Price: $31.20
(as of Jan 21, 2025 04:13:54 UTC – Details)
Bromo Selzer douches, pregnancy protection amulets, pennyroyal teas, birch bark tampons, slippery elm sticks — these are but a few of the myriad methods women in different parts of the world have used in their efforts to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Meanwhile, the obstacles they have had to confront have included religious proscriptions, punitive law codes, persecution of midwives, and the devaluing of folk knowledge.
Sex and Herbs and Birth Control is a lively, provocative account of women’s attempts to provide themselves with as wide a range of reproductive options as possible.
Price: $31.20
(as of Jan 21, 2025 04:13:54 UTC – Details)
etsy, #etsy, @etsy
Kristen Blow –
Excellent
Sex and Herbs and Birth Control is a refreshingly unbiased, well-documented read that challenges the extremism of opinion on both sides of the abortion and contraception debates. I found the author was able to cut through the emotionality of the debates and present a clear picture of the fact that there is so much more to these issues than is portrayed by politicians or in standard educational circles. Well worth the read.
Jini –
A Fascinating Look at Birth Control over the Centuries…Women are Smart!!
This was a really fascinating view of women’s use of herbs and other birth control agents over thousands of years. Although this is a rather scholarly work with multiple citations it was easy to skim over these and get to the interesting parts (for me). It was enlightening to see how women have been healers and often included family planning along with other medicinal plants for the benefit of their families. Too bad we don’t have clinical studies for some of these plants today…they might be very beneficial and perhaps safer than some of the current drugs.
‘Cesca –
invaluable to discussions of reproductive choice
I absolutely adored this book. The story told in this book is invaluable to discussions of reproductive choice. It added dimension to history and sociology, almost in a Jared Diamond way. I thought I knew the subject, but this was an education. The author went about gathering facts in a non-traditional way for an academic (which she is, without doubt) and analyzed with brilliant results. She brings to light the “hidden in plain sight” history of women dealing with reproduction.Through history, abstinence has been an option for very few – women having few options to begin with – and not many chose it. Hence, women have always been monitoring their bodies and privately or sub-rosa regulating their fertility. What surprises a lot of us who know the struggles of reproductive choice in the 20th century is that for most of human history, women had this control of their bodies. The definition of pregnant was not static; treatments for “late periods” were often standard and regarded as good health practices.Neither Church nor State began to condemn abortion until the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, when modern medicine nudged midwifery and healers out of the picture. This drove the issue underground. It broke the chain of information from generation to the next about herbal remedies and methods.Some international attempts at promoting family planning are based on flawed models. They may not take into account the way some traditional communities of women view their own reproductive lives. They may overlook controversial demographics (e.g. favouring male births.) Too bad my matron saint (introduced to me by my mother), Margaret Sanger, came in for such a bad rap, but truth will out.Well written, even humorous at times to those of us who like irony; sad at other times to know the struggles of women. I am recommending it to my friends as a good read.
Debjani C –
A book that will delight academics and activists alike
“It seems to me that it is difficult to write scholarly/popular crossover books, especially one on women’s reproductive agency. How does one provide a balanced, historically accurate, sociologically sound account of one of the most contentious personal/political topics ever? How does one keep it interesting without resorting to sensationalism? In this interdisciplinary work exploring the history and culture of birth control, the author has managed to achieve all that and more. Her history is interesting and non-linear, her anecdotes are refreshing and relevant and she debunks everything from demographic theories to long-circulating hagiographies with ease. She brings matchless nuance in the discussion of and distinctions between emmenagogue and abortifacient; abortion and contraception; rights and practices; she unpacks binaries of mind/body, scientific/unscientific and legal/illegal. This book will put the war on women in context and explain the origins of the mindset that calls Sandra Fluke a slut, allows Hobby Lobby to get away with their refusal to cover birth control and perpetuates a victim blaming rape culture. While the author does not specifically discuss these aforementioned current events, she does write a history of women’s dis-empowerment and resilience that will resonate with many. This is the sort of history we need to know to avoid some of its repetitions, this is the kind of critical thinking we need to aim for. This is a difficult-to-put-down book, that will delight academics and activists alike, as well as anyone interested in history of science, medicine and women. The illustrations and glossary are very helpful. Highly recommended!”
Mary Tinder –
Includes information not easily found elsewhere
Well written. Includes information not easily found elsewhere.
Folk Herbalist –
Not my cup of tea
My mistake, I just read the title and not the subtitle…. I was looking for an herbal method of birth control from purely an informational and scientific standpoint, not about abortion, fertility regulation and everything that goes with from a strong feminist standpoint. I’m not saying the book isn’t informative just not what I was looking for at all.
deanna –
Two Stars
more of a history book
Kirk Dee –
Keep your Junk to yourself
They are not doing a very good job of it. Just look at the Stats.