Contraception
How can one prevent something whose origin one doesn't comprehend? The history of contraception includes a long time fumbling in the dark.
Charlatans, wise women, philosophers, and scientists, among others, tried their hands at finding contraceptive methods. But usually, in the early days, successful prevention of pregnancy depended upon sheer coincidence or pure luck.
We will take you along on a journey through the history of mechanical and chemical contraceptives, as well as so called natural methods based on self-observation.
Experience, for example, how women in Antiquity counteracted unwanted pregnancies, or how the Pill first came onto the market.
Fish of all things!
Animal-based condoms gave a ‘more authentic feeling’ than rubber ones …
Contraception 100 years ago: good start, tragic end
By today’s standards, the contrivances for contraception developed 100 years …
Of the fulfilled and unfulfilled wishes of a museum
Contentment and modesty may be virtues in one's private life – but for …
G for Gräfenberg – A rocky road to success
Since our topic is the “most pleasurable activity in the …
1909: Legal Battle over Zeppelin Condoms
On 2 July 1900, approximately 12,000 spectators gathered at Lake Constance to witness the first flight of an airship based on Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin’s idea.
‘Natural’ methods of contraception: elephant dung, parsley, hopping
In principle, nature does not want to prevent conception – …
When can a woman get pregnant? Austrian–Japanese consensus.
October 2019, marks the 150th anniversary of the signing of …
Jersey leads the way: family planning is part of life
Excavations, local traditional costumes, famous sons and daughters, acts of …
Just Don’t Try It
‘How can I keep from getting pregnant?’ and ‘How can I get rich?’ Most answers to both questions are similar in one respect: they’re imaginative and absurd.
Boron Blocks Sperm
Most local contraceptives contain the chemical element boron.
Mind the slip
Patent: contrivance for holding a fish bladder condom
The bidet is for vaginal rinsing
The Dalkon Shield
The not thought through Dalkon Shield, an IUD produced in the 1970s, caused serious and sometimes even disastrous side effects.
The Diaphragm
The diaphragm was developed towards the end of the 19th century by Doctor Wilhelm Mensinga.
“The Law for the Prevention of Hereditarily Diseased Offspring is a truly revolutionary measure” (Adolf Hitler, 1934)
In Vienna alone, 1200 women and men were subjected to …
Flinging sperm out
Friedrich Eduard Bilz and Iwan Bloch report of flinging the sperm out after the intercourse - not a serious method of contraception!
The Pearl Index
The Pearl Index is used to calculate the number of (unwanted) pregnancies per 100 woman years of exposure.
In Bed with the Government
Nazi Laws Aimed at Increasing the Number of Births
Germany: doctors against over-the-counter ‘morning-after pill’
In most European countries, consumers can go straight away to the chemist to get their ‘morning-after pill’.
Dana coils
The IUDs developed by MD Jirí Srácek in the 1960s and named after his spouse are remarkable because of their evolution.
The first educational publications dealing with birth control
Many of mankind’s attempts to control fertility make us wonder about the ignorance on this subject.
Pessaries
Pessaries were developed at the beginning of the twentieth century. These predecessors of today’s coils were inefficient methods of contraception.
The Pill Advances the Women’s Movement
The German journalist and writer Barbara Sichtermann wrote the following about the contraceptive pill’s effect on the women’s movement.
The story of the pill: A forgotten revolution
The Powder Blower
The usage of a Powder Blower could protect a woman’s vagina against impregnation for 30 minutes.
The Language of Contraception: Camouflage and Euphemism
The unambiguous term anti-baby pill did not become socially acceptable until the 1960s.
Vasectomy
Vasectomy (male sterilisation) is a permanent and usually final and, thus, often controversial method of contraception.
It’s better to wait to be a mom
Bristol Palin wants to keep other young people from having to raise an unplanned baby.
An instruction for a sheepgut condom
An instruction for the preparation of a sheepgut condom dating back to approximately 1824.
