Okay, Listen Here

Okay, Listen Here

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Early Contra-what?

I love history!  Scouring history books often leads to the discovery of fascinating information, which can legitimize ideas, flesh out characters or provide plot inspiration.  And sometimes... well, sometimes you simply learn the darndest things whether you want to or not.

Take yesterday, for instance.  I found a great book at Cosco, The Book of Amazing History by Publications International, Ltd. 


You can find it here: Amazon.com

Of course, I couldn't resist tapping into this resource for historical insight.  After flipping through several pages, I landed on this topic: Early Contraception.

Sex and contraception are topics romance writers juggle every day, not to mention the fact that billions of people deal with this very issue on a daily basis.  It appears preventing pregnancy has always been big business.  Check out the amazing things I learned about this topic.  I think you'll find them v.e.r.y. interesting.  ;)

Did you know:

In ancient Greece, women who wanted to conceive were told to jump backwards 7 times after intercourse?  As opposed to tying a bag of cat's liver to your left foot or spitting into a frog's mouth to prevent pregnancy.  (Was this the ancient way of snagging a prince?)

Barriers used in ancient times?  Yes!  Pebbles, lemon halves, dried elephant or crocodile dung were used.  (A new perspective to skipping stones, making lemonade out of lemons, and trailing behind Big AL or Crocodile Dundee.)

In 1550 B.C. a mix of ground dates, acacia tree bark, and honey were applied to a woman's, dare I say it, lovenest.  High in lactic acid, the acacia plant provided a perfect source for stablizing PH balance.  (Or attracting bees.) 

Aborginis in Eastern Canada believed tea brewed with beaver testicles would prevent pregnancy.  (Tea time must have meant something completely different in those days.  Don't tell the ladies at Downton Abbey!  In the meantime, I'll try not to think about it when I drink tea in the mid-afternoon.)

In 17th Cent. B.C., silphium was discovered in the Libyan mountains.  The plant, part of the fennel genus, was cultivated to work like a morning after pill and was extremely successful.  Unfortunately, it could only be found in Libya and was harvested into extinction by the 2nd Cent.

Men have been using shealths since 1,000 B.C.  Romans and 17th Cent. British used animal intestine.  (Was there a reference to pigskin before this or is this where the diddy "little pig, little pig, let me come in" came from?) 

Fabric soaked in spermicidal liquid was used by Egyptians and Italians until vulcanized rubber bounced onto the scene in 1844.  To this day, the shealth remains the primary contraceptive used around the world.

Now I don't know about you, but I'm surprised any of these people still wanted to have sex! 

As they say in Jurasic Park, "Nature found a way."

I've heard debates on how much emphasis should be given to contraceptives in romance novels.  What are your thoughts?  Are romance authors accountable for promoting contraceptives?  Or is this something left to the reader's imagination?




13 comments:

  1. I remember reading about a fungus or a mold which grew on grain that the ancient Romans used as a day after pill. It seems researchers are looking at it again. The fungus or mold was very effective.

    I am with you. Who in the world could "be romantic" when there is dung involved? LOL

    As for the debate of discussing contraception in novels, I think being responsible in this age of STDS and HIV is something any smart heroine would be concerned about, let alone pregnancy. Just my view.

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    1. Even fungus sounds bad, though penicillin was developed from mold. I suppose we should be more thankful for effects of drugs and not specifically where they come from as long as they work.

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  2. OMG! It's a wonder civilization survived.

    And I'm with Cheryl. I think not only a smart heroine but a smart hero should be concerned about STDs and pregnancy. Many a teen girl reads romance novels and not only should she get an example of love and HEA, but a good example about being safe and responsible.

    Marilyn

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    1. Lol! I agree, Marilyn! Strange, isn't it?

      Can you imagine writing these contraceptive tips into a book?

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  3. I have to say, crocodiles, elephants and even the little pig would have kept me away from sex....well, except there's this little thing called raging hormones that seem to override any and ALL logic! Sigh.

    Being the mother of teens, I am appalled at the lack of information parents are willing to teach their children. I, of course, held nothing back... to my children's horror and shock! (A big thank you to Hooters, the Pink Pony, and Foxtails for sparking questions that gave me entree to speak freely!)

    That said, though I don't want my stories to be ABOUT contraceptives, I do understand there are young women who read romance novels as if they're how-to books. And given that, I'll be as responsible about the information as I can be. But it's still the story first.

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    1. You've done the right thing by educating your girls, Lesia. ;)

      Writers face scrutiny if they don't accept responsibility. But how far do writers have to go to appease critics on this issue?

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    2. I think the scope of the story determines a lot of what you can and should cover. And we're telling stories of human nature and emotions after all. That makes the story possibilities endless. However, if "coverage" fits with the story, by all means, cover it. If not, well, it's the teller's story. Why add filler to appease anyone? Critics are everywhere. I just want to tell the best story I can tell. And that might just be a story without coverage. Who's to say until that character lives it?

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  4. Let me start by saying "YUCK!!!" I would have had to abstain if some of those were my only choices!

    I agree with Lesia that I don't want a story about contraceptives but I think that we have to show some social responsiblity as well. I think we usually mention condom use at least once in our modern books. In Elf Land we have a bit more freedom since it is fantasy!

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    1. Thanks for posting, Stephanie! I'm with you in the eck factor. ;)

      You and Lesia make good points. There are so many stories out there.

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  5. I remember one of the first romance novels I secretly borrowed -- from a nursing home, oddly enough -- was an 1850's historical that happened to include an explanation on natural family planning of sorts. Not the temperature-based variety... This one actually was dependent on paying close attention to your cycle and a certain...um...mucus discharge. Along with the avoidance of sex for three days after said discharge is noticed. (Sorry to TMI anyone. I'm a nurse, we consider far worse to be dinner table conversation.) Fascinated, I researched the method at length and found that it's not only legitimate, but in impoverished countries where it's been employed, it's 98% effective. (i.e. better rate than condoms.)

    And there you have it. The most useful contraceptive information I ever received, in both preventing and later encouraging pregnancy, and I learned about first in a romance novel. I'm pretty sure my only takeaway in high school sex ed was how to put a condom on a banana. >.>

    ~Angela Blount

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    1. Thanks for adding more historical info, Angela! I'm sure we've barely scraped the barrel where this topic is concerned. I've been trying to locate information I got during one of the Beau Monde conferences about Sex in History. I'm sure there's plenty mentioned there. If I find it, I'll post more.

      LOL about the banana! Sex Ed was a bit more timid when I was in school. ;)

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  6. I've been under the weather but I'm back.

    I believe tying a bag of cat's liver (or any other liver) to one's ankle would go a long way in preventing pregnancy. Who wants to smell that?

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    1. So glad to have you back in top form, Jean. Sorry you've been sick. Hugs! ;)

      I can't imagine anyone believing that would work. LOL!

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