SEX
Also of course, see the Socio-Biology file.
. . Also see the file for 05 & 04.
. . Also see the file for 03 & back.
Skip down to "STATS & STUDIES". (Not separated lately.)
Skip down to "BASIC IMPORTANT INFO".
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Dec 28, 06: Topless dancers in Alabama aren't really topless —-dancers are spraying themselves with skin-colored latex. Under Alabama's strict law regulating exotic dancers, any skin that would normally be covered by a modest bikini must be swathed in an opaque covering. But the law doesn't specify what kind of material must be used, so, in the legal sense, a nylon swimsuit and spray-on latex are virtually the same.
Dec 27, 06: The South Korean government is handing out gifts for office workers who promise not to visit brothels this holiday season.
Dec 27, 06: Court won't force Massachusetts gay marriage vote. In a setback to gay marriage opponents, Massachusetts' highest court said today it would not require lawmakers to vote on a proposal that could ban gay marriage in the only U.S. state where it is legal.
Police in central China have scotched a wine maker's plans for a mass Christmas Eve "nude run" which the company said was a public interest event to discourage the use of "excessive packaging" in the industry.
Dec 20, 06: California's highest court said today it would consider a lawsuit challenging the state's ban on same-sex marriages, a legal fight stemming from marriage licenses granted to homosexual couples two years ago by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.
. . A California appeals court in October upheld the state's voter-approved ban, which gay activists said they would appeal. Legal experts had expected the California Supreme Court to accept petitions to review the decision.
. . The state's voters in 2000 approved a ballot measure defining marriage as the union of a man and woman. But domestic partnership legislation since then has afforded gay couples in California many of the same privileges enjoyed by married couples.
. . New Jersey lawmakers last week approved same-sex civil unions, giving gay and lesbian couples the same rights as married partners without allowing the relationships to be called "marriage." Only Massachusetts has legalized marriage between same-sex partners.
Dec 19, 06: A devout Christian who said an accident at work boosted his libido and wrecked his marriage as he turned to prostitutes and pornography was awarded more than 3 million pounds ($5.89 million) in damages today.
. . Stephen Tame, 29, suffered severe head injuries in a fall, transforming him from a loyal newlywed into a "disinhibited" character who had two affairs. He was in a coma for two months after falling from a gantry while working at a bicycle warehouse shortly after his marriage in January 2002. Doctors said it was a miracle he survived.
Dec 18, 06: Two of the most prominent and largest Episcopal parishes in Virginia voted overwhelmingly Sunday to leave The Episcopal Church and join fellow Anglican conservatives forming a rival denomination in the U.S.
. . Truro Church in Fairfax and The Falls Church in Falls Church plan to place themselves under the leadership of Anglican Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria, who has called the growing acceptance of gay relationships a "satanic attack" on the church. [ye gods... so to speak...!]
. . A lengthy and expensive legal fight could erupt over the Truro and Falls Church properties, which are worth millions of dollars.
. . Losing all the conservative churches could cost the Virginia diocese around 10% of its 90,000 members. The Episcopal Church, the U.S. wing of the global Anglican Communion, has been under pressure from traditionalists at home and abroad since the 2003 consecration of the first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire.
Dec 14, 06: Lawmakers in the U.S. state of New Jersey legalized same-sex civil unions today to give gay and lesbian couples the same rights as marriage but would not allow such partnerships to be called "marriage."
. . The measure follows an October 25 state Supreme Court ruling that ordered the legislature to give gay couples the same rights and benefits as heterosexual couples, but left it to the lawmakers to decide whether to call it "marriage."
. . Massachusetts became the first and only state to legalize gay marriage in 2004. Several other states have civil union or domestic partnership laws.
Dec 12, 06: A second Colorado evangelical leader in little over a month has resigned from the pulpit over a scandal involving gay sex, church officials said. Paul Barnes has resigned from the 2,100-member Grace Chapel, a church he founded in suburban Denver.
. . Barnes' resignation follows last month's admission by high-profile preacher Ted Haggard that he was guilty of unspecified "sexual immorality" after a male prostitute went public with their liaisons. Ames said Barnes told his congregation in a videotaped message he had "struggled with homosexuality since he was five years old."
. . Barnes was confronted by an associate pastor of the church who received an anonymous phone call from a person who heard someone was threatening to go public with the names of Barnes and other evangelical leaders who engaged in homosexual behavior.
. . Haggard had been a vocal opponent of gay marriage. He stepped down as president of the National Association of Evangelicals and as pastor of the 14,000-member New Life "mega-church" in Colorado Springs.
Dec 8, 06: A popular Indonesian Islamic cleric's decision to take a second wife has sparked a fiery debate about polygamy laws in the world's largest Muslim country where multiple marriages are only banned among civil servants.
. . The turban-clad but leather-jacketed Abdullah Gymnastiar's announcement prompted the government to consider extending the ban to lawmakers, a move that sent many legislators leaping to the defense of polygamy, arguing that it is allowed under Islam.
Dec 8, 06: Condoms designed to meet international size specifications are too big for many Indian men as their penises fall short of what manufacturers had anticipated, an Indian study has found.
. . A two-year study showed 60% of men in the financial capital Mumbai had penises about 2.4 cm (one inch) shorter than those condoms catered for. For a further 30%, the difference was at least 5 cm.
. . Many men in India, which has the world's highest HIV positive caseload, were too shy to ask for condoms. "We need more vending machines for condoms of different sizes so people can pick a condom with confidence that is suited to their needs,"
. . The Times of India entitled its story "Indian men don't measure up."
Dec 7, 06: Authorities in a Malaysian city have warned waitresses and female staff of retail outlets that they face a $138 fine if they wear revealing and tight fitting clothes, a news report said. It's the only Malaysian state to be ruled by an opposition Islamic fundamentalist party.
. . The government in Kelantan imposes Islamic regulations such as separate check out counters for men and women at supermarkets. In addition to the general dress code, Muslim women are also bound by law to wear ankle-length dresses and to cover their hair and forehead.
Dec 7, 06: Authorities in a Malaysian city have warned waitresses and female staff of retail outlets that they face a $138 fine if they wear revealing and tight fitting clothes, a news report said.
Dec 5, 06: A town in Muslim-majority Malaysia has threatened to fine non-Muslim women for wearing "sexy" clothes, infuriating some women's organizations.
Dec 4, 06: Heba Kotb is a conservative Muslim, wears an Islamic head scarf, and goes on television once a week to talk — frankly and in great detail —-about sex. On her show, "Big Talk", Kotb answers questions from Muslims all over the Middle East about the most intimate bedroom issues with an openness that is shocking and revolutionary in a society where discussing the subject is taboo.
. . The Egyptian sexologist says. "I put on a mask-like face and make sure I speak in the right tone of voice." She also does it by talking about sex in an Islamic light, arguing that the faith is in favor of pleasure for both men and women, with one important caveat —-that it be only in the context of marriage. Kotb's frankness is a hit in a region where sex education is minimal, male-female contact is often discouraged and talk on the subject is usually in hushed tones, allowing myths to circulate freely.
. . She lectured in Saudi Arabia and Yemen recently, where she said many men in the audience where shocked, while women —-some with veiled faces-— bombarded her with questions. Kotb says frankness is essential and believes 80% of divorces in the Arab world are due to sexual problems brought on by ignorance and societal pressure, such as the idea that man must marry a virgin.
. . However, she takes a strict Islamic line on homosexuality —-she calls it a disease.
Dec 3, 06: A kissing scene from a movie starring Bollywood actors Aishwarya Rai and Hrithik Roshan has irked a lawyer who has filed a criminal case against them, accusing them of obscenity, he said. [That's right... just KISSING!!! Wacko! ]
. . Shailendra Dwivedi of Indore, near Bhopal, the capital of central Madhya Pradesh state, said the scene from the movie, titled "Dhoom 2", lowered the dignity of Indian women and gave an obscene message to youth. "Bollywood actors are conveying vulgarity in the society", Dwivedi told Reuters. "These films cannot be watched with our families, they are so vulgar at times."
