THE USE OF THE CONDOM OR "COTS."
From FAMILY LIMITATION
By
MARGARET H. SANGER
Sixth Edition, 1917
There is little doubt that a thorough douching of the genital pa**age with an antiseptic solution performed by sk**ed hands immediately after the s**ual act would destroy the male s**m, and nothing else would be necessary. But there is always the possibility that the sper has entered the womb before the solution can reach it. It is safer therefore to prevent the possibility of the contact of the semen and the ovum, by the interposition of a wall between them. One of the best is the condom or rubber "cot."
These are made of soft tissues which envelope the male organ (penis) completely and serve to catch the semen at the time of the act. In this way the s**m does not enter the vagina. The condoms are obtainable at all drug stores at various prices. From two dollars a dozen for the skin gut tissues to one fifty a dozen for the rubber tissue. These are seamless, thin and elastic and yet tough; if properly adjusted will not break. Fear of breaking is the main objection to their use. If space has not been allowed for expansion of the penis, at the time the semen is expelled, the tissue is likely to split and the s**m finds its way into the uterus. The woman becomes pregnant without being conscious of it. If on the other hand care is given to the adjustment of the condom, not fitting it too close, it
Will act as one of the best protectors against both conception and venereal disease. Care must be exercised in withdrawing the penis after the act, not to allow the condom to peel off, thereby allowing the semen to pa** into the vagina
It is desirable to discard the condom after it has been used once. Bu as this is not always done, care must be taken to wash the condom in an antiseptic solution before drying it and placing it away for further use.The condom is one of the most commonly known preventatives in the United States. It has another value quite apart from prevention in decreasing the tendency in the male to arrive at the climax in the s**ual act before the female
There are few men and women so perfectly mated that the climax of the act is reached together. It is usual for the male to arrive at this stage earlier than the female, with the consequence that he is further incapacitated to satisfy her desire for some time after. During this time the woman is in a highly nervous condition, and it is the opinion of the best medical authorities that a continuous condition of this unsatisfied state brings on or causes disease of her generative
Organs, besides giving her a perfect horror and repulsion for the s**ual act
Thousands of well meaning men ask the advice of physicians as to the cause of the s**ual coldness and indifference of their wives. Nine times out of ten it is the fault of the man, who through ignorance and selfishness and inconsiderateness, has satisfied his own desire and promptly gone off to sleep. The woman in self defense has learned to protect herself from the long hours of sleepless nights and nervous tension by refusing to become interested
The condom will often help in this difficulty. There are many girls who have had no education on this subject, no idea of the physiology of the act, who upon any contact of the semen have a disgust and repulsion, from which it takes some time to recover. Much depends upon the education of the girl, but more depends upon the attitude of the man toward the relation
THE PESSARY AND THE SPONGE
Another form of prevention is the pessary. This is one of the most common preventive articles used in France as well as among the women of the middle and upper cla** in America. At one time the cost of these ranged up to seven dollars, as they were imported into this country from France. Today they are manufactured in this country and may be had from fifty cents up to two dollars. The Mizpath is the name of one of the best and costs one dollar and a half at any reliable drug store. They come in three sizes--large, medium and small
It is well to get the medium size, as the small ones are only for very small boned women and easily get out of place. In my estimation a well fitted pessary is the surest method of absolutely preventing conception. I have known hundreds of women who have used it for years with the most satisfactory results. The trouble is women are afraid of their own bodies, and are of course ignorant of their physical construction. They are silly in thinking the pessary can go up too far, or that it could get lost, etc., etc., and therefore discard it. It can not get into the womb, neither can it get lost. The only thing it can do is to come out. And even that will five warning by the discomfort of the bulky feeling it causes, when it is out of place. (...)
(...) Birth control, or family limitation, has been recommended by some of the leading physicians of the United States and Europe. The movement can no longer be set back by setting up the false cry of "obscenity." It has already been incorporated into the private moral code of millions of the most influential families in every civilized country. It will shortly win full acceptation and sanction by public morality as well
In cases of women suffering from serious ailments, such as Bright's Disease, heart disease, insanities, melancholia, idiocy, consumption and syphilis, all a physician is allowed to do is to tide these women through their pregnancies if possible. Even though the life of the woman is positively endangered, he cannot relieve her without calling a colleague in consultation. Therefore, the mortality of mothers suffering from these diseases and their infants is very high, and premature births common. To conserve the lives of these mothers and to prevent the birth of diseased or defective children are factors emphasizing the crying need of a sound and sane educational campaign for birth control