British Album with Advertisements for Contraceptives
Stay “Youthful, Attractive and Ready to Work” for Your Husband!
In 1929, the vaginal douche Abonor was approved by Austria’s Ministry of Social Policy.
Tell Me What I Want to Know, Not What You Want to Tell Me
Informational materials tailored to patient needs reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies
Plant Hormones Made the Contraceptive Pill Possible
Until the 20th century, contraception methods were basically mechanical, and they kept sperm and egg cells separate.
First World War: condoms widely used for the first time
German soldiers were ‘officially issued’ condoms.
Eugenics in Austria – Biopolitical Structures from 1900 to 1945
An introduction to Eugenics in Austria
Geplatzt! Kondome halten nicht, was sie versprechen
(Oktober 2009) Kondome sind offensichtlich wenig zuverlässig: Ein Drittel aller …
Health Manuals: The Netdoctors of the Turn of the Century
At the turn of the last century, health manuals served the same purpose as Internet forums and netdoctors do today.
Great Britain: Reducing Teen Pregnancy
As part of a pilot project women and girls over the age of 16 have received contraceptive pills directly at the chemist’s, without prescriptions.
The ‘Elevator of the Second Rib’ and the ‘Transverse Colon’
The young man in the 1911 book “Woman as the Doctor at Home” by Dr Jenny Springer wears nothing more than a fig leaf.
Mr. S.
If an Austrian man wanted to be sterilized before the age of 40, he used to have to take a trip abroad.
Man, Is That Cold!
Irrigator for vaginal douche
Douches are not an effective means of contraception and therefore are not recommended!
Young People Must Pay Out of Their Own Pockets
The city of Vienna has good reason to be proud …
Condoms – a quote from 1927
A thin membrane that is pulled over the male member before intercourse
Condoms: a short story
Condoms were originally designed to be protection against syphilis and other sexually transmitted diseases.
Kyusaku Ogino and the calculation of the (in)fertile days in the female cycle
Working but independently of each other, both Ogino and Knaus calculated the fertile and infertile days in the female cycle.
First, Take a Garden Hose...
After having sex they disappeared into the shower, usually with a hose that was about 1.5m in length.
Lactic Acid as a Contraceptive
Prof. Albert Döderlein’s led to the idea of using its ability to block sperm for contraception.
Open Letter to Cardinal Christoph Schönborn
Dear Cardinal Schönborn,
We have gathered from the media that …
Vaginal Rinsing Made Simple
Women inventors think practically and simplify the vaginal douche.
Sterilization: Global Practice
As recently as fifty years ago, voluntary sterilization was not possible in Austria.
Unbelievable! Pills to prevent pregnancy!
At the beginning of the 1960's, German women's journal Constanze interviewed a female gynecologist from England about the pill.
Lost Hope
Futile Attempts: Part 1
Superstitions and behavioural methods
Futile Attempts: Part 2
From karezza to modern superstitions
Camel Contraception
To prevent their female camels from becoming pregnant during long …
Contraception via Microchip: increased long-term protection is under development
In 2018, a new long-term contraceptive for women is scheduled to appear on the market.
Advertisements for Contraceptives: Denmark
Instructions for using pessry and vaginal douches
I can get pregnant from unprotected sex? Really?
“I’ve never got pregnant from unprotected sex in the past, so it won’t happen in the future.”
Why does the IUD (intra uterine device) contain copper?
Even a small amount of copper makes sperm incapable of fertilization.
Why the hurry? Sperm cells move at record-breaking speed
The unbelievable power of ejaculation raises the question why is it necessary. What’s the need for the hurry?
What We Can Learn from the Pill
The introduction of the contraceptive pill in the 1960s was unprecedented and a shock:
What women in antiquity used to do for contraception
Charms, little sponges, pomegranate seeds, ginger, olive oil, honey and vinegar were favourite contraceptives
Too Young for Sex?
Denying access to birth control for reasons of age does nothing to reduce sexual activity among the young. On the contrary, it results in more pregnancies.