Q:
What are some of the most interesting or ingenious
methods that men and women used to prevent pregnancies?
Did
any of these "homemade contraceptives" actually work as
intended?
A: - I hate to pick and choose. In ancient Egypt, vaginal suppositories made out of crocodile dung were used. Aristotle noted the tendency of women of his time to coat their cervixes with olive oil. Of course, doctors don't recommend either of these techniques, and for good reason! Undoubtedly, these methods were uncomfortable and unsafe. Still, it's interesting that a British study conducted in 1931 found a low pregnancy rate among women using olive oil. The reality is that we don't know how effectively early methods worked, because there were no scientific studies undertaken until the 1920s. What we can say is that there's plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest that some did, and that the fertility rate of American women drops sharply in the United States after 1800, reaching an all-time low during the Depression.
Q: What was the most important thing you learned while researching your book?
A: - I was intrigued by the resilience of the contraceptive industry throughout the era of criminalization, and the determination of ordinary Americans to use their own moral compass to determine when contraception was right and wrong.
Q: Were you ever stunned by the information that you discovered?
A: - I love doing research, and researching this book was particularly enjoyable and memorable. On one occasion I was looking at FTC records and found crusty old diaphragms and decaying condoms glued to the pages!
Q:
When did things change and contraceptives begin to
become legal?
What happened to cause this change?
A: - Legal liberalization occurred gradually. After World War One, the expense and human toil of the VD crisis prompted one New York court to reclassify contraceptives as legal, if they were prescribed by doctors to prevent or cure a disease. This was not a rallying cry to endorse a woman's right to choose her procreative destiny, but it was start. When Margaret Sanger opened the first medically supervised birth control clinic in 1923, she did so precisely because the 1918 ruling gave her a legal foot on which to stand.
Q: What would you advise a woman today who is trying to decide which method of birth control is best for her?
A: - I don't believe in a one-size-fits-all model of birth control. There's no method that's perfect for everyone. She should research her options carefully. The best decisions are informed decisions.
Q: Is there anything else women should know about your book and contraception?
A: - Women should remember that emergency contraception is legal, safe, and available. If you forget to use contraception when you have intercourse, call your doctor or Planned Parenthood.