. . A local court accepted Dwivedi's petition to punish the actors and said it would hear the petitioner on December 11. The Indian censor board, which certifies all films, released the movie with a "parental discretion" certificate.
. . A majority of Indians frown upon intimacy in public.
Nov 30, 06: A German firm has developed a spray-on condom for all your lifestyle needs. The liquid condom comes in an aerosol can that you spray onto the organ in question. A few seconds later, the liquid solidifies into the familiar latex.
Nov 30, 06: Creating a new outpost in the battle for transgender rights, both New York City and Spain are expected to soon allow people to officially change their gender without actually undergoing a sex-change operation.
. . If people can switch genders in the eyes of the government with only some documentation from a doctor, will fewer feel the need for surgery? And what about military service, marriage and the supposed threat of cross-dressing peeping toms?
. . Last month, the agency that runs the subway system agreed to allow transgender people to use the restrooms of their choice. Now comes news that the city will probably allow people born there to switch the gender on their birth certificates. According to a proposal that's expected to be approved next month, the city will allow the changes if a person brings documentation from a doctor and meets some other criteria. No surgery is necessary.
. . Meanwhile, the lower house of Spain's parliament has reportedly approved a bill that would allow people to officially change their sex without surgery, although many would be required to have undergone some kind of medical treatment. (Spain also allows same-sex marriage.)
. . Currently, New York City will revise birth certificates for anyone who provides evidence of a sex-change operation --but the city will only remove the gender from the document. It will not switch the gender from male to female or female to male.
. . Will the regulations allow same-sex marriage? Some state laws are murky regarding marriage involving one or two transgender people; one legal analyst reports that a pair of men were able to marry in Ohio because the state refused to recognize that one of them was no longer a woman following a sex-change operation. On the other hand, some transgender people may be unable to marry because their states recognize their new sex but don't allow same-sex marriages.
. . Male-to-female surgeries, the most common, can cost $37,000 or more, according to one estimate, while the rarer female-to-male surgeries run closer to $77,000.
[I was curious & googled it:] June 27, 2006: A boy's chances of growing up gay increase with the number of older brothers he has, and the Canadian researcher who spotted the trend a decade ago now believes he is closer to explaining why: It all starts in the womb.
. . Brock University psychologist Anthony Bogaert first reported in 1996 the startling finding that a boy's probability of growing up gay increases by about one-third with each older brother in his family. It's a subtle phenomenon --nearly all boys even in large families still grow up straight-- but subsequent research has affirmed that the "fraternal birth order effect" is real.
. . But in a study, Bogaert unearthed another surprise. The sexual orientation of younger brothers appears to be established before birth.
. . In one analysis, he examined the fraternal birth order effect in families in which unrelated older brothers were added to the mix through remarriage of divorced couples or through adoption. In short, if there was something about growing up with a lot of older brothers that raised the chances of a younger boy being gay, it did not show up in these blended families of step-brothers, half-brothers and adoptees.
. . Bogaert also examined families in which biologically related brothers were raised separately by families after divorce. No matter where the boys were raised --in small or large families-- the only factor that showed the elevated chance of growing up gay was having older biological brothers. By ruling out child-raising factors and ruling in biological factors, Bogaert concluded that the results "support a prenatal origin to sexual orientation development in men."
So far, scientists have found no similar relationship between birth order and the probability that a girl will grow up to be lesbian.
. . Breedlove stressed that these biological "perturbations" possibly affecting male fetuses should not be confused with disease or a birth defect. They are simply biological effects that steer development. "It just means there is a variation. We never dreamed of such an association", said Breedlove, a co-author of that study. This has been replicated by other researchers. One reason may be that homosexuality occurs in about 4 to 5% of the population.
. . Similarly surprising research has found that the fraternal birth order effect is limited to younger boys who are right-handed. In other words, if a younger boy has many older brothers but is left-handed, he does not have an elevated chance of being gay.
. . The right-handed exception to the fraternal birth order effect was particularly surprising because other research had previously uncovered another puzzler: Both men and women who are left-handed are slightly more likely to be gay.
a post: "90% of lesbians are left-handed and 50% of gays [men?] are left-handed. Or something like that. I dont remember the exact statistic."
Nov 30, 06: People in a small town in Western Canada are so fed up with the rotten state of their main road that they came up with an unusual form of protest --a calendar that shows them posing nude in the potholes.
Nov 25, 06: Every two months, dozens of couples meet in a pub in Singapore, have drinks, mingle, and then decide whether they want to sleep with one another. In Sydney or Seattle, nobody would bat an eyelid, but the couples are part of a thriving underground swinging scene that is an anomaly for a country where oral sex is illegal and Playboy magazine is banned. The practice is not illegal in Singapore.
. . There are at least 10 swingers clubs in Singapore, most of them private, some of them online. With more than 6,000 members, the Web-based United SG Swingers is one of the biggest.
. . Wealthy Singapore, which has consistently ranked near the bottom in a global survey of sexually active nations, has been struggling to shake off its reputation for prudishness. Y'day, it opened Sexpo 2006, the country's second sex exhibition, featuring an array of toys and seminars.
. . This year, the organizers of United SG Swingers started holding "on premise" parties, where couples can engage in group sex in houses and hotel rooms across Singapore. At these parties, the bedrooms have a strict clothes-off rule and the "hard swingers" can engage in partner swapping. The "soft swingers" are couples who stand around and watch, or have sex with their own partners in full view of others. Couples who swing say that seeing their own partners in action keeps their passion burning.
A school in Mao Zedong's home province, slower than most to adopt reforms that have now swept the country, has launched its first sex education Web site to stop children feeling embarrassed by the subject.
Nov 19, 06: Gov. Mitt Romney said he would ask the state's highest court to order an anti-gay marriage amendment question onto the ballot if legislators fail to vote on the matter when they reconvene in January. Romney has criticized lawmakers since they refused earlier this month to take up the question during a joint session, voting instead to recess until Jan. 2 and all but killing the measure.
. . Romney, an opponent of gay marriage who decided not to seek re-election as he considers running for president.
. . More than 170,000 people had signed a petition in support of the ballot question, which would define marriage as between only a man and a woman.
. . Because the Legislature is in recess and did not adjourn, Romney has no legal authority to call lawmakers back into session. Supporters of gay marriage defended lawmakers' procedural move. "One of the tenets of the Constitution is that you do not put the rights of a minority up for a popularity contest", said Mark Solomon, campaign director of Mass Equality, a pro-gay marriage group. "It is one of the very principles this country was founded upon."
. . Vermont and Connecticut have legalized civil unions that give same-sex couples benefits similar to marriage. New Jersey's highest court has ordered the Legislature to allow either marriage or civil unions for same-sex couples.
Nov 15, 06: A woman lost her fight to have a child without the consent of her estranged husband when an Irish judge ruled frozen embryos did not enjoy the same constitutional right to life as those carried in the womb.
Nov 15, 06: About 1% of Web sites indexed by Google and Microsoft are sexually explicit, according to a U.S. government-commissioned study.
Nov 14, 06: U.S. Catholic bishops said today that gay men and women should be welcomed in the church but that those who engage in same-sex activity should not receive Communion. [ These people who want respect and human rights are such a bother! ]
Nov 8, 06: A poll this week showed most New Jersey voters support granting gay couples the benefits of marriage but do not want to call the unions "marriage."
. . In Boston, some gay marriage supporters wore stickers saying "Preserve Equality" and held hand-made signs. One read "Focus on your own damn family" in protest of the Christian conservative group "Focus on the family" which has campaigned nationwide against same-sex marriage.
. . Marriage between same-sex couples is legal in Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands and Spain. South Africa's cabinet approved a bill in August that would make the nation the first in Africa to legalize gay marriage.
Nov 8, 06: A U.S. landscaping firm has been inundated with hate mail after an e-mail it sent rejecting a client because he was gay was made public. Houston-based firm Garden Guy sent an e-mail on October 18 turning down a prospective customer by saying: "I need to tell you that we cannot meet with you because we choose not to work for homosexuals."
. . The recipient, Michael Lord, forwarded the e-mail to dozens of friends and it spread across the Internet.
. . Garden Guy's web site (www.garden-guy.com) makes no secret of the firm's outlook.
