by 
The Curious Bag
-
Birth control in the industrialized world is as easy as taking a pill, but not everyone has such easy access to contraceptives. In the Amazon, native people have developed their own methods of birth control.
Geography
The Amazon is a region in South America surrounding the Amazon river. This area is filled with dense rainforest and is home to many plants with contraceptive indications.
History
Contraception has historically been used by diverse groups of people all over the world in all different climates, including the Amazon.
Function
Birth control allows individuals to avoid pregnancy when conditions are not ideal for pregnancy or childbirth. The Huorani Indians use birth control to keep the number of children per woman to 2 or 3, citing the lack of resources as the reason.
Plants
Plants found in the Amazon rainforest contain contraceptive chemicals. Foxglove produces digitalis, and, when brewed as a tea, acts as a chemical contraceptive. The cotton plant produces gossypol. It causes low sperm count in males and amennorhea in females, but can be toxic in high levels.
Modern Medicine
Modern birth control was developed from plants. Diosgenin, cortisone and digitalis have all been used in birth control pills, and all are plant-derived.
Source:
RELATED QUESTIONS
Copyright 2023, Wired Ivy, LLC