Trying to research a topic as dark and mysterious as the history of phone sex is not the easiest task. Trust me.

Ever since the invention of the telephone, it is logical to assume people were “talking dirty” to one another across the copper wires. Husbands to wives, boyfriends to girlfriends, mistresses to their mates. People everywhere enjoyed the sound of another person (pretending or not) having an orgasm. It turned humans on.

One day, some talented entrepreneur must have realized that there might be a few people out there willing to pay to listen to this stimulating and fascinating talk. Boy, was he right.

No one knows the exact date, but sometime between the invention of the telephone, and the inception of 800 or 900 numbers, during the 60’s or 70’s, women began to accept money for dirty phone conversations. The “operator” would keep a credit card on file for callers, or bill him through the mail after calculating the length of their calls. Not very different from what goes on today.

In the late 1980’s, the birth of 976 numbers forever changed the phone sex industry. This system allowed companies to set up dedicated phone numbers and automatically bill callers by the minute, directly to their phone bill. Soon however, “976″ became synonymous with smut, and clean-cut phone sex operators looked to shake the dirty image.

Within a few years, AT&T and MCI set up a program where companies could lease toll-free phone and 900 number lines and set up per/minute pricing. (note: The first 900 numbers were used for technical support lines, fan hotlines, psychics… everyone in their mother who had something to say was using the system). In the end, phone sex remained the 900 number king. Most other lines dropped off or completely disappeared.

Recently the telecom giants have terminated all 900 numbers. Today, callers to most phone sex lines are welcomed by recorded greetings, individualized dispatcher attention, and custom operator selection.

Phone sex continues to be one of the biggest adult products. Millions of dollars a year are spent on it, and infamous operators have become cult like stars. As long as people can hear each other, talking dirty is sure to remain a favorite.