The Coming Of Birth Control And Voluntary Motherhood

( Originally Published 1940 )

The other reason why a woman was so valuable was that she could bear children. The male slave could do very heavy work as well, but only the female could produce children: sons, many sons, so that there would be plenty of warriors for future wars; daughters, many daughters, so that they could be sold in marriage.

Unfortunately, in historical times nothing has depreciated so regularly and systematically as the value of human life and this has been proportionate to the increase of population. And in this connection we can readily understand the decrease in value of the woman as a producer of children. It is the counterpart of another equally constant phenomenon; that is, the rise in the price of land with increase in the population. These are two sides of the same problem.

We, therefore, observe, in all classes of society, a general disinclination to excessively large families, in spite of the rulers and their satellites, who would like to urge everybody to produce as many children as possible.

"With pain and sorrow shalt thou conceive and bring forth children!" was the curse laid on woman at the fall. On the other hand, the prohibition of sexual intercourse within the group itself acted as a considerable check; so too did the prohibition of intercourse during the menstrual period, which is almost as ancient and sacred; then came the organisation of marriage, with which was associated a contempt for extra-marital intercourse; and finally even the idea that sexual abstinence was itself something superior, praiseworthy and pleasing to the gods. It all had the same tendency.

But whenever it became evident that all these various factors in prevention were not sufficiently successful, men were driven to adopt the most terrible repressive measures: cannibalism, the systematic slaughter of children, girls especially; the killing off of all aged people, the exposure of newly born infants, and abortion. When all these were found too cruel, then sorcery, herbs and decoctions of all kinds were tried to prevent conception. The same aim, prevention of conception, may be perceived, always and everywhere.

Is it then surprising that woman should be so little valued as the possible mother of children, and must even bring a dowry in order to get a roof over her head?

But a way out has now been found. At last we have succeeded in finding what has been so eagerly sought after for centuries, a practical and valuable, though perhaps not absolutely infallible method of birth-control.

With the coming of birth-control ends the depreciation of human life and of woman as the bearer of children. The efforts of Dr. Mensinga, who was a really pious Christian and a very human gynecologist, and of many others, have at last freed woman from the curse laid on her in Paradise. Married couples can now be happy together, and still not produce more children than is expedient.