#history of sexuality

• Urinating on wheat and barley seeds. If the wheat grew, it meant a female child. If the barley grew, it meant a male child. If neither grew, the test was considered negative. (Egypt, 1650 BCE)
  
  
• Starting in the Middle Ages, many “piss prophets” claimed they could diagnose many conditions based on the color of urine. A text describes what to look for in a pregnant woman’s urine: “clear pale lemon color leaning toward off-white, having a cloud on its surface”. (Europe, 1552)
  
  
• Scientists recognize the human chorionic gonadotrpin (hCG) hormone, which is found only in pregnant women. From this information, a new test was developed. Urine from pregnant women in injected into immature animals, usually a mouse or rabbit. If the woman was pregnant, the hormone introduced into the animal would cause it to go into heat, despite its immaturity. The animal would then be euthanized and dissected to confirm the results. Women would often announce their good fortune with the phrase “I killed the rabbit!” (1920s)
  
  
• Wampole’s two-hour pregnancy test became available to doctors and lab technicians. This test could be done as early as 4 days after a missed period. (1970)
  
  
• FDA approval was sought for the e.p.t., the “early pregnancy test” later known as the “error-proof test”. e.p.t. would become the first home pregnancy test kit on the market in the US. One magazine describes the test, “For $10, you get pre-measured ingredients consisting of a vial of purified water, a test tube containing, among other things, sheep red blood cells…as well as a medicine dropper and clear plastic support for the test tube, with an angled mirror at the bottom.” The test took two hours, and was more accurate for positive results than for negative. (1977/1978)
  
  
• The next generation of home pregnancy tests was ushered in with the FDA approval of Clearblue Easy’s digital pregnancy test. Instead of a thin line, the indicator screen displayed "pregnant” or “not pregnant”.
  
  

Source: A Thin Blue Line: The History of the Pregnancy Test

Well here’s your chance! I give you the step-by-step guide to making your very own 17th century birth control!

1. Find some animal intestine. Sheep or pig will do just fine
2. Soak the intestine in water for a few hours (you might have to experiment with this step a bit to find what works for you)
3. Turn the gut inside out and macerate (soften) it in a weak alkaline solution, changed every 12 hours
4. Scrape the intestine carefully to remove the mucous membrane, leaving only the peritoneal and muscular coats
5. Expose to the vapor of burning brimstone (again, time of this step should be experimented with)
6. Was with soap and water, inflate, dry, and cut into 8-inch lengths (or whatever length you deem necessary)
7. Finish by adding a ribbon to the open end to tie around the base of the penis during use

And voilà, your very own protection against the scourge of syphilis! After use, it can be washed and hung up to dry. Also, make sure it’s soaked in water to make it supple before use.

Source: The Sexual History of London

• Pope Alexander VI (Rodrigo Borgia)
• Johann Sebastian Bach
• Al Capone
• King Fredrick “The Great” of Prussia
• King George I of Great Britain
• Adolf Hitler
• Czar Ivan “The Terrible”
• Julius Caesar
• John Milton
• Benito Mussolini
• Friedrich Nietzsche
• Voltaire
• Oscar Wilde

*While it is impossible to retrospectively diagnose with complete accuracy, there is evidence that syphilis affected everyone on this list.

Source: 5 People Who Died During Sex and 100 Other Terribly Tasteless Lists

“In seven compelling essays, the author narrates Japan’s modern history through its gendered and sexualized figures: imperial soldiers and salarymen, good wives and wise mothers, New Women and Modern Girls, comfort women and prostitutes, sexologists and queers, artists and video gamers. Frühstück combines great erudition with effervescent storytelling.”