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| 4 | %% This list of examples has been alphabetized. Please add your example in the proper place. Thanks! |
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| 8 | ->'''Fantasy Romance:''' I always make sure either me or my lover takes three leaves from the moon shrub. […] It works for both men and women, and has absolutely no side effects.\ |
| 9 | '''Paranormal Romance:''' Do you want to explaine that a little more?\ |
| 10 | '''Fantasy Romance:''' I don't feel the need to explain myself, no. |
| 11 | -->-- Elisabeth Wheatley, Platform/TikTok sketch, [[https://youtube.com/shorts/oGb4p0eDyb4?si=hpFryjmw4sKgZyuO "The Romance Genres discuss protection"]] |
| 12 | |
| 13 | In the fantasy genre, you sometimes run across some unusual methods of preventing pregnancy. Maybe the characters "know the right herbs," or maybe they have a magic pendant, or maybe humans and elves can't breed, or maybe they're sterile for some reason that only exists in that particular world. It doesn't usually matter what the method is, but it's not the contraception that would be found a modern-day, real-life setting. |
| 14 | |
| 15 | Many authors don't bother with it -- the characters have sex and the plot continues apace. Nothing new there -- authors of many genres want their characters to have sex, but don't want pregnancy to be part of the plot. But some of them feel a need to ''explain'' why the one did not lead to the other. Perhaps they think that their characters will look careless if they are not clearly stated to have used contraception. Perhaps they think that ''they'' will look careless if they don't [[ShownTheirWork tell their readers]] that "yes, I ''did'' think of that, thank you." Maybe the sex [[EveryoneHasLotsOfSex happens often enough]] that otherwise someone would pretty much ''have'' to get pregnant just out of random chance. Whatever the cause, they decide to specifically mention the steps taken by their characters to avoid an unwanted pregnancy, rather than just leave it unsaid. |
| 16 | |
| 17 | But in fantasy, there are limited options, since modern types of contraception will generally seem out of place (some of them are actually OlderThanTheyThink, but the average viewer might not know this because RealityIsUnrealistic and they still weren't necessarily common). The answer? Just plain make something up, or else dig up something that's real but relatively unknown. Or for that matter, fictionalize a real method -- the ones that find their way into fantasy works are sometimes safer, sanitized versions of how it really works. It rarely matters what -- the point is, the characters can entertain themselves as frequently as necessary without the writer having to worry about biological cause and effect getting in the way of the story. |
| 18 | |
| 19 | If a fantasy setting has EternalSexualFreedom and the writer bothers to explain why, this is probably the most common excuse. The particular method may be AppliedPhlebotinum. In settings where it exists, it can often be one of the WomensMysteries. |
| 20 | |
| 21 | Some methods, especially the herbal ones with a grounding in historical fact, are more likely to be Fantasy Abortifacients than Fantasy Contraceptives, though authors tend to ignore the distinction. Sadly, most of the specifics have been lost with the rise of modern medicine so their effectiveness is only speculative. |
| 22 | |
| 23 | Compare MagicalAbortion. |
| 24 | |
| 25 | ----- |
| 26 | !!Examples: |
| 27 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 28 | |
| 29 | [[folder:Anime & Manga]] |
| 30 | * ''Manga/TalesOfWeddingRings'': Krystal's sister Morion gives her a magical tattoo (on her crotch, [[{{Fanservice}} of course]]) that will prevent pregnancy before she has sex with Sato. Due to [[MomentKiller their usual terrible luck]], they don't end up having sex after all, at which point Morion reveals that the contraceptive is only seventy percent effective. Morion notes that if there was a perfectly effective magic spell to prevent pregnancy, everyone would use it and Krystal would have obviously heard of it before. |
| 31 | * ''Manga/TheVoynichHotel'': The ''modus operandi'' of the SerialKiller Snark is to kill men after she has sex with them. It's later revealed that she has a grove of ergot-infected wheat in a courtyard behind her house, and has been using the fungus to abort any resulting pregnancies. One character finds the rotting evidence in a tunnel under the courtyard after she dumps him there. |
| 32 | * ''Manga/WorldsEndHaremFantasia'': Due to [[SexMagic Macht being explicitly sex-based magic]], Arc avoids unprotected vaginal sex with his harem because the woman is virtually guaranteed to become pregnant as a result (he finds this out with Wenna the hard way). However, Felaris the high elf has tree nuts that seem to be effective in preventing pregnancy, and Arc gives Celine "moon fruit" before infusing her with Macht and taking her virginity. |
| 33 | [[/folder]] |
| 34 | |
| 35 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 36 | * Lauren Beukes's arc starring Rapunzel in ''Fairest'' (a spin-off series of ''ComicBook/{{Fables}}'' side-stories based around female characters) includes approving references to Frau Totenkinder and Rapunzel making and selling herbal abortifacient mixtures, in what appears to be a throwaway ArmedWithCanon response to the overt anti-abortion messages that Creator/BillWillingham sometimes put into the main series. |
| 37 | [[/folder]] |
| 38 | |
| 39 | [[folder:Fan Works]] |
| 40 | * Many an ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' and/or ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' fanfic features waterbenders' capability to bend ... certain fluids out of either themselves or their partners. |
| 41 | * ''Fanfic/DisplacedTheLegendOfZelda'': Rare male version; Zelda whips up a contraception elixir for Link, intending to use this to start a discussion on whether they want to start having sex. After a few quick questions about duration and side effects, he drinks it down in one gulp and throws her onto the bed. |
| 42 | -->'''Zelda:''' I-it needs an hour to take effect!\ |
| 43 | '''Link:''' I can waste an hour. |
| 44 | * ''Fanfic/{{Enlightenments}}'': The use of contraceptives is the crux of [[spoiler:Dormin's plan to stop the Queen, by making Wander sterile until the Queen's body dies of old age.]] |
| 45 | * Legion in ''Manga/FairyTail'' fan fiction. Authors make mention of characters not only using traditional birth control methods like condoms and pills (and variants on the latter like wafers or potions) but implanted contraceptive lacrimas or wearable anti-fertility charms that may be removed if the user changes his/her mind, the use of area-effect enchantments to create suppression fields, the "humans and [[SummonMagic Celestial Spirits]] can't breed" explanation -- most of which [[STDImmunity also serve to prevent the spread of STDs]]. |
| 46 | ** Frequently, however, if characters who have sex are mentioned as using any of the above, [[CurseEscapeClause there exists a magic type]] [[MillionToOneChance or set of extraordinary circumstances]] [[ButWeUsedACondom that will override the contraceptive in question]]. |
| 47 | * In ''Fanfic/FreedomsLimits'' Matron provides slave girls who get 'chosen' by soldiers with a kind of plant (it's only ever referred to as "the herb") which prevents pregnancy, as having a bunch of children running around would be inconvenient and make the slaves less productive. Madavi never mentions taking the herb after she starts having sex with Smador; he made sure to only sleep with her when she wasn't 'in heat' and so assumed they'd be in the clear (they're both quite young and know very little about reproduction). They find out that biology doesn't quite work like that [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome when Madavi does indeed get pregnant]]. |
| 48 | * ''Fanfic/FromBajorToTheBlack, Part II'' has Eleya refer in passing to being glad she remembered to get her contraceptive implant renewed the other day before she sleeps with Jerrod Dalton for the first time. |
| 49 | * Paraphrased from about one hundred thousand ''Franchise/HarryPotter'' fanfictions: "[[{{Fanon}} He quickly waved his wand and muttered a Protection Spell...]]". A female version is also quite common, as are mentions of contraceptive potions for either sex. |
