Introduction: The Oneida Community was a perfectionist religious communal society founded by John Humphrey Noyes in 1848 near Oneida, New York. One core tenet of this community was “Male Continence,” later known as coitus reservatus, a form of contraception where males were forbidden from ejaculating and achieving orgasm during intercourse. We sought to explore the history and outcomes of this unique practice and its effect on women in the community. Methods: We reviewed articles from Google Scholar, primary sources from members of the community, and Noyes’ published pamphlet, “Male Continence.” Results: Noyes was an early believer of the importance of contraception; however, he was critical of the mostly ineffective methods available at his time. He understood that pregnancy “levied a heavy tax on the vitality of women” and posited that unwanted pregnancy should be avoided. Noyes described his view of sex as having “two distinct acts, the social, and the propagative…a man should content himself with the social act, except when he intends procreation.” He believed that male ejaculation during sex should and could be completely avoided. Young men were encouraged to engage in sexual intercourse with post-menopausal women to learn this practice. He preached male continence as a natural and healthy form of contraception that fostered an environment for closer intimate relationships. In turn, this practice became a central component of the community. If a male failed, meaning that he ejaculated during intercourse, he would face public disapproval. Male continence appears to have served as an effective form of contraception as there were only twelve unplanned births over a twenty-year period in this community of nearly 300 people. Noyes also claimed to be a strong proponent of the importance of female sexual satisfaction. Due to the practice of male continence, women in the community noted longer lasting sex, more orgasms, and more freedom to express their sexual desires. One woman recorded a detailed journal of her sex life and wrote, “we had an exquisite experience which seemed like a baptism of heavenly purity and continence. It put a new quality into our love.” Conclusions: Noyes, in many ways, was a progressive thinker for his time. Male continence was one of the earliest experiments of male contraception in the United States and was relatively successful in preventing unwanted pregnancy and improving the sex lives of women in the community. While Oneida is most known for their silverware today, this community holds a unique place in history with its views towards contraception, sex, and pregnancy. SOURCE OF Funding: None
