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 . . .

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 . . .

Estrogen: Physiological Function and Natural Sources

Estrogen is a hormone comprising a group of compounds which include estrone, estradiol, and estriol, and is the main sex hormone in women, essential to the menstrual cycle.  Although estrogen exists in men as well as women, it is found in significantly higher levels in women, especially those of childbearing age.  Estrogen also plays a key role in the development of secondary sex characteristics, the physically-defining differences between men and women that don’t relate directly to the reproductive system including enlarged breasts, widened pelvis, and increased amounts of body fat in the buttock, thigh, and hips.  Estrogen also contributes to women having less facial hair and smoother skin.  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 . . .

International "Let's Get Naked Day"

What do you suppose would happen if everyone around the world were to go publicly au naturale for just one day?  I mean, what do you think would be the result if every man, woman, and child went naked for 24 hours–in the name of sociological experimentation? Declare an International “Let’s Get Naked Day?"  Well, they might discover that color, size, and shape are pretty much all that distinguish one butt from another; one pair of breasts from another, and that their neighbor’s aren’t nearly as perfect sans the latest bulge-controlling fashion--and certainly nothing to be envious of.  They might notice that most bodies are pretty much the same–give or take a few pounds, and that imperfections are the norm, not the exception.  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 . . .

Use of Shiitake Mushrooms in Treating HIV and AIDS Symptoms

Shiitake is currently the second most popular mushroom in the world.  The recent surge in interest in this fungus is partly due to the exotic and delicious taste which is considered far superior to the bland, white button type typically carried in supermarkets around the world, but also because of the growing amount of scientific research that has shown its remarkable curative properties.  One area of particular interest is in regards to HIV and AIDS symptoms.  Lentinula edodes mycelium extract (LEM) and lentinan, two key elements of the shiitake mushroom, have shown remarkable defense properties against various cancers, bacteria (particularly tuberculosis), and parasites, as well as having a direct effect on HIV, helping to control HIV infection by inhibiting the virus’s ability to replicate.  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 . . .

Maca: “Pleasure Root” or Pop Craze?

Used by the indigenous people of South America for thousands of years, maca root, known to Peruvians as the “pleasure root,” has been gaining a great deal of attention in the media in recent months do to its growing popularity among American women.  According to a report posted on CNN.com in August of 2010, maca is said to increase sex drive in women by as much as 90 percent with repeated use.  Resembling a small turnip and sold in outdoor markets all across South American, maca is currently being marketed in the US by American business woman Chris Kilham under the brand name Hot Plants for Her, who reportedly made $5 million last year on sales of the herb.  So, what’s this herb all about?  Read more . . .

Sex and the Five Senses

Even an elementary observation of the animal kingdom shows the significance of the five senses when it come to sex.  From the mighty lion to the strutting peacock to the lowly junkyard dog, it’s what the female of the species sees, smells, and hears that determines whether or not she’ll permit coupling.  That’s precisely why nature provides the male of most species with impressive fur or feathers, an alluring odor, or an impressive call.  And it is quite often what the female feels or tastes during that encounter that decides if she’ll allow a second encounter.  So why should the human animal behave any differently when it comes to sex?  Why do we not commonly use all of the five senses during sexual encounters?  Read more . . .

Sex in Midlife: A 21st Century Perspective

As many are aware, “middle age” doesn’t mean what it used to.
There was a time not long ago when middle age meant reaching 40 or 50 years of age and feeling that the best years of life had already come and gone.  But attitudes have changed.  People are taking more precautions to live longer, healthier lives and remaining active well into their later years.  In fact, for a growing number of people, reaching their 90th birthday is a reasonable expectation.  In short, 60 is the new 40!  So, what does this mean for the middle-aged and sex in midlife?  Read more . . .

Why Older Women Make Better Lovers: Insight for Younger and Older Men Alike

As we are all aware, we live in a world culture that consistently equates youth with beauty and sexuality.  Most ad campaigns in the US and throughout much of the world depict the ideal woman as having a young, "perfect" body–lacking wrinkles, an extra once of fat, or naturally occurring breasts or rear-end.  Over the past century, this youthful image has come to represent our cultural ideals concerning what we deem sexy and sexually arousing.  Thus, as women age, they are targeted to feel less sexually attractive with less to offer in bed.  But does this youth-oriented equation reflect the reality of older woman–their bodies, their needs, or how effective they are as lovers?  Not by a long shot.  In fact, as any experienced man can tell you, older women do indeed make the best lovers.  Read more . . .