In the 1800s, a pocket-sized book said sex was healthy, described the vulva, and told people how to prevent pregnancy. That was enough to put people on trial.

In this mini-lesson of A Broad Sex Education, Cin and Asa look at Fruits of Philosophy by Charles Knowlton, one of the most controversial early sex ed and birth control books. We talk anatomy, contraception, obscenity laws, and how one little book helped make birth control information public.

• Bradlaugh, Charles, Annie Besant, and Great Britain. High Court of Justice. King’s Bench Division. The Queen v. Charles Bradlaugh and Annie Besant : (Specially Reported). With Getty Research Institute. London : Freethought publishing company, 1877. http://archive.org/details/queenvcharlesbra00brad.
• EBSCO. “Bradlaugh v. The Queen | Law | Research Starters | EBSCOhost.” Accessed September 15, 2026. https://www.ebsco.com/.
• Eschner, Kat. “This Infamous 19th-Century Birth Control Pamphlet Got Its Writer Imprisoned.” Smithsonian Magazine. Accessed September 15, 2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/19th-century-birth-control-pamphlet-got-its-writer-imprisoned-180963140/.
• Knowlton, Charles. Fruits of Philosophy: An Essay on the Population Question. Freethought Pub. Co.?, 187 AD. https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/011529269.

💌 Have a question?

Submit it anonymously

(Your question might be featured in a future lesson 👀)

💭 Be part of the conversation:

What’s something you’ve always wondered about human sexuality?

Join the discussion on social ↓

📲 Follow & connect:

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/abroadsexeducation/

TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@abroadsexeducation

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@abroadsexeducation

📝 Want more like this?

Join the newsletter for extra resources, reflections, and exclusive content.

🌐 Explore everything:

Visit the website → www.ABroadSexEducation.com