A History of Contraceptives
Part One

This is a three-part article summarizing the past 4,000 years of women’s contraceptive practices.  And for the record, abstinence was never a choice given to women so it is not included.  Defying death, sin, laws and the medical community, women have forever sought control over their fertility and the spacing of their children’s births.

From ancient written texts to current discussions, we know that women have sought and continue to seek means to control fertility and family size.  With accounts of potions containing common plants to the use of physical barriers, and laboratory chemical compounds to medical devices, women and their choice of contraception have woven a complex history teeming with knowledge and acceptance, religion and fear, illegality and morality, modern medicine and regulation.

It is theorized that experimentation of human contraceptives began when early societies noted that their livestock were not conceiving while eating in pastures containing certain plants.  From this observation, natural substances began to be explored for contraceptive properties.

An Egyptian medical writing, from around 1850 B.C., lists fragments of three prescriptions for contraceptive vaginal suppositories with an interesting ingredient - mashed crocodile feces (early Arabic texts cited elephant dung)!  Modern research found that crocodile feces would have been ineffective, but acidic elephant dung, used as a pessary, or cervical covering, mixed with honey or olive oil, as directed, could be a valid spermicide.

Ancient Greeks successfully used plant, herb and mineral ingredients such as acacia, pepper, lead (yes, lead) or frankincense and/or juniper berries in a base of oils of cedar, peppermint or honey.  As a pessary, they were applied just before or following intercourse.  Men applied a juniper mixture directly on the penis before intercourse.  Recipes of oral potions containing leaves or bark of hawthorn, ivy, willow and poplar were thought to have sterilizing effects and were often used as follow-up to a barrier method.

Silphium, a giant fennel, growing around the Greek city-state of Cyrene, in North Africa, was a highly effective contraceptive and abortifacient.  This plant was so vital to Cyrene’s economic vitality that it was stamped on their coins, and so successful for its results that it was harvested to near extinction by the first century A.D.

Soranus, an early second century writer on gynecology, listed ten plants in his recipes for oral contraceptives: cyrenic juice (Cyrene’s silphium), opopanax, rue, leukoion seeds, myrtle, myrrh, white pepper, rocket seed and cow parsnip; additionally, he mentions douche mixtures of alum and wine, and seawater with brine and vinegar.

While modern research has proved most of his prescriptions to be effectual, Soranus also listed the following contraceptive regimen that, although interesting, is highly suspect:  the woman was to draw herself far enough away during intercourse to prevent the seed from being hurtled deep within the womb; then, after intercourse, she was to squat down, induce sneezing, wipe out her vagina, and drink something cold.  Ahh – what a visual!  Soranus’ early rhythm method of avoiding intercourse during the woman’s most fertile times would probably have been more successful had he not actually recited the most fertile part of a woman’s cycle.

Early Romans assisted their contraceptive potions with magic.  Two odd and ineffectual prophylactic amulet “prescriptions” were: (1) the wearing of a weasel liver (Huh?) to prevent conception up to a year; and (2) a spider’s egg containing two worms attached to the woman’s body with deerskin before sunrise. (Attached where?)

From these ancient texts it is inferred that women generally had society’s permission to control their fertility.  Around the 4th century, this power began its demise with the advent of Christianity in the West.  The Church held that contraception was against God’s will.  This announcement meant that women would be held accountable for their sins – of any contraceptive actions taken before or after intercourse.

The Medieval Ages, aka Dark Ages, with the spread of Christianity, plunged contraceptive knowledge into obscurity.  When medieval scholars translated the ancient texts, they edited, purged, and censored the contraceptive information on herbs, plants and devices such as pessaries and douches.  In keeping with the Church’s dictum, medieval medical texts instead contained abundant prescriptions for aphrodisiacs and fertility inducers.  Interestingly, during this time, there is the first mention of men practicing coitus interruptus, but this too was soon condemned by the Church as an unnatural act.  With the criminalization of contraception, as well as abortion, and because some of the plants used as contraceptives did have abortifacient or emmenagogue properties, all information on these plants and concoctions began to be “forgotten” and not considered part of a physician’s knowledge. Indeed, even between women and midwives, sharing of this information would be unlawful and sinful.

But regardless of the Church’s condemnation, women covertly sought control over their fertility.  Too many children born in too short a time frequently led to unhealthy babies, declining health of mothers and less food and prosperity for the family.  Gone was the use of animal feces, but the use of medicinal plants continued to be quietly passed down through folklore, woman to woman, though more so within rural populations.

In Part Two, contraception moves out of the Dark Ages and enters the Age of Enlightenment.  Will it remain blanketed in the shadow of religious sin?

When not questioning authority, Karry might be found homeschooling her children, practicing Hula, or with her bow at the archery range.

