Trust the Viennese people to tackle issues that most countries would find too sensitive and controversial to deal with. In the capital city of Austria visitors will find museums for the bizarre, the unique and the most curious things – one of them deals with contraception and abortion. Yes, there is a museum that tackles the taboo subjects head-on by displaying the many (and oftentimes quirky) contraceptive methods and devices used throughout history. And if you just want to be more informed about the topic or ogle at the curious and interesting items on display then this small, two-room museum situated in Mariahilferstrasse would be a good and educational way to spend an afternoon in the city.
The museum was built upon the initiative of gynaecologist and pro-choice advocate Dr. Christian Fiala who believes that it will help women make informed, safe and healthy choices about contraception and unwanted pregnancies. Bourne from his many years of counseling young couples and unmarried women about the subjects, Fiala and his team has painstakingly collected objects and publications from around the world. There are two main galleries – one for contraception and one for abortion. Items range from the rather odd to hilarious to even horrifying (as some visitors have written about) – there’s the first birth-control pill, a vaginal suppository made from crocodile dung with its spermicidal effects, condoms made of sheep gut or pig bladder, the “Coca-cola” spermicide. In the abortion room, there are audio recordings of abortionists and their methods, pregnancy tests and many other items.
In Austria, abortion is legal during the first trimester of pregnancy and up to the second trimester provided there is serious threat to the woman’s physical and mental health and if she is under the age of 14.