Nov 6, 06: Malaysian government leaders have rebuked a local newspaper for publishing a frank expose of sexual attitudes among the country's youth. The Weekend Mail gave detailed descriptions of favorite sex positions from its survey --including "spooning, galloping and tea bag positions"-- in three pages of stories that delivered on its front-page promise.
. . Mainstream media outlets, many of them controlled or partly owned by ruling-coalition interests, have traditionally followed a conservative moral line in this mainly Muslim nation. They remain pro-government in reporting political issues, but have begun to experiment with more tabloid-style reporting since Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi came to power three years ago and encouraged more lively debate on non-political issues.
. . After its romp through free speech, which would also have landed mainstream Western media in trouble, The Weekend Mail said its survey respondents only held one position in common: "One point everyone agreed on was that sex and sex-related issues should be discussed openly to avoid any negative perceptions."
Nov 9, 06: A few thousand gays and their supporters rallied in Jerusalem on Friday under heavy security, going ahead with a festival that has sparked religious protests and highlighted deep divisions in Israeli society.
Nov 6, 06: Israel's attorney general refused to ban a gay pride parade in Jerusalem despite threats of violence from ultra-Orthodox Jews, instructing police and gay activists to try to work out a compromise, the police commander said.
. . Ultra-Orthodox Jews have rioted in Jerusalem nearly every night over the past week, burning garbage cans, blocking roads and assaulting police officers in an attempt to get the authorities to call off the march, approved months ago by the Supreme Court. Many religious Jews, Muslims and Christians see homosexuality as a sin and the march as an affront to the sanctity of the holy city.
Nov 6, 06: Chinese sociologists said that the country should promote bolder attitudes toward sex, but that wife-swapping was off the agenda, state media reported.
. . Chinese attitudes toward sex have relaxed in recent decades, triggering a boom in extramarital relationships which the Communist Party has blamed on bourgeois mores imported from the West. Themed "building moral sexual attitudes", the expo's opening day Saturday attracted 60,000 visitors, 10,000 more than last year.
. . "Wife-swapping should not be promoted to the public as it will lead to the spread of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases", the China Daily quoted Zhang Feng, a family planning official, as saying at the fourth Guangzhou Sex Culture Expo at the weekend.
. . This contrasted the views of Li Yinhe, a sociologist who last year said that wife-swapping was a "normal kind of entertainment" and that "all couples should have the right to do it."
. . "As China is undergoing the so called 'sexual revolution', we are attaching great importance to promoting traditional moral ideas about sexuality", the paper quoted an expert identified only as Duan as saying.
Nov 6, 06: A survey of more than 2,500 men aged between 16 and 25 conducted by India Today magazine across 11 cities found that 49% claimed to have had sex with a sex worker while 37% said they had had a homosexual experience. But 63% of young men in conservative India said they expected the women they married to be a virgin.
. . The average age of their first sexual encounter appears to be falling --to 18 years from 23 in a similar survey two years ago, but condom use is on the rise, the report said. More than half of the men surveyed said they always used a condom.
. . 14% of those surveyed said they had had sex with a member of their own family. [Wow! That one's a shock.]
Nov 4, 06: Politics and sex don't always mix well --at least in Greece, where a survey has showed that Greeks seem to lose their sexual drive just before an election.
. . Carried out ahead of last month's local elections, the survey published in Eleftherotypia daily showed that Greeks reduce their frequency of sexual contact to just twice a month before a ballot, compared to four times monthly at other periods.
. . The survey by a private Greek group that studies sexual behavior also found that 69% of respondents would vote for a homosexual candidate. That result is unusual for Greek society, which frowns on same-sex relations, and where the influential leader of the Orthodox Church, Archbishop Christodoulos, has officially labelled homosexuality a 'defect'.
Nov 3, 06: Hot pants and miniskirts will soon be legal in South Korea. The country is in the final stages of revising an indecency law that prohibits people from wearing revealing outfits and was once enforced by ruler-wielding police during authoritarian governments in the 1970s.
. . Under authoritarian rule, police could arrest or fine women for their fashion choices. They also took scissors to men whose hair they felt was too long and tossed people in jail for unauthorized dancing. The rules stayed on the books as South Korea moved to an open democracy in the late 1980s, but were no longer enforced. Now, miniskirts are about as common as traffic jams in the capital of Seoul, and police have long given up on measuring the distance from knees to hemlines.
Nov 3, 06: The race to succeed former prime minister Paul Martin as head of Canada's once mighty Liberal Party, now in opposition, has exposed a trend in Canadian politics with candidates appearing in the buff to woo voters.
. . Bob Rae, 58, a former Ontario premier and ahead in the leadership contest, swam naked with comedian Rick Mercer in a cold lake for a political comedy show broadcast on CBC last month. His bare bottom has since been viewed by hundreds of pundits on website youtube.com who mostly lauded the 1969 Rhodes Scholar's pluck.
. . Not to be outdone, Scott Brison, 39, a former Conservative member of Parliament who joined the Liberals in 2004 and became the youngest minister in Paul Martin's cabinet, posed nude for a calendar to be released next week.
. . Last week, Canadians also discovered that an anonymous Supreme Court Justice has frolicked naked in public.
Oct 31, 06: Thailand banned people younger than 20 from performing sexy dances in public places, after the nation's queen expressed shock at an erotic performance held at a Buddhist temple.
Oct 27, 06: An American sex offender who was sentenced by a U.S. judge to three years "exile" in Canada was arrested by Canadian border guards today and faces deportation, their government said.
Oct 27, 06: Australia's top Muslim cleric, suspended from preaching after describing women who do not dress modestly as "uncovered meat", rejected calls to resign. Hilaly said sexual assaults might not happen if women wore a hijab and stayed at home.
. . Sheikh Taj El-Din Hamid Hilaly, the mufti of Australia's biggest mosque in Sydney, angered community and political leaders and divided Australia's 280,000 Muslims over the comments, made in a Ramadan sermon a month ago but only reported this week.
. . Howard said Hilaly, who courted controversy two years ago by glorifying martyrdom and calling the September 11 attacks the work of God, was now an Australian citizen and could not be deported.
. . Muslim leaders in the southern state of Victoria issued an open letter condemning Hilaly's comments and called for him to be sacked. Australia's United Muslim Women Association also condemned his comments.
Oct 26, 06: North Korea's nuclear test has boosted condom sales and bookings at South Korean "love" hotels", a newspaper has said. Experts said that the developments reflect widespread jitters over the test, with many people seeking solace in sex. Convenience stores reported that condom sales rose by up to 28% in the week after the test.
Oct 26, 06: Researchers are struggling to understand a rare medical condition where sufferers unknowingly demand, or actually have, sex while asleep.
. . Research into sexsomnia --making sexual advances toward another person while asleep-- has been hampered as sufferers are so embarrassed by the problem they tend not to own up to it, while doctors do not ask about it. As yet, there is no cure for the condition, which often leads to difficulties in relationships. "Most of the time, sleep sex occurs between people who are already partners."
. . Most researchers view sexsomnia as a variant of sleepwalking, where sufferers are stuck between sleep and wakefulness, though sexsomniacs tend to stay in bed rather than get up and walk about. While sleepwalking affects two to four percent of adults, sexsomnia is not thought to be as common a problem. But an Internet survey of sexsomniacs carried out in 2005 that drew 219 reliable respondents concluded it was more prevalent than medical case reports alone might suggest.
. . With no cure, addressing triggering factors --stress or sleep deprivation-- can help. Meanwhile, Trajanovic is devising a procedure for diagnosing sexsomnia in legal cases where sufferers have been accused of sexual assault.
. . sleepsex.org was set up to help sufferers.
Oct 25, 06: Saying times have changed, New Jersey's highest court on Wednesday guaranteed gay couples the same rights as married heterosexuals but left it to state lawmakers to decide if such unions can be called marriage.
. . "Times and attitudes have changed", the New Jersey Supreme Court said in a nuance 90-page ruling that was neither a clear victory nor a defeat for gay marriage, which is currently legal in the United States only in Massachusetts.
