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Strategic And Subversive: The Case Of The Disappearing Diaphragm And Women’S Information Practices, Sherilyn M. Williams

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Birth control options for women have advanced significantly over the past century. Barrier methods such as diaphragms became readily available in the first half of the 20^th century, while hormonal contraceptives such as the birth control pill have defined advances in the latter half. While the diaphragm is still contextualized in modern sexual health discourse as an accessible birth control option, women in North America, and across the globe, are finding it increasingly difficult to obtain. This is partly because the skill of fitting a diaphragm is disappearing in medical practice, and also due to pharmaceutical influence on medicine …