History of birth control

The history of birth control traces methods, practices, policies, and movements aimed at preventing pregnancy, from ancient techniques to modern contraception and reproductive rights.

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Ancient contraception: Methods used in antiquity to prevent conception or interrupt pregnancy, known from medical texts and material evidence. Egyptian, Greek, and Roman sources document early contraceptive recipes and devices.
Condom: A sheath worn over the penis or inserted into the vagina to reduce pregnancy risk and transmission of infections. Condoms moved from animal-membrane sheaths to inexpensive rubber and latex products.
Margaret Sanger: An American birth-control activist who organized clinics and campaigns that helped establish the modern contraceptive movement. Her organizing helped build institutions that promoted contraception despite legal restrictions.
Comstock laws: United States laws beginning in 1873 that restricted mailing material deemed obscene, including information and devices related to contraception. Federal censorship laws criminalized distributing contraceptive information and supplies.
Family planning: The decisions and services through which individuals and couples determine the number and spacing of children. Family planning frames contraception as part of voluntary reproductive decision-making.
Kahun Gynaecological Papyrus: An ancient Egyptian medical papyrus containing gynecological prescriptions, including a recipe intended to prevent pregnancy. It preserves one of the earliest written references to a contraceptive preparation.
Vulcanization: A chemical process that strengthens rubber by heating it with sulfur or another curing agent. Rubber vulcanization enabled durable, reusable condoms and diaphragms in the nineteenth century.
Marie Stopes: A British author and birth-control advocate who opened a contraceptive clinic in London in 1921. Her clinic brought contraceptive advice into public view in Britain.
Griswold v. Connecticut: A 1965 U.S. Supreme Court decision that invalidated a state ban on contraceptive use by married couples. The ruling established constitutional protection for marital access to contraception.
Sterilization: A medical procedure that permanently prevents reproduction by blocking or removing reproductive pathways. Its permanence distinguishes it from temporary methods and has made consent central to its history.