. . "Despite the rich diversity of this state, the tolerance and goodness of its people, and the many recent advances made by gays and lesbians toward achieving social acceptance and equality under the law, the court cannot find that the right to same-sex marriage is a fundamental right under our constitution", the ruling said.
. . Stating that gay couples must have the same rights as other couples, the court said gay advocates must now "appeal to their fellow citizens whose voices are heard through their popularly elected representatives." With that in mind, the court gave the legislature six months to either amend the state's marriage statutes to include gay people, or write a new law in which same-sex couples "would enjoy the rights of civil marriage."
. . The ruling leaves state lawmakers with two options --allow gays to marry in the same way as others, or develop a parallel system of unions for same-sex couples. That second option would leave New Jersey with civil unions akin to those in Vermont.
Oct 25, 06: Britons are not having as much sex as popular perception might suggest and most intimate relations that do take place are likely to be between established couples, according to official data.
. . The Office of National Statistics (ONS) said 16% of men under 70 and 12% of women under 50 had had no sexual partners in the previous year. The data also showed that 73% of men had had just one partner with just 12% having more than one. For women that figure was 81% for one partner and 7% for more. The proportions of both men and women who did not have a sexual partner in the previous year was highest among those aged under 20 --38% and 36%.
. . 33% of all men and 27% of all women who were single had not had a sexual partner.
Oct 24, 06: The use of scantily clad models in ads for everything from underwear to ice cream attest to the persuasive power of sex, but a surprising new study finds that our actions can be swayed by erotic images even when they don't consciously register in our awareness.
. . In an experiment, 40 men and women were shown erotic images that had been manipulated to bypass conscious detection. The participants consisted of both heterosexual and homosexual individuals. Subjects were then shown a small "probe" pattern and asked to determine its orientation—clockwise or counterclockwise. The researchers found that subjects identified the probe pattern more accurately when it appeared where the erotic images had been, suggesting that the invisible images exerted an effect on their spatial attentions.
. . In general, the erotic images attracted or repelled attention depending on the gender of the nude model and also the sexual orientation of the subject. For example, heterosexual males tended to perform better on the pattern task when it followed the presentation of an invisible female nude than a male nude. Gay males, in contrast, showed more enhanced performance when exposed to invisible male nudes compared to female nudes.
. . For women, the results were more mixed. Heterosexual females performed better after exposure to invisible male nudes, but their performance didn't necessarily worsen when exposed to female nudes. The performances of homosexual and bisexual females were somewhere in-between heterosexual male and heterosexual female groups.
. . Past studies have shown that the brain can process invisible information, but the new study shows it doesn't simply register the information, but also processes it in specific ways. A subliminal stimulus can attract or repel attention and thus influence our actions in different ways.
. . But don't worry, Sheng He said. There's little chance the techniques used in the team's experiment will find their way into advertising any time soon.
Oct 19, 06: Curators say a Norwegian exhibition on homosexuality among animals has been well received, despite initial indications of strong opposition.
. . The Oslo Natural History Museum opened the show last week and says it has been well attended, not least by families. Organizers reported early criticism of the project, and being told by one opponent they would "burn in hell".
. . But there has been strong interest in an aspect of animal behavior the museum says is quite common. It says homosexuality has been observed among 1,500 species, and that in 500 of those it is well documented. Sometimes a pair of male birds may rear eggs "donated" by a female. In the case of flamingos, for instance, "two males can hold a much larger territory than a regular flamingo pair, thus more chicks can grow up"
. . In some colonies, as many as one in 10 pairs of penguins may be same-sex, while "in some animals the whole species is bisexual", the exhibition says, giving bonobo chimpanzees as an example.
. . In Norway, there was a desire among publicly funded museums to be "deliverers of truth" and to "put on display controversial subjects, things that are not said and are swept under the carpet". The museum says one of its aims is to "help to de-mystify homosexuality among people... we hope to reject the all too well known argument that homosexual behavior is a crime against nature".
Oct 12, 06: Police in the western Indian city of Nagpur have begun kicking couples out of public parks in a crackdown on "indecent behavior". The police have rounded up 54 couples so far. if someone is found sitting on someone's lap, we will take action."
. . A similar campaign earlier this year in the northern city of Meerut led to protests after overzealous police beat up teenaged girls and shaved the heads of their suitors.
Oct 12, 06: The birds and the bees may be gay, according to the world's first museum exhibition about homosexuality among other animals.
. . With documentation of gay or lesbian behavior among giraffes, penguins, parrots, beetles, whales and dozens of other creatures, the Oslo Natural History Museum concludes human homosexuality cannot be viewed as "unnatural". "We may have opinions on a lot of things, but one thing is clear --homosexuality is found throughout the animal kingdom, it is not against nature", an exhibit statement said. Geir Soeli, the project leader of the exhibition: "Homosexuality has been observed for more than 1,500 animal species, and is well documented for 500 of them."
. . A Dutch zoo had once organised tours to view homosexual couples among the animals. One exhibit shows two stuffed female swans on a nest --birds sometimes raise young in homosexual couples, either after a female has forsaken a male mate or donated an egg to a pair of males.
. . One photograph shows two giant erect penises flailing above the water as two male right whales rub together. Another shows a male giraffe mounting another for sex, another describes homosexuality among beetles.
. . Bonobos, a type of chimpanzee, and our very closest relative, have sex with either males or females, apparently as part of social bonding. "Bonobos are bisexuals, all of them", Soeli said.
. . Still, it is unclear why homosexuality survives, since it seems a genetic dead-end. Among theories, males can sometimes win greater acceptance in a pack by having homosexual contact. That in turn can help their chances of later mating with females, he said. And a study of homosexual men in Italy suggested that their mothers and sisters had more offspring. "The same genes that give homosexuality in men could give higher fertility among women", he said.
Oct 2, 06: For hundreds of years, Debrett's has guided Britain's aristocracy through the niceties of meeting royalty, going to the races or eating soup in the correct way.
. . Now the publishers of the bible of blue-blooded behavior are straying into previously unmentionable areas of the life of a modern girl --with a new book offering guidance on adultery, toplessness and celebrity gossip. First published in 1769, and its tome on manners, Debrett's Correct Form, has guided high society for decades. It's a sign that the traditional arbiters of civility are catching up with the times. "We're pulling Debrett's out of Victorian times."
. . The book's advice ranges from how to conduct a sleaze-free office fling or a disease-free one night stand. "Avoid dark-alley gropery and unladylike fumbling in the back of a cab", the guide says on the subject of one night stands. "Discuss the necessaries to avoid planting any love children or disease, and you're away."
. . Aitchison insists the book is not all about sex, lies and partying. The core values of Debrett's remain --elegance, composure and dignity are all important, whether you are dining with the Queen or cheating on your husband.
Sept 29, 06: Infrared cameras reveal that women become aroused as quickly as men. In previous research, sexual arousal was generally detected with instruments that require genital contact and manipulation. One might argue that can spoil the mood.
. . Thermal imaging technology, which uses cameras that detect heat given off by different objects, is a relatively non-invasive way of measuring the time it takes a person to reach peak arousal. So researchers focused the cameras on the genitals of test subjects while the subjects watched footage of pornography, travel shows and horror clips. This provided measurements of heat from both the sexually aroused and from whatever arousal or lack of it was spurred by the other programming.
. . "Comparing sexual arousal between men and women, we see that there is no difference in the amount of time it takes healthy young men and women to reach peak arousal", said Irv Binik, a McGill University psychology professor and founder and director of the Sex and Couple Therapy Service of Royal Victoria Hospital.
. . Both women and men started showing arousal within 30 seconds. Men reached peak arousal in about 665 seconds, while it took the women 743 seconds, a difference that researchers say is statistically negligible. The researchers hope that this knowledge will help diagnose and treat sexual dysfunction in women.
Sept 27, 06: Studies: Porn and internet access did not increase the rate of sex crimes in Croatia, nor does it appear to be related to divorce rates in America.
Sept 26, 06: Historical attitudes to sex in Britain will be laid bare for all to see this week in archives which reveal a nation rich in sexual experience and enthusiasm. Despite the taboos of the time, the 1949 sex survey, originally meant for national newspapers but never published due to its content, found one in five men had homosexual experiences and a quarter admitted to having sex with prostitutes. One in five women confessed to extra-marital affairs.
