▁of ▁research . ▁However , ▁many ▁other ▁subst ances ▁of ▁dub ious ▁contra cept ive ▁value ▁were ▁also ▁promoted . ▁ ▁Es pecially ▁after ▁the ▁prohib ition ▁of ▁contra ception ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁by ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 3 ▁Com stock ▁Act , ▁s per mic ides — the ▁most ▁popular ▁of ▁which ▁was ▁L ys ol — w ere ▁market ed ▁only ▁as ▁" f em in ine ▁h yg iene " ▁products ▁and ▁were ▁not ▁held ▁to ▁any ▁standard ▁of ▁effect iveness . ▁ ▁Wor se , ▁many ▁manufact ur ers ▁recommended ▁using ▁the ▁products ▁as ▁a ▁dou che ▁after ▁inter course , ▁too ▁late ▁to ▁affect ▁all ▁the ▁s perm . ▁ ▁Medical ▁estimates ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁placed ▁the ▁pre gn ancy ▁rate ▁of ▁women ▁using ▁many ▁over - the - counter ▁s per mic ides ▁at ▁sevent y ▁percent ▁per ▁year . ▁ ▁S per mic ides ▁have ▁been ▁around ▁for ▁a ▁long ▁time . ▁ ▁An cient ▁Egypt ians ▁used ▁to ▁use ▁them ▁to ▁reg ulate ▁family ▁size ▁and ▁pre gn ancy . ▁ ▁S per mic ide ▁rem ed ies ▁included ▁ing red ients ▁like ▁ac acia ▁g um , ▁s our ▁milk , ▁cro cod ile ▁d ung ▁and ▁nat ron ▁min er als ▁were ▁mixed ▁with ▁plant ▁fib ers ▁and ▁h oney ▁and ▁formed ▁into ▁a ▁p ess ary . ▁ ▁Modern ▁research ers ▁A . ▁Pak r ashi ▁et ▁al . ▁ ▁have ▁found ▁ac