~Fertility and Technology~

Team EntourageStephanie Weldon

Kimberly JuarezBriana GarciaJose Cuchilla

Fertility and Infertility

• Fertility: The ability to conceive and have children through normal sexual intercourse

• Infertility: The failure to conceive after a year of regular intercourse without contraception

Kimberly Juarez

Fertility Control

• The temporary or permanent prevention of conception

• Women controlled fertility– Hunter-gatherers all over the world– Iroquois, Australians, Brazilians, Fijian

Kimberly

Methods of Fertility Control~Before 19th Century ~

*Cultural *Mental/Psychological *Physical*Herbal or Chemical *Surgical

Kimberly

Early Fertility Technology

• Dr Marie Stopes- Olive Oil • Mary Ann Leeper- Female condom• Queen Semiramis- Chastity belt• Dr. Evelyn Billings- Billings Method

Kimberly

19th Century Birth Control

• US patent office refused to patent anything overtly described as a contraceptive

• Patents began as early as 1867

Stephanie

Invention Inventor (s) Date

Pessaries-Abdominal Supporters (Intrauterine device)

Emeline T. BringhamAlice O. McCordEliza Kirewin

186718871892

Vaginal Syringes-abortions and/or stopping uterine bleeding

Anna L. PalmerLaura M AdamsMargret HartAnnie H. and M.G. CollinsLucy R. Meyer

18791881188518901892

Cervical Cap Unknown German midwife 19th Century

Diaphragm Dr. Aletta JacobsW.P.J Mesinga

1883

Birth Control Clinic-Amsterdam Dr. Aletta Jacobs 1878

Perennial Sponge Annie Beant Late 1870s

Women inventors of the 19th century

Stephanie

Condoms

• Used in ancient times • Became well known

during 1800s– Were unreliable

• Feminist rallied against condoms

• Banned in many countries

• The only method to prevent spread of STDs

Stephanie

20th Century Birth Control

• Pioneers in modern birth control•Rational Methods•Male contraception•Natural or cyclical methods•Research

Stephanie

Pioneers in Birth Control

• Margaret Sanger– Coined the term Birth Control– Founded Birth Control Clinical Research Bureau

(NYC)– First doctor staffed birth control clinic in US

• Pushed Gregory Pincus to create first Birth Control pill

Stephanie

• Katherine Dexter McCormic– Educated biologist from MIT, B.S. in 1904– Committed to find an effective contraception for

women– Smuggled diaphragms into US for Sanger’s clinical

research Bureau– Recognized the contraceptive potential of Pincus’s

earlier experiments w/ progesterone as an ovulation suppressant

Stephanie

• Blanche Ames Ames– Artist, feminist, inventor– Co-founded Birth Control League of

Massachusetts– Affiliate of Sanger’s national Leauge

• Marie Carmichael Stopes– Crusaded to educate women – Married Love (1918)– Invented and patented several contraceptive

devices– Founded England’s 1st Birth Control Clinic

Stephanie

Rational Methods

• Hannah Stone (1930s)– Diaphragm with

spermicidal jellies

• Dr. Connie Chambers Harris (1985)– Lower amounts of

hormone in birth control pill

Stephanie

Male Contraception

• 116°F Sterilization Baths– Dr. Martha Voegil

Condoms Latex in 1922

Stephanie

Natural Methods

• Most used by women who cannot use chemical/hormonal birth control

• Fertility Awareness Planning

• “Lunaception”- Louise Lacey

Stephanie

Research

• THC– Carol Grace Smith– Disrupts menstrual cycle– Maybe toxic to

developing egg cells

• Gossypol– Male contraception– 99% effective in two

months– Ann de Peyster

Stephanie

Fertility Promotion

Briana Garcia

Three traditional fertility plants…• Pomegranate•Date palm•Moghat

The technology of menstruation

• Inventions and innovations related to women’s menstruation affect half the world’s population for roughly half their lives.

• Women’s techniques for dealing with the menstrual flow are vital aids to the comfort and well-being of all women of reproductive age.

• Ancient women’s inventions to catch the menstrual flow are clever, using natural materials.

Briana

Ancient women Inventions

Native American Created tampons out of soft mossMediterranean Used small spongesAlor women Used dry porous banana bark as padsJapanese Used 8-12 tampons/day, held in place

by a bandage called KamaIndonesian Made tampons from vegetable fiberRoman matrons Used cloth bandages or tampons out

of soft woolAfrican and Australian Used bandages of grass or vegetable

fiber, while other African women used tampons made of rolls of grass and roots

Egyptian Used rolls of soft papyrus

Ancient women’s inventions to catch menstrual flow

In the history of menstruation, a takeover has occurred.

