Sex, Disease, and Fertility in History

By Boyd Brogan Medicine and the Body

If you’re looking for evidence about bodies in history, it doesn’t get harder than skeletons.

The Modern Period: Menstruation and the History of Sexuality

By Lara Freidenfelds Medicine and the Body

Modernization of menstrual sex resulted in an emphasis on sexual availability and variety without fundamentally altering gender hierarchies.

Bestiality in a Time of Smallpox

By Rob Boddice Early Modern, Medicine and the Body

At the turn of the 19th century, opponents of Edward Jenner’s method for preventing smallpox likened vaccination to bestiality.

What was the Ultimate Medieval Aphrodisiac?

By Katherine Harvey Medicine and the Body, Medieval

Medieval people took the idea that the food they consumed could influence their sex lives seriously.