Let's get it on. But before we do, let's talk about preventative methods. I know you're all frisky, and in the mood, but we don't want to get pregnant do we? Neither did some of our inventive predecessors. They took birth control to the extreme. So before you get all nice and comfy, let's talk birth control.
Birth control has come a long way over the last few thousand years. And not surprisingly, it was up to the woman to take care of it. Some of the earliest forms of birth control can be found in Egyptian papyri. Vaginal suppositories (or pessary) were inserted into the cervix to prevent semen from entering. They were the most efficient contraceptive devices during their time.
In Egypt women used crocodile dung (because of its high acidic content) mixed with honey to form a paste. It was then placed into the cervix where it would begin to dissolve and act as an impenetrable barrier. And if that didn't work, then surely the smell would. The Egyptian women would also use cotton soaked in a paste of acacia and date or they would use ground acacia, carob, and mix it with honey to be inserted into the vagina.
Aristotle supposedly advocated the use of oil as a preventative form of birth control, and some women used it until the 1920's. Another form of pessary was the usage of solid objects to block the cervix. In Africa they would use blades of chopped grass. Japanese prostitutes would use balls of bamboo tissue paper. Ancient Jews used sea sponges wrapped in silk with a string attached. Such forms of contraception were widely popular since conception was nearly impossible.
Another form of birth control was the use of silphium. More popularly known as a type of fennel. The seeds were regularly used throughout Asia, Europe, and Africa. So popular was this form of birth control, that it was harvested into extinction.
Condoms appeared sometime in the seventeenth century, but were virtually ineffective since they were made from the intestines of animals. They were nothing like today's' latex versions, where not only disease is prevented, but pregnancy is almost unlikely.
Abortifacients were also a form of birth control. They usually contained potions concocted from various herbs. In German folk medicine, women used marjoram, thyme, parsley, and lavender in tea form. The “prostitute root” or worm fern was popular. Other recipes consisted of a paste of mashed ants, foam from camels mouths, or actually ingesting forms of poison.
The ingestion of specific poisons disrupted the reproductive system. Albeit, it did come with major side effects. Women have drunk mercury and arsenic in the hopes of preventing birth. Tansy and pennyroyal were also popular, but they tended to poison the woman who ingested the herb. The chemicals in these herbs could not only induce miscarriage, but they would often damage the kidneys, liver, and other internal organs.
In modern times women were reported to use turpentine, castor oil, quinine water with a rusty nail soaked in it, ginger, horseradish, ammonia, and mustard. When I did a research paper back in college, I interviewed my Nana on how women were ostracized for becoming pregnant in her country. She had told me that in her younger days (the 1940's) in Krakow women were so frightened by the consequences of being pregnant out of wed lock that some women went to the extreme of mixing ash with castor oil. In most cases, it only made the woman violently ill rather than producing the desired effects.
Other than ingesting herbs to induce abortion, women also tried external means like hot baths, jumping, or running. A technique in an 8th century Sanskrit source had women standing over a pot of hot steam or stewed onions.
Once men realized that withdrawing could prevent pregnancy, coitus interuptus became very popular. However, this method is sometimes ineffective. Coitus obstructus is a method whereby the forepart of the testicle is pressed upon to block the urethra from forcing semen into the cervix. Coitus reservatus was popular amongst Hindus, and had the male avoiding ejaculation altogether. But how many men do you know that actually have the reserve to control themselves? So that method was definitely unpopular.
Over time, methods such as rhythm method (based on calculating the woman's fertile period and abstaining from sex during it) became common. Although this method is not a reliable one. IUD's were purportedly developed from a tale of Arab traders inserting a rock into the cervix of female camels to prevent unwanted pregnancies. And finally by the 1950's when scientists better understood a woman's cycle, came the invention of the pill. So the next time you make sexy with your partner, thank those who came before you who had to do a lot of trial and error before getting it right.
译文:
控制生育的方式
让我们继续.在发生关系前,让我们讨论下预防措施.我知道你们都很兴奋,心情很好,但我们都不想怀孕,不是么?在我们之前富有创意的先驱将控制生育做到及至.所以在发生美妙惬意的关系前,让我们谈谈控制生育.
控制生育已经有些年头了.女人关注它是不足为奇的.早期的一些控制生育的方法出自埃及的纸草文书.阴道栓剂(阴环)放入子宫以免精子进入.它们是那个时期最有效的避孕装置.
在埃及女人用鳄鱼粪（因为是高酸性物质）混合蜂蜜做成一个疙瘩，将它放入子宫颈，然后这个疙瘩会融化，成为不可入侵的障碍．如果不起作用，当然这个气味会．埃及女人把棉花塞入一团树胶和枣，或者她们用地上的树胶，角豆胶混合蜂蜜塞入阴道.亚里士多德提倡使用油作为控制生育的预防方式，一些女人一直用这个法子直到20世纪20年代．另一个使用阴环的方式是利用硬物去堵塞子宫颈.非洲人是用切成一片片的草．日本妓女是用竹质地的一团纸．古代犹太人是在海绵外裹上丝绸连上线．因为不讲概念，这样的避孕方式非常普遍．
另一个控生方式是使用罗盘草．更广为流传的是用茴香．这个种子在亚洲，欧洲，非洲流传开来．这样的控生方式很流行，难以杜绝．
避孕套在17世纪出现了，但完全没效果因为是用动物肠子做的，不像现在的乳胶，不仅能防预疾病还能避孕．
促使流产也是一种控生方式.它们通常是混合了各种药草的一服药.德国民间偏方,女人用牛至属植物,百里香,欧芹和薰衣草入茶的方式.在妓院,很流行用虫子和蕨类做药.其他的方子由一团捣碎的蚂蚁和骆驼嘴巴里的泡脉组成,或者实际上咽下一剂毒药.
特定毒药的摄取干扰了生产系统.即使它们带了大量副作用,女人喝水银和砒霜以望避孕.艾菊和薄荷油也很流行,但它们趋于毒害了那些服用草药的女人.这些草药的里的化学成分不仅不能引起流产,反而损害肾,肝脏和其他内部器官.
现在,女人被告知使用松脂油,蓖麻油,荃宁水混合生锈的钉子进去,姜,山葵,氨水和芥末.当我回学院做研究时,我访问祖母为什么在她的国家女人会因为怀孕受到排斥?她告诉我在她年轻的时候,(20世纪40年代)在科拉科夫,女人因为不想结婚而害怕怀孕,女人采取用灰混合蓖麻油的方式.很多时候,这使女人病入膏肓而非产生想要的效果.
除了摄取药物引起流产外,女人还尝试外部方法,如热浴,跳,或者跑.8世纪的梵语起源的一个技巧是让女人站在一个冒着热蒸气或这炖着洋葱的锅上.
当男人发现抽出可以避免怀孕,性交中断变的很流行.然而,这个方法常常失效.性交中断是一种让睾丸的前部挤压堵住尿道防止精子进入子宫．性交中断的方法在印度很流行，男性以此避免同时射出．但是你知道多少男人可以有余地控制他们自己．所以这个方法不管用．
随着时间的过去，很多方法例如韵律法（基于计算女人的排卵期并且在此期间避免性交）变的很普遍．虽然这个方法并不可靠．IUD的发明声称是来自一个阿拉伯贸易者的传说．他将石头塞如雄骆驼的颈部以防预不必要的怀孕.最后在20世纪50年代当科学家更好的了解了女人的循环周期,才发明了避孕药.所以下次和你的伴侣发生性关系时,感谢那些反复实验以求却着方式的人.