ABSTRACT
The term “birth control” was coined in America by Margaret Sanger in 1913 as part of her campaign to present family limitation, viewed by most Victorians as a taboo subject, in a positive light. Many historical studies of fertility control followed Sanger’s lead in assuming that until the late 19th century fertility restriction was rarely present in the Western world. Such studies of birth control accordingly focused on the pioneers who brought the good news of contraception to the masses in the 20th century. Women, so the story goes, once subjected to repeated unwanted pregnancies, were now enlightened and finally able to control their bodies. Was it that simple? Fertility rates obviously did fall sharply in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but social historians have pointed out that North America and Europe never experienced the extraordinarily high fertility levels of Africa and Asia. As far back as one looks evidence can be found that in the West some people were in one way or another seeking to “control” births; in the 4th century St. Augustine referred to women resorting to means “against nature” to prevent pregnancy. Social historians’ work on birth control has expanded our understanding of its premodern forms, while also looking at the wider causes and implications of the more modern patterns.