Sept 7, 06: Flashy magazine ads portraying sexy women may not catch the eyes of female readers, according to recent research. The advertising industry bases its success on consumers being drawn to their products. But when it comes to selling in magazines like Allure and Glamor—publications with a female readership of nearly 100% -—what do consumers want?
. . To find out, a team of researchers at the University of Florida in Gainesville gauged the emotional responses of more than 100 college-aged women to photos of attractive women. After looking at each photo, the participants would point to a manikin that represented their emotional reaction. For instance, one set of manikins represented arousal reactions, ranging from disinterested to excited. The more seductive the model, the more it left the women bored and uninterested.
. . Rather than distinguishing between six beauty types, the participants only saw two types. "After analyzing the data, we found that female consumers only saw two types of beauty: wholesome and sexy-sensual."
Sept 7, 06: Teens are slightly more likely to use condoms when they have sex with a casual partner, compared to a partner they are more serious about, a new study finds. "Unfortunately, this reveals that teens may overestimate the safety of using condoms most of the time with a casual partner and underestimate the risk of unprotected sex with a serious partner", study lead author Celia Lescano.
. . Females were more likely to report main partners, while males were much more likely to report having casual partners. Those with casual partners reported greater substance abuse and riskier behaviors. Young people who said their main partners had negative reactions about condom use were less likely to use condoms, the study found.
Sept 6, 06: Mother Nature, not an ordinance, will draw the covers over public nudity in Brattleboro. The town's Select Board decided to take no action on an anti-nudity ordinance that was introduced in response to a clothing-optional movement launched by local teenagers this summer. "Winter is coming. If spring comes and we still have a problem, we'll take another look at it."
. . Brattleboro, however, has long had a live-and-let-live culture. Its 12,000 residents have seen clothing-optional swimming holes, streakers, and even an event known as "Breast Fest", with women parading topless.
. . The stripping apparently started in early summer when a young woman sat naked on a park bench, said Police Chief John Martin. Then another woman took her shirt off downtown, a music festival inspired nude hula hoopers in a downtown parking lot, and in August a half dozen young people bared their bodies in a parking lot encircled by the backs of bookstores, coffee shops and restaurants.
Sept 2, 06: Nudity isn't new in Brattleboro. Usually it bares itself in more subtle places than a downtown parking lot, though. This summer, a group of teenagers has disrobed near restaurants, bookstores and galleries, igniting a debate about whether this bohemian southern Vermont town should ban a practice that has been tolerated until now.
. . "Brattleboro tends to be a laid-back town and pretty accepting of the unusual, but this is really pushing limits", said Police Chief John Martin. "It's clearly to outrage people, it's clearly rebelliousness."
. . By most accounts, the stripping started on a whim in early summer when a young woman sat naked on a park bench, Martin said. Then another woman started taking her shirt off downtown. A music festival promoting nudity and rebelliousness set up in May in a downtown parking lot and attracted nude hula hoopers, Martin said. Last month, a half dozen young people bared their bodies in the lot, encircled by the backs of bookstores, coffee shops and restaurants. They say they're just exercising their rights.
. . All the bare skin has raised eyebrows, even in a town that has seen clothing-optional swimming holes, streakers and an event known as "Breast Fest", which featured women parading topless. To some, a bunch of teenagers going au naturel is just harmless rebellion. "To most people, it's not a big deal", said Catherine Kauffman, 57, who calls Brattleboro "a don't-take-away-too-many-of-my-rights kind of town."
. . Vermont has no state laws against public nudity, but communities can pass their own rules banning it. At least eight cities and towns have passed anti-nudity ordinances.In Vermont, voters in another town shot down a ban on nudity after two public votes.
. . Baring it all as a form of social protest is growing. This summer, nude bicyclists rode through Burlington to protest the country's reliance on oil, part of an event known as the World Naked Bike Ride. Elsewhere, nudity has been used to oppose the Iraq war and the treatment of animals.
Sept 1, 06: Cambodia's parliament passed a law today which could send adulterers to jail for up to a year. The vote prompted a walkout by opposition lawmakers who said the law carried echoes of the Khmer Rouge and the Taliban in a country which should be tackling poverty and corruption instead of legislating about morality.
Seen on the net: "I just took part in the World Naked Bike Ride this weekend to highlight the the venerability of cyclists and oil dependency."
. . http://www.flickr.com/photos/portland_wnbr/ [but don't expect many beautiful people...]
Aug 27, 06: Some have appeared naked in a downtown parking lot. Others rode their bicycles or simply strolled the streets in the nude. Teenagers in the quaint Vermont town of Brattleboro are raising eyebrows this summer with brazen displays of nudity.
. . So far, they haven't been arrested or ticketed: public nudity isn't illegal in the town of 13,000 people, unless it's done to arouse sexual gratification. Vermont has a live-and-let-live tradition, allowing skinny-dipping and nude sunbathing. Brattleboro, the first permanent English settlement in the state in 1724, is home to a community of writers, artists and musicians as well as transplanted entrepreneurs from Boston and New York.
. . When the weather grew hot this year, a couple of dozen teens took to holding hula hoop contests, riding bikes and parading past the shops wearing only their birthday suits. Nobody, including the police, seemed to take offense until one local, Theresa Toney, went before the town government in August to complain about a group of youngsters naked in a parking lot. "The parking lot is not a strip club", she said. Town officials asked their attorney to draft an ordinance to ban such displays for the Select Board to vote on in September.
. . When the teens heard about it, some staged a nude sit-in. Jeremiah Compton, a high school junior: "It's just that we're bored and expressing our right", he said. "We have a nuclear power plant a few miles away and a ridiculous war in the Middle East, countries getting bombed", said Ian Bigelow, a 23-year-old who had gathered with some of his friends outside a bookstore. "So why's it such a big problem if we chose to get nude?"
Aug 27, 06: Warsaw's symbol, a half-nude mermaid, will have her chest covered on a poster promoting the Miss World competition after the original version was judged too erotic. The mermaid, central to Warsaw's founding legend, is depicted in two statues in the capital and appears on the city's crest and many public statues as nude from the waist up.
BEIJING: Police swooped last week after two groups of strippers gave "obscene performances" at a farmer's funeral. The disrobing served a higher purpose, the report noted. "Striptease used to be a common practice at funerals in Donghai's rural areas to allure viewers", it said. "Local villagers believe that the more people who attend the funeral, the more the dead person is honored."
. . Wealthy families often employed two troupes of performers to attract a crowd. Two hundred showed up at last week's funeral.
Aug 21, 06: Islamic clerics in eastern India have ruled that a woman divorced by her husband in a fit of drunkenness can remarry him only after she takes another husband for one day, police said.
. . Ershad, a rickshaw puller, uttered the word "talaq", or divorce, three times earlier this month while he was drunk, and when news leaked out in their village in eastern Orissa state, the clerics said they must separate.
. . Under the rules, the woman, who is a mother of three, must marry another man and obtain a divorce from him before she can be reunited with Ershad. The clerics have said the man the woman marries temporarily must be 70 years of age.
. . Another Muslim couple in neighboring West Bengal state was told by local religious leaders they must separate after the man uttered "talaq" three times in his sleep. They refused the order and continue to live together.
Aug 21, 06: The minister of a church that dismissed a female Sunday School teacher after adopting what it called a literal interpretation of the Bible says a woman can perform any job — outside of the church.
. . The First Baptist Church dismissed Mary Lambert on Aug. 9 with a letter explaining that the church had adopted an interpretation that prohibits women from teaching men. She had taught there for 54 years. The letter quoted the first epistle to Timothy: "I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent."
Aug 21, 06: Dozens of Nepali women stripped naked and plowed their fields in west Nepal, hoping to appease the gods and get some much needed rain, a newspaper report. [and maybe the men pray for drought?]
Aug 27, 06: A parade of 20 topless female porn stars on motorbikes brought the centre of Auckland to a standstill as lunchtime crowds craned their necks for a glimpse. A furor over the parade --which has been held for the last several years in New Zealand's largest city-- brought out the biggest crowds ever for the spectacle --over 20,000! A workers union rally on a square on the parade route attracted a better turnout than expected. [whoever organized that labor rally was thinking.]
