Sex. We all know how to do it and as far back as Adam and Eve we’ve been doing it. It’s in our biological framework. But how much has sex changed over time? When our hairy cavemen ancestors got down and dirty did they do it less than us? Are we doing it better than them? Here are a few ways in which ‘making love’, ‘shagging’, ‘boinking’…Whatever you want to call it has changed.
- Cultural Change
The fundamental act itself has not changed significantly over time; it is our openness about sex that has altered the most. Freud thought that all humans were bubbling cauldrons of sexual lust, held back by societal constraints. Now with programmes such as Sex in the City and magazines such as Cosmopolitan, people do not have to battle with moral conflict in the bedroom (or when discussing the bedroom). Sex is now, quite rightly, considered a normal part of life.
- Porn Revolution
Pornography’s effortless, online availability makes it an easy remedy for boredom and insomnia. This is primarily for men, although increasingly women too (don’t deny it – some of you girls have tried it!). This is an example of how, not only how sex has changed over time, but it is still changing. Don’t be shocked when women watching porn becomes far more common in the future.
- Less Pubes
When it comes to this hairy topic let’s just cut to the point shall we? (Sorry, awful puns). From a regular bikini wax to a Hollywood (that’s all off for any boys reading) pubic hair maintenance is key. It started becoming the norm as recently as the 80’s when porn stars started trimming. But how necessary are such trims? Well, some girls deliberately leave their nether regions untouched in order to prevent one-night stands, so when a girl leaves her inhibitions at the bar with her final vodka coke all is not lost. Her bushy embarrassment is enough to stop her going home with “that guy again”. Can you believe such a thing ancestors? So the bottom line is (I promise that’s the last one) women now consider hair removal a rite of passage. A modern procedure differentiating our sex lives from those of our predecessors.
- Pills
There have been huge pharmaceutical developments in the last century that allow our generation to be more carefree and have improved sex lives. The most obvious: contraception. Everyone is either on the pill or using condoms allowing for fun, casual sex. Want a disease or an unexpected baby…No thank you! Thank god for these handy little inventions that our poor ancestors didn’t have. Bet you don’t know much about our next pill girls – male enhancement pills. These pills increase a man’s sexual lust, his penis size and most importantly his confidence in the bedroom. Wow! How come every boy isn’t taking them?
- What shall we call this section…Props?
Whilst researching this topic I was surprised to discover that the first sex toy was created in the 1400s. Named ‘dildo’, this device was created in Renaissance Italy. Made of wood or leather it required a very liberal application of lubrication. So perhaps our sex lives haven’t progressed much in this area as we thought? Well firstly, this ‘dildo’ doesn’t sound all that great and secondly, I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t have been a common possession at the time. Since then things have advanced. From handcuffs to vibrators there are now an abundance of ‘apparatus’ for the bedroom. Credit must be given here to the equally kinky Ann Summers and Christian Grey.
So, some aspects of our sex lives have undergone drastic modernization whilst other areas have simply experienced some pleasant modifications. But let’s go back to our original question – are we doing it more than our predecessors? Yes. Are we doing it better? Abso-bloody-lutely.
Photo Credits: www.tumblr.com, www.urbanhairandbeauty.co.uk