| 50 | ** {{Subverted|Trope}} in at least one fic. Ginny states that the reason she's pregnant ''again'' (she has as many children as Molly) is because she would rather raise all the children God gives her than use contraception potions which taste awful. |
| 51 | ** And subverted in another fic, where they discover that since both Harry and Ginny were Parseltongues (she got it from her experience in ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets Chamber of Secrets]]''), they are both extremely fertile and no amount of spells or potions will keep them from conceiving. The only thing that works? [[spoiler: Muggle condoms. And even THAT'S not foolproof, they do break once.]] |
| 52 | ** ''Fanfic/FaceTheStrange'' has the cast’s form of birth control be a spell that turns semen into water. Unfortunately, the protagonist, Dally, still ends up pregnant due to [[Literature/TheTwilightSaga Edward Cullen]] sneaking in and using a spell that turns the water back into semen. |
| 53 | * Played with in [[http://archiveofourown.org/works/3943153/chapters/8837608 this]] ''Literature/TheHobbit'' fanfic. Herbal abortifacients are known and the human OC mentions having used them in the past, but it is then revealed that dwarf women never risk unwanted pregnancies, they consider vaginal intercourse something one only does in order to conceive. When she learns about the various interesting alternatives, the protagonist enthusiastically converts to this custom. |
| 54 | * As well in a multiple ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' fics with [[{{Fanon}} the contraception Jutsu.]] |
| 55 | ** Specified in ''Fanfic/DreamingOfSunshine'', which notes that Tsunade invented a jutsu that not only prevents conception but also halts the menstrual cycle—which can be lifesaving in a world where one's enemies may be able to smell a single drop of blood from miles away—and is easy enough for Academy students to learn. The kunoichi of Konoha revere her for this. |
| 56 | * In ''Fanfic/NewGamePlus'', Usopp mentions that Kaya routinely drinks 'special tea' to ensure that their nightly activities bear no fruit. It's apparently a common enough practice that he doesn't go into further detail, although Luffy was surprised by the concept. Dadan may have given him a somewhat skewed education on the topic. |
| 57 | * ''Fanfic/ObserveTheViewingGlobe'': The Universal Morphing Grid appears to provide all the protection against unplanned pregnancy that Power Rangers on active duty need. Only when they lose their powers are they forced to default to condoms and other traditional birth control methods. Which is extremely fortunate, because the same Grid forces Rangers into MateOrDie scenarios ([[NeverSayDie per se]]) on a regular basis and masturbation is severely limited in the help it can provide. |
| 58 | * In ''Manga/OnePiece'' fanfictions in which [[RuleSixtyThree Luffy is female]] and paired up with Trafalgar D. Water Law, he uses his powers to remove his sperm from her womb after each sexual encounter. Due to Luffy being a rubber person, condoms are not really an option and no available hormonal contraception can hold up to her metabolism. |
| 59 | * ''Fanfic/QueensOfMewni'': Bloomoon tea has contraceptive and abortifacient effects. Unfortunately, it was also Queen Venus's favorite tea, and she drank it without knowing the effects it had, which cause fertility issues among her descendants until Queen Vesper found a solution. |
| 60 | * Amy mentions the existence of Mid-childan birth control in ''[[Fanfic/MGLNCrisis Red Jewel Diaries]]'', which is supposed to be 100% effective since it's made via {{magitek}}. The fact that she still managed to give birth to twins while on it caused her to suspect that [[IWantGrandkids Lindy]] swapped them out with sugar pills. |
| 61 | * In ''Fanfic/SecondBiteOfTheCherry'', cultivators have low fertility because they can circulate their qi and deprive the foetus from energy to grow. Lan Qiren pointedly reminds Lan Wangji of this tidbit when the young man starts having sex with Wei Ying, in order to avoid a ShotgunWedding. |
| 62 | * Inverted in ''Sailor Moon: Legends of Lightstorm'': All Sailor Scouts and Justice Champions are infertile by default. Their bodies naturally divert resources away from non-vital areas and towards vital areas, such as the mechanisms that generate their powers. Because of this, Sailor Scouts and female Justice Champions produce no eggs, while male Justice Champions produce no sperm. This can be undone by drinking a chemical that temporarily renders them fertile, an excellent source of which was found in the Tranquility gardens of Venus during the Silver Millennium. |
| 63 | * [[Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians Percy Jackson]] in ''Fanfic/SonOfTheWesternSea'' called in his favour from [[Myth/JapaneseMythology Inari]] for a form of this, he can only have children when he makes a specific offering to Inari. As Percy himself notes, mortal contraception doesn't exactly work when gods are involved. Poseidon states that there are ways around such curses but does not elaborate on them. |
| 64 | * The WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon fanfic ''Fanfic/AThingOfVikings'' integrates this into the story's worldbuilding, plus explaining a discrepancy from the film: the venom of Deadly Nadder quills, in the right—and apparently narrow—dosage will induce a miscarriage in a pregnant woman. This bit of worldbuilding is used to explain the skewed population ratios between the adults and children of the Hooligan tribe—during the Dragon War and the conflict with the dragon nest, it was very hard for Hooligan women to bring babies to term; this is why Hiccup was seen as so precious by Stoick, why Hiccup's cadre has only six teenagers in a tribe of hundreds of people, and why the tribe is so accepting of outsiders: because they need immigration to keep their numbers up. The information about the quills is a closely held secret by the Hooligan healers out of fear of people misusing them and getting the dosage wrong, which would be lethal. |
| 65 | ** This is pretty much inverted from the situation in the books (see Literature). |
| 66 | * ''Fanfic/TheWarOfTheMasters'': Peri Wahlberger tells Kanril Eleya in ''Fanfic/TheBurningOfBerunsWorld'' that she had a SurprisePregnancy once despite having been on an implant. She had the fetus transferred to a UterineReplicator for adoption and then donated the rest of her eggs to the colony gene bank to be used in IVF treatments. (She doesn't want kids, believing she'd make a terrible mother.) |
| 67 | * ''Fanfic/VowOfNudity'': Despite their frequent sex scenes, both protagonists have justifications for why they never get pregnant (or additionally in Spectra’s case, impregnate others). Haara, despite being genetically human, has half-elf/half-orc parentage and completely subverts TrueBreedingHybrid. Spectra, meanwhile, has full control over her fertility (as either gender) thanks to being a changeling, and has mentioned her unwillingness to birth another changeling into the same prejudiced living situation she’s had to endure in the human world. An unnamed background character also briefly mentions silphium existing as a commonplace medicinal contraceptive. |
| 68 | [[/folder]] |
| 69 | |
| 70 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 71 | * ''Literature/TheAfterward'': Kalanthe provides Olsa with a tea that stops her from menstruating, which also doubles as contraception as a result though the main point is to not have the burden of menstruation when they're on the road and in action. |
| 72 | * ''Literature/AirAwakens'': Women use magical Elixir of the Moon, which they apparently need to drink after every intercourse. It tastes terrible but seems to be highly effective and without any side effects. |
| 73 | * The second ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' novel, ''Literature/{{Agatha H and the Clockwork Princess}}'', mentions a weed-like plant created by an unknown female spark that acts as an effective contraceptive when brewed in a tea. Few women in Europa go without their morning 'Maiden's Cup'. |
| 74 | * ''Literature/AscendanceOfABookworm'': People with significantly different {{Mana}} levels can't have children with each other, making UptownGirl situations quite rare. There are twists to this, however: |
