'Spermatorrhea' in men was thought to be the cause of anxiety, irritability, a lack of confidence, and any other behavior deemed unmasculine—and its treatment was the exact opposite of the treatment for Hysteria.
Gendered medical injustice has been an ongoing point of discussion in feminist spaces throughout history, being especially prevalent in recent months with the fight for safe, legal abortion access being a hot-button issue in American politics. From the dismissal of symptoms to misdiagnosis to outright abuse at the hands of medical “professionals,” the poor treatment of people assigned female at birth in medicine has been pervasive for centuries.
"Hysterical" Women Through History Perhaps the most prevalent and oft-discussed examples of the mistreatment of female bodies throughout history is the now-defunct diagnosis of “Female hysteria” – a catchall term that lumped together any variety of physical and psychological symptoms a person with a vagina might exhibit.
But What About Men?Though most commonly attributed to those with uteruses, the diagnosis of psychological and sexual dysfunction being blamed on a failure to meet gendered expectations wasn’t just a female issue. The lesser-known counterpart to hysteria for those assigned male at birth was referred to as “spermatorrhea” in the 1800s.
ADVERTISEMENT Anti-masturbation medical interventions were nothing short of torture, including, but not limited to, acupuncture of the testes and prostate, forced dilation of the anus, and cauterization of the urethra, which, at the very least, caused extreme physical suffering, if not permanent damage to the body. And, in true Victorian fashion, there was no shortage of brutal anti-masturbation devices.
Top Photo Credit: Illustration from Plain facts for old and young, or, The science of human life from infancy to old age - Page 88
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