• The earliest attempt at male misuse of women’s power to bleed but not die, the blood that makes babies, was simple imitation.

• The rites and practices of Australia, New Guinea, the Philippines, and Africa.

• In this procedure, males slit the underside of the penis from root to tip, so that when the bleeding organ is pulled upward against the lower abdomen, it resembles a menstruating vagina.

Briana

Myths of menstruation

• Men took control of menstruation by portraying it as shameful and unclean.

• Western anthropologists working before 1970 exaggerated and misinterpreted the concept of menstrual fluids and menstruating women as “polluting”.

• In western culture men did not take over and professionalize or commercialize menstrual technology until the 20th century.

• Men transformed menstruation from a source of women’s pride and strength to something shameful and hidden, into one of the many ways women had to feel inferior to men.

Briana

19th-20th Century Women’s Contributions

• Menstruation Technology– Pads and Belts– Tampons and sponges– Menstrual Cups

• Menstrual Extraction• Remedies for menstrual pain and difficulties– Prostaglandins– Diet Plan– Exercise

Jose Cuchilla

Menstruation Technology• As late as the early 20th century women still

created their own pads and tampons from sponges or soft cloths/rags. By 1883, the first patents for menstruation technology began to recorded, although many of these inventions were categorized as medical and surgical devices.

• Between 1883-1894, 16 women patented catamenial sacks, monthly protectors, and suspensory bandages.

Jose

19th-20th Century Women Inventions/PatentsEmma H. Carpenter Patented a catamenial sack or bandage in 1892

Aniela Majewski Patented a Sanitary pad holder; a casing with an opening allowing the pad of one’s choice to be inserted and kept from slipping. (1940)

Eleanor J. Fendler & Leo J. Bernardin Patented an absorbent pad including a micro fibrous wed. (1983)

Billie J. Matthews Received five patents that improved the adhesive placement, increased resilience and shape retention, and used thermoplastic fibers. (1980-1986)

Barbara Oakley Co-patented a three-dimensional sanitary napkin having observant material contoured on the baffle of the side. (1987)

Judith Esser-Mittog Designed the o.b. tampon for Johnson & Johnson.

Patricia J. McKelvey Developed the wrapper structure for tampons containing super-absorbent material.

Menstruation Technology

• Pads• Belts• Tampons• Sponges• Menstrual Cups

Menstrual Extraction

• The most revolutionary development in the field of menstrual technology is menstrual extraction.

• Menstrual extraction is a technique used to help women gain and maintain control over their menstrual cycles and reproductive lives.

• It was developed by two women of the Los Angeles Self-Help Clinic in 1971.

• Carol Downer: founder of the self-help movement.

• Lorraine Rothman: invented and patented the safer instrument now used by the clinics, the Del-Em (1974).

Jose

Remedies for Menstrual Pain and Difficulties

• Prostaglandins: a potent substance that acts like a hormone and is found in many bodily tissues.

• Dietary plan

• Exercise

Katharina Dalton: Treated pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) as early as 1948, with monthly doses of prostaglandins and a dietary plan consisting of starches and avoiding birth control pills.

Dr. Marcie Storch & Dr. Shelley Kolton: found that reducing salt intake helps limit water retention and a 300 to 500 mg dosage of Vitamin B-6 prevent the resulting headaches.

Dr. Susan Lark: Developed a diet and exercise treatment for PMS symptoms.

Feminist Theory & Menstrual Taboos

• Taboo: strong social prohibition (or ban) relating to any area of human activity or social custom that is sacred and forbidden.

• Through a Feminist theory perspective, we see that menstrual taboos not only control the behavior of women, but also act as a basis for the existence of the patriarchal system.

• Stigma surrounding menstruation makes it socially unacceptable to talk about it in public.

• The topic itself is portrayed as unclean, dirty, embarrassing, and something to be ashamed of.

• This internalized oppression holds the patriarchal system in place.

• Examples…

1. Name two methods of fertility control before 19th century

2. What was Margaret Sanger most famous for?3. What are the three traditional fertility plants?4. How have menstrual taboos affected society?5. Why haven’t women received recognition for

fertility control?

Quiz