. . The porn stars in studded knee-high boots, black leather pants and little else travelled in a convoy of cars & motorcycles down the city's main thoroughfare --Queen Street-- behind two military tanks. There were no reports of arrests during the parade.
Aug 21, 06: A parade of 30 topless porn stars riding motor bikes down the main street of New Zealand's biggest city will go ahead, officials said. Auckland City Council Monday gave the "Boobs on Bikes" parade the green light, saying there was no legal reason to stop it despite concerns by some councilors that granting it a permit would add legitimacy to the event. The parade is part of an "Erotica Expo".
. . Police earlier said they did not regard the parade of leather-clad porn stars as indecent. "In the opinion of the police, given the standards of decency observed in this day and age, a female being topless in a parade on a weekday in Queen St will not in itself constitute an indecent act", the police inspector wrote in a letter to The New Zealand Herald newspaper.
. . The crowd —ten deep in some places— was reportedly bigger than that for the city's annual Santa Parade at Christmas time. Lots of camera-fones were used. Dozens of pictures are available on Flickr.com and elsewhere.
. . Toplessness is said to be legal (literally or in effect) in Ontario; Eugene, Oregon... & in all or parts of many European nations.
Aug 21, 06: A parade of 30 topless porn stars riding motor bikes down the main street of New Zealand's biggest city will go ahead, officials said. Auckland City Council Monday gave the "Boobs on Bikes" parade the green light, saying there was no legal reason to stop it despite concerns by some councilors that granting it a permit would add legitimacy to the event. The parade is part of an "Erotica Expo".
. . Police earlier said they did not regard the parade of leather-clad porn stars as indecent. "In the opinion of the police, given the standards of decency observed in this day and age, a female being topless in a parade on a weekday in Queen St will not in itself constitute an indecent act", the police inspector wrote in a letter to The New Zealand Herald newspaper.
. . The crowd —four deep in some places— was reportedly bigger than that for the city's annual Santa Parade at Christmas time. Lots of camera-fones were used.
Aug 19, 06: An Indian businessman born with two penises wants one of them removed surgically as he wants to marry and lead a normal sexual life.
. . The 24-year-old man from the northern state of Uttar Pradesh admitted himself to a hospital this week with an extremely rare medical condition called penile duplication or diphallus, the Times of India said. "Two fully functional penes is unheard of even in medical literature. In the more common form of diphallus, one organ is rudimentary", the newspaper quoted a surgeon as saying.
. . The surgery was expected to be challenging as both organs were well-formed and full blood supply to the retained penis had to be ensured to allow it to function normally.
. . There are about 100 such reported cases of diphallus around the world and it is known to occur among one in 5.5 million men.
An 88-year-old Indian farmer, who has never heard of Viagra, became the father of a baby boy and has sex daily and wants more kids, The Times of India reported.
Aug 16, 06: Book report: Jonathan Balcombe's Pleasurable Kingdom: Animals are more like us than conventional wisdom generally allows, so much so in fact that they deserve many of the same ethical considerations that govern human relations. "If animals feel, then we have a responsibility towards them," says Balcombe.
. . Balcombe relies on his own and other scientists' research to show that, just like people, many animals experience joy, happiness, longing, boredom and love. This assertion is perhaps not surprising to dog or cat owners. But the author extends the argument daringly, and somewhat less convincingly, to a long list of critters that rarely receive such consideration, such as crustaceans and even insects.
. . The author cites research --more than most of us would ever care to know-- detailing how fish, fowl and invertebrates are touch-sensitive and will avoid painful situations. Badgers, monkeys and felines all crave physical contact with others, he reports. Reindeer eat hallucinogenic mushrooms more for the high than the nutrition, he argues, and normally carnivorous jaguars sometimes trip on tree bark.
. . While Balcombe admits there can never be definitive proof that animals feel pleasure, their facial gestures, he says, can be similar to humans'. Animal brains, he writes, undergo comparable chemical changes.
. . The argument really gets interesting with his discussion of animal sex, where he persuasively argues that humans can't lay exclusive claim to more highly evolved responses to the primal urge.
. . Evolutionary biologists have often struggled to explain human nonreproductive sex, though some such as Jared Diamond have found numerous payoffs, for example, strengthening emotional bonds between parents charged with raising their young over an extended period of dependence.
. . Many species have sex for fun, and plenty masturbate and have homosexual interactions. He reports that more than 300 species of vertebrates engage in homosexual activities (including giraffes, gulls and bonobo), while others practice autoeroticism (bats, walruses, rodents). He also accuses scientists of gender bias in their studies of animal sexual pleasure, claming that only a small fraction of the studies of mammal sex focus on the clitoris as opposed to the penis.
. . In the final chapter, he argues that since animals most likely feel pleasure and pain, they deserve more humane treatment during our interactions.
Aug 11, 06: A Missouri couple who must get married, or move, in order to comply with a housing ordinance in Black Jack, Missouri, sued the town today, claiming rules prohibiting the unmarried couple and their children from living together are unconstitutional.
. . The petition, filed in the Circuit Court of St. Louis County, challenges a Black Jack city ordinance that prohibits more than three people from living together in the same house if they are unrelated by blood, marriage or adoption.
. . Shelltrack and Loving have lived together about 13 years and have two children together, along with a 15-year-old daughter of Shelltrack's.
. . The city has threatened to begin fining the couple as much as $500 a day, said Tony Rothert, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Eastern Missouri, which is helping represent the family in the lawsuit. The lawsuit names the city and several city officials, including city councilmen and the city housing director as defendants.
. . A North Carolina judge ruled last month that a 201-year-old law there barring unmarried couples from living together was unconstitutional.
Aug 16, 06: The couple won. The City Council changed the law.
Aug 7, 06: A study by Rand Corp. concluded that teens who listen to sexy music on their iPods started having sex sooner than kids with other types of music. [Statistically, this does NOT mean that A causes B, or that if that music disappeared, the age stat would rise. Just as likely, kids who have sex earlier listen to such music.]
Aug 6, 06: Laura Woodmansee, National Space Society
. . How human the up-and-coming business of space tourism will be! Early space tourists will marvel at the view, but as orbital vacations become more affordable, space tourists will include couples who want to experience space and weightlessness together. Sex in Space is the "killer app" that will transform space tourism into a mega business. Making love with a view of the Earth below may be the ultimate aphrodisiac for space buffs. But, let's think about the implications of space-based sex for a moment. The sex-in-space revolution is about to begin!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20060806/sc_space/sexinspaceimaginethepossibilities
. . Sex in space will happen, and therefore it's a legitimate topic to explore. The sex drive is a basic part of our nature. It drives sex and love, the expansion of our families, and even our exploration of the unknown. We can't afford to be ashamed of sex. That will only prevent us from looking into the risks and possibilities. If we are to follow our hearts and create a civilization in space, we will need to address the possibilities of sex and reproduction in Earth orbit and beyond. Think about it, the first space babies will be space aliens in some ways.
. . The sex in space revolution is about to begin, and that's wonderful. But before it does, we need to be sure that we know what we're doing. I call on all the space agencies, especially NASA, to do more testing. It would be easy, for example, to test the blood of women astronauts who are on oral contraceptives while in space to measure the drug's effectiveness in orbit. If the space agencies are unwilling, then it's up to the personal spaceflight companies to take responsibility before sending couples on orbital honeymoons.
It ain't just people. Transsexual hen's crow wreaks havoc in the henhouse. A hen in southern Sweden that has grown a rooster comb, tail and wattle and begun to crow is wreaking havoc in its henhouse, where the rooster is hopping mad.
July 31, 06: Biologists have found evidence that people can sniff out the chemical signals of sexual attraction.
. . A US team has discovered a new class of receptors used by mice to detect pheromones, the sex hormones released by a potential mate. The gene for the receptors is also found in humans, suggesting that they too may be influenced by chemicals used in the dating game. Mammals have as many as 1,000 different odor receptors, giving them the ability to detect and discriminate a wide range of smells.
