To think women had less choice about non consensual sex

[Leah2005]

Had a discussion with my DH last night starting with the fact that both our DGM's had more than 10 children each. I believe that women were less able to say no to their DH and frequently lay back and thought of England. That women were treated as chattel and with no other support, had to do as they were told. I'm not clear in my head when this started to change - I feel like the 1950's. Am I wrong? My DH was really upset by the conversation - I'm not sure if because I hold that belief or because it could have happened. I am aware that some women are still in this situation. Surely women with 10 kids in cramped housing conditions didn't think oooh I can't wait to have some sex? Or did they?

There’s no such thing as non-consensual sex. There is sex, and there is rape.

I do think that women in the past had fewer rights when it came to sex. Birth control wasn’t widely available until the late 60s, marital rape was only made illegal in the 90s, divorce was very taboo, property ownership was complicated for unmarried women, there wasn’t great support for victims of domestic violence etc.

But it’s also naive to suggest women in the past didn’t want to have sex with their husbands. Even in less than ideal circumstances (such as those which may result in an unwanted pregnancy) many women choose to have sex because they enjoy it, want intimacy, see it as an expression of love etc.