Honestly, if you think birth control started with a plastic dial-up pack of pills in the 1960s, you’re missing about 4,000 years of the story. People have been trying to hack their biology since we lived in caves. It wasn’t always pretty—and sometimes it was downright dangerous—but the "history of birth control" isn't a modern invention. It’s an ancient human obsession.
Basically, humans have always wanted to have sex without necessarily having a baby every single time.
The ancient (and slightly gross) origins
How long has birth control been around? If we go by the written record, we’re looking at at least 1850 BCE. Ancient Egyptian medical texts like the Kahun Papyrus describe women using "pessaries"—which is just a fancy word for something you insert—made of crocodile dung mixed with fermented dough.
Yeah, you read that right. Crocodile poop.
Was it effective? Maybe, but not for the reasons they thought. The dung was alkaline, which might have actually acted as a bit of a barrier, but it also probably caused some nasty infections. Other Egyptian recipes were a bit more "spa-like," using lint soaked in honey and crushed acacia leaves. Fun fact: Acacia actually ferments into lactic acid, which is a legitimate spermicide used in some modern products today.
Those ancient doctors were kinda onto something.
The plant that went extinct because we loved it too much
In Ancient Greece and Rome, everyone was obsessed with a plant called Silphium. It was so effective as an "emergency contraceptive" and abortifacient that it became more valuable than silver. It grew only in a small strip of land in modern-day Libya. They used it so much that they literally drove the plant to extinction by the second century CE.
Imagine a plant so popular for birth control that it just... disappeared from the face of the earth.
Middle Ages and the "Dark" methods
When the Middle Ages rolled around in Europe, things got a bit weirder and a lot more superstitious. Since the Church wasn't exactly a fan of family planning, people turned to folklore.
- Weasel Testicles: Some women were told to tie the testicles of a weasel around their thighs during sex.
- Amulets: People wore "magic" charms made of cat bones or iron.
- The Sneeze: A Greek physician named Soranus suggested that women should just "jump up and sneeze" right after sex to shake the "seed" out.
Spoilers: None of that worked.
But while Europeans were tying weasels to their legs, physicians in the Islamic world, like Al-Razi, were documenting more practical methods like the withdrawal method and using physical barriers made of linen or wool soaked in oils.
The 1800s: Rubber changes everything
The 19th century was the real "turning point." Before this, if you wanted a condom, you were looking at something made from animal intestines—usually sheep or goat. They were expensive, reusable (gross, I know), and mostly used by men visiting brothels to avoid syphilis, not necessarily to prevent pregnancy.
Then Charles Goodyear happened.
In 1839, he figured out how to vulcanize rubber. Suddenly, by the 1850s, the world had rubber condoms, rubber diaphragms, and "womb veils." They were mass-produced and cheaper than a sheep's gut.
But then came the backlash.
In 1873, the U.S. passed the Comstock Law. This law basically defined birth control as "obscene" and made it illegal to send it—or even information about it—through the mail. It pushed the whole movement underground for decades.
The "Pill" wasn't an overnight success
We usually point to 1960 as the year the Pill arrived. That’s when the FDA approved Enovid for contraceptive use. But the journey started way before that.
In the early 1950s, Margaret Sanger (the founder of what became Planned Parenthood) was in her 80s and still fighting. She teamed up with a wealthy philanthropist named Katharine McCormick and a biologist named Gregory Pincus. They weren't just looking for a new tool; they wanted a "magic pill."
They found their secret ingredient in a Mexican wild yam.
A chemist named Russell Marker discovered he could extract a progestin from these yams to create synthetic hormones. It was a massive breakthrough. But even after the Pill was invented, it wasn't legal for everyone.
- 1960: FDA approves the Pill for birth control.
- 1965: The Supreme Court (Griswold v. Connecticut) finally makes it legal for married couples to use it.
- 1972: The Court finally says unmarried people have the same right.
It took over a decade just to make the most famous form of birth control legal for everyone in the U.S.
Modern times and the "LARC" revolution
Today, the conversation has shifted. While the Pill is still huge, we've moved into the era of Long-Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC). I'm talking about IUDs and implants.
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Interestingly, the first IUDs were actually documented in the early 1900s. A doctor named Richard Richter used silkworm gut. Later, in the 60s, we got the "Lippes Loop" and eventually the copper and hormonal IUDs we know today.
The goal now is basically "set it and forget it." High efficacy, low effort.
What should you actually do with this info?
If you're looking at your options today, you've got it better than anyone in history. No crocodile dung required.
- Check your coverage: Under current laws (like the ACA in the U.S.), most insurance plans have to cover birth control with no out-of-pocket cost.
- Think about your "Why": Are you using it for pregnancy prevention, or do you need help with heavy periods or acne? Hormonal vs. non-hormonal (like the copper IUD) matters a lot here.
- Don't DIY: History shows us that home remedies (like douching with Coca-Cola, which people actually tried in the 50s) are dangerous and don't work.
- Talk to a pro: Use tools like Bedsider to compare methods side-by-side before you head to the clinic.
Birth control has been around for thousands of years because people have always wanted control over their own lives. We’ve just finally gotten the science to catch up with the desire.
Next Steps for You:
Check your health insurance portal to see which LARC methods (IUDs or implants) are covered under your specific plan. If you are uninsured, look for a Title X clinic in your area that offers sliding-scale fees for reproductive healthcare.