I know it sounds gross, but, my grandma used to tell me stories about what women used for contraceptives back in the olden days. Almost anything natural and easy to find in their area could be transformed into something resembling a diaphragm. The trick was to cover the cervix and prevent sperm from entering. If they had citrus fruit, they believed the acidic nature would also kill some sperm. Women would cut off the top of a lemon and insert it just like a diaphragm. I guess a potato slice would work the same way. They also made diaphragms out of things like burlap dipped in wax. Which is sort of genius, you could make it a custom fit for your vagina and cervix. In a pinch, they would even use large leaves and hope for the best. I used a diaphragm once and I thought it was awful. They also drank teas made from powerful herbs to prevent pregnancy. Some of them were very dangerous, but, they were desperate. Some herbs can induce a termination too. Some of these poor women died trying to not be pregnant all the time. So, a potato isn't so bad and there isn't really anything funny about it. That poor woman was just ignorant and poor. She left the damn thing in for two weeks. Plenty of time for a tater to sprout. Sperm only live for about 24 hours, right? When my granny told me these stories, she didn't know proper names or terms, like, she called sperm, spunk, and a cervix was the 'doorway'. But, these herbalist women like her damn sure knew what was going on. It's interesting to me and I always liked hearing her talk about it. I grew up in a changing time, but, birth control still wasn't easy to find. I wrote about it in my stories. Remember that song 'The Pill' by Loretta Lynn? I'll look it up. HERE, she sings about having a baby every year and now she's celebrating because she got the pill. I remember it was such a scandal here, that song. Unmarried females could not get the pill here in this town. That finally changed in 1972, right after I had my first baby. I don't even know why I did this post. I guess the potato story reminded me of bad times for women and why we have to fight to take control of our own bodies and reproductive rights. Man, I lived through it and I don't want my daughter or grand daughters to have to go through it. Do you have any thoughts or stories you want to share?
11 comments:
Well, if it's not an avacado than I guess a potato will just have to do.
oh, sperm can survive in the body of a woman for YEARS. Not in the vagina - that is a toxic death-zone, but as soon as the fallopian tubes are reached, they can live on for a long time. Inactive, but still alive. Those 'five days' thrown around everywhere are true in a sense - but not the real story. Some survive for years. Inactive, unable to do anything. But there. A reminder so to speak.
Interesting, isn't it? Just like the fact that pretty much every woman with child is a chimera.
I guess we grew up in the same era, but I don't recall all the ways to prevent pregnancy. I was told some but was repulsed and insulted that it is always the woman's problem to take of such matters. Either that or be forced to use your body to contain a baby and give birth, and at that time, give it up, thus fucking up your whole life.
And we have the big hubbub about paying for BCPs, hell at the time I did and it didn't break me. Or pay for a condom. Not whine to the government. You can't afford protection, don't do it. Yes, I know, rape and all that which isn't planned, but otherwise, no excuse to have 14 kids.
Sperm can stay alive for years? Actually? I'd like to see some support information on that one. I've known of certain third world cultures believing that. Doesn't make it true.
DD, I like the position you took on this one. It's so easy to ridicule and dismiss what appears to be ignorance but you presented a valid argument for why a reasonably intelligent, but impoverished person might go with options like this and it's true, desperation makes for some interesting solutions.
Jane, that made me laugh.Fidy shades of gross.
Basterd, you're kookoo. Carry on.
Border, I wouldn't trust no man with my BC anyhow. But, it infuriates me that men have anything to say about it at all. I get riled up over that.
Frim, I just feel for them because I've been there and I always wonder how my life would have turned out if I'd had choices.
@Frimmy I'll have to search a bit. Read about it maybe 20 years ago - and if you search for sperm, years, female, cavity and so on, you get either articles about Jonas in the whale or endometriosis and the quackery of the chinese.
Want to make it clear, I knew the time of abortion being illegal and it was awful. I really felt that ws turning women into a container and forcing them to be a container for 9 months and then the cases I knew, giving the baby up, which was an awful lifelong decision for the girl. It horrified me. I was so happy that there were means to protect yourself now and well worth the little bit of money. Hell, I'd buy the condom. This, despite the fact I have a friend who has 4 grandchildren each the result, according to the kid, of broken condoms. Yeah, sure.
I don't know about hooha potatoes but I like tater tots.
Melvin Daily Crabbie why can't I see your blog anymore? You and Pat are my favorite internet folk, ever.
Vinegar or anything acidic does prevent pregnancy. I read an entire book about sex selection of your baby. I thought I wanted a girl back then, I never had a baby yet. So, I tried the watered vinegar douches to get a baby girl. Well, I never even got pregnant! Then for a boy you could use baking soda douches, I tried that. Didn't get pregnant. It was all about the Ph in the vaginal lining. I stopped trying anything, eventually got my baby boy then my 2nd baby was a girl. There is such a small window of opportunity to get pregnant, you can really blow it by doing goofy stuff. It was the 80's. Who knew? My daughter is trying to get pregnant again, after miscarrying a few months ago. And she cries every time she gets her period. She's not doing anything special, but I think she's trying too hard and stressing about it. I told her to get a basal thermometer & chart it daily. That's what I finally succeeded with. So, yea, the lemon would totally work. Even a douche before would work.
Rox
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