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I know this wasn't addressed in the books (duh!), and figure it's unlikely that J. K. Rowling has actually spoken on it, but figure it's still possible that it's been discussed at some point. Also, since I don't tend to read fanfic, I don't know if there are any agreed upon "standards" in any fanfic worlds, so it might be addressed there, for all I know.

(This is also the second question that grew out of a discussion in chat about Shmi Skywalker's sexual past.)

Are there sexual aids that we know about in the magical world? Are there any that don't have muggle equivalents? And, along that line, since we've seen family size range from 1 child (like Draco Malfoy) to seven children (uh, you know who I'm talking about here -- the Weasleys), and since it's along the same line, are there magical forms of birth control?

I'm asking mainly about canon, but if there is anything in fanfic that is standard, that would count as well. I don't mean something in one or two stories, but if it's something that's generally accepted by the fanfic community, failing any canon info, that would be the next best choice.

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    Second paragraph had a bris.
    – DVK-on-Ahch-To
    Feb 9, 2012 at 1:10
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    You didn't make it clear if you want canon/word of god info, or fanfic as well? As per Rule 34, the latter's answer is "yes, duh"
    – DVK-on-Ahch-To
    Feb 9, 2012 at 1:10
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    OK, people, keep the comments family friendly please, or I start flagging and closing!
    – DVK-on-Ahch-To
    Feb 9, 2012 at 1:44
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    @TangoOversway - too little agnst, too heteronormative, too square. You name it. Excuse me while I go beat my head against the wall Dobbt style for using the term "heteronormative"
    – DVK-on-Ahch-To
    Feb 9, 2012 at 1:54
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    I notice people downvoting, but nobody as been willing to say why -- just drive-by downvotes. It makes me wonder if those are solely based on the fact that the question dares to bring sex into the HP world or associate the two.
    – Tango
    Feb 9, 2012 at 17:36

4 Answers 4

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I was adamant in chat that I wasn't going to answer this question, which of course ultimately meant one thing: I'm answering this question.

Er. . . there's the "probity-probe" used by security outside of Gringotts, which sounds like it could possibly be a multi-purpose instrument * cringe * Love potions likely increase the libido. Heck, alcohol might increase the libido, and alcohol abounds in Potterverse. The spell Incarcerous conjures magical ropes. And I hate to say it, but there's the Imperius Curse.

I found three comments J.K. Rowling has made regarding sex in Potterverse:

"Rowling certainly isn't afraid of sex, as Order of the Phoenix -- which had Harry making out with the beautiful, grieving Cho Chang -- ably demonstrated. Harry and his friends are now 16, and it would just be weird if Harry didn't have more on his mind than wands and snitches. "Because of the demands of the adventure that Harry is following, he has had less sexual experience than boys of his age might have had," Rowling allows. "But I really wanted my heroes to grow up. Ron's hormones get fuller play in book six." Cue the throaty alto laughter. "Basically it dawns on Ron that Hermione's had some action, Harry's had some action and he's never got close!" Time magazine - 07.17.05

and

Q: Did Dumbledore, who believed in the prevailing power of love, ever fall in love himself?

JKR: My truthful answer to you... I always thought of Dumbledore as gay. [ovation.] ... Dumbledore fell in love with Grindelwald, and that that added to his horror when Grindelwald showed himself to be what he was. To an extent, do we say it excused Dumbledore a little more because falling in love can blind us to an extent? But, he met someone as brilliant as he was, and rather like Bellatrix he was very drawn to this brilliant person, and horribly, terribly let down by him. Yeah, that's how i always saw Dumbledore. In fact, recently I was in a script read through for the sixth film, and they had Dumbledore saying a line to Harry early in the script saying I knew a girl once, whose hair... [laughter]. I had to write a little note in the margin and slide it along to the scriptwriter, "Dumbledore's gay!" [laughter] "If I'd known it would make you so happy, I would have announced it years ago!"

Carnegie Hall - 10.20.07

and

Q: Did Bellatrix ever love her husband, or did she have love only for Voldemort?

JKR: She took a pureblood husband, because that was what was expected of her, but her true love was always Voldemort.

The Leaky Cauldron Webchat - 07.30.07

"Molly was the one to finish off Bellatrix to demonstrate her other talents, and to show the clash of loves, Bellatrix's obsession with Voldemort and Molly's maternal love."

