Herbal Contraceptive Methods

Herbal potions have been used for centuries to prevent or disrupt pregnancy. Little research has been conducted into the effectiveness, long-term side effects or safety of herbal contraceptive methods, so they should not be relied upon as a sole method of contraception, but they may provide an alternative for women who are dissatisfied with their current form of birth control and who can tolerate some risk of pregnancy.

How Herbal Contraceptive Methods Work

• Herbal remedies affect fertility in different ways. Some block hormone production, some act on the uterus and others are believed to form a protective coating around the egg that prevents fertilization. Others have been found to affect sperm production or mobility. Some herbs, which appear to interfere with implantation, can be taken on an as-needed basis. Others have a cumulative effect on the body and should be taken daily to establish effectiveness.

Wild Yam

• Wild Yam, a climbing perennial that grows in North America, has traditionally been used in folk medicine as a contraceptive. A midwife and herbalist named Willa Shaffer learned of Wild Yam in the 1980s and began experimenting with dosage. Her booklet, Wild Yam: Birth Control Without Fear, recommends taking three Wild Yam capsules twice daily, but specific dosages are not provided. The active component in Wild Yam, diosgenin, is believed to be converted by the human body into progesterone, which may prevent conception in two ways: by inhibiting ovulation and by thickening the cervical fluid, thereby reducing sperm mobility.

Neem

• Neem is a tree native to India, where it has been used as a contraceptive since the first century B.C. Neem oil can be used as a topical spermicide or can be taken internally by both men and women. Women in Madagascar chew on Neem leaves daily to prevent pregnancy. Most clinical studies on the contraceptive effectiveness have been conducted in India, where Neem leaf tablets ingested by men for one month were shown to produce reversible male sterility.

Ferula Plants

• Silphium, a plant of the genus Ferula that is extinct, was used as an herbal contraceptive in ancient Greece and Egypt. As silphium became less available, women began using another form of the Ferula species, asafetida, as a contraceptive. In laboratory tests, asafetida and other members of the Ferula genus were shown to inhibit implantation of fertilized eggs in rats.

Queen Anne's Lace

• The seeds from Queen Anne's Lace, or wild carrot, have been used as an oral contraceptive since the time of Hippocrates, who recommended their use both to prevent and terminate pregnancy. Research has shown that the seeds interfere with the implantation process if taken directly after intercourse.