Women were discouraged from having orgasms during the Middle Ages because it was thought that orgasms made women less capable of getting pregnant. Wasn't this the time period where chastity belts made it big, too? Not a good time to be female.

Francis I of France once said, "Anyone who doesn't have a mistress is a nincompoop." Hm, I wonder how he really felt…

Catherine of Medici, the Italian wife of Henry II of France, organized prostitution as an important arm of diplomacy, and employed her maids of honor to achieve her ends. Now that's what I call "being in the service".

Modern France ended state regulated prostitution in 1946. The movement was led by Marthe Richard, who later changed her opinion. While we agree it's okay to change your opinion, we have to wonder why.

At the beginning of the 16th century, Rome had more registered prostitutes proportionately, than Venice. Rome had 6,800 out of total population of 90,000 versus Venice, which had 11,654 out of 300,000. When in Rome…

Charlemagne thought prostitution should be punishable by death in some cases. And in others?

Syphilis was known as "the French Disease" in Italy and "the English Disease" in France. Lots of love lost there.

The Athenian legislator (sixth century BC) Solon passed a law that let fathers sell their fornicating daughters into slavery. Wow - now that's a house I wouldn't have wanted to grow up in.

In 100 AD, the ancient Germanic tribe, the Teutons would punish anyone caught as a prostitute by suffocating them in excrement. One word: ew.

And finally - the Geisha of Japan would not perform fellatio because it was considered demeaning for the cultured to do so. Oh, the times, they are a changin'.