Long before there were condoms, birth control pills, and our modern contraceptives, 10 unusual things were tried by our ancestors to help prevent pregnancy. Although they were far more inventive than we often give them credit for, many of these methods were hit‑or‑miss when it came to actually stopping a pregnancy.
10 Unusual Things in Birth Control History
Some of the earliest forms of birth control were more bizarre than others, and a few of them are still whispered about today. As you’ll see, these older methods weren’t always healthy for the men and women who used them—some were downright terrifying.
1. Juniper Berries
The juniper plant bears blue‑or‑reddish fruits better known as juniper berries. They flavor foods, season pickled meats, and even find their way into cosmetics and perfumes.
Many ancient Native American tribes discovered a range of uses for these berries. They would pierce the berries and string them into necklaces, and they also brewed a tea from the berries that was consumed for three consecutive days as a contraceptive ritual.
Modern herbalists note that juniper berries can act as a natural contraceptive; they alter the uterine lining, making it less hospitable for embryo implantation. However, pregnant or nursing women should steer clear of them because of potentially serious side effects.
Other herbs—such as wild carrot seed, smartweed leaves, neem, and rutin—have also been used historically for birth control. But remember, self‑medicating with herbs can be risky without professional guidance.
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2. Coca‑Cola
Coca‑Cola, the fizzy classic we all love, once found its way into contraceptive folklore during the 1950s and 1960s. In regions where conventional birth control was scarce or pricey, people believed the drink’s carbonic acid could kill sperm, and the glass bottle was dubbed the perfect “shake‑and‑shoot” applicator.
Harvard researcher Deborah Anderson and two colleagues actually tested Coke in sperm‑containing tubes. While the soda did kill a large portion of the sperm quickly, they warned that sperm could still reach the cervical canal faster than the liquid could be applied.
The study earned them an Ig Nobel Prize—an award celebrating research that first makes people laugh, then think. Anderson cautioned that using Coke as a douche could strip away healthy vaginal bacteria, leading to infections, and could also erode the top layer of vaginal cells, increasing susceptibility to sexually transmitted diseases.
So while the story makes for a fun urban legend, it’s best to enjoy Coca‑Cola as a refreshing beverage, not a birth‑control method.
3. Pennyroyal
Pennyroyal is a tiny member of the mint family, long used to soothe upset stomachs, ease flatulence, and treat colds. It’s also one of the few herbs historically touted as a natural contraceptive, and it still sees occasional use today.
According to the Orgone Biophysical Research Lab, Switzerland’s Women’s Health Center prescribes pennyroyal and similar herbs to halt pregnancy. They advise taking the herb immediately after intercourse—before implantation—to maximize any potential effect. Pennyroyal can also be brewed as a tea, though it should only be consumed for short periods at specific points in the menstrual cycle.
Scientific evidence supporting pennyroyal’s efficacy as a birth control method is lacking, and the herb can be toxic. Over‑use may damage the liver, kidneys, and nervous system, so it must be approached with extreme caution.
4. Lemons
When life gives you lemons, you might be tempted to turn them into a spermicide. In antiquity, acidic fruit juices—especially lemon—were applied to sponges or mixed with honey to create a makeshift contraceptive barrier.
The famed 18th‑century lover Casanova even fashioned a cervical cap from half a pulped lemon for his many paramours. The cap’s acidity could block and neutralize sperm, offering a surprisingly effective—though unsafe—method of birth control.
5. Cotton
Cotton is the soft, fibrous plant that supplies towels, clothing, fishing nets, coffee filters, tents, and even cottonseed oil. Yet it also played a role in historical contraception.
In China’s Jiangxi province, peasants who cooked with cottonseed oil often remained childless, leading locals to believe the oil acted as a male contraceptive. Scientific studies later showed that men who consumed cottonseed oil experienced higher infertility rates.
Beyond oil, cotton was woven into other birth‑control practices. Enslaved women in the United States chewed cotton‑root bark to prevent pregnancy; the bark interferes with the corpus luteum, disrupting ovulation. Some also brewed tea from the root, though its effectiveness remains uncertain.
6. Weasel Testicles
Not every ancient contraceptive was elegant. Between AD 100 and AD 500, Europeans believed that a woman could drape weasel testicles around her neck during intercourse to ward off pregnancy.
If the necklace idea sounded too odd, some women tied the testicles around their thigh during sex. Modern scholars agree this method was ineffective and certainly not something to try today.
7. Animal Intestines
By the 1400s, people were already experimenting with animal intestines to fashion early condoms. Wrapping the penis proved a smarter way to prevent conception and even offered some protection against sexually transmitted infections.
The ancient Romans employed linen, animal intestines, and bladders—mostly from sheep and goats—to create rudimentary condoms. In China and Japan, innovators used silk, oiled paper, or lamb intestines to produce “glans” condoms that covered only the tip of the penis. Some Japanese variants even featured tortoise shells and animal horns.
8. Mercury
One of the most hazardous birth‑control experiments involved drinking mercury—or lead—in ancient China. Concubines believed that ingesting enough of these heavy metals would render them sterile without causing immediate death.
Mercury exposure is notorious for causing sterility, brain damage, kidney failure, and death. Women who drank it hoped the organ‑damaging effects would guarantee childlessness.
Sometimes mercury was mixed with other poisons like arsenic and strychnine. Historically, it also served as a topical antimicrobial, a dental treatment, and even an ingredient in eye drops and laxatives.
9. Honey
Honey, the sweet nectar bees produce, was more than a culinary delight in ancient Egypt—it also featured in contraceptive recipes, likely after crocodile dung proved ineffective.
The Ebers Papyrus (circa 1550 BC) records a mixture of acacia berries and colocynth (bitter apple) blended with honey. This sticky concoction was fashioned into a makeshift tampon and inserted vaginally.
Egyptians believed this honey‑based blend could prevent pregnancy for up to three years, though modern science doubts its efficacy.
10. Crocodile Dung
Some of the earliest recorded contraceptives date back to 1850 BC in ancient Egypt. The Ramesseum Papyrus, a medical text from the 17th century BC, recommended applying crocodile dung as a birth‑control barrier.
Because the dung is thick and sticky, Egyptians thought it could form a wall to block sperm penetration. The practice may also have held religious significance, as the crocodile was linked to Set—the deity associated with hemorrhaging, abortion, and miscarriage.