THE STORY OF CONTRACEPTION: NUMBER 3 IS DISGUSTING! - NEWS - GOSSIP

The story of contraception in 10 absurd options: from bread crumbs to Casanova's lemon

If the idea of having your husband wear a condom or having to remember every night to take the pill bores you and makes you roll your eyes, we advise you not to complain too much because you can consider yourself lucky! due precautions, look here for some tips for a fabulous sex:

· Animal guts
· Breadcrumbs
· Crocodile droppings
· Glass of mercury
· Marine sponges
Weasel testicles
· The Casanova lemon
The Thimble
· Acid washes
· The strange and absurd methods of contraception

In the past, women weren't as bad; do you think that to avoid the risks of unwanted pregnancies, they underwent real "torture", and we are not referring to divertissement in "50 Shades of Gray" style, but not infrequently disgusting and dangerous practices.

Below you will find them in an excursus of 10 stages that tell the story of contraceptives from ancient Egypt to the early 1900s.

Animal guts

The ancient Egyptians were one of the first civilizations to use the condom, which obviously was not made of latex, but of animal guts (usually lamb or pig intestine). The main purpose of the contraceptive was not to prevent reproduction, but to limit the transmission of venereal diseases.

breadcrumbs

The Ebers papyrus tells that the Egyptians recommended a vaginal swab made of breadcrumbs mixed with acacia, honey and dates that allowed them to escape unwanted pregnancies for at least two years. Perhaps there was an element of truth in this tradition: the lactic acid produced by fermented acacia may have had a modest spermicidal action.

Crocodile droppings

The Egyptians also thought they could make a powerful spermicide with a concoction of crocodile dung and honey, to be inserted into the vagina before sexual intercourse. The disgusting compound, however not easy to find, served as a physical obstacle to the passage of spermatozoa.

Glass of mercury

In ancient China, women who did not wish to become pregnant used to drink a glass of hot mercury. This substance, which today we know to be toxic, was also used by the ancient Greeks to treat a long series of venereal diseases, including syphilis.

Marine sponges

Among the ancient Jews it was traditional to introduce marine sponges inside the vagina immediately after intercourse, in order to absorb the sperm and avoid pregnancy.

Weasel testicles

In medieval Europe, weasel testicles soaked in alcohol were tied to the woman's thigh during sexual intercourse; they had an exorcising function, a bit like a bunch of lucky peppers.

The Casanova lemon

In the 1700s, Casanova suggested the use of half a lemon emptied, to be inserted inside the vagina, as a remedy for pregnancies. Perhaps he partly trusted the acidity of the citrus fruit, partly the mechanical protection. In fact, Casanova's remedy was an ancestor of the modern diaphragm, invented towards the end of the nineteenth century.

The Thimble

In the Renaissance the thimble was not only used by seamstresses.Iron, but also gold or silver was inserted into the vagina to block the unwanted effects of sexual intercourse. Often, it was combined with acidic substances that could act as a spermicide.

Acid washes

Vaginal irrigations were another of the practices attempted to ward off the unwanted consequences of a risky relationship. They were almost always acid solutions. Between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, solutions containing sublimate of mercury were used, which in addition to killing spermatozoa caused serious damage.

The strange and absurd methods of contraception

To recap, and to discover a few more, here are the strangest and most absurd methods of contraception that man has ever used. In addition to those you have read here, you will find other surprises, because before you get to modern contraception, the way is been long, and full of bizarre ideas ...

See also: Strange and absurd methods of contraception (not to be done at home!)