Brothels back in the older days?

Question

Back in the older days in brothels like in rome and such. How would the prostitutes prevent pregnancy.

Answer 1

Physical/Mechanical Methods:


Sexual restraint was not a widely spread method of contraception in the ancient world. However, we do have evidence of coitus interruptus (link to glossary). Soranus (Bk. I, Ch. XIX) discusses this: "at the critical moment of coitus, when the man is about to discharge the seed, the woman should hold her breath and hurl herself away a little so that the seed may not be lodged too deeply within the cavity of the uterus. Then the woman should immediately get up and squat down, induce sneezing, and wipe the vagina (clean) all around and maybe drink something cold." Another recommendation by Soranus (Bk.I, Ch. XIX) was to smear the mouth of the uterus with ointments. Some of the ointments specifically mentioned by Soranus include: old olive oil, honey, cedar resin, juice of balsam tree, while lead, salve with myrtle oil and white lead, moist alum, galbanum, lock of fine wool in the orifice of the uterus, and other such vaginal suppositories with the power to contract and condense. (Gums and resins were believed to act as spermicides.) Soranus continues to advise his reader to avoid sex during the most fertile period of a woman's cycle--thought (although we now know this to be quite the opposite of the truth) to be immediately before and after the menstrual period. (No clear evidence of any type of condom or diaphragm exists.)


Methods Involving Drugs or Herbs:


Most of the evidence, including literary references and medical writers recommends herbal concoctions and recipes for the prevention of pregnancies. Soranus (Bk.I, Ch. XIX), however, warns his readers that the effects of the concoctions not only prevent pregnancy, but also destroy all things already living. (Note: many recipes are both for contraception and abortion.)


The most popular type of herbal contraceptive took the form of a vaginal suppository, although they were probably not very effective. Soranus (Bk. I, Ch. XIX) gives us several recipes for vaginal suppositories using several of the same plants. He also gives the reader guidelines on how and when to use the suppositories in order for them to be effective (see appendix) that were commonly 'prescribed' for birth control.


Several plants and herbal concoctions are found in the different medical and literary tests. Dioscorides (Bk. 3, Ch. 1-7, and Bk. 4, Ch. 18-23) provides an index of plants (see appendix) together with illustrations and recommendations for the use of herbs as birth control. Soranus suggests the use of one or more of these same plants in combination with a vaginal suppository. Both writer make several references tot he application of olive oil, honey, cedar resin, juice of balsam tree, alone or with white lead, moist cerate containing myrtle oil and white lead, moist alum, galbanum with wine, or a lock of fine wool which could be placed in the uterus to prevent pregnancy. Soranus specifically mentions ten plants (see appendix) in his recipes of which modern medical science has found eight to be effective, or at least to have an effect as a contraceptive and an abortifacient. Of the other two, one has an antifertility effect and one is now extinct.

Answer 2

Good question. Prostitutes would presumably always have to have been on the forefront of contraception. In ancient Rome, it has been found that brothel workers used sheep intestines dipped in lemon juice- a rather handy homemade condom made of impermeable animal skin and a natural spermicide in the acidic citrus juice.

In later times, much of this info was lost, and many resorted to a combination of timing and some rudimentary methods. Many of course did wind up pregnant.

Answer 3

Apparently they used the pomegranate.

Answer 4

intestines of sheep or goats tied at the shaft with a string and bow