. . Now, researchers have discovered a new family of receptors that are located in the nasal lining of the mouse. The gene that codes for the receptor is found not only in mice but in fish and humans, suggesting that the behaviour of a diverse group of animals is influenced by pheromones.
July 28, 06: It started as an April Fool's joke, but an Irish bookmaker's proposal to hold the world's biggest strip poker contest will become reality next month. Paddy Power floated the idea as a joke but it generated so much interest --and hundreds of requests to take part-- that the Dublin-based company decided to organize a contest.
. . So next month, 200 poker buffs will risk baring all in an attempt to become the first World Strip Poker Champion --and earn a place in the Guinness Book of Records. The winner will also receive a "Golden Fig Leaf" trophy plus 10,000 pounds ($18,630) in cash.
Albanian police were speechless when around 30 Scandinavian women went topless, shocking local bathers and causing an uproar in an Albanian beach resort. "Police only watched ... they could not approach the tourists because they spoke no English."
July 26, 06: Washington state's highest court upheld a ban on same-sex marriage on Wednesday, ruling by a 5-4 majority that the legislature had the power to limit marriage.
July 24, 06: Called "Marriage for Asexuals" (www.wx920.com), the site claims to be the first and biggest online marriage broker for "asexual" people in China. It says it has attracted 7,000 members since it was launched last year. "I came up with the idea to help a friend, who lost his sexual abilities after an accident. There is much more space for unconventional marriages, as the government gradually withdrew from people's private lives after 1978."
. . 60% of the site's customers are people who cannot have sex, Lin said. The rest are "comrades", the Chinese nickname for homosexuals, who sign on in search of an opposite-sex spouse, often to relieve social and family pressure.
. . So-called "DINK" marriages, standing for "double income and no kids" --it is fashionable to use the English acronym-- have become popular among young urban professionals. Such arrangements wouldn't raise an eyebrow in the West, but in China they are still viewed as something of a radical lifestyle choice.
. . Another innovation is "marriage on weekends", where couples deliberately live apart on weekdays to maintain their independence.
. . The tone of some other postings is more tragic in a country where homosexuality was listed as a mental disorder until 2001, and where it remains stigmatized in many places.
July 20, 06: Khaled never thought a form of temporary marriage, described by some in Saudi Arabia as legal prostitution, would open the door to his happily-ever-after.
. . The 25-year-old Saudi security guard opted to marry Zeinab, also a Saudi, through a "misyar" contract --a kind of marriage-lite under which couples often live separately but get together regularly, sometimes just for sex. Thousands of people choose misyar in this ultraconservative Islamic kingdom where contact between unrelated men and women is forbidden and extramarital sex regarded as a grave sin.
. . Misyar also offers an alternative to cash-strapped men who want to avoid lavish weddings but would like a relationship, without incurring the wrath of the morality police. Under misyar, the husband is not financially responsible for his wife, and the marriage often ends in divorce.
. . Misyar is allowed under Sunni Islam and it is legal in Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam. But it is traditionally frowned upon and the fact that it leaves the wife financially vulnerable has angered many women's activists and intellectuals.
. . In regular marriages in Saudi Arabia, men must pay for expensive ceremonies, huge dowries and a home. If the couple divorce, he must pay alimony and child support. So misyar appeals to men of reduced means, as well as men looking for a flexible arrangement --the husband can walk away from a misyar and can marry other women without informing his first wife. Wealthy Muslims sometimes contract misyar when on holiday to allow them to have sexual relations without breaching the tenets of their faith.
. . A misyar is often one of the only options for older spinsters, divorcees and widows who often struggle to find husbands in a society where they are stigmatized. This vulnerability has sometimes encouraged abuses: women sometimes act as matchmakers for less than scrupulous men on the prowl for lonely and wealthy spinsters.
. . Some scholars say misyar was practised in the Arabian peninsula during the early days of Islam, when men were often away for months during battles or for trading. The practice reappeared in the early 19th century in Egypt, where it is known as urfi marriage and is now very common.
. . After years of study, the influential Mecca-based Islamic Jurisprudence Assembly in April declared that misyar marriage was legal, angering many womens' rights' activists in the Gulf, where misyar is practiced in several countries.
. . A few find misyar can be a first step to something more durable.
July 20, 06: New Zealand made prostitution legal in 2003. A New Zealand policewoman is receiving counselling after the discovery she had been moonlighting as a prostitute but has kept her job on the force.
July 20, 06: More than half of all images of child abuse found on the web can be traced back to the US, a report reveals.
July 20, 06: Vitamins can act as pheromones, attracting the opposite sex, scientists find --at least in lizards.
July 7, 06: An Indian prince has been disowned by his family after he publicly announced he was gay in a country where homosexuality is outlawed by a 145-year-old law.
. . Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil, who belongs to one of the country's richest royal families that ruled the former Rajpipla principality in the western state of Gujarat, has been disowned for "activities unacceptable to the society."
. . Gohil, 40, who announced he was gay this year, says he has found happiness among Gujarat's gay community and is not interested in his inheritance. "I could not have lived a lie forever."
. . Homosexuality is banned in India and punishable by up to 10 years in jail, but gay activists are trying to lift the veil of secrecy over the community in a country where public hugging or kissing even among heterosexuals invites angry stares, lewd comments and even beatings.
. . Gay support groups say the anti-homosexuality law --framed by British colonial rulers in 1861-- must be scrapped for an effective fight against HIV/AIDS because many homosexuals refuse to come out in the open fearing harassment by authorities. UNAIDS says there are an estimated 5.7 million Indians living with HIV.
July 6, 06: The highest courts in New York and Georgia dealt setbacks to supporters of same-sex marriage today, reigniting a national debate likely to continue through the November congressional election campaign.
July 6, 06: The New York State Court of Appeals refused to recognize same-sex marriage in a ruling today, saying the issue was a question for the Legislature to decide.
July 5, 06: They have documented an interesting wrinkle: among boys with one older brother, the figure goes up to about 4%; two older brothers tick it up to 5%; and with three or more, it tops out at about 6%.
. . In almost no case did homosexuality seem to correlate with stepbrothers living under the same roof. It was only the existence of older biological brothers --whether or not they were raised together-- that influenced younger brothers' sexuality.
Hungarian prostitutes will have to get used to doing more paperwork after a court ruled they must have a tax number to pursue their trade.
June 28, 06: [Out of the dark ages!] The Pentagon no longer deems homosexuality a mental disorder, officials said today, although the reversal has no impact on U.S. policy prohibiting openly gay people from serving in the military.
. . After a 1996 Pentagon document placing homosexuality among a list of "certain mental disorders" came to light this month, the American Psychiatric Association and a handful of lawmakers asked the Defense Department to change its view.
. . The Pentagon said in a statement: "Homosexuality should not have been characterized as a mental disorder." The American Psychiatric Association, responsible for a definitive listing of mental health classifications, declassified homosexuality as a mental disorder in 1973.
June 27, 06: For a man addicted to cigarettes and plagued by obesity, which together raise the risk of cancer and diabetes, life might seem a bit grim.
. . At least there's sex. Well, maybe not.
. . In a new study, scientists examined a survey database of 22,086 healthy subjects between the ages of 40 and 75, including 17.7% who reported new onset of erectile dysfunction between 1986 and 2000. Physical activity (beyond mere sex) played a key role in helping men avoid the dreaded ED. "We found a 2.5-fold difference in risk of ED when we compared obese men who did little exercise with men who were not overweight and averaged 30 minutes of vigorous exercise a day."
. . Smoking, too, was associated with a higher risk of getting ED among men who previously had good erectile function. And in fact, a study earlier this year in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that ED was a warning sign for heart disease.
June 27, 06: A man's sexual orientation appears to be determined in the womb, a new study suggests.
. . Past research by Dr. Anthony F. Bogaert of Brock University in St. Catherines, Ontario and colleagues has shown that the more older brothers a man has, the more likely he is to be gay. But it has not been clear if this is a prenatal effect or a psychosocial effect, related to growing up with older male siblings.
. . Bogaert studied 944 gay and straight men, including several who were raised with adopted, half- or step-siblings or were themselves adopted.
