The story of sexual freedom and emancipation of women from 30 years up to the present day

When the book "Our Bodies, Ourselves" first appeared on bookshelves in 1973, it instantly became a bestseller. The book was kind of a revelation for women (Yes men too). It contained chapters on sex, contraception, the structure of the clitoris and even about Masturbation. For the first time women talking about sex so openly.

For many this experience was incredibly valuable. "Mind-boggling", he described the book Andy Zeisler, editorial Director of the magazine Bitch. "This book changes lives," admitted Rebecca Raleigh, a photographer from Chicago. Total has sold over four million copies, And yet this bestseller has become only one of many milestones in the long battle for sexual liberation of women. Soon the book will celebrate its 45th anniversary, we can recall the events that happened before the book and after its publication.

In an era when women couldn't vote, have Bank accounts or to divorce their husbands, Margaret Sanger, a nurse from new York, opened the first in U.S. history to the clinic for birth control. In 1921 she founded the American League of birth control (eng. American Birth Control League), later renamed to Planned Parenthood. Margaret actively supported granting women the required information about contraception.

The G-spot was first discovered by German gynecologist Ernst Site (left). In the 1940-ies he first identified the so-called erogenous zone (which was originally called the point of the Site). The term "G-spot" not part of the popular lexicon until the 1980s years, while the researcher Beverly Uipl from Rutgers University (right) published the book the G Spot and Other Discoveries about Human Sexuality. The bestselling book has been translated into 19 languages.

Dr. Alfred Kinsey was a famous biologist in the first half of the 20th century, but not due to the fact that he was engaged in a comprehensive review of the OS. Since 1930-ies, Kinsey began to conduct the first scientific research in the field of human sexuality. For two decades he has researched 18,000 people. His detailed questionnaire, published as "the Kinsey Report" (eng. The Kinsey Reports), was released in 1948 and 1953. He raised not previously covered topics of homosexuality and prostitution. In his second book "Sexual Behaviour in the Human Female" (Sexual behaviour of women) he argued, among other things, that women who had premarital sex were more likely to have a happy marriage.

In 1950-ies of William masters and Virginia Johnson brought in hundreds of volunteers to play different sexual acts in the laboratory to better investigate sexual responses in the body. For over 30 years, masters, Professor of gynecology in the University of Washington, and his assistant and later wife, Johnson worked closely with hundreds of volunteers aged 18 to 89 years. They wanted people to expand their knowledge about human sexuality. As a couple, they have expanded the scope of what is called "normal" behavior, allowing women to more freely experiment with their sexuality.

Before models dressed in two-piece bathing suit, appeared on the covers of magazines like Playboy and Sports Illustrated, bikini was considered a very questionable piece of clothing. In 1946, two rival French designer competed to create the smallest swimsuit in the world. One of them, Louis Reard named his swimsuit in honor of the Bikini Atoll, part of the group of Islands in the Pacific ocean, where the Americans carried out nuclear tests. His new bathing suit (the photo of Marilyn Monroe, swimsuit advertising in the 1950-ies) was considered so scandalous that Riardo had to hire a stripper for his first demonstration. Even though this happened a decade before the sexual revolution of the 1960s, the bikini became a symbol of women's freedom.

The first development pills related to birth control, was presented for approval by the FDA – Food and Drug Administration (the Management on control over products and medicines) in 1957. Tablets intended for the treatment of menstrual irregularities or infertility. In 1960, the manufacturer presented to the FDA approval of oral contraceptive, but to prevent pregnancy. By 1964, the pill became the most popular form of birth control in the United States.

Cosmopolitan magazine was first released in the United States in 1886 and declared a "first-class family magazine". Cosmopolitan 1960-ies differed from its predecessor in that it included articles about sex and women's health. It first published an article about contraception. Cosmopolitan remains the most popular women's magazine in the United States.

Published in 1971 138-page booklet, the book Our Bodies, Ourselves was then published by the publishing house Simon & Schuster and has sold over four million copies. The book covered all topics, from sex and birth control to child birth and orgasm. It was the first guide written by women for women. Its 40th anniversary this year, the book will celebrate the new edition.

In 1973, a turning point in history was the Supreme court decision legalizing abortion. Now to terminate the pregnancy of women has become easier and safer. 22-year-old Norma Mccorvy, a single mother, pregnant for the third time, took the pseudonym Jane ROE. The court ruled in her favor, repealing state laws that prohibit abortion. It was a big victory for the women lawyers who made such a choice.

This sex shop in London called Ann Summers, was one of the first targeting women in the UK this kind of shop. But it will take four years, and in 1974 in USA Del Williams right activist, will open a shop called Eve's Garden. Twenty years later, the store Toys in Babeland (now Babeland is called) will become the largest center of retail sex toys for women.

As a student at Columbia University and studying social history, Shere Hite for five years conducted a survey of 3,000 women. She asked them to describe their sexual habits, since the feelings during orgasm and ending sexual frustration. In 1976, she published a book called the Hite Report a volume of 600 pages, in which he described his observations and conclusions. It Hite revealed the fact that 70 percent of women can't reach orgasm during intercourse, but almost all achieve it during Masturbation.

Quite unexpected was the fact that the first female orgasm from oral sex was shown in the film about the war in Vietnam. It happened in 1978, when the screens released film "Return home", where starring Jane Fonda and Jon Voight. In the controversial scene involved the character of the actress Jane Fonda, politically active girl who was inside a love triangle. But the Fund itself has long been a defender of sexual rights of women.

The precursor of the film "Sex in another city", which describes a lesbian relationship, was the film "Restless heart". He tells about two women who loved each other in the 1950-ies. For years, the topic of homosexuality was taboo in the movie, but the 1970-ies and 1980-ies there was a breakthrough in this area. In 1985 a film was made where the love scene lesbian was first shown on the screen. The low-budget film made a splash. He got a special jury prize at the Sundance festival. Following this success, the theme of lesbian relationships began to rise in many Hollywood films..

In 2008, Newsweek magazine published an article about lubricants and vibrators that suburban retail sellers simply swept off the shelves. What caused such a large demand for these products? There can only be one answer: the TV series Sex and the City. Show that six of the seasons were on HBO, and also comes on channel TBS. He was a sort of aphrodisiac to people around the world. This is the first show where the topic of sex comes to the fore.