Amazing Moments in Birth Control

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You put that...there?

Pessaries, or cervix blockers, were another popular form of contraception. Women had been using less-than-appealing objects during menstruation, and they began experimenting with similar objects as birth control. "There are substances in nature—anything acidic—that help prevent pregnancy," says Gordon. "The issue is how you make it stay [in place during sex]."

African women used chopped grass or cloth, Japanese prostitutes used bamboo tissue paper, and women along the Mediterranean used sponges. These sponges weren't Today sponges from a box—they were from the sea. And often they were soaked with lemon juice, vinegar, or other supposed sperm-killing agents. Doesn't sound chic? On the contrary: Even the mighty Cleopatra is rumored to have used them.

Next: Why "penis sheaths" didn't catch on