Medieval Europe showed more sexual openness than most people believe today. Catholic priests and nuns took vows never to have sex during their entire lives. Many broke these promises because humans cannot ignore their natural desires. Monasteries often separated men and women to prevent temptation.
Monks frequently drank alcohol and visited local towns for entertainment. Monasteries brewed their water into light beer because clean drinking water did not exist. Some clergy members got nuns pregnant and faced punishment from church leaders. Women often joined convents because their families forced them rather than choosing religious life.
Medieval doctors believed people could get sick from having either excessive or insufficient sexual activity. Men who avoided sex for long periods faced dangerous medical conditions. Doctors warned that built-up semen could damage the heart and other organs. Clergy members sometimes received medical advice to break their vows or risk death.
Female patients also needed regular sexual release according to medieval medicine. Doctors claimed women produced seeds that required expulsion from their bodies. Midwives provided medical treatment to prevent breathing problems and fainting spells. The Catholic Church punished masturbation with thirty days of fasting as penalty.
Monks frequently drank alcohol and visited local towns for entertainment. Monasteries brewed their water into light beer because clean drinking water did not exist. Some clergy members got nuns pregnant and faced punishment from church leaders. Women often joined convents because their families forced them rather than choosing religious life.
Medieval doctors believed people could get sick from having either excessive or insufficient sexual activity. Men who avoided sex for long periods faced dangerous medical conditions. Doctors warned that built-up semen could damage the heart and other organs. Clergy members sometimes received medical advice to break their vows or risk death.
Female patients also needed regular sexual release according to medieval medicine. Doctors claimed women produced seeds that required expulsion from their bodies. Midwives provided medical treatment to prevent breathing problems and fainting spells. The Catholic Church punished masturbation with thirty days of fasting as penalty.