| 75 | ** Having a much higher or much lower quantity of mana in regard to one's own family is far from being unheard of. Those with significantly high levels of mana compared to the rest of their family have a chance of marrying up. Those with significantly low levels of mana compared to the rest of their family are put up for adoption in the lower classes, made servants in their own household or [[LockedAwayInAMonastery sent to the temple]], which means that those not sent to the temple will be marrying down compared to what their lineage should have allowed for. |
| 76 | ** In the temple, people of [[SupernaturalElite noble]] birth with extremely low mana cohabitate with [[{{Muggles}} commoners]] raised to be their attendants. People are forbidden to marry, but the discrepancy in status between masters and attendants means that sex still happens, usually without the attendant's consent. ChildByRape happens frequently enough that up until some time before Myne took over as orphanage director, the pre-baptism orphans were being cared for by former SexSlave attendants who had been dismissed for getting pregnant by their masters. |
| 77 | ** Someone who is both female and a MageBornOfMuggles runs the risk of becoming a BreedingSlave for the SupernaturalElite. |
| 78 | * ''Literature/TheAssassinsOfTamurin'': Makina Seval's right-hand sorceress Nilang provides her AmazonBrigade, including the heroine, with potions, salves, and herbs to prevent pregnancy. No details about the "preparations" are described for us. |
| 79 | * ''Literature/AxisOfTime'', in the 21st century, women can receive an implant that can be controlled via a tablet and provides 100% contraception until such time as they choose to deactivate it or it stops working on its own (it has a finite life). Julia Duffy's implant is nearing its life, and she fears having a child, so she initiates the implant's final function, which permanently sterilizes her. When her husband finds out, they have a big fight over it, followed by a divorce. [[spoiler:Then he dies in a plane crash... [[FakingTheDead maybe]]]]. Since then, she becomes a mess, drinking and screwing her way through the war, regretting her decision and blaming herself [[spoiler:for his death]]. She finally gets better when she starts to go steady with Prince Harry. |
| 80 | * ''Literature/BlackDogs'': Jacyl gets Lyra some contraceptive pills she can use after having "{{the talk}}", for if she's attracted to any young men along their journey. |
| 81 | * In the ''Literature/BlackJewels'' trilogy, there are several references to a "contraceptive brew". |
| 82 | ** Notably, this being a 'verse in which women are the dominant gender, it's ''males'' who take the contraceptive brews. The only healing brews we see women drinking are general healing tonics and those designed to ease menstrual discomfort. |
| 83 | * In Creator/MercedesLackey's ''Theatre/SwanLake'' retelling ''Literature/TheBlackSwan'', [[spoiler: Odile]] gives Odette two magical necklaces for a wedding gift--one is a fertility charm, the other is "the opposite." |
| 84 | * In the ''Literature/BooksOfTheRaksura'', queens and female Arbora (that is, all fertile female Raksura, as the warriors are sterile) can suppress their fertility at will. |
| 85 | * ''Literature/TheCaseOfTheToxicSpellDump'' had the main character commenting on various forms of contraceptives in the {{Magitek}} UrbanFantasy world of his, including the traditional (involving crocodile dung)[[note]]Actually used in ancient Egypt![[/note]], before saying his was a jar with a rooster's cock and a few other things stuffed under his bed. His girlfriend has a different method involving a "cup of roots". |
| 86 | * In ''Chronicles of a Strange Kingdom'', contraceptive spells had become very common on a HighFantasy planet Delta. This EternalSexualFreedom seems to be a fairly recent development, likely from commoditization of magic in the last few centuries. Plenty of people still stick to old morals. And there are multiple caveats: |
| 87 | ** The spells cost money and need to be renewed every month for women or every 13 months for men. Those, who forget, are jokingly referred to as "those, who cannot count". This is how Elmar and several more unrecognized king's bastards were born. |
| 88 | ** Different spells are required if one of the parents is an elf. Pureblood elves do know the spell but tend to be carefree and forgetful. This was the case with Orlando, Mafey, Tolik and Cantor's maternal grandfather. |
| 89 | ** Part-elves from Delta often don't know the spell and don't have money to pay a specialist, who does. That's how Orlando got himself a daughter. |
| 90 | ** Elves cannot crossbreed with [[MageSpecies Sharkhi]]. But as Cantor's parents found out, human-elf hybrids can crossbreed with human-Sharkhi. |
| 91 | ** When the Sharkhi gods decide that a particular shaman needs children, no amount of magic can prevent conception. Again, Cantor and many of his paternal relatives. |
| 92 | ** When [[AntiMagic magic stops working]] in a large region, it leads to a baby boom, including Khargan's child. |
| 93 | ** Immature nymphs (late teens to early twenties[[note]]Physical and mental age. Nymphs seem to appear out of nowhere as ten-year-old girls.[[/note]]) are sterile. Also, they are nymphomaniacs that need to give IntimateHealing to two or three different men every week. Mature nymphs are fertile but strictly monogamous. Half-nymphs are just ordinary, if sexually hungry, women. |
| 94 | ** A twist that isn't a general rule. Cantor was sterile as a result of accidental poisoning, at one point he tried a nymph's healing to repair his scarred vocal cords, but instead became fertile. |
| 95 | * In the ''Literature/ChroniclesOfTheKencyrath'' books, it's mentioned offhand that Highborn women can control their fertility. However, the social structure frequently puts them in social situations where they must voluntarily give up this control to fulfill a contract. Kendar women can do the same, but not with a Highborn lover, which is a common source of problems. |
| 96 | * In the ''Literature/{{Circleverse}}'', an herb called droughtwort can be used to induce temporary sterility in men. |
| 97 | * ''Literature/CityOfBones1995'': |
| 98 | ** The bio-engineered krismen are almost entirely human in appearance but are not interfertile with humans. This and their [[STDImmunity near-total immunity to disease]] make them a popular choice of zero-complication hookup for human women. |
| 99 | ** Khat doesn't fully understand the social ramifications of human pregnancy, since a kris woman who doesn't want a child can simply discard a new egg sac rather than implant it in her (or [[MisterSeahorse her partner's]]) marsupial pouch. |
| 100 | * The governments of Earth in ''Literature/TheColorOfDistance'' have been enacting population control methods for a few generations. All adults, male and female, are required to have taken a contraceptive shot. It can be temporarily reversed later after they've been approved to have a child. Aliens, healing Juna Saari, innocently reverse that shot permanently. She then has the bad luck to have an affair with a man who never had the shot-his father was concerned that it could damage his fertility, and anyway as long as any women he slept with were sterile what would it matter? |
| 101 | * In a twist, in the ''Literature/{{Deverry}}'' series, herbal preventatives aren't specifically referred to, although herbal abortifacients are a few times. The character Jill's problem with conceiving is presented as something much more basic: lots and lots of exercise[[note]]a problem noted with women athletes in activity-heavy sports[[/note]] and a questionable level of nutrition at times. |
| 102 | * ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'': |
| 103 | ** There are some references in the novels and side materials about [[DirtyOldWoman Nanny Ogg]] both serving as a midwife and providing aid to girls who are pregnant but don't want to be. As she is shown to be a competent herbalist, it's apparent that an abortifacient is implied. Several other witches have been shown or mentioned trading in aphrodisiacs and contraceptives, allowing people to "sow their wild oats while ensuring crop failure, [[LampshadedDoubleEntendre if you know what I mean...]]". Nanny's cheerful attitude towards sex means that she is most commonly associated with this sort of business, but in her first appearance, even Granny Weatherwax set up a shop dealing such potions while in Ankh-Morpork. |