Carnegie Hall - 10.20.07

In canon, Half-Blood Prince seems to be the hormonally-driven novel of the series. We have Ginny dating Dean Thomas, and then Harry. We have Won-Won and Lavender Brown. Ginny, while berating Ron for never having snogged someone, points out that Hermione kissed Viktor Krum during Goblet of Fire. Of course in Order of the Phoenix, Harry kisses Cho Chang. Pansy Parkinson and Draco Malfoy are awfully cozy on the Hogwarts Express during HBP. Bellatrix Lestrange has a full-blown sexual obsession with Voldemort, as noted above.

Moving on to Harry Potter fandom. . .

Okay. . . in Harry Potter fandom, the term (Highlight to read. NOTE: NSFW! NSFW! NSFW!)

Lubricus

is an accepted spell for. . . well. I think it's self-explanatory. The term is so ubiquitous in fandom that there is an annual HP conference of the same name.

Sex and Harry Potter, as well as gender roles, are very popular topics at the major HP conferences. A sample of titles of presentations and academic papers include but are not limited to:

  • The Violently Sexual Politics of War in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
  • Fanfiction Imagines Snape's Sexual Past: Transgression, Titillation, and Triumph
  • Challenging Morality: Fanfiction as Community Dialectic
  • Metaphorical Queerness in the Harry Potter Books

From The Witching Hour: A Magical Compendium (Amazon Link)

  • The Magic and the Profane
  • Crossing Age Lines in Fanfiction

From Phoenix Rising: Collected Papers on Harry Potter (Amazon Link)

  • Our Business: Why I'm Glad J.K. Rowling Outed Albus Dumbledore
  • Beyond Binary: Recognizing the Fluidity of Sexual Identity in the Harry Potter Series
  • The Women of Harry Potter
  • Snape's Mary Sues: A Visual Field Guide for Identifying and Understanding Mary Sues Paired With Snape

From Terminus: Collected Papers on Harry Potter (Amazon Link)

Just as a general FYI, these academic compendiums on Harry Potter contain some excellent papers and presentations on both typical and unusual topics in the series. I would recommend them to the true Potter geek who wants to dig as far into canon as possible.

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    I'm not following: while this is quite interesting, how does it answer the question? Since the OP accepted, can I assume I just didn't understand the question?
    – o0'.
    Apr 11, 2014 at 15:00
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    Since you've got the Imperius Curse, you could have the Cruciatus Curse (I'm not going to judge what people are into)...
    – Möoz
    May 13, 2014 at 3:26
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    "more on his mind than wands and snitches"... JKR is WAY kinkier than I imagined
    – DVK-on-Ahch-To
    Nov 27, 2014 at 14:36
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The closest thing you're going to get from canon is love potions, which of course don't produce real love, but rather obsession or infatuation.

(Keeping this P.G.)

Based on Ron's reaction when he ate the laced sweets intended for Harry, these would certainly qualify as stimulating to the emotions, which would produce the desired effect of gaining someone's interest.

Considering the wide range of potions and the wide range of effects produced by these potions, I'm sure there are others out there that are more specifically what you're asking about.

purposely not mentioning the specific charm used by Fred and George in the sweets they left for Dudley

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No canon info. JKR never mentioned "contraception" or "family planning", in books or in any HP related interviews. Only in political rants. I searched for both terms.

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  • Was there any cross-referencing, like talking about HP and politics and mentioning it in her talks about HP?
    – Tango
    Feb 9, 2012 at 1:53
  • @TangoOversway - she was talking about herself and her political views in the same interview as about HP. But they were 100% separate topics. No cross-referencing.
    – DVK-on-Ahch-To
    Feb 9, 2012 at 1:56
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Despite their popularity with adults, we should remember that the primary audience for Harry Potter was children. Yes, JKR introduces some quite serious issues of persecution, racism, fascism and other forms of evil, but I think she is careful to not stoke up too much unnecessary controversy. She had enough problem in certain parts of the world from the 'Harry Potter is promoting witchcraft' brigade - to add statements on sexual aids or even birth control would have been a very bad business decision.

I would be amazed if there will ever be any canon information on this subject.

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  • She also said at one point that she didn't think of these books as children's books until after she had been writing them a while.
    – Tango
    Feb 9, 2012 at 2:41
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    @TangoOversway - That may be so, I don't doubt you. She may have personal thoughts about such issues, but they are going to remain personal until H.P. is no longer commercially exploitable.
    – iandotkelly
    Feb 9, 2012 at 2:55

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