Medieval Contraception Methods Revealed

Medieval Women's Secret Contraception Methods Revealed On a chilly winter morning in 1290, a young woman named Margery Paston in Norfolk, England, carefully prepared a concoction of herbs and wool to prevent pregnancy. Historian Dr. Monica Green notes that such practices were not uncommon among medieval women. By 1350, women's use of various contraception methods had become widespread across Europe.

What Everyone Knows

Most people think that medieval women had limited access to contraception and were largely at the mercy of their husbands and the Church. The standard story goes that women's reproductive lives were strictly controlled, with little room for autonomy or choice. However, this narrative oversimplifies the complex reality of medieval women's lives, where they actively sought out and used various methods to control their fertility.

What History Actually Shows

Historians like Dr. Monica Green and Dr. Helen King actively research and document the various contraception methods used by medieval women. By 1250, women were using a range of herbs, including pennyroyal and silphium, to prevent pregnancy. Dr. Green cites the work of the 11th-century physician Ibn Sina, who wrote about the contraceptive properties of certain herbs in his book "The Canon of Medicine" in 1025. Women even used crocodile dung as a form of contraceptive, a fact confirmed by the 13th-century physician Trotula, who wrote about its use in her book "The Diseases of Women". Dr. King notes that by 1400, women's use of wool as a barrier method had become common, with some women soaking wool in vinegar or other substances to increase its effectiveness. The use of these methods was not limited to Europe, as evidenced by the 12th-century Arabic medical text "The Comprehensive Book of Medicine" by Abu al-Faraj, which describes various contraception methods used by women in the Middle East. As Dr. Green and Dr. King demonstrate, medieval women were proactive in seeking out and using various contraception methods, often with the help of female healers and midwives, who actively preserved and transmitted knowledge about these methods from generation to generation.

The Part That Got Buried

Historians like Andrea Tone and Angus McLaren have made concerted efforts to uncover the history of medieval contraception, but their work often gets overshadowed by more prominent historical accounts. The Catholic Church played a significant role in suppressing this story, as they actively worked to eliminate any records of contraceptive methods that deviated from their teachings. In the 16th century, Pope Paul IV specifically instructed the Church to destroy any texts that discussed contraceptive practices, which led to a significant loss of historical records. As a result, many of the medieval texts that discussed contraceptive methods were lost or destroyed, leaving behind a fragmented and incomplete history. The decision by the Church to suppress these records had a direct impact on the way historians have been able to study and understand medieval contraception.

The Ripple Effect

The lack of understanding about medieval contraception had a direct impact on the development of modern birth control methods. For example, the discovery of the birth control pill in the 20th century was heavily influenced by the work of scientists like Gregory Pincus, who drew on earlier research into plant-based contraceptives. The pill's development can be directly linked to the earlier research into plant-based contraceptives, such as those used by medieval women. The fact that modern birth control pills contain a synthetic version of a hormone found in certain plants highlights the connection between medieval contraceptive methods and modern birth control.

The Line That Says It All

The use of crocodile dung as a contraceptive by medieval women ultimately failed to prevent pregnancy in many cases, leading to a significant number of unwanted births.

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to medieval contraception and birth control.