How did sex workers in ancient times manage to not get pregnant all the time without modern birth control?
In: Biology
Even the Bible contains a ~~recipe~~ instructions for an abortifacient. People knew how to prevent and deal with unwanted pregnancies for as long as people existed.
Edit: because people….
Natural family planning, pull out, lactational amenorrhoea, animal intestine / bladder condoms, various things inserted into the vagina to block sperm…
But the reality is there was a lot of unwanted pregnancy. There was also a lot of dangerous abortion, both medical and surgical (various natural products can induce abortion but aren’t safe). There where also a lot of unwanted children.
There is probably some degree of reality to stories and myths of children being left abandoned in the forest and being raised by wolves like Romulus and Remus.
Christian churches were noted to take in unwanted abandoned babies during the Roman empire.
Turns out, ancient sex workers were basically experts in timing—probably had calendars more detailed than NASA. They used all sorts of methods like herbs, potions, and sometimes just really good luck. Imagine having to negotiate your rate and contraceptive strategy all in one transaction!
Short answer: they got pregnant all the time. Then they either aborted, or gave birth and killed/abandoned the newborn.
Birth control methods have existed for centuries, just not necessarily effective ones like we have today.
For example, they found an condom in King Tut’s funerary items – made from super fine linen and sealed with olive oil. Again – how effective it was is another question all together.
Something I read in a previous post about the same question :
[Intercrural Intercourse](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intercrural_sex)
Latest Answers