Dr. Sex: Alfred Kinsey, His Life and Times

It can be said to have all begun with bugs.  Following a childhood fascination with insects, Alfred Kinsey chose a study of the gall wasp for his Doctor of Science dissertation after completing his degree in biology from Bowden College in Brunswick, Maine.  Upon arriving at Harvard’s graduate school of biology in the fall of 1916, Kinsey set his sights on the social and reproductive habits of these tiny oak tree dwellers, eventually collecting several hundred thousand specimens.  But more than just amassing a world-class collection of bugs, by the time of its completion, Kinsey had succeeded in establishing a remarkably meticulous methodology for assembling and analyzing data, a propensity for digging into a subject some characterized as “bordering on obsession,” and a personal conviction to prove that science is the ultimate link between humanity and truth.  Read more . . .

Nymphomania: The Insatiable Need for Sex

In 1948 the famous sex researcher Dr. Alfred Kinsey provided an element of scientific realism to the subject of nymphomania with the publication of his landmark studies of male and female sexuality (Kinsey Reports), describing a nymphomaniac as “someone who has more sex than you.”  Kinsey basically concluded that terms like “nymphomania,” “over-sexed," and “hypersexuality,” had no scientific basis, contending that rates of sexual activity naturally vary widely among humans and that there is no readily distinguishable point past which the frequency (or infrequency) of sex becomes pathological (a disease).  Read more . . .

Herbs That Boost Testosterone

From the time of birth, testosterone plays a key role in the development of male reproductive tissues such as the testis and prostate, as well as contributes to behavioral patterns and sense of individuality.  In adolescence, testosterone is responsible for promoting secondary sexual characteristics such as increased muscle, bone mass, penis and gonad size, sperm development, facial and pubic hair, a deeper voice, and of course, sex drive.  Read more . . .

Erectile Dysfunction: Current Options and Answers

As most adults are aware, treatment for men unable to achieve a natural erection took a giant step forward when the first oral erectile dysfunction (ED) medication, Viagra, hit the market in 1998.  Easy to use, fast-acting, and predictable, Viagra–and now a whole host of similar drugs–has added an entirely new dimension to the sex lives of the many men who’d thought that sex would have to remain just a pleasant memory of younger days.  But as effective as Viagra is for countless men, it is not the answer for all men suffering erectile dysfunction--for a wide variety of reasons.  And it is for those reasons that science continues to explore other options; vastly improving less effective options from the past, while seeking new approaches that may be effective for every man in the future.  Read more . . .

The Pros and Cons of Male Circumcision: the Debate Continues

If you’re one of those who thinks the need for male circumcision is a forgone, scientific conclusion, think again.  In fact, the issue of male circumcision is as controversial as it ever was, with a wider and wider gap forming between those health professionals who advocate it and those who don’t.  And while there are well-known religious, social, and medical reasons why circumcision is often recommended, most major medical societies have now taken an impartial view of the procedure, neither recommending nor renouncing the practice.   Read more . . .

Home Remedies for Sexual Impotence

Since man first discovered the connection between an erect penis and fertility, he has persued an interest in natural substances that enhance his sexual performance.  While exploring the effects of various plants he found growing around him, he no doubt stumbled upon herbs that when chewed would cause him to have more frequent and harder erections; herbs that would allow him to maintain his erections longer.  As a result, most cultures of the world now have an assortment of herb-based home remedies for treating sexual impotence.  Read more . . .

La Leche League International: Mothers Supporting Breastfeeding

La Leche League International (LLLI) (la leche, Spanish for "the milk") is an international nonprofit, nonsectarian organization that promotes breastfeeding throughout the world.  Founded in 1956 in Franklin Park, Illinois, by seven mothers (including Mary Ann Cahill, Edwina Froehlich, Mary Ann Kerwin, Viola Lennon, and Betty Wagner) who had breastfed their own children and were motivated to help mothers who had difficulties with breastfeeding, La Leche League is now a presence in sixty-eight countries, dedicated to providing education, information, support, and encouragement to women who want to breastfeed.  All women, especially pregnant and nursing mothers, are welcome to attend their meetings.  The name, La Leche League, was inspired by a shrine in St. Augustine, Florida, dedicated to “Nuestra Señora de la Leche y Buen Parto,” meaning “Our Lady of Happy Delivery and Plentiful Milk.”  Read more . . .

