Popular Ways of Contraception in Early America

By Brianna Douglas

                In early colonial times, more interesting things were going on besides colonizing the New World and gaining independence from Britain. While some families were expanding, some couples were also trying to have fewer children or no children at all. Of course the possibility of getting pregnant was way more certain since the ways of contraception were all pretty faulty. Some of the most popular ways of contraception, however, include (but were not limited to) abstinence, “coitus interruptus,” and if you were wealthy enough, some condoms.

                The most effective way to not have children in the colonial times was to practice abstinence. All of the other ways of contraception were either painful or defective, or both. Abstinence was most important to cultures that understood that babies were made from vaginal-penile intercourse. It was also important to those who understood that at the time of menarche, the first menstrual cycle, women are most likely to become pregnant if they had intercourse [1]. Because colonial America did not understand the process of conceiving until the mid-1800s and women were subjugated both socially and sexually, it was hard for women to practice abstinence successfully.

Condoms came into play in Colonial America during the Victorian era, but only the wealthy men were able to afford and use them. Forms of condoms existed before then, however. The condoms that were made back around 3000 B.C.E and used all the way until the 1500s were made from animal intestines or fish bladders [2]. They were contained in milk or medical ointments in order to keep them fresh [3]. Most condoms were used to prevent catching syphilis from prostitutes than to prevent children. The condoms back then were kind of thick or too easily broken and did not work very effectively.

The pull out method, known as coitus interruptus back during the colonial times, was also a method used to prevent from impregnating the female partner. Coitus Interruptus is Latin for “withdrawal with ejaculation occurring afterwards” [1]. Of course this method is also defective and only seldom works; the pre-ejaculation can still carry sperm that can enter the cervix and thus impregnate the female [4]. It used to be considered a sin to ejaculate without reproductive possibility to the early Jews and Christians, but despite this and its ineffectiveness coitus interruptus became a very popular method of contraception all the way up to the early 1900s [1].

I feel that the main ways of contraception during colonial times are not too different from today. The only difference is that the ways of contraception before has revolutionized and become way more effective today. Many women today choose to be abstinent, whether it be based on religion or personal choice. Condoms have also improved significantly with their quality. The pull-out method, however, continues to be a myth on its effectiveness on not impregnating the woman. This shows that the idea of contraception has existed even in the times were children were almost a requirement: in Colonial America.

 

 

 

 

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Footnotes

1.       Dexter, Katherine, McCormick Library. "The History of Birth Control Methods." Planned Parenthood, Federation of America, Inc. (2006): 1-3. http://www.plannedparenthood.org/files/PPFA/history_bc_methods.pdf (accessed February 15, 2014).

 

2.       Thompson, Kirsten. Our Bodies, Our Selves, "Birth Control: A Brief History of Birth Control." Last modified Feb 2014. Accessed February 15, 2014. http://www.ourbodiesourselves.org/book/companion.asp?id=18&compID
 
3.       Case Western Reserve University, "History of Contraception in America: 19th Century Artifacts." Accessed February 15, 2014. http://www.case.edu/affil/skuyhistcontraception/online-2012/19thCentury.html.

4.      Moore, Crystal. “Sex in Colonial America.” Lecture, History of Sexuality in America, UNCC. Charlotte, North Carolina. February 10, 2014.