Marthe Voegeli
| Marthe Voegeli MD | |
|---|---|
| Education | M.D., University of Paris and University of Berlin , Masters Degree from Columbia University |
| Years active | 1921-1950 |
| Known for | Heat based male contraceptive |
|
Medical career | |
| Profession | Physician and medical researcher |
Marthe Voegeli MD, a Swiss physician, was a pioneer in the field of male contraceptive research.
Between 1930 and 1950 Voegeli practiced medicine in India at her own private hospital. During this time, with the assistance of 9 volunteers, she experimented with a process of heat-based contraception.[1] The process was simple and effective. A man would bathe his testes in a hot bath for 45 minutes a day for 3 weeks. On the completion of the 3 weeks, a period of infertility was recorded by the volunteers. Different bath temperatures produced varying lengths of infertility. A bath of 116˚ Fahrenheit (46.7˚ Celsius) would provide contraceptive protection for 6 months. A bath of 110˚ (43.3˚ Celsius) would provide contraception for at least 4 months. After fertility returned in the males, the conception of healthy offspring with normal childhood development was recorded.[2]
Voegeli retired from medicine in 1950 and spent the next 20 years involved in efforts to publicise the contraceptive method which were largely ignored.[3]