Other Family Planning

Birth control, sometimes synonymous with contraception, is a regimen of one or more actions, devices, or medications followed in order to deliberately prevent or reduce the likelihood of pregnancy or childbirth. more...

Home
Bath & Body
Dietary Supplements,...
Hair Care
Hair Removal
Health Care
Body Enhancers
Family Planning
Condoms
Assortments, Mixed Lots
Colored, Scented
Extra Sensitive
Flavored
Maximum Strength
Natural Feeling
Other Styles
Ribbed
Fertility Monitors
Impotence Aids
Lubricants
Other Family Planning
Ovulation Kits
Pregnancy Tests
Feminine Hygiene
First Aid
Hot & Cold Therapies
Other Health Care Items
Pill Cases, Boxes
Relaxation Aids
Sleeping Aids
Smoking Cessation
Makeup
Massage
Medical, Special Needs
Nail
Natural Therapies
Oral Care
Skin Care
Vision Care

Contraception may refer specifically to mechanisms which are intended to reduce the likelihood of the fertilization of an ovum by a spermatozoan.

The history of birth control began with the discovery of the connection between coitus and pregnancy. The oldest forms of birth control included coitus interruptus, pessaries, and the ingestion of herbs that were believed to be contraceptive or abortifacient. The earliest record of birth control use is instructions on creating a contraceptive pessary from Ancient Egypt.

Different methods of birth control have varying characteristics. Condoms, for example, are the only method that provides significant protection from sexually transmitted diseases. Cultural and religious attitudes on birth control vary significantly.

History

Probably the oldest methods of contraception (aside from sexual abstinence) are coitus interruptus, certain barrier methods, and herbal methods (emmenagogues and abortifacients).

Coitus interruptus (withdrawal of the penis from the vagina prior to ejaculation) probably predates any other form of birth control. Once the relationship between the emission of semen into the vagina and pregnancy was known or suspected, some men began to use this technique. This is not a particularly reliable method of contraception, as few men have the self-control to correctly practice the method at every single act of sexual intercourse. Although it is commonly believed that pre-ejaculate fluid can cause pregnancy, modern research has shown that pre-ejaculate fluid does not contain viable sperm.

There are historic records of Egyptian women using a pessary (a vaginal suppository) made of various acidic substances and lubricated with honey or oil, which may have been somewhat effective at killing sperm. However, it is important to note that the sperm cell was not discovered until Anton van Leeuwenhoek invented the microscope in the late 17th century, so barrier methods employed prior to that time could not know of the details of conception. Asian women may have used oiled paper as a cervical cap, and Europeans may have used beeswax for this purpose. The condom appeared sometime in the 17th century, initially made of a length of animal intestine. It was not particularly popular, nor as effective as modern latex condoms, but was employed both as a means of contraception and in the hopes of avoiding syphilis, which was greatly feared and devastating prior to the discovery of antibiotic drugs.

Read more at Wikipedia.org