Welcome to June, fellow Californians.  Welcome to TWO elections this month!

Just a reminder that we have two very important elections this month:  the regular primary election on June 8 and the special election on June 22. Both are essential elections to the future of SLO County and to California.

June 8 is the primary election that can actually elect county supervisors in District 2 (Bruce Gibson) and District 4 (Jim Guthrie).  Electing these two in June avoids a run off election in November and will keep a rational, planned growth majority on the Board of Supervisors.  Bruce and Jim have the experience and knowledge to balance good business practices with the need to preserve the open spaces and agriculture properties that make SLO County such a desired place to visit and stay.  Electing their opponents could open us up to looking like Santa Monica. Not what I'd like to see.

June 8 is also where we get the opportunity to vote on propositions.  There are three that it is vitally important that we defeat: 

Proposition 14 - Top Two Primary.  This is Abel Maldonado's last extortion to vote for a budget.  Under this measure, there would be no party designation on the primary ballot and the top two vote getters would go to the General Election.  This would mean that smaller parties would almost never have the opportunity to have a candidate on the General Election ballot and you could end up with two candidates from the same party as your final two choices.  Can you imagine only having the choice between Katcho Achadgian and Matt Kokkonnen on a November ballot.  I call this disenfranchising the voters.

Proposition 15 - Two-Thirds Vote for Local Power.  This is also known as the preserve PG&E's monopoly status initiative.  At last count, PG&E has spent more than $44 million qualifying and promoting their initiative.  They want to be able to prevent local municipalities (like Marin) who negotiate for lower power rates directly from suppliers or want to provide green power to their communities from ever being able to do so. We know that the 2/3's vote has worked so well on the California budget process that PG&E wants to use it to preserve the status quo in power management.  Oh, after spending all of this rate payer money without an approval vote, PG&E is also asking for a rate increase.

 Proposition 17 - Auto Insurance Regulations.  This one is brought to you by Mercury Insurance and wants to penalize anyone who has dropped their auto insurance because, oh, they sold their car or were deployed overseas, or suffer from a condition that makes them unable to drive.  Again, when a big company in the industry is the one putting the money and effort behind an initiative, it is never the average citizen who will benefit.

Now we come to June 22.  This is the Special Election that the Governator called to fill the 15th Senate District race.  By electing John Laird in June, we can once again have representation in the California Senate for the Central Coast.  John has a proven record as a leader, with a great environmental record, experience in passing an on-time budget in the California legislature, and will once again give us a progressive voice in Sacramento.  Unlike his opponent, Sam Blakeslee, John will never vote for off-shore oil drilling (which Sam did just last year).  He will hold California companies to paying their fair share for services and resources they take from the people of the state and will serve with honesty and integrity.

Whether you go to the polls for each election or send in you absentee ballot, please make sure to vote in both elections.  Your vote can and will make a difference.

On September 17, 1787, forty-two of the 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention held their final meeting. Only one item of business occupied the agenda that day, to sign the Constitution of the United States of America.
Since May 25, 1787, the 55 delegates had gathered almost daily in the State House (Independence Hall) in Philadelphia to revise the Articles of Confederation. By the middle of June,

it became apparent to the delegates that to merely amend the Articles of Confederation would not be sufficient. Instead, they would write an entirely new document designed to clearly define and separate the powers of the central government, the powers of the states, the rights of the people and how the representatives of the people should be elected.
After being signed in September of 1787, Congress sent printed copies of the Constitution to the state legislatures for ratification. In the months that followed, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay would write the Federalist Papers in support, while Patrick Henry, Elbridge Gerry, and George Mason would organize the opposition to the new Constitution. By June 21, 1788, nine states had approved the Constitution, finally forming “a more perfect Union.”
No matter how much we argue about the details of its meaning today, in the opinion of many, the Constitution signed in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787 represents the greatest expression of statesmanship and compromise ever written. In just four hand-written pages, the Constitution gives us no less than the owners’ manual to the greatest form of government the world has ever known

I was in my cozy muffin scented cabin, watching the fog tumble down the block when it hit me. I want to go shopping. I know, shopping as sport - how politically incorrect, how Orange County. But the kind of shopping I was hankering for wasn’t at the mall or downtown. That type of activity is called buying. I’m talking about shopping as art. This new way of shopping took some time to develop. However, since including shopping as a part of my creative process, I feel more positive about the gap between what I buy and what I want.

Say like you’re finally going to buy that fabulous _______ that you have wanted forever. You feel giddy with excitement then, POW! Monkey mind jumps in with a big wet blanket. Your head pounds with pithy words such as ‘shouldn’t’, ‘economy’, or ‘Suze Orman’ and you’re left standing with your desire shriveled down around your ankles. You think that shopping had something to do with it. But the reality is that a belief about shopping is what happened. Your Monkey Mind yanked your feeling chain from joyful to bummed to guilty in three seconds flat.

