From Cola to beaver testicles: 9 of the strangest contraceptive methods from the past

It seems to us that the "magic pill" and condoms have always been there. We are used to being able to independently control pregnancy, except in cases of force majeure. But only recently, women have gained the right and opportunity to dispose of their own uterus. And before that, I had to get out of the situation as best I could. We tell you about the most strange methods of contraception that our ancestors used.

The use of lemon juice is one of the oldest ways to prevent unwanted pregnancy, which is mentioned in the Talmud. The women moistened the sponge with the juice and inserted it into their vagina, creating a barrier between the sperm and the cervix. There is a version that this method was preferred by Giacomo Casanova (although he was much less aware of venereal diseases).

Citric acid is thought to kill sperm cells. In fact, this method is not only unreliable, but also fraught with a violation of the vaginal microflora.

A method that was actively used in the United States in the 1950s. The carbon dioxide contained in the drink killed the sperm, and the bottle was used as an applicator: simply shaken and inserted the neck into the vagina. However, no one has been able to confirm the effectiveness of this method.

Chinese women got rid of unwanted pregnancies with hot mercury. They drank it, just as the ancient doctors had recommended. I must say that mercury in those days was considered an excellent medicine not only for pregnancy: it was used to treat acne and venereal diseases.

Everything would be fine, but as a result, the kidneys failed and the nervous system was damaged. And those who were treated especially diligently, quickly died.

One of the first barrier methods of contraception was condoms. Whether they were used in the ancient world or not is still an open question.

The first modern type of condoms appeared in the XVII century. However, they were made of not the most appetizing materials. Especially popular were the guts of animals: pigs or lambs. To make them softer, they were boiled in milk.

Until the 19th century, condoms were considered a privilege of the nobility. Ordinary citizens had no idea about them, and they had little money, and condoms were not cheap. For example, a 19th-century London prostitute had to save her earnings for several months to buy a condom. But the purchase was justified, because the condoms were reusable.

It is believed that the ancient Egyptians were the pioneers in the field of contraception. They mixed dried crocodile feces with honey and this" cocktail " was stuffed into the vagina so that the sperm did not penetrate deeper. This assumption is based on a papyrus found in 1850 BC.

And in the first century AD in India, women also did not disdain to use animal feces. Only elephants took the place of crocodiles, and rock salt was used instead of honey.

According to the ancient Greek doctor Soranos, in order not to conceive children during sex, a woman needs to hold her breath (it is not specified, however, how long she should do this). When the intimacy is over, you definitely need to sniff from the heart. However, the same doctor strongly recommended abstaining from sex during menstruation, if the couple did not want to have children, as he considered this time the most suitable for conception.

Another extreme method of contraception originates in ancient Egypt. Women sat down over hot stones, "scalding" the vagina immediately after sex. In medieval Europe, the method was made even more cruel: although hot stones were replaced by boiling water with herbs, steam had to be directed into the vagina with a tube. Most often, as a result, women received severe burns.

And in the Soviet Union, the best remedy for unwanted pregnancy, in addition to abortion, was considered to be a provoked miscarriage. Contemporaries of our mothers and grandmothers jumped with a bag of potatoes on their shoulders, took very hot baths and beat themselves hard in the stomach to start bleeding.

This tool was used by women in Canada who did not want to have children. The beaver's testicles had to be dried and then mixed in a certain proportion with alcohol. It was believed that if you drink this solution, there will be no children for sure (what about stomach ulcers, history is silent).

It seems that in the modern world, any woman knows how to protect herself from unwanted pregnancy. In fact, unfortunately, approximately one third of women in developing countries do not have access to modern methods of contraception at all.