| 104 | ** There is also mention of girls having to be "good at counting" to avoid pregnancy, which could refer to timing sex to your menstrual cycle -- in RealLife, a ''very'' chancy method, but in a place where [[ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve belief shapes reality]], perhaps not as much. |
| 105 | ** Pennyroyal is mentioned several times. It is a genuine abortifacient, though not a particularly safe one, as it can cause haemorrhaging. |
| 106 | ** Regular contraception also exists, however; it is stated several times that without Mr. Sonky, and the rubber product named after him, Ankh-Morpork's housing shortage would be even worse. |
| 107 | ** Creator/TerryPratchett is actually quite proud that he could include a condom factory in Anhk-Morpork because it grounds the city and its culture firmly in reality. You could never get away with that in [[Franchise/TolkiensLegendarium Middle-Earth]]. |
| 108 | * In ''Literature/{{Dragaera}}'', it is stated that essentially, [[AWizardDidIt some kind of magic exists]] by which women (or at least [[OurElvesAreDifferent Drageran]] ones) can determine exactly when they want to be pregnant. The only illegitimate children come from marriages where one partner is sterile, and the term "bastard" is a lot more insulting for Dragaerans than for humans. This helps enforce the FantasticCasteSystem since while short-term relationships between members of different Houses are not unknown, they almost never produce offspring and are illegal, and when they do, they are shunned and houseless. |
| 109 | * In many of Creator/VondaNMcIntyre novels, everyone learns to control their fertility by way of a process similar to [[MasterOfYourDomain biofeedback]]. In ''Literature/{{Dreamsnake}}'' (expanded later into "Of Mist and Sand and Grass"), this technique is known simply as 'Control' and works by altering blood flow to the generative organs, The treatment that renders healers immune to poisons and diseases also sterilizes them; however, it's stated that if they ''did'' conceive, the baby wouldn't be viable. As a result, they don't take chances and learn "biocontrol" anyway. |
| 110 | * In ''Franchise/{{Dune}}'', the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood have developed their Prana-Bindu nerve control to such a degree that they can choose when to get pregnant and what gender of child to conceive. It makes their work of breeding the Kwisatz Haderach possible but doesn't make much room for love. [[spoiler:This actually kickstarts the plot, as Jessica, who had fallen in love with Leto, chose to give him the boy he wanted instead of the girl the Bene Gesserit demanded, meaning the Kwisatz Haderach came a generation early... and out of the Bene Gesserit's control.]] |
| 111 | * ''Literature/EarthsChildren'' has the herbal method, which realistically reduces the chance of pregnancy rather than eliminates it. Only one in three women who takes it doesn't get pregnant eventually and that woman only had miscarriages/stillbirths prior to the herbs. |
| 112 | * There are three different types of contraception mentioned in ''Literature/TheEmpiriumTrilogy''; once she begins a relationship with Audric, Rielle starts taking maidsright herbs, a type of medicinal plant that acts similar to birth control pills. After Simon and Eliana have TheirFirstTime together, Simon asks if she has a morning-after potion. Eliana informs him that she took a medicine some time ago that rendered her infertile. |
| 113 | * The ''Literature/FamiliasRegnant'' series features contraceptive implants, which are standard for women in Familias space. The fact that some of the other factions ''don't'' use them is a plot point twice. |
| 114 | * In Creator/RandallGarrett and Vicki Heydron's ''Gandalara Cycle'', the women of a HumanSubspecies are completely aware of their own fertility. |
| 115 | * Victoria from ''Literature/TheGardellaVampireChronicles'' takes an anti-contraception potion. |
| 116 | * The ''Literature/GarrettPI'' novels mention a kind of amulet, worn on a woman's wrist, that prevents conception and [=STDs=]. This turns out to be notably plot-relevant in a few of the books. On one occasion, the ''lack'' of an amulet is what the viewpoint character notices, because it was very relevant to the situation he and his client were in. [[spoiler:Also relevant to the plot, as her already being pregnant helped set a crime in motion.]] Later in the series, use of amulets allows Singe the ratwoman to suppress her breeding cycle, which is essential for her independence as ratpeople are ''very'' prolific if Nature is allowed to take its course. |
| 117 | * In the ''Literature/GracelingRealm'' world, both Katsa and Bitterblue use seabane, an herb that serves as both birth control and an abortifacient. In the prequel novel, the eponymous Fire is given birth control plants by her father, and Fire later makes the decision to take a certain type of medicine that will leave her permanently unable to have children. |
| 118 | * In a WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids example: the ''Literature/GreenSkyTrilogy'' makes a point of this. A common, parasitic shrub that grows in the tops of the city-trees has a contraceptive effect, and wafers made from the shrub are freely available among the Kindar. In fact, the Ol-Zhaan social elite and those between 13-25 are required to take them, ostensibly so they can concentrate on their social responsibilities (apprenticeships for ordinary Kindar, administrative tasks for Ol-Zhaan). More sinisterly, making sure the Ol-Zhaan cannot have families keeps them from passing on potentially dangerous knowledge and keeps them isolated from ordinary Kindar. The fact that contraceptive herbs do not grow underground is part of the reason for the Erdlings' food shortages, as they are simply too many and the food sources too few. As a result, sex is one of the few things the Kindar are much more open about than Erdlings. |
| 119 | * ''Literature/TheHalfbloodChronicles'': In ''Elvenbane'', it's stated that human women in the elven harems have contraceptives mixed into the very food they eat, allowing the elven lords to have fun while not worrying about siring a hybrid. Shana's mother contemplates a rival must have switched her food for the food the elves ate every day for a month for her to conceive. ''What'' contraceptives are used is never touched on, and the only discussion of whether magic can affect fertility is when Lord Dyran uses his to enhance his and his wife's fertility to fulfill the marriage contract as quickly as possible. |
| 120 | * ''Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar'' |
| 121 | ** In the setting, there are two different herbal compounds available for female Heralds (and presumably anyone else). Moonflower is a combination contraceptive/period-regulating drug that appears to be at least as reliable as the modern birth control pill. Should you slip up, though, they have at least one herbal abortifacient, "childbane", which is a bit harsher on the body but still readily available. In [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness the first trilogy]] Heralds are incapable of loving anyone beyond friendship unless magically forced to with a lifebond, and that plus their very hazardous lives makes avoiding pregnancy a particularly high priority. |
| 122 | ** [[OurGryphonsAreDifferent Gryphons]], meanwhile, have to go through several steps before doing the deed in order to ''become'' fertile[[note]]If you're curious, females must fast and then gorge themselves to trick their bodies into thinking food for offspring is plentiful, and males must lower their body temperature through rest or magic to bring sperm out of dormancy. And the sex has to be really good afterward for a successful conception -- the better the deed, the higher the chances of multiple offspring[[/note]]. As a [[CreatingLifeIsAwesome created species]], this was set up deliberately -- they only get kids if they really want them. Risk-free sex at all other times is a bonus. |
| 123 | * In Elizabeth [=McCoy=]'s ''Herb-Witch'' Duology there is widely available Dry Tea, made using the blood of maidens (the term being much stricter than a technical lack of intercourse). And, unlike many versions, there are variants for men and women. This is specifically a preventative, though there are different potions to cause abortion. |
