Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Sex and words
'Tis Pity She's a Whore: The 'Whore' in Whores of Yore 7
'A Nasty Name for a Nasty Thing': A History of Cunt 16
Sex and vulvas
Looking for the Boy in the Boat: A History of the Clitoris 39
Colonising the Cunt: A History of Racial Fetishization 68
'As Easily Made as a Pudding': A History of Virginity Tests 78
Sex and penises
Spilling the Beans: Orgasm and Onanism 99
Gland Larceny: Testicular Transplants in the Twentieth Century 114
Tough Love: Medieval Impotence Tests 127
Sex and food
Staff of Life: Sex and Bread 139
The Food of Love: A History of Oysters 148
Turning Down the Heat: A History of the Anaphrodisiac 159
Sex and Machines
Buzzkill: Vibrators and the Victorians 173
On Your Bike: Sex and Cycling 191
Boys' Toys: A History of the Sex Doll 209
Sex and Hygiene
Don't Hold Your Breath: Sex and Smells in the Middle Ages 225
Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow: A History of Pubic Hair 238
Filthy Fannies: A History of Douching 254
Sex and reproduction
French Letters, English Raincoats and Mrs Phillips's Wares: A History of the Condom 265
Bringing down the Flowers: Abortion in Eighteenth-Century Britain 277
Period Drama: A History of Menstruation 290
Sex and Money
The Oldest Profession: Sex Work in the Ancient World 307
Public Relations: A History of the Tart Card 319
Feasting with the Panthers: A History of Male Sex Work 332
Conclusion 347
Notes 355
Bibliography 393
Index 439
Supporters 447
