ABSTRACT
The use of coitus interruptus to control fertility is referred
to in the Bible and simple barrier methods of contraception
are known from ancient Egypt. The history of modern family
planning began in the early 19th century with the writings
of Francis Place, Robert Dale Owen, and John Stuart Mill, in
Britain, along with Charles Knowlton in the USA. Society
tends to be conservative in most matters of reproduction and
it is significant that these early leaders were free thinkers,
who rejected contemporary religion.
