Perhaps the most widely-known and praticed since ancient times is the one coined in Latin as coitus interruptus (also known by the slang term "pulling out" which means the man removes his penis from the vagina just prior to ejaculation). This method is not terribly effective or reliable since pre-ejaculate fluid can contain enough sperm to impregnate a woman (it only takes one!) It also requires a great deal of self-control on the part of the male partner. Herbal abortifacients, containing compounds which caused the fertilized egg to be expunged from the uterus (either immediately following conception or some weeks later) were also common but sometimes dangerous. The "rhythm method" which considers a woman's menstrual cycle and pinpoints the moment of ovulation has also been used by couples; they simply avoid intercourse on the fertile days. Unfortunately many women's cycles in modern times are irregular, thanks to artificial light. Hormones in food and medication and other environmental factors.

Women have also practiced douching (French for shower, spraying liquid into the vagina with a pump or hose) immediately following sex to prevent pregnancy, in the hope that this activity would wash away sperm. But alas, this method probably did more harm than good, since it could easily force sperm farther up into the uterus, and could furthermore cause infection or irritation. If a slightly acidic material was used (such as vinegar or lemon juice, there may have been a slight spermicidal effect, however. A variation on this was to take a hot bath after intercourse, which was probably slightly more effective, but not reliable. Still, European women in Victorian times seemed to believe widely in the method.

In ancient Greece, herbal abortifacients were widely used, particularly in the colony of Cyrene where a particular type of parsley (know to them as Silphium) was used. Today pregnant women are warned not to use essential oil of parsley or to eat too much parsley. The plant only grew in nearby Libya and was a major part of the colony's economy, at one point even having its picture on coins. The plant was over-harvested into near-extinction at one point. Other plants used as abortifacients in medieval times (and still in use today) include mugwort, nutmeg, wild carrot, clack cohosh and pennyroyal. These are contraindicated for use in pregnant women, whether on a box of herbal tea or on a bottle containing essential oil, but the labels do not normally explain that the plant can be an abortifacient. Interest in this aspect of herbal folklore has always had its followers, and in the 1980s when the right wing was starting to vigorously attack abortion rights, some feminist groups started to publicize the use of these plants to induce abortion in the early stages. But using such plants without proper experience or knowledge can ve very dangerous. In 1898, the medical pamphlet Kings American Dispensatory stated that a mixture of brewer's yeast and pennyroyal was a safe and reliable abortifacient. These days some women will drink pennyroyal tea if their periods are delayed, sometimes with effective results.

The principle of the abortifacient is at the heart of the controversial drug RU-486, also known as Mifipristone. This drug, which is taken in tablet form and followed up by a suppository, is effective when used within the first six weeks of pregnancy, so a blood test is needed to determine pregnancy at this early stage, as opposed to a urine-based test. Pregnancy tests can indicate fertilization but not implantation, so this drug can be administered when there is not in fact a "viable" pregnancy, which can cause pain and excessive bleeding in the patient (this was a personal experience of the author in a clinical trial for the drug in the late 1980s). But in pregnant patients who wish to terminate at this early stage, this option is normally considered a safe and effective alternative to surgical abortion.

The so-called "morning after" pill is also an abortifacient method, but one that at its heart is an ironic use of materials, because it consists of ingesting birth control pills in concentrated amounts the morning after unprotected intercourse. There is a risk that the woman will vomit the pills, but otherwise this can help prevent fertilization and implantation. It has come under fire in recent years because some people believe it is a form of abortion, and laws governing its dispensation have become more strict. But in cases of rape or incest this is a needed and safe preventive.

Barrier methods for women are mostly covered under the category of diaphragm and spermicide. The use of cups to capture sperm dates back to medieval times, when women would use lemon halves inserted into the vagina, to block the entrance of sperm and to kill the sperm that escaped with the acid of the lemon juice. A rubber version was invented in 1838 and brought to the United states by Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, in 1916. The diaphragm is fitted by a gynecologist, and women must get refitted for them after pregnancy or excessive weight gain or loss. They are used with spermicidal foams, creams or jellies, which must be reapplied and used for every act of intercourse. Spermicides are effective for twelve hours, usually. Some of them cause irritation and they can be messy, but the combination of diaphragm and foam can be a very effective form of birth control. Women carry their diaphragm cases and foam in their purses, making them the male equivalent of a condom kept on and "just in case." A discreet trip to the bathroom and a woman is ready for intercourse. This method does not protect against sexually-transmitted disease, however, and so many women will also use a condom with it, for extra protection, which can afford even more assurance against accidental pregnancy. The diaphragm continues to be a good and safe option for women who cannot or choose not to use hormonally-based methods of birth control, or who wish to use a diaphragm and condom method to help prevent STDs.

In the 1980s the use of the contraceptive sponge became popular if only briefly. It was a welcome change for women who did not like using the diaphragm, or who were scared to use the IUD (intra-uterine device) or "coil," both of which, while very efefctive against pregnancy, were known to sometimes perforate the ueterus or cause pain in some women. The common brand known as the Today sponge was something that could be inserted quickly and easily. It was a cap-shaped sponge soaked with spermicidal foam. The ingredient nonoxynol-9 was said to be effective against not only pregnancy but also against the AIDS virus. The sponge had few side effects apart from allergy or irritation, but since it could be left in place up to 24 hours (therefore, for repeated acts of intercourse), it occasionally led to cases of toxic shock syndrome. In response to the burgeoning AIDS public health crisis, the manufacturers began adding larger amounts of nonoxynol-9 to the product, which caused vaginal infections and allergic reactions among some users (including the author) and its sale was discontinued. When they went off th market many women hoarded them, as with the character Elaine on the popular show Seinfeld, who endeavored to find out if a potential lover was "spongeworthy" before she'd agree to use one of her precious hoarded sponges.

Various methods based upon hormonal action similar to the pill have also been invented, including the Norplant, which is surgically inserted under the skin and which releases a low dose of estrogen to prevent pregnancy. Depo-Porvera is another method which is also a slow-release hormonal dosage. As with the Pill, these sorts of methods do have attendant risks, but in general the side effects associated with the Pill are lessened here.

Some say birth control is "still in the Stone Age." Indeed, it seems odd that new and better drugs are invented almost daily for erectile dysfunction, but new innovations in female birth control have been limited to dangerous hormonally-based methods or the so-called "female condom." With the shifting political and religious tide in the United States, and access to safe abortion procedures becoming practically nonexistent in some rural areas within the Bible Belt, women's birth control continues to be a controversial and extremely important issue. But funding for research and development for new methods trails far beyond that of other pharmaceuticals.