to look in an entirely new way at the claim of the 1960s generation that theirs was the first sexual revolution.
Brings in a lot of interesting facts about the traditional uses of herbs as well as some of the lore from different parts of the world. Take a look back through the history of the birth control pill. While were in firm support of finding new and safer options, we though. Though contraceptives can now be legally purchased in the republic, the accessibility of birth control remains limited. The quackery market was flooded with selfhelp devices and medicines. List of books and articles about birth control in the u. Diaphragms, also known as womb veils, became a popular method of birth control. The easy availability of birth control devices alarmed anthony comstock, a onetime salesman in new york city who believed that they assisted. Over twothirds of those women live in china, where more women choose the iud than sterilization. The history of birth control the history of birth control. Iron chastity belts under lock and key are often connected with medieval torture devices, but the truth is that they didnt become popular until the 1800s. From the fathers of the church to the doctors of the church each and every one of them oppose contraception as seriously sinful. This version of the book was published just before humane vitae and just before the completion of the 2nd vatican council, and so it does not include a discussion of that controling encyclical though it does discuss casti connubii nor of the councils comment on contraception.
Planning and provision of birth control is called family planning. The book concisely covers all available drugs and devices. The struggle for the control of sexual reproduction from the ancient world through the middle ages is as important to juttes story as are the rise of sexual. Birth control history of the pill 1 in the middle of the 20th century, an ageold quest for safe and effective oral contraception was realized. It gives detailed explanation of all contraceptive methods, including how to use them, contraindications, interactions and the anxieties clients may have. The book was adorned with a frontispiece depicting a mother abandoning her child and lamenting, alas that it should have been born. On the 4th of december 1961, enoch powell, then minister for health, confirmed in the house of commons that birth control pills, as he called them, could be prescribed on the nhs. Social institutions such as the church and the state have exerted their influence as effectively as doctors, population theorists, and the early pioneers of the feminist movement. Selected recommendations for contraceptive use, 2016.
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