# Has sex ever been illegal in any society throughout history? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 10, 2007, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sex-ever-been-illegal-in-any-society-throughout-history/429506 "2007-12-10T18:35:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2007, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sex-ever-been-illegal-in-any-society-throughout-history/429506/21 "2007-12-15T07:08:48Z")
> [@Shoshana](#): > > Oh. So they were politicians? No, just German. Do you get it? ---
**Author:** ![diggleblop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@diggleblop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggleblop)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2007, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sex-ever-been-illegal-in-any-society-throughout-history/429506/22 "2007-12-15T16:25:28Z")
[QUOTE=Hostile Dialect] No, just German. Do you get it? [/QUOTE] I thought Germans only shat on each other? ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2007, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sex-ever-been-illegal-in-any-society-throughout-history/429506/23 "2007-12-16T04:08:31Z")
I think it might be worth mentioning [Swaziland’s 5-year sex ban](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4165432.stm). However, it didn’t apply to all of the population. ---
**Author:** ![chorpler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chorpler/32/2888_2.png) [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2007, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sex-ever-been-illegal-in-any-society-throughout-history/429506/24 "2007-12-16T05:10:35Z")
[QUOTE=Kozmik] I knew someone was going to ask that… the tribe would simply capture pregnant women from another group. [/QUOTE] Or even just capture children. Swaziland’s ban on teenage girl sex is probably about the closest we’re going to get in an actual (non-religious) society. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2007, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sex-ever-been-illegal-in-any-society-throughout-history/429506/25 "2007-12-16T05:41:14Z")
[QUOTE=jayjay] Weren’t there medieval/Renaissance religious republics (Anabaptist?) in certain German cities that enforced celibacy? Or am I misremembering something else entirely. [/QUOTE] You might be thinking of [the Cathars (or Albigensians)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathars) who were prevalent in southern France during the 12th and early 13th centuries before being wiped out in the Albigensian Crusade and subsequent Inquisition. They taught procreation was evil. However, this also was a teaching of a religious sect rather than a law. ---
**Author:** ![MoodIndigo1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@MoodIndigo1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoodIndigo1)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2007, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sex-ever-been-illegal-in-any-society-throughout-history/429506/26 "2007-12-16T05:47:37Z")
[QUOTE=NDP] You might be thinking of [the Cathars (or Albigensians)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathars) who were prevalent in southern France during the 12th and early 13th centuries before being wiped out in the Albigensian Crusade and subsequent Inquisition. They taught procreation was evil. However, this also was a teaching of a religious sect rather than a law. [/QUOTE] That’s what I like about this place, yet… I was about to post about the Cathars on this thread. 🙂 You guys always get there first! ---
**Author:** ![kellner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c2a13f/32.png) [@kellner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kellner)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2007, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sex-ever-been-illegal-in-any-society-throughout-history/429506/27 "2007-12-16T08:31:12Z")
[QUOTE=jayjay] Weren’t there medieval/Renaissance religious republics (Anabaptist?) in certain German cities that enforced celibacy? Or am I misremembering something else entirely. [/QUOTE] Probably the most significant anabaptist rebellion in Germany took place in Münster (where I was born btw.) However they introduced polygamy during their 18 month rule - not exactly celibacy. [Wikipedia link](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%BCnster_Rebellion) (It’s interesting that this article is much less negative than the German version, let alone the local lore in Münster.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-sex-ever-been-illegal-in-any-society-throughout-history/429506.md?page=1)