Birth Control
The History of Birth Control
The history of birth control is long and interesting. People have seemingly used everything from lemons cut in half and placed across the cervix during Cleopatra’s era to mashed tea leaves placed in the vagina prior to intercourse in Japan to the earliest condoms that date back to the 1500’s. The acid in the lemons and tea leaves may have killed sperm and early condoms were used to prevent sexually transmitted infections. With the invention of rubber and latex in the early 1900’s, condoms gained the ability to prevent conception as well. For more information, check out this article from Women’s Health Care.
Birth Control Methods
Today’s birth control methods are more researched than any other modern medicine. As a result, they are better than they used to be. For example, birth control pills used to contain more hormones and had more side effects when they first came out in the 1960s. With what we’ve learned, pills now contain just enough hormones to prevent ovulation and pregnancy. To learn more about the methods now available, click here. Here’s a great resource from MTV and the Kaiser Foundation for teens and young adults.
Why so many different methods?
All modern methods of birth control are effective. Some methods work better for some than others. To help men and women find something that works for them, the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals developed this tool.
Emergency Contraception – What is it and how does it work?
Also known as Plan B and the Morning After Pill, EC is a safe and effective method of birth control that prevents pregnancy after sex. EC prevents pregnancy by temporarily stopping an egg from being released or by stopping an egg from being fertilized. EC is not an abortion pill because it will NOT affect a pregnancy that’s already started. For more information on EC, visit Go2PlanB.com or PlannedParenthood.org. You can also learn more on our EC page.