"Sex Pots" and the Moche Civilization

The Moche civilization, believed to have flourished in northern Peru from about 100 CE to 800 CE, is an ancient culture best known for the tens of thousands of ceramic “sex pots” they fashioned to convey what anthropologists believe was their societal view of various forms of sexual activity.  Considered by historians to be among the finest pottery of the ancient Americas, it is quite striking in its naturalistic style and refined craftsmanship.  Anthropologists believe Moche ceramics may have served as models (visual aids) for relating moral or political perspective which allowed older generations, perhaps community elders, to pass down essential knowledge. The so-called “sex pots” could have been used to teach about procreation, sexual pleasure, cultural and social norms, immortality, transfer of life and souls, or perhaps the relationship between nature and life.  Read more . . .

Fafafini: Gender-Crossing in Samoan Society

The Fafafini (correctly, Fa’afafine) is a third gender specific to Samoan and the surrounding Polynesian island culture.  Biologically, Fafafini are men who have been raised since early childhood to assume female gender and sexual roles within Samoan society.  Said to have originated in a time when there was a lack of women to perform domestic tasks, this third gender evolved. Unlike many societies around the world where women are treated as subservient or insignificant, Samoan culture values their role rather uniquely.  As Fafafini, they are considered a gender altogether separate from male and female, with distinct gender roles specific to them; different from those of either men or women.  Read more . . .

Pitcairn Island: After the Mutiny on the Bounty

In considering how law applies to a particular crime, it is often necessary to consider the particular circumstances surrounding it–mitigating and otherwise.  Even while lawmakers are reiterating, “the law is the law,” in reality, it is often the level of guilt that must be considered even when a crime has clearly been committed.  And in certain situations, it’s even necessary to factor in certain historical information germane to the case.  Case in point: the unlikely history of the inhabitants of Pitcairn Island, a tiny, two-square mile rocky outcropping located in a remote area of the South Pacific, and most notably familiar for the infamous Mutiny on the Bounty that led to its occupation by Europeans.  Read more . . .

The Health Benefits of Masturbation for Women

As many psychologists readily acknowledge, women around the world have been socialized to believe that their sexual needs and desires are less important than those of men.  In many cultures, women are not permitted to verbalize sexual pleasure, dissatisfaction, or longing–outside the act of procreation.  Due to wide-spread cultural taboos and societal judgment, many women feel that masturbation is somehow wrong; spawning feelings of guilt or shame.  But as science now shows, there is enormous potential for physical and emotional healing through expressing this aspect of female sexuality.  Read more . . .

The Health Benefits of Masturbation for Men

Numerous cross-cultural scientific studies reaching all the way back to the famous Kinsey surveys of the 1940s show that 95 percent of all men say they have masturbated.  It is apparently a physical function we are designed to perform, serving a number of beneficial physiological purposes.  "We [of the animal species] are programmed, as best we know, to need orgasms," says clinical sexologist Dr. Gloria Brame, Ph.D., from the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality in Athens, Ga.  And for the male of the species, "It’s a fundamental aspect of men’s health, right up there with brushing your teeth. It relieves stress and keeps everything about your body—your heart rate, blood pressure, reproductive system, brain chemistry—in very good shape.  Men are doing themselves a favor with regular ejaculation," Brame says, "it cleans out the plumbing."  Supporting Brame’s perspective are numerous wide-sweaping studies including those conducted by an Australian team of researchers led by Graham Giles of the Cancer Council Victoria in Melbourne, Australia, who reported that frequent masturbation may serve an especially important health purpose, that of lowering a man’s risk of developing prostate cancer.  Read more . . .

Human Papillomavirus (Venereal Warts): Cause and Treatment

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), venereal warts, also called condyloma, are a common sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) that affects the skin or mucous membranes of various areas of the body.  This virus may cause cauliflower-like fleshy growths that vary in size, are frequently painless, and can be raised, pointed, or flat in appearance, manifesting in moist areas in and around the sex organs, but in many cases, may not be visible to the naked eye.  These warts may appear singly or in clusters on the penis, scrotum, inside or outside the anus (of both men and women) inside or outside the vagina, and inside or outside the mouth (in both men and women).  In rarer cases, they have been known to manifest on the stomach, inner thighs, eye lids, or other tender areas of the body.  Read more . . .