| 124 | * Similarly, in ''Literature/HonorHarrington'', women can get a 5-year contraceptive implant. It's actually mandated for any front-line female officer, but they have a right to extract the implant at any moment, but pregnant women are taken off ship duty and reassigned to safer (less radioactive) postings until they give birth or (more likely in this setting) put the fetus into a tube to be brought to term artificially. Implants are supposed to be replaced every 5 years. [[spoiler:Honor spends some time on a prison planet and is listed dead. When she comes back, a clerical error means that her implant is not replaced on time, so she gets pregnant during her affair with Earl White Haven]]. |
| 125 | * ''Literature/HowToTrainYourDragon'': in another WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids moment, the Archipelago doesn't have contraception but all the tribes practise socially mandated infanticide if their infant fails to thrive; runts are exposed or put in a small boat and left to drift, putting their survival to the will of the gods. However, those that do survive are adopted. It's also mentioned that Stoick and Valhallarama had trouble conceiving, and [[spoiler: this is why they broke the rules and didn't expose the weedy Hiccup]]. |
| 126 | * ''Literature/IAmMordred'': Nyneve says as a sorceress that she controls when, and if, she'll have a baby. She regrets preventing it after losing her lover though. |
| 127 | * In Rene Barjavel's ''Literature/TheIcePeople'' (La Nuit des Temps) the people of the highly advanced ancient civilization all wear keys--actually rings with a pyramid-shaped setting. The key is used as both a debit card and an ID card, and is also an infallible contraceptive. People speak of taking off their keys when they want to have children. |
| 128 | * ''Literature/InCryptid'': Alice's PowerTattoos include contraception spells, but she has no intention of having sex with anyone except Thomas, once she finds him (and is well-armed enough to make anyone who wants to try to force her to think twice). Fortunately, [[NotTheIntendedUse they're also effective against parasites]] like [[WickedWasps Apraxis wasp]] larvae. |
| 129 | * The ''Literature/{{Inda}}'' universe takes the concept a step further. Women don't drink an herbal potion to ''prevent'' pregnancy; they won't get pregnant ''unless'' they drink it in advance. It's one of many little peculiarities of everyday life caused by the magic latent to the world. Of course, this, combined with the [[STDImmunity magically-induced nonexistence of [=STDs=]]], leads to [[EverybodyHasLotsOfSex lots and lots of loving]]. |
| 130 | * In ''Literature/TheIronDragonsDaughter'', there's a spell of contraception. [[ButWeUsedACondom Not a 100% reliable one, though]], since the goddess who powers it ''wants'' couples to have children. |
| 131 | * The "humans and elves can't breed" version shows up in the ''Literature/KnownSpace'' books by Creator/LarryNiven, where "rishathra", sex between different humanoid species, is common, and on the Literature/{{Ringworld}} serves as a diplomatic tool. STDImmunity also applies. |
| 132 | * ''Literature/KushielsLegacy'' has divinely sourced contraception. The women of Terre d'Ange will not get pregnant until they pray to Eisheth and light a candle specifically asking her to open their wombs--and as the Imriel trilogy reveals, Eisheth can tell the difference between a sincere prayer and one made while under magical compulsion, even if the woman herself cannot. |
| 133 | * The ''Literature/{{Liavek}}'' books have a special herb, commonly called Worrynot. |
| 134 | * In ''Literature/MagicForLiars'' these were used historically, with the school nurse referencing an ovary-clamping charm. Such have largely been abandoned in favor of modern condoms and hormonal birth control since they are more reliable, easier, and cheap. |
| 135 | * In the novel ''Literature/NeverLetMeGo'', the main characters cannot reproduce because they are [[spoiler: clones]]. This is actually kind of a plot point when one of Kathy's teachers walks in on her holding and rocking a pillow as if it were a baby and listening to the song from whence the book gets its title, she thinks that Kathy is sad because she cannot have children. |
| 136 | * Tea made from [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tansy tansy]] (a flowering herb) pops up in a number of works, such as ''Literature/TheNightAngelTrilogy'', although this induces abortions rather than prevents pregnancy in the first place. Although it can sound like the authors invented it, this one is actually based on real life--people used tansy in the Middle Ages and still do in some places. |
| 137 | * In the ''Literature/OneRoseTrilogy'' by Gail Dayton, the women of Adara can have themselves protected by a contraceptive spell. It's apparently 100% effective unless something interferes with it...like the heroine's own "Godstruck" magic. Abortion is apparently legal in Adara "before the soul takes root", but since the only character we see consider having one is talked out of it, we don't see if that would be magical as well. |
| 138 | * Creator/AnneMcCaffrey's ''Literature/PlanetPirates'' series has contraceptive implants that last a few years before needing replacement. |
| 139 | * ''Literature/{{Quarters}}'': Annice was given some contraceptive teas, but gave them away for a woman who had seven children already. Thus she got pregnant by Pjerin after this when they had sex. |
| 140 | * Creator/RobinHobb's ''Literature/RealmOfTheElderlings'': |
| 141 | ** In the ''Liveship Traders'' trilogy, wizardwood belly button piercings work as contraception. |
| 142 | ** In the ''Tawny Man'' trilogy, Jinna can manufacture magical charms, including one which prevents pregnancy when set next to the bed. [[spoiler:Also, the minstrel Starling feels free to sleep around because she's supposedly infertile... however, after years of marriage she finally manages to get pregnant from her husband, after which she goes respectable.]] |
| 143 | * In ''Literature/TheRedTent'', Leah brews a tea from a type of fennel seed (possibly sylphium?) each day for a few years after multiple pregnancies started taking a toll on her. She gets pregnant again, though, after she runs out of seeds while the midwife is away on business. |
| 144 | * ''Literature/TheReluctantKing'': There's a reference to a "really effective" contraception spell loosening sexual mores in Novaria (pretty clearly based on Earth's birth control pill, which did this in the West). |
| 145 | * ''Literature/TheScholomance'': MagicalSociety makes widespread use of a magic tea that works like the pill. Because it prevents menstruation entirely, it's doubly useful in the titular monster-infested WizardingSchool -- the scent of blood would [[MenstrualMenace be a hazard]]. Other magical contraception tends to be unreliable due to the ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve effect magnifying people's fear of it failing. |
| 146 | * ''Literature/SchooledInMagic'': ''Study In Slaughter'' mentions that contraception spells and parental tests exist, though the Allied Lands' culture is still conservative about sex (e.g. women are expected to remain virgins if unmarried in most cases). Female magicians are an exception, making use of them to have sex as they please. |
| 147 | * Sholan women in the ''Literature/SholanAllianceSeries'' can control their own fertility naturally, at least until some of the Leska pairs are exposed to the genetically altered ni'uzu virus. |
| 148 | * In ''Literature/ShipCore'', one of the main characters, Elis, has an implant that shuts down her reproductive cycle, so no periods, no pregnancies, and she can get as much SexForSolace as she needs. She apparently received this implant sometime before the start of her military service. The protagonist, Alex, later gets one herself, not because she's out to get sexy-fun-times, but because she doesn't want to deal with having periods herself. |
| 149 | * ''Literature/TheSilerianTrilogy'': In spite of how much unprotected sex she has, Elelar never gets pregnant and thus finally concludes she's infertile. She's happy with this because she never slept with a man with whom she'd wanted to have a child by. However, it turns out she's been kept from conceiving by Dar, her people's goddess, as she's destined to bear the next [[BenevolentMageRuler Yarhdan]], so having children with other men presumably was an obstacle to that. After she meets and is seduced by the man destined to father the Yarhdan, Elelar gets pregnant at once. |