Esther and Jerry Hicks, authors of the popular Abraham books and seminars, state that desire is expansive. It is our natural connection to Source energy. So, I redefined shopping into three categories: browsing, spending, and creative shopping.

Browsing is really information gathering. If I’m buying a bookshelf, I need to know the dimensions, style, and color. I perfected browsing while working in downtown Santa Barbara. I discovered that I could walk to Barnes and Noble, including a breather in front of the best sellers, if I left my wallet behind.

Spending is exchanging money for actual stuff. I create buying lists that include the categories of office, hardware, clothes and IKEA. From these lists it is easy to choose the next item to purchase. Next, I wait for a sale or look through the Craigslist freebies. Many times I’ve often decided that I don’t want the item after all, regardless of price.

Creative Shopping: I have a cigar box that I covered with a collage. The top cover is a black and white picture of a boy holding up a jar with a frog. Inside are magazine photos of my dream closet, an orange wing back chair, an African safari vacation, and a giant storage shed.

I listen to music while I clip items from the Sunday sales, or magazines. I place the images in the box affirming “I want this because it delights me.” The operative sentence is “I want it because.” The art of shopping isn’t about buying. It’s about the magic of desire for the sake of desire. Finally, this Orange County girl can shop while saving for trips to the cheese aisle at Lazy Acres in Santa Barbara.

Prior to my shopping box I felt overwhelmed by spending decisions. I worried about expenses. Worry plus messages about consumerism left me feeling guilty. I got wanting and spending mixed up. By shopping with my collage box, I’m releasing judgment about my wants – regardless of manifestation. How or if the objects appear is not my concern. The process itself is rewarding.

One more thing about this method is rebel energy. Rebel energy is the part that may rail against boundaries; especially if you spend to mask emotions. I give this rebel mad money to spend each paycheck. Even $5.00 is fun if I head for the thrift stores. In fact, I often come away with gems such as my $4.00 Dirt Devil from the Abundance Thrift Shop in Los Osos or last season’s best sellers.

Dorothy Segovia is a certified Life Coach who teaches at the Be Well Center in Atascadero. For information visit www.BeWellLiving.net or call 805-460-9907.

San Luis Obispo County suffered less during the housing market bust than most other areas of California, and we are recovering faster as well.
Looking at the leading indicators, it appears that the median price of housing bottomed out around January or February of this year—along with nearly every other aspect of the economy. At that time, the stock market hit its lowest point, consumer confidence was at rock bottom, retail sales were dismal, and unemployment was at its highest point in recent years.
At the same time, however, housing sales were actually increasing as prices came down. Actual sales bottomed out in California in 2007, and have risen steadily since then as prices have come down. The median price of a home in California in August, 2009 was $292,960, off from a peak of $594,530 in May 2007.
In San Luis Obispo County, our median home price is off 38.4%, a smaller loss than about 2/3 of the state has felt.  The city of SLO shows a greater increase in sales from 2008 to 2009 than any other community in the county, with a higher median price ($512,500 in August of this year). Prices in SLO are off only 0.6% over last year. The county has fewer distressed sales (REOs, short sales, etc.), at 36% of total sales, than any other area except Marin County (with 26%). In contrast, Riverside County’s ratio is 80%, and Los Angeles County’s is 58%.
As most of us are aware, the “affordability index” in CA has been poor for some years, meaning that most people can’t afford to buy a home in the community where they live. After dropping to a low of 30% in 2007, the index rebounded to almost 70% in the first quarter of 2009—a sign that most people can now afford to live where they work.
The first-time home buyer credit has been extended into 2010, and a new credit, for existing homeowners wanting to buy another house, has been added.
Finally, interest rates are at an historic low. Here in SLO County, interest on a 30-year fixed loan for under $417,000 runs from 4.625% to 4.875% . . . an incredible bargain. These low rates, combined with the drop in home prices and the current local inventory, makes this an ideal time to buy a home.
Despite the low interest rates, it is still difficult to obtain a mortgage due to more stringent requirements regarding borrower income, home values, etc. Be prepared to spend extra time securing financing.
The most serious wild card that could affect the housing market next year is probably unemployment, which remains higher in CA than in the U.S. as a whole (12.1% versus 10.0%).
While there is no guarantee that the market will continue to improve, it remains an excellent time to buy, especially if you are a first-time homeowner or can qualify for the new $6500 tax credit for existing homeowners. There is a good inventory of homes for sale in the county, the median price is at a very affordable level, and there are many bargains to be had.
Sonsie Conroy is a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Premier, specializing in first-time buyers, serious sellers, and "problem properties" that need extra marketing help. Call her at 235-2351 to discuss your needs.