How Diet Affects Sex Drive

Science shows that like any other bodily function, sex drive can be stimulated or suppressed by what one eats.  For example, as healthy as dairy products like yogurt and cheese may be for overall health, they have been shown to put sexual urges right to sleep in many women.  Likewise, sodas, ice cream, excess sweets, nuts, coconut, and avocados have all been known to cool one’s natural flame to barely a flicker.  And for many people, plants of the nightshade family–tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes, and peppers–can take you right out of the mood even if you haven't had any in a month.   And the tricky part is, some people react quite differently to certain foods than to others, so we all have to be observant of the tell-tale signs to know which foods are stifling our sexual desire.  Read more . . .

UNAIDS 2010 AIDS Report

According to the recently published UNAIDS 2010 AIDS Report, despite the continued rate of global infection, statistics indicate that among young people aged 15 to 24 in 15 of the most severely affected countries around the world, HIV prevalence has actually fallen by more than 25% as a growing number of young people are choosing safer sexual practices.  By any measure, this is indeed very encouraging news.  Thus, the focus now shifts from “Will we ever find a cure,” to “What has led to this unprecedented change in the course of this dreaded disease?”  And, perhaps more importantly, “What can be done to make this trend continue?”  Read more . . .

The History of Birth Control, Part Two: 1900 to 2010

For at least 30,000 years, humankind has sought methods of birth control to allow the pleasure of sex while avoiding unwanted pregnancy.  From life-like dildos to vibrators to robotic dolls, the search continues; a tribute both to our inventiveness, as well as our insatiable need for sexual fulfillment.  Read more . . .

The History of Birth Control, Part One: 30,000 BCE to 1899 CE

For at least 30,000 years, humankind has sought methods of enjoying sex while avoiding unwanted pregnancy.  From stone dildos to crocodile dung vaginal suppositories to lamb intestine condoms, the search has gone on, with untold new approaches to birth control always on the horizon.  Read more . . .

The Ancient History of Modern Sex Toys

"Auto-erotic pleasure tools,” “marital aids,” “b.o.b.s (battery-operated-boyfriends)"–call ‘em what you will, the human animal has had a long and illustrious fascination with devices that add excitement to his or her sex life.  And for all the moral, ethical, spiritual, and religious issues surrounding the use of sex toys, it seems apparent that the pursuit of sex-enhancing devices is not just an enculturated behavior reflecting our fascination with intercourse, but a culturally-adaptive, evolutionary expression of a hard-wired need to make every sexual encounter count.  And this point is no better illustrated than at the site of a 2,000-year-old brothel unearthed in Athens, Greece where a fully-stocked “sex toy” shop (stone vaginal and anal probes, penis paraphernalia, and a variety of lubricants) was discovered.  Read more . . .

Are the Women of Nigeria the Most Sexually-Responsible Women in the World?

As recent statistics show (2010), the women of Nigeria are perhaps the greatest users of sex toys in the world.  As explained by Princess Sola Oladimeji in an article recently appearing in Nigerian World Newspaper, as chief executive officer of Oju-Ogeâ’s World, one of the more popular sex toy outlets in Nigeria, she’s witnessed first-hand the surge in the purchase of various types of sex toys in recent years, explaining, “There are a lot of women who kept several lovers before marriage and you know these men would come with various penis sizes.  So when such a woman gets married, she might end up with a man who may not satisfy her in bed.  But in order not to commit adultery, she would resort to sex toys.  It will satisfy her and also save her marriage.”  But is that all there is to the story?  Read more . . .

Use of Caterpillar Fungus to Increase Sex Drive

In ancient China where for centuries this fungus was used exclusively by the Emperor because of its scarcity, it was given the nick-name “summer-plant, winter-worm” because it was long considered a vegetable during the summer, but an animal during the winter.  Used primarily for impotence, backache, and as an antidote for opium poisoning, caterpillar fungus was prepared by stuffing the stomach of a duck which was then roasted.  Considered similar to ginseng in potency in ancient Chinese herbals, caterpillar fungus is still quite popular in China today, and gaining a following in the US for its recognized ability to increase sex drive.  Read more . . .