Birth Control: Present and Past

I thought this would be a timely post due to the recent ruling on coverage—or lack of---birth control in the United States.  Despite the current controversy, 21^st century birth control is much better now than in medieval times. 

Did you know that Michael Scot’s The Secrets of Nature, published in 1730, contains cryptic recipes that women shouldn’t eat because it will render them infertile? Also, a chap named Raymond Lull recommended that women should consume juniper and thyme to prevent pregnancy.

Despite the fact that post-modern birth control continues to improve, societal attitudes towards women and their reproduction are still consistent with medieval times. Who has a right to decide what happens in a woman’s womb? In the Middle Ages it was men: husbands, fathers, clergy, and the courts.  In 2014, it is courts, clergy, and employers.

To learn more about medieval birth control, The Medieval Vagina will be published this fall, so be sure to check it out!