how do chastity belts work, and how do they interfere (or not interfere) with going to the bathroom?
Dear Henry: Of course not. At the Straight Dope we don’t trouble ourselves with what you want. We deal with what you need. There were–are–basically two types of chastity belts, or “girdles of chastity,” as they are sometimes called. The first covers only the pudenda (the part in front) with a plate made of metal or bone. The second covers both front and back–or “anterior and posterior regions,” to put it in clinical terms–the two parts being connected by a hinge. Typically, a narrow vertical slot was provided in front to enable the wearer to urinate. Often it was fitted with metal teeth (sometimes spring-loaded) to discourage exploration by so much as a fingertip. In the duplex models, you had a somewhat larger aperture in the back to permit defecation while preventing anal intercourse. Supposedly a woman could wear a belt for extended periods without ill effects, although an examination of the apparatus involved makes it clear that going to the bathroom must have been a pretty mes
