Analyze views of women's reproductive Solutions in the 19th century.

Solutions to Women’s Reproductive Health in the 19th Century and their Contemporary Impacts
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Solutions to the Women’s Reproductive Health in the 19th Century and their Contemporary Impacts
Throughout the human history, various communities have had different solutions to various women’s reproductive issues. Contraception and abortion were practiced in various ways. Midwives played a great role in the creative solutions since they did not only act as obstetricians but also as advisors on various gynecological issues. The population in the 19th century possessed first knowledge of reproductive health, which was employed to control fertility in various ways. The widespread use of different types of contraceptives and abortifacients during this period is proof of the desire of women to take charge of their reproductive issues. This paper seeks to examine solutions to women’s reproductive health in the 19th century as well as their impacts on the contemporary world.
Generally, the role of mothers was celebrated in the 19th century. The moral virtues of large families were highly praised in the media of the day. However, despite this situation and all the societal pressures that existed, some women opted to take control of their reproductive health and fertility through ways such as contraception and abortion. For instance, in communities where papayas were grown, women chewed the papaya leaves as a means of birth control (Ikram, Stanley, Netzel, & Fanning, 2015). Vinegar was also used before intercourse as a form of contraception. Boric acid was widely used as a means of treating vaginal infections. Though widely supported by various governments around the world today, some legislation such as the Comstock Act of 1873 sought to outlaw the use of contraceptives as a way of discouraging immoral activity (Rable & Weigley, 2015).
Abortion is among the most debated ethical issues in the modern world. Worse than it is seen today, abortion was seen as largely immoral. The aspect notwithstanding has been around for thousands of years. In the 19th century, abortion was a better method of birth control compared to the existing contraceptives which were not particularly effective. Green papaya was also used, and still is used, as an abortifacient especially during early pregnancy. Women also ingested poisons and herbal formulations to end pregnancies. Unfortunately, the practice resulted in long-term health complications in some instances. Due to complications, abortion, which was largely legal in the first decades of the 19th century, was made illegal in America as a way of protecting women. Several states outlawed abortion between 1860 and 1880. By the turn of the century, abortion and contraceptives were outlawed throughout the United States. Due to the desire of women to have control over their reproductive decisions, the abolishment of contraceptives and abortion led to the growth of an underground market. Contraceptives in the form of herbal formulations existed, and various abortionists led thriving businesses (Jessica, 2006). Apart from ingestion of abortifacient drugs, abortionists also performed abortions using surgical instruments. Various socio-economic and religious factors dictated the type of women undergoing these procedures. For instance, the likelihood of white as well as protestant women to seek abortion services was higher. Moreover, urban women could access abortion services more easily as compared to the rural women who largely relied on the existing contraception methods (National Museum of Civil War Medicine, 2017).
Apart from the political barriers, contraceptives, and abortion also faced resistance from medical and religious institutions. Various English and American physicians vehemently resisted the use of chloroform during birth. Women were expected to give birth in sorrow, as written in the Bible, as this was seen as a noble feat and was thought to make the mothers love their children more. The process was largely carried out...