Next, your doctor might insist you purchase an anti-masturbation device such as “jugum penis”, which was a jagged metal ring that attached to the base of the penis with a screw.
This confession would undoubtedly unleash a diagnosis of “spermatorrhoea” - a so-called “illness” that sparked an influx of anti-masturbation devices that looked exactly like penis torture chambers. If you were a man living in the Victorian-era and you happened to be experiencing anxiety, irritability or a loss of confidence, a visit to the doctor might lead to a series of embarrassing questions about your love life.Īn honest and/or brave man might confess to dabbling in the occasional sport of self-love.