Prostitutes in the 1800s relied on a patchwork of methods to prevent pregnancy, most of them unreliable and some outright dangerous. Their options included vaginal sponges, early condoms made from animal intestines (and later rubber), herbal preparations meant to end early pregnancies, chemical douches, and a version of the rhythm method that was based on a flawed understanding of ovulation. None of these methods were particularly effective, and access to them shifted dramatically after contraception was criminalized in 1873.
Sponges and Barrier Methods
One of the most common and accessible tools was the vaginal sponge. Women inserted natural sea sponges, sometimes soaked in vinegar or another acidic solution, before intercourse. The sponge acted as a physical barrier while the acid was intended to create an inhospitable environment for sperm. This method had been used for centuries across cultures, and it remained popular because sponges were cheap, reusable, and easy to conceal. The effectiveness, however, was limited. Sponges could shift out of place, and the acidic solutions weren’t strong enough to reliably kill sperm.
Condoms Before and After Vulcanized Rubber
Condoms existed throughout the 1800s, but their availability and cost changed significantly over the century. Early condoms were made from animal gut, typically sheep intestines. They were expensive, costing roughly a dollar at a time when a week’s wages might be only $14, which put them out of reach for many sex workers. By the 18th century, condoms had already earned a reputation among medical professionals as tools associated with prostitutes and the “immoral,” which made them socially stigmatized even when they were available.
The major turning point came in 1844, when Charles Goodyear patented the rubber vulcanization process. The first rubber condom was produced in 1855, and the new manufacturing method brought prices down enough that working-class people could finally afford them. For prostitutes, rubber condoms served double duty: pregnancy prevention and protection against syphilis and gonorrhea, both of which were rampant in 19th-century brothels. Still, condom use depended on cooperation from the client, and many men refused.
Douching With Dangerous Chemicals
Douching after intercourse was widely practiced, with women using syringes to flush out the vagina with various solutions. Vinegar, alum, and zinc sulfate were among the milder options. The logic was straightforward: wash out or kill the sperm before it could reach the uterus. Commercially sold douching devices were marketed (discreetly) to women throughout the century.
Some of these solutions were far more dangerous than ineffective. Mercury, commonly used by doctors to treat syphilis, was also prescribed as a vaginal douche. The consequences were severe. A case documented in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1910 described a 35-year-old woman who sought medical care after four days of persistent vomiting following a mercury douche. She vomited blood, fell into a stupor, developed kidney failure, and died within a week. A similar 1916 case in the British Medical Journal described a 27-year-old woman who douched with mercury tablets dissolved in water, then placed a tablet directly in her vagina. She experienced pain, swelling, cramping, diarrhea, and vomiting before dying of kidney failure six days later. The mercury was absorbed directly through vaginal tissue in toxic quantities.
Herbal Remedies and Early Abortifacients
When prevention failed, many women turned to herbal preparations intended to bring on a late period, a practice that functioned as early-term abortion. These herbs were known as emmenagogues, and their use had roots stretching back to ancient Greece and Rome. The most commonly used plants included pennyroyal, tansy, mugwort, rue, savin (a type of juniper), and birthwort. Women brewed teas, mixed herbs with wine, or prepared pessaries (vaginal suppositories) from crushed leaves.
Savin was considered one of the more effective options. Historical texts described the leaves boiled in wine as a preparation that could “bring downe the menses with force” and “expell the dead childe.” Modern analysis has confirmed that savin does interrupt pregnancies in animals, particularly at higher doses, but it’s also significantly toxic. Pennyroyal and rue carried similar risks. At doses high enough to end a pregnancy, these herbs could cause liver failure, uncontrollable bleeding, and death. For prostitutes without access to medical care, self-dosing with these plants was a genuine gamble with their lives.
These herbal remedies were often sold as “female pills” or “menstrual regulators,” coded language that allowed them to be marketed without openly advertising their true purpose.
The Rhythm Method, Fatally Misunderstood
Doctors in the 1800s sometimes advised women to have sex only during their “safe period,” when they believed ovulation was not occurring. The problem was that the medical establishment had the timing completely wrong. Based on observations of animal behavior, physicians believed women were safe from pregnancy at the midpoint of their menstrual cycle. This is, in fact, precisely when women are most fertile. Any sex worker following this advice would have been having unprotected intercourse at the worst possible time. The correct timing of ovulation wasn’t established until 1930, and even then, many doctors continued to get it wrong.
How the Comstock Act Changed Everything
In 1873, Congress passed the Comstock Act, which criminalized sending anything related to contraception or abortion through the U.S. Postal Service. The law classified contraceptive devices and information alongside obscene literature, making it illegal to distribute, advertise, or mail birth control of any kind. For prostitutes, this didn’t eliminate contraception, but it pushed the entire market underground. Devices that had been openly sold in catalogs and pharmacies became harder to obtain. Reliable information about which methods worked became scarcer, leaving women more dependent on folk remedies, word of mouth within brothels, and dangerous chemical preparations.
The law remained in effect for decades, and its effects were felt most acutely by the women who needed contraception most. Wealthy women could still access devices through private physicians willing to bend the rules. Sex workers, who were already marginalized and criminalized, had far fewer options and faced the dual risk of pregnancy and prosecution.