Promotion for safe sex by the Connecticut Department of Health Services / Wellcome Collection, Creative Commons Condoms have been with us for thousands of years, but the original condoms probably weren’t all that good for safe sex. Though tortoiseshell, animal intestine and linen have all been used to make them, it was Charles Goodyear’s discovery[…]
Roman mosaic / Photo by Alberto Fernandez Fernandez, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Wikimedia Commons Prostitution quickly became a popular source of income and pleasure for the Roman population, but it seemed to be viewed dichotomously. By Lauren Weisner / 12.01.2014 Prostitution quickly became a popular source of income and pleasure for the Roman population, but it seemed[…]
Bible, about 1280–90, Bologna, Italy. The J. Paul Getty Museum, Ms. Ludwig I 11, fol. 248v; National Coming Out Day (NCOD) Logo created and donated by Keith Haring to the Human Rights Campaign. Human sexuality and gender identity are complex topics, and our understanding of each is continually expanding and deepening. By Dr. Bryan C. Keene (left)[…]
On the eastern side of Ara Pacis is a relief of Tellus Mater, the Roman earth-goddess / Photo by Chris Nas, Wikimedia Commons With the new religion, Christianity, came new attitudes to sexual behaviour and morality. Interview of Dr. Kyle Harper by Dr. Katherine Harvey / 09.01.2016 Harper: Professor of Classics and Letters, The[…]
The uniqueness of Hijras lies not only in their existence beyond social structure but also in Indian society’s historical acceptance of that position. By Sibsankar Mal / 03.29.2018 PhD Candidate in Population Studies Sukumar Sengupta Mahavidyalaya (Keshpur) College Introduction A hijra named Geetu, dancing at a hair shaving ceremony in Delhi / Photo by Whitney[…]
The fear of prostitution and female promiscuity peaked during World War I. By Laura Lammasniemi / 07.28.2016 Teaching Fellow, SOAS School of Law PhD Candidate, Birkbeck College, School of Law In 1918, the final year of the First World War, over 100 women were convicted for infecting a member of His Majesty’s (HM) armed forces with[…]
The medieval – and modern – Catholic practice of consecrating women as virgins who has lost their virginity. By Dr. Katherine Harvey / 07.20.2018 Wellcome Trust Research Fellow Birkbeck College University of London Although well-behaved women seldom make history, they do sometimes make the news. Over the past few days, numerous news outlets have reported on a[…]