| 150 | * ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' uses tansy tea relatively realistically: as an abortifacient, not a contraceptive. It is used in one character's backstory to terminate an unwanted pregnancy ("unwanted" in the sense of politically inconvenient to the mother's family; she herself very much wanted to keep the baby). It's strongly implied that there are in fact unpleasant side-effects, as [[spoiler:after her abortion the character in question has several stillbirths and eventually one underweight, sickly child, suggesting that the herb permanently affected her ability to bear children.]] The trope is played straighter with "moon tea," which includes tansy as just one of its ingredients and appears to work as a relatively safe and effective Plan B contraceptive with few (if any) side effects. |
| 151 | * ''Literature/SplitHeirs'': Artemisia drinks a contraceptive tea after she has triplets to insure that Gudge doesn't get her pregnant again. Mungli uses it too, as she frequently has sex with Artemisia's messengers. |
| 152 | * ''Swordheart'', a novel by Creator/UrsulaVernon, has a middle aged protagonist who very much does not want to get pregnant. She's aware of contraceptive herbs, but has a bad reaction to them - they make her far too ill to want to perform any of the fun activities that might result in a baby - and thanks to a somewhat sheltered upbringing and a deceased husband who had no interest in her, she's unaware that sex in a form that ''doesnt'' carry risk of pregnancy is at all possible. Fortunately on both counts, Sarkiss is willing to demonstrate alternatives, and also is the Spirit of the Sword - his body and any fluids that come from it vanish when the sword he's bound to are sheathed. |
| 153 | * Typically, the "advanced" human species in Creator/OlafStapledon's novels have a very high level of control over their bodies, and one consequence is that they won't conceive unless they actually want to. |
| 154 | * When Cherijo Grey Veil consummates her romance with Kao Torin in ''Literature/{{Stardoc}}'' she mentions having taken a contraceptive injection beforehand, which Kao later informs her was rather pointless since Jorenian males can naturally suppress their half of the process. [[spoiler:She later miscarries her and Duncan's first child in ''Shockball'' due to her HealingFactor mistaking the foreign DNA for a threat, and has her tubes tied to keep this from happening again. Her fellow doctor also manages to save the fetus and gestate her in a UterineReplicator.]] |
| 155 | * In the ''Literature/SwordOfTruth'' series, [[SolitarySorceress Shota]] gives Richard and Kahlan a pendant that's meant to keep them from conceiving as a wedding gift because she believes that their child will become a monster. Of course, in the next book it turns out the thing failed because of [[AntiMagic the Chimes]], so Kahlan, who ''also'' believes her child will be a monster (as male Confessors all turn out to be), [[GoodGirlsAvoidAbortion considers an abortifacient before deciding to keep it]]... and then is beaten nearly to death, [[ConvenientMiscarriage losing the baby anyway]]. The pendant isn't mentioned much later, though the two do go back to an active sex life once she recovers. |
| 156 | * In ''Literature/SymphonyOfAges'', Ashe has the ability to manipulate liquids with magic, which he uses to keep his semen from entering his girlfriend's body. |
| 157 | ** It's suggested the latter [[spoiler: is actually a capability of ''all'' dragons]]. |
| 158 | ** All 1st generation Cymrians can control their fertility (Book 2) |
| 159 | * ''Literature/TalesOfMU'': The "Rings of Protection From Pregnancy" are [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything single-use and packaged in foil packets]]. Unfortunately, most of them use cold magic, which Mack is vulnerable to. |
| 160 | * ''Literature/TamLin'': |
| 161 | ** After Janet finds she is pregnant, she picks some roses -- or an herb -- and Tam shows up, furious: |
| 162 | --->''Till up then started young Tam Lin,\ |
| 163 | Says Lady, thou pu's nae mae.\ |
| 164 | Why pu's thou the rose, Janet,\ |
| 165 | Amang the groves sae green,\ |
| 166 | And a' to kill the bonie babe\ |
| 167 | That we gat us between?'' |
| 168 | ** In some variants, she's advised to do it, and in one, her brother means it to hurt her; TruthInTelevision, many herbal abortificients can kill the woman as well if too much is taken, or the actual process of abortion can have dangerous results due to haemorrhage or infection. |
| 169 | --->''Then out it speaks her brither dear,\ |
| 170 | He meant to do her harm:\ |
| 171 | "There is an herb in Charter wood\ |
| 172 | Will twine you an the bairn."'' |
| 173 | * In the ''Literature/TortallUniverse'' women can and do buy magic charms that they can remove if they change their minds. |
| 174 | ** [[Literature/SongOfTheLioness Alanna]] got one as soon as her period started. She took it off for long enough to have three children after getting married, then started wearing it again. In the FramingDevice of ''Literature/TortallASpysGuide'', a fortysomething Alanna nearing menopause mentions fighting a mage who left burns on her body under her armor and turns out to have [[ButWeUsedACondom deactivated her anti-pregnancy charm]]. She then starts to wear it as an earring purely because that lightly annoys her husband, and gets ready to have a last-minute fourth child. |
| 175 | ** Keladry waited a bit longer to get her own charm, and her mother helped her find a mage who sells them. |
| 176 | ** Literature/BekaCooper's ability to [[DeadPersonConversation hear ghosts]] includes the fearful utterance of one who says Healers have told her that one more child will kill her, but whenever she obtains a charm her man finds it and throws it away. A hound also has the symbol of the "closed womb" carved into her collar as a sort of reversible spay. |
| 177 | * Discussed in ''Literature/TheTraitorSonCycle'' when Morgon hears the women aboard his ship talk about the dangers of unprotected sex and starts figuring out how to make a magical contraception amulet. |
| 178 | * In the ''Literature/VoidTrilogy'' by Creator/PeterFHamilton contraceptives are mentioned a few times; outside the void, it is implied that one of the features of bionics is a built-in contraceptive and inside the void, a concoction is ingested by the males to make them temporarily infertile. |
| 179 | * In the ''Literature/VorkosiganSaga'', Beta Colony has strict population control, because of a limited amount of natural resources. All girls and hermaphrodites are given a birth control implant upon reaching puberty, and only have it temporarily "switched off" when they earn a childbearing certificate (women are only allowed two children). As it also keeps a woman from having a period, nobody seems to mind. Cordelia has hers removed entirely after marrying Aral Vorkosigan (Barrayaran medical science being a couple generations or more behind Beta Colony's) and becomes pregnant almost immediately. |
| 180 | * In Creator/TadWilliams' ''Literature/TheWarOfTheFlowers'', the main character Theo is pulled into the realm of TheFairFolk and eventually has a romantic encounter with a girl named Poppy. Before they have sex, she tells him that girls in that world learn a magical charm (essentially a minor spell) to prevent pregnancy once they hit puberty. |
| 181 | * In ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'', it is mentioned that heartleaf tea works as a contraceptive. Nonetheless, [[spoiler: Elayne]] doesn't drink it when she should have and gets pregnant. |
| 182 | * ''Literature/WiedergeburtLegendOfTheReincarnatedWarrior'': Female Spiritualists are able to use the movements of their body during sex to power a spiritual technique that prevents conception. In the original timeline, Kari eventually turned it off because she wanted a baby, [[spoiler:even though Eryk had said he didn't want one yet. He comes around after her first episode of MorningSickness confirms her pregnancy.]] |
