Re:US Births Dip to 30-yr Low; Fertility Rate Sinks Further ...
by mmt on Friday May 18, 2018 @12:52PM
(#17102940)
I'm pretty sure neither I, nor the comment to which I was replying was referring to the knowledge (or ignorance) of the link between sex and pregnancy. At least in general.
The problem for something like contraception, which is the context here, is in understanding the details. Those details are sorely lacking in plays, songs, fairy tales, and old wives' tales.
> It also happens to be knowledge that's necessary to continue the species
No knowledge is actually necessary, as mere ignorant performance of the act is sufficient.
For example, here's an article on Samuel Pepys and a sexual manual from 1680 which quite clearly demonstrates that the nature of carnal knowledge was generally known at the time[0]. Along with death and mortal fear, sex and birth comprises one of the archetypal constants of the human experience. It's everywhere. It also happens to be knowledge that's necessary to continue the species, which humans have proven quite good at.
I guarantee that our parents knew how babby was formed, as did their parents, as did their parents, etc. Even our hominid ancestors before the formation of language understood it, because even animals understand it at an instinctive level.
[0]http://theappendix.net/posts/2013/06/this-misterie-of-fuckin...