Herbs for birth control

Preventing Pregnancy with Herbs

Herbs that have anti-fertility properties are called herbal contraceptives. These herbs generally prevent conception but each does it in a different way. Some of the herbs affect production of hormones, some have influence on ovaries and some have impact on the uterus. Certain herbs can hinder implantation of the egg and women can take it to terminate possible pregnancy. Also, there are also some herbs that impair sperm production or sperm mobility.

Herbs with Contraceptive PropertiesHerbs like wild yam and neem are the herbs for birth control but they need to be taken on a daily basis to show their full effect.

Wild YamWild yam can be used as contraceptive but after it’s been used for some period of time. This property of wild yam isn’t scientifically proven but there are some women who successfully used it for this purpose. Originally, this herb was used by a woman from Utah who gave it for contraception and eventually found proper dosage. Later she wrote a book about wild yam where she claims that it must be taken two times a day, for one to three months, before it starts acting as contraceptive.

On the other hand, many herbalists don’t believe in this property of wild yam. Also, there are a number of contradictory reports from women who used this herb. These reports show that you cannot absolutely rely on wild yam as birth control herb. It seems that you could use it, but only along with other safety measures, to reduce the risk of unwanted pregnancy.

Neem Oil

Nemm is a tree from India. Neem oil, extracted from neem seeds and fruits has many medical uses and one of them is for birth control. It can be used a contraceptive for both sexes. Women can use it vaginally and men orally.

PomegranatePomegranate (Punica granatum) is an Asian shrub. Its fruit has birth control qualities since the seed contains oestrone, estrogen-like substance. It is considered that Pomegranate seed is the richest source of oestrone among herbs.

Herbs for Preventing ImplantationThere are herbs that interrupt implantation of the egg or keep implanted egg on the wall of the uterus. If implanted egg drops from uterine wall, it dies and pregnancy won’t occur.

Queen Anne’s Lace Seeds Queen Anne’s Lace Seed (Daucus carota) or Wild carrot is the seed with contraceptive quality. This herb has always been used for this purpose. There are studies and reports that prove its effectiveness. It can be used in case of need, 8 hours after intercourse, with one or two additional doses. You can chew the seeds, or if you can’t bear its awful taste you can take it in a tincture form. This tincture is also used for relieving the symptom of vaginal dryness. Queen Anne’s lace seed is the most suitable for women with normal and regular menstruation.

Smartweed LeavesSmartweed leaves (Polygonum hydropiper) is a world wide spread weed that can prevent pregnancy. It can be prepared as infusion from fresh or dried leaves. This infusion induces menstrual bleeding.