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Article written by: bio_man on Apr 3, 2019



Title: Earliest form of contraception
Written by: bio_man on Apr 3, 2019

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If you were to guess, what do you think ancient humans used as contraceptives? It's definitely hard to list even a couple of ideas given how far we've come since the start of the 20th century. 

According to historians, the first-known contraceptive was crocodile dung, used in Egypt in 2000 BC. Dried dung was inserted into the vagina to form an impenetrable barrier. Other pessaries used back in the day included tree sap, lemon halves, cotton, wool, sea sponges, and elephant dung.

Later on, however, condoms made of animal bladders or intestines were also reportedly used. Luckily, in 1844, Charles Goodyear obtained the first patent for a rubber condom.