| 183 | * In ''Literature/TheWitcher'', Witchers are sterile as a result of all the deliberate mutations they undergo -- which is damned convenient given how frequently Geralt ends up in bed with somebody (even sometimes using his sterility to help talk them into it). They're also [[IdealIllnessImmunity immune to disease]]. [[STDImmunity Helps a lot.]] |
| 184 | ** It is implied a big part of magicians' incomes stem from production of aphrodisiacs, birth control, and magical cosmetics. |
| 185 | ** Speaking of magicians: they are all infertile in the setting, too, as one of the side effects of heavy magic use. Which is PlayedForDrama with Yennefer, who desperately wants a child but has long passed the point of no return where mages become utterly barren (and her lover is Geralt, see above). It is one of the reasons she will go to suicidal lengths for Ciri, her and Geralt's ward and surrogate daughter. |
| 186 | * ''The Women's War'' by Jenna Glass centers around this. Three women cast a worldwide spell that makes it so women can only conceive children if they really want to (coercion doesn't count) so that they can't be forced into an ArrangedMarriage or used as [[BabyFactory baby makers]] against their will. The world also has contraceptive potions, but women aren't allowed to use them without the permission of a male relative. [[spoiler:And as an unexpected side effect, rape victims gain access to deadly magic that allows them to kill their attackers.]] |
| 187 | [[/folder]] |
| 188 | |
| 189 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 190 | * ''Series/{{Farscape}}'' gives Peacekeeper women the ability to hold an embryo in stasis for up to seven cycles (years). This way they can "recreate" as much as they want (encouraged by the PowersThatBe to relieve tension) and pregnancy and birth (aided by ExpressDelivery) can be rescheduled to more convenient times. Also, the "contraceptive shield" Velorek installed in Moya to prevent Crais from impregnating her with a gunship hybrid. [[NiceJobBreakingItHero Nice job breaking it, D'Argo.]] |
| 191 | * ''Series/HouseOfTheDragon'': In Westeros, there's a special tea to be taken in the style of a morning-after pill. |
| 192 | ** Grand Maester Mellos brings one such to Rhaenyra in "King of the Narrow Sea". If Rhaenyra drinks it, that's an admission she had sex; if she doesn't, that would bolster her innocence but risks pregnancy. The scene ends there without seeing what she decides. In the books, it's called "moon tea". It's implied to be a very early-term abortifacient to be taken preemptively, weeks before a period or lack thereof confirms or denies pregnancy. While in this case it's handwaved, there's some acknowledgement of the idea that it's not perfect when Mellos says it has to be prepared very carefully, and otherwise it can be either ineffective or dangerous. |
| 193 | ** In " The Lord of the Tides", Aegon Targaryen rapes Dyana, a servant at the Red Keep. Aegon's mother Alicent has such a tea brought to Dyana to ensure a bastard of Aegon won't be born out of this. |
| 194 | * ''Series/KrodMandoonAndTheFlamingSwordOfFire'': Aneka frequently has sex with men to get things that the Resistance needs or in rituals, with no mention of pregnancy or [=STD=]s being a risk. However, later sheepskin condoms are shown to exist, as Zezelry, Bruce, and Loquasto prepare to use them before having sex with the succubi (or incubus, in Bruce's case), so we can thus presume that she's got some too (or something else). |
| 195 | * ''Series/LegendOfTheSeeker'': Zedd claims to have used "magical protection" while having sex with a woman in the past, so he couldn't be the father of her son. When pressed though, he admits to not having used it every time. The woman also had sex with another man around the same time. Kahlan eventually concludes he isn't the father after all. |
| 196 | * ''Franchise/StarTrek'' mentioned contraception in a couple different episodes: on ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' Kirk offered to provide an overpopulated species with whatever contraceptive devices they needed (in 1969 this was far more controversial, and the anti-contraceptive species rejected him), while ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' has "contraceptive injections" which have to be taken regularly to prevent pregnancy (Sisko neglecting to take his results in his wife becoming pregnant). |
| 197 | [[/folder]] |
| 198 | |
| 199 | [[folder:Music]] |
| 200 | * There's a Swedish folk song called ''[[http://sv.wikisource.org/wiki/Uti_v%C3%A5r_hage_d%C3%A4r_v%C3%A4xa_bl%C3%A5_b%C3%A4r Uti vår hage där växa blå bär]]'' (really a matter of LyricalDissonance here) that is a really sweet high strung choral thing about meeting your beloved on the meadows. The refrain is basically reciting a bunch of flowers. It got famous during the nationalist movement in the late 1800s when learned men would collect all kinds of stories, music and songs from the lowly peasants. Most of the songs were deemed unsuitable for the fine music salons of Stockholm, but this one was an instant hit. Little did the learned men and their ladies know, that the flowers mentioned were those used as abortifacients or contraceptives... |
| 201 | -->''Out in our meadow the blueberries grow\ |
| 202 | If you want me for anything that's where I'll be.\ |
| 203 | Come roses or sage, come lovely mint, come balm.\ |
| 204 | Pretty little flowers ask you to dance\ |
| 205 | If you want I'll make a wreath for you.\ |
| 206 | I'll put it in your hair\ |
| 207 | Sun goes down, but hope rises.'' |
| 208 | [[/folder]] |
| 209 | |
| 210 | [[folder:Podcasts & Radio]] |
| 211 | * ''Podcast/MetamorCity'' has fertility suppression amulets, incubi burn through them in a month. |
| 212 | [[/folder]] |
| 213 | |
| 214 | [[folder:Tabletop Games]] |
| 215 | * ''TabletopGame/ArsMagica'' has a wide range of UtilityMagic, including spells to reliably prevent or terminate pregnancies. Valuable as they can be in a medieval setting, they don't come up as often as they might, as Hermetic mages' LongevityTreatment renders them permanently sterile. |
| 216 | * In ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'', in [[ProudWarriorRace the Clans]], for members of the warrior caste, sex is purely for recreation. To prevent pregnancies, all female warriors are given implants that render them infertile. There's one known case of a female warrior getting pregnant- Cadet Peri, who deliberately sabotaged her implant in order to conceive a child with Cadet Aiden, [[BrotherSisterIncest her sybkin]]. This child would eventually grow up to become a mechwarrior under Aiden's command, Mechwarrior Diana. |
| 217 | * ''TabletopGame/TheDarkEye'' has a contraceptive herb that is considered sacred to the goddess of beauty, love, and wine, which tends to be 100% effective. Witches can also learn to strike somebody barren, while this is traditionally used as a curse, some more enterprising witches have found an alternate market for this effect. |
| 218 | * ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' |
| 219 | ** An article on hedge wizards in ''Magazine/{{Dragon}}'' magazine #163 had a list of minor herbal and alchemical potions available from hedge wizards. One of these was 'maidenweed', a potion that leaves females infertile for a month. |
| 220 | ** A similar herb is included in the ''TabletopGame/{{Ravenloft}}'' supplement ''Gazetteer IV'', where it's listed alongside various poisons used in Borca. Justified, in that Borca was created to meet the needs of a BlackWidow darklord, so its native plant life naturally fulfills ''all'' her toxicological needs. |
| 221 | ** Contraceptive herbs (such as nararoot, which is effectively maidenweed) are hidden away in the mundane equipment list in the 3.0/3.5e ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms Campaign Setting'' book. |
| 222 | ** ''The Book of Erotic Fantasy'' provides a few more possibilities, from spells to 'sheaths' and even birth screens. |
| 223 | ** In a Living Campaign setting for ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' 3.5 called Living Arcanis, priestesses of Larissa (the Divine Harlot) had spells for pregnancy, disease, sexual prowess, etc. Mind you, this was the goddess of the 67 acts of debauchery, one of which (maybe more) involved the undead. |
| 224 | ** The ''Book of Vile Darkness'' lets the Bestow Curse spell cause indefinite sterility, an option that probably attracts a few willing victims. |
