The stories unfolding in the 14 chapters of this volume span chronologically from the 16th century to modernity and the beginning of the 21st century. Multidimensional and contradictory, just like the sexual experiences of the subjects over time, they remind us that sex and sexuality are not limited to sexual acts per se, but are privileged points of view and interpretation of the social, cultural, and political life of human societies.

The authors start from various theoretical assumptions and methodological starting points to approach their specific themes, which include venereal diseases, masturbation, homosexuality, youth and female sexuality, and their intersections with dominant moral values, embodied subjectivity, pre-modern sex, public discourses, and the theories of the respective "experts," the connection of sexuality with the state, political power, and public health policies, violence and sexual crimes, erotic desire in theater and art.

The texts utilize various sources - from institutional and private archives to the press and travel texts, and from scientific publications and theoretical treatises to oral interviews, literature, and visual arts - to bring to light unknown or less known elements until now, which allow for the formulation of new hypotheses about sexuality.

Following its intricate paths and multifaceted expressions, the researchers of this volume highlight historical continuities and changes over time, through official and unofficial discourses, actions, and reactions of institutions and subjects within specific social and cultural frameworks each time.