Marie Stopes: Letter received as follows: “I bought your book Married Love hoping to gain knowledge as to prevent me having any more children. I purchased a rubber cap, either it was not the right one or not fitted properly and am afraid I have become pregnant again.

Could you advise me if there is anything I can do to assist matters and put me right again? I am only 35 years of age but my health is entirely ruined by having the children so quickly and the burden is more than anyone can stand in these trying times.”

I replied to this poor soul saying there is nothing I could do to help.

L0065287 'Prorace' cervical cap, London, England... Credit: Science Museum, London. Wellcome Images images@wellcome.ac.uk http://wellcomeimages.org The Prorace brand of contraceptives was developed by Dr Marie Stopes (1880-1958). They were distributed by the Mother’s Clinic, which opened in London in 1921. This cervical cap is a barrier contraceptive. It sits across the top of the vagina and acts as a barrier to sperm entering the uterus. The trademarked Prorace is related to Stopes’ belief in eugenics. This widely held theory in the early 1900s argued selective breeding could remove undesirables from society. The Prorace cervical cap has a tab for easy removal. It was manufactured by John Bell and Croyden Limited of London.

maker: John Bell and Croyden Limited, maker: Stopes, Marie

Place made: London, Greater London, England, United Kingdom made: 1920-1950 Published: -

Copyrighted work available under Creative Commons Attribution only licence CC BY 4.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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