7 Things People Actually Used To Believe About Women's Bodies

Happy International Women's Day, ladies! We've come a long way since the 1900s, and The New York Times bestseller Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady's Guide to Sex, Marriage and Manners is proof. The book is a scandalously honest guide to the secrets of Victorian womanhood, detailing countless WTF beliefs about women in the 19th century:

  • People thought women could only experience an orgasm from sperm.
  • It was believed that if a woman had sex in any position other than on her back, she would develop fungal growth in her fallopian tubes, which would lead to cancer, and, eventually, death.
  • Women thought the best way to stay clean was to bathe in ammonia.
  • Women used to tie meat around their faces to prevent wrinkles.
  • Freckles were considered an impurity and were burned off with acid or ultraviolet radiation.
  • A woman’s irregular and painful period was seen as a result of her terrible personality.
  • In order to achieve the 'perfect' bosom, women rubbed cold water on their breasts to stimulate blood flow.

Cheers to the death of these totally bogus beliefs. And here's to refusing to conform to societal beauty standards, smashing the patriarchy and pretty much doing whatever the hell we want whenever the hell we want.

Source: BuzzFeedUnmentionable: The Victorian Lady's Guide to Sex, Marriage and Manners; photo: Getty Images


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