Human Sexuality Throughout History.

On many occasions we tend to think that sex is only to fertilize. But the meaning of human sexuality throughout history has been much greater . In a certain way it could be said that the world has moved driven by sexuality, that is, if it had not existed things would be very different from what we know today.

For this reason, below we are going to focus on sexuality from a psychosocial point of view. The objective is to see how sexuality has evolved throughout history.

Sexuality in prehistory:

There is data that shows that in prehistory humanity already saw sexuality as something to reverence. Although there is not much information, experts think that sexuality was only seen as the action of reproduction and by nature statues were often made for the gods. The objective of these statues was to ask that women be fertile so that the future of the town would be assured. We can see this in cave paintings or for example in Venus.

Sexuality in ancient Egypt:

It can be said that we are facing one of the first evolved societies. Sex was seen as something egalitarian and permissive, that is, it was seen as something normal, although homosexuality is not present in any document. In a way you could say that sexuality was seen as something sacred, even if we are talking about prostitution. In this society, adultery or even incest was accepted, while infidelity on the part of the woman resulted in punishment for her.

Sexuality in ancient Greece:

In ancient Greece, sexuality was seen as an educational topic, that is, it did not present any taboo. Sexuality was seen as something necessary for reproduction and above all as a way to achieve pleasure and enjoy life a little more. In this society there was no repression, hence infidelity and homosexuality were not frowned upon by society. All this made orgies more common than we thought, since the objective was to worship the body and enjoy its beauty while it lasted.

Sexuality in ancient Rome:

A society that evolved in a certain way with the ideals of Greece. This means that society was quite permissive regarding sexual issues, hence orgies were very common.

Also Read : The influence of Eastern culture on the West over time

Of course, in this case sexuality was seen from the point of view of control, hence it is thought that homosexuality was not well regarded since it was not something natural. This means that in this society some taboos did begin to occur and consequently it stopped being as open as, for example, Greece.

Sexuality in Babylon:

It is another of the societies that thought that sexuality was sacred. This means that the woman was a symbol of fertility and consequently was important. Of course, despite its importance, infidelity on the part of women was very frowned upon. In exchange, the man was allowed everything, hence he could have more than one partner.

Human Sexuality  in Islam:

It can be said that Islam is an important interest in sexuality. Many of the writings of this culture have always sought to understand and fully understand the reasons for carnal pleasures. One of the most important books is the Kama Sutra, which was given in Islamic India. This book not only talks about different sexual positions, but also talks about how to get a wife and how to attract her. Of course, it must be made clear that Islamic society is open on the topic of sexuality, but women are very repressed in this aspect, since we are talking about a truly sexist society, where the man has all the power.

Sexuality in pre-Columbian cultures:

Before the arrival of the Spanish, sexuality in its population was viewed favorably. The cosmos and the spiritual were closely linked to sexuality and especially fertility. In this culture, sexuality was not seen with censorship or shame, since it was seen as something natural that should not be hidden. Then with the arrival of the Spanish and Christianity things changed radically and sexuality took another path.

Sexuality in Judeo-Christian society:

It can be said that the Jews were among the first to repress sexuality and see it as something negative, especially outside of marriage. This ideal passed into Christianity. Starting with Catholicism we can see how sexual practices begin to be prohibited. According to this religion, sexuality should only be used to procreate and not as an act of pleasure. These prohibitions were harsher in medieval times, where Catholicism took a greater role. It would not be until the Renaissance when sexuality began to open up little by little.

Human Sexuality today:

We are experiencing a revolution regarding sexuality. This revolution seeks to see sexuality as something natural and not as something that must be repressed. Changing ideology is quite complicated, because the Catholic influence is important. But changes are coming and we can see them in homosexual marriages, bisexuality, the search for pleasure through orgasms…