| 225 | * In ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'', there is a potion called Maiden Tea that renders someone who drinks a dose infertile for a month (if female) or a week (if male). It's moderately expensive and therefore not available to most people -- but [[AGodIsYou most player characters]] in ''Exalted'' don't have any problem making the big bucks. And large doses can induce abortions, very large doses can render a character permanently sterile. |
| 226 | ** There's also a Merit in the ''Player's Guide'' that allows one complete control of one's own fertility. |
| 227 | * The ''[[TabletopGame/MageTheAscension Mage: The Sorcerers Crusade]]'' supplement ''The Swashbuckler's Handbook'' is concerned with "enlightened" Renaissance courtiers, swashbucklers, and courtesans. Hence, one of the sample magics which it describes is "Courtesan's Draught", which reduces the risks of sexual activity. |
| 228 | * ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'', has two if you are a humanoid. One is Night Tea and is used by biologically female humanoids. It needs to be taken daily to work. The other is Bachlor's Snuff and is for humanoid biological males, it renders them sterile for one to three days, and constant use leads to a gold tinge around the fingernails. However, should a non-humanoid be the one trying to avoid getting pregnant, they are rather out of luck. |
| 229 | * ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasyRoleplay'': |
| 230 | ** One of the few commonly available magic items is the Maiden's Charm, which simply and infallibly prevents the wearer from becoming pregnant. |
| 231 | ** {{Inverted|Trope}} with the Hedge Lore spell Halétha's Joy, which invokes {{Fertility God}}s to guarantee that the target's next attempt to conceive a child is successful. |
| 232 | * ''TabletopGame/WerewolfTheForsaken'' has a magical Rite that will render a werewolf sterile for one month. It's often used on female werewolves during risky times, as the fetus isn't protected by the shapeshifting process. The fiction section dealing with the Rite involves a pregnant werewolf forced to deal with a mage who wants to claim a werewolf fetus for magical power; she takes a humongous risk to shift and tears the mage to pieces, crying all the while. |
| 233 | [[/folder]] |
| 234 | |
| 235 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 236 | * Although it's not really an issue in-game (with one major exception for female characters in a romance with Alistair), Grey Wardens in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' are apparently sterile (or practically sterile). The darkspawn taint apparently has an impact on the character's vigor; Morrigan in particular mentions some rather lurid tales about the Grey Wardens' fabled [[DoubleEntendre endurance]]. |
| 237 | ** WordOfGod states that Grey Wardens ''can'' conceive with a normal person (though the chances of success are notably reduced) and produce completely healthy offspring, but a pair of Wardens together is all but sterile. |
| 238 | ** The prequel novel ''Franchise/DragonAge: Literature/TheCalling'' has the newly-recruited Duncan being approached by a young female mage who wants to test out the rumors of the Grey Wardens' endurance. In the same novel, a female Grey Warden conceives a child from [[spoiler:King Maric]] who is named [[spoiler:Alistair]]. |
| 239 | ** ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'' doesn't really address the issue, though [[PlayerCharacter Hawke]] is a normal human and only one of the love interests (Anders) is a Grey Warden. Though Sebastian has taken a vow of chastity and Isabela is implied to be infertile. |
| 240 | ** Wynne mentions that mages seldom have babies by accident because "there are ways to prevent it". However, considering that Wynne herself had an "oops" baby once, their contraception methods aren't 100% effective. (Fans like to speculate on how, exactly, this works. Some note that there's actually a spell called "Barrier"...) |
| 241 | * ''VideoGame/FableII'' provides the player with condoms made from animal intestine, which may sound like something they made up but is actually historical. |
| 242 | * In the ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' setting, super-mutants are completely sterile; the FEV incorrectly interprets the gametes lacking a full set of chromosomes as "genetic damage" and "fixes" them by injecting extra material, rendering them unusable. [[spoiler:The realization of this will drive the BigBad of the first game to destroy himself in despair, since it completely ruins his master plan of creating the new human race.]] A throwaway comment in the second game suggests that it may not be entirely true[[note]]If you take Marcus to the New Reno brothel, he'll joke afterwards that he may have knocked the girl up[[/note]], but it depends entirely on whether the speaker is serious or knows what he's talking about. |
| 243 | * ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'': The main antagonists, the [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien Sufficiently Advanced]] [[AliensAreBastards Bastard]] alien empire known as the Combine, have completely prevented humans from reproducing for twenty years using an invisible "Suppression Field" emitted from their EvilTowerOfOminousness, creating a ChildlessDystopia where the human race slowly dies off and the Earth is stripped of resources. The plot of the vanilla game resolves around getting rid of it (Eli actively ships Gordon Freeman with his daughter Alyx afterwards). |
| 244 | * In ''Franchise/MassEffect'', it's implied that asari matings only bear fruit if the 'mother' asari wants to become pregnant as their reproduction is really closer to modified parthogenesis than anything else. |
| 245 | * ''VideoGame/TheWitcher'' video game makes the same point about a Witcher being sterile as exists in the books. And as in the books, the protagonist can get plenty of use out of it. |
| 246 | [[/folder]] |
| 247 | |
| 248 | [[folder:Webcomics]] |
| 249 | * In ''Webcomic/DominicDeegan'', a "Protection Scroll" is put to use in a flashback where Luna loses her virginity. The asshole who took it doesn't want to use it, but she insists (and Dominic, viewing it via postcognition, cheers - and nearly punches out the person implanting his false teeth in the process). |
| 250 | ** They're also mentioned when Gregory loses his, and when Dominic and Luna finally sleep together. Apparently they're fairly common. |
| 251 | *** However, it seems Dominic [[spoiler:didn't need to worry about getting anyone pregnant; he's sterile]]. |
| 252 | * In ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2002-05-27 Grace can't get pregnant in her non-human forms]] and a person given a female form by the TransformationRay Gun is [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2006-02-22 sterile for several days after transformation]]. |
| 253 | * In ''Webcomic/ErrantStory'', any woman who knows the contraception spell can cast it by using her finger to draw the correct symbol on her lower abdomen and waiting at least five minutes. It has to be the ''right'' symbol, though; Meji's mother found out what happens when she was drunk and drew the wrong one. |
| 254 | * ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'': |
| 255 | ** Roy was the result of a Protection spell failing. |
| 256 | ** Durkon and Hilgya didn't have Protection cantrips prepared when they met in the dungeon. Several months later, the readers are reintroduced to Hilgya, [[spoiler:and introduced to her son Kudzu]]. |
| 257 | * ''Kit N Kay Boodle'' has "boinkberries", which are the world's most effective contraceptive ''and'' best performance-enhancing stimulant (going by the fact that everyone in the comic has sex dozens of times a day). |
| 258 | * Women in ''Webcomic/TheMansionOfE'' consume a plant called stiflebloom which prevents pregnancies for a month. |
| 259 | * ''Webcomic/AModestDestiny'' has one character consider taking herbs to force an abortion. Yet another step on the slippery slope into DarkerAndEdgier that is the works of Sean Howard. |
| 260 | [[/folder]] |
| 261 | |
| 262 | [[folder:Websites]] |
| 263 | * [[https://thingofthings.wordpress.com/2015/04/01/my-april-fools-confession/ This]] AlternateHistory involves silphium being an effective contraceptive and thus altering the course of history. |
| 264 | [[/folder]] |
| 265 |
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