The Long Sexual Revolution: English Woman, Sex, and Contraception 1800-1975

Contemporary Review, August, 2004

The Long Sexual Revolution: English Woman, Sex, and Contraception 1800-1975. Hera Cook. Oxford University Press. [pounds sterling]35.00. xiv 412 pages. ISBN 0-19-925239-4. This book, which began life as a doctoral thesis, is mainly concerned with 'the impact of women's changing experience of conception and reproduction, the foundation of the biological difference that is labelled sex'.

Miss Cook divides her survey into three parts. The first is an historical survey beginning in 1800 and carried on till the 1950s which looks at methods of contraception and their effect on women's sexuality. The second part examines sexuality and sex manuals to give readers an 'intellectual history of heterosexual physical sexual practice'. The third and final part looks at the 'sexual revolution' brought about by 'the pill' and the use of abortion to dispose of unwanted babies. Sometimes the author is rather inclined to grand, unfounded and somewhat patronising generalisations: 'Women were brought up to accept, and prioritise, other people's needs, not to express their own feelings or desires'. The author has no doubt that the 'revolution' has been a good thing for women. As for those who opposed contraception because they feared it would undermine marriage and would 'lead women to become promiscuous and adulterous' she admits, 'to a remarkable extent, it appears they were correct'.