. . He found that the link between having older brothers and homosexuality was present only if the siblings were biologically related --this relationship was seen between biological brothers who were not raised together. The amount of time that a man was reared with older brothers had no association with sexual orientation. The link between the number of older brothers and homosexuality only existed when the siblings shared the same mother.
. . "These results support a prenatal origin to sexual orientation development in men and indicate that the fraternal birth-order effect is probably the result of a maternal 'memory' for male gestations or births."
. . A woman's body may see a male fetus as "foreign", Bogaert explains, and her immune response to subsequent male fetuses may grow progressively stronger. "If this immune theory were correct, then the link between the mother's immune reaction and the child's future sexual orientation would probably be some effect of maternal anti-male antibodies on the sexual differentiation of the brain." The antibodies created may affect the developing male brain.
. . Writing in the journal, Professor Bogaert said: "If rearing or social factors associated with older male siblings underlies the fraternal birth-order effect [the link between the number of older brothers and male homosexuality], then the number of non-biological older brothers should predict men's sexual orientation, but they do not. "These results support a prenatal origin to sexual orientation development in men."
. . Andy Forrest, a spokesman for gay rights group Stonewall, said: "Increasingly, credible evidence appears to indicate that being gay is genetically determined rather than being a so-called lifestyle choice. It adds further weight to the argument that lesbian and gay people should be treated equally in society and not discriminated against for something that's just as inherent as skin color."
June 27, 06: Stats w/o comment: Over 200 pornographic films are produced every week in the United States, mostly in Los Angeles. About 12,000 people in California live off the pornographic film industry.
. . In 1997, roughly 33,000 pornographic websites existed. Today the number has mushroomed to 500,000 and growing daily.
. . Americans alone spend more than 10 billion dollars annually on the sex industry, up from an estimated 10 million dollars a year in the 1970s.
June 26, 06: A lesbian couple from Rhode Island argued in court today for the right to marry in Massachusetts, the only U.S. state where gay marriage is legal, in a potentially precedent-setting case. Lawyers told a Superior Court judge that a ban on non-resident gay couples from marrying in Massachusetts should not apply to them because Rhode Island does not expressly ban same-sex marriage.
June 23, 06: Africa's Anglican bishops have attacked their U.S. counterparts for failing to condemn homosexuality after they elected a liberal woman leader who supports gay rights. [so are they condemning "femaleity" too? It would at least, be consistent!]
June 20, 06: The largest U.S. Presbyterian Church body approved a measure today that would open the way for the ordination of gays and lesbians under certain circumstances. The U.S. Episcopal Church, trying to appease an angry and alienated worldwide Anglican community, reversed itself today and agreed to try to avoid the consecration of more openly gay bishops.
The Episcopal Church isn't the only denomination debating gay issues —the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA faces a similar conflict, theologically and politically, at its assembly Thursday in Birmingham, Ala.
. . Can a local church ordain a gay elder when the denominational constitution forbids it? At its 1996 assembly, the 2.4 million-member church set a national standard banning ordination for openly gay deacons, elders and ministers but retaining those already ordained.
. . A task force report to be presented in Birmingham doesn't address gay ordination directly, but its governance recommendations, if adopted, could open the door to it by acknowledging the discretionary power of local and regional churches.
June 5, 06: [Stupidity can team with power-greed to result in evil.] President Bush and congressional Republicans are aiming the political spotlight this week on efforts to ban gay marriage, with events at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue --all for a constitutional amendment with scant chance of passage but wide appeal among social conservatives. Bush said Monday he is "proud to stand with" those who support a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.
. . Neither chamber, though, is likely to pass the amendment by the two-thirds majority required to send it to the states —-3/4 of which would then have to approve it.
. . Democrats say the amendment is a divisive bow to religious conservatives, and point out that it conflicts with the GOP's opposition to big government interference. "A vote for this amendment is a vote for bigotry pure and simple," said Democratic Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, where the state Supreme Court legalized gay marriages in 2003.
. . Mayor Gavin Newsom of San Francisco, which in 2004 began issuing marriage licenses to gay couples, on Monday denounced Bush's move as predictable and "stale rhetoric" aimed at rallying conservatives for this year's midterm elections. "It's politics. It's pandering and it's placating a core constituency, the evangelicals."
June 2, 06: A new study debunks the notion that having sex in the final weeks of pregnancy makes labor start sooner. Researchers at Ohio State University Medical Center studied 93 women in their final three weeks of pregnancy. When all was said and done, those who were sexually active had carried their babies an average of 39.9 weeks. Women who abstained, for whatever reason, deliver at 39.3 weeks on average.
. . "Patients may continue to hear the 'old wives' tale' that intercourse will hasten labor, but according to this data, they should not hear it from the medical community", said obstetrician Jonathan Schaffir.
. . There's a caveat in the results, however. Women who have abdominal discomfort or pelvic pressure—possible signs of earlier delivery—might be disinclined to have sex, Schaffir said, whereas those who feel fine might be more likely to engage in intercourse.
May 30, 06: Molecular Psychiatry online: New evidence that individual differences in human sexual desire can be attributed to genetic variations has been revealed by a research group headed by a professor of psychology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The findings are believed to have an impact on people's understanding of their own sexuality as well as to how sexual disorders may come to be treated in the future.
. . The article provides, for the first time, data that common variations in the sequence of DNA impact on sexual desire, arousal and function and lead to differences and diversity of the human sexual phenotype.
. . Little has been known regarding the biological basis for individual differences in normal, human sexual behavior. Most significant variations in the expression of human sexuality are considered historically to be the result of learned behavior or psychological problems. However, recent advances in molecular genetic studies of human behavior and personality, imaging studies of sexual arousal and performance, and neuroendocrinological investigations suggest that individual variations in many aspects of human sexuality, similar to other human behavior, are likely to rest on a firm foundation in the neurosciences.
. . This progress in understanding the biological basis of human sexuality provides a new way of viewing variations in sexual norms, without passing moral judgment. The results showed a correlation between variants in the D4 receptor gene --which is responsible for producing the dopamine receptor protein (DRD4)-- and the students' self-reports on sexuality.
. . Interestingly, some forms of variants in this gene were shown to have a depressing effect on sexual desire, arousal and function, while other common variant had the opposite effect – an increase in the sexual desire score. The latter is believed to be a relatively new mutation, and it is estimated that it appears in Homo sapiens "only" 50,000 years ago at the time of humankind's great exodus from Africa. Approximately 30% of many populations carry the heightened arousal mutations, while around 60% carry the depressant mutation.
. . It is possible, therefore, say the researchers, that sexual "problems" will thus be rerouted to a great extent from the classical psychological couch into the realm of 21st century, genomics-based medicine.
May 30, 06: The factors that will predict the success or failure of the relationship are similar: personality traits, level of trust and respect, and ability to communicate and resolve conflicts.
. . "Although members of gay and lesbian couples do not divide household labor in a perfectly equal manner, they are more likely than members of heterosexual couples to negotiate a balance between achieving a fair distribution of household labor and accommodating the different interests, skills, and work schedules of particular partners", Kurdek notes.
. . Conflict resolution may also be more effective among homosexual partners. Whether due to biology or acculturation, men and women tend to perceive the world differently, creating a source of conflict that does not affect a same-sex couple. Kurdek cites studies showing that gay and lesbian partners tend to begin discussing their problems with a more positive attitude than do heterosexual couples, and they develop more possible solutions and compromises in the course of the discussion.
. . Despite this more-civil approach to resolving problems, homosexual relationships are more likely to dissolve than heterosexual relationships, Kurdek notes. In studies of married heterosexual, cohabiting heterosexual, gay, and lesbian couples, the least likely to have dissolved their relationship after 18 months were married couples (4%); the most likely were lesbian couples (18%). [!]
. . Kurdek believes that it is the institution of marriage itself that may help keep the relationships intact over time. A study in Norway and Sweden found that state-sanctioned unions for gays and lesbians did reduce the break-up rates for couples, though they were still higher than for married heterosexuals.
. . Marriage (or other legally sanctioned union) has a positive influence on relationship outcomes, both because it is a culturally supported institution and because it simply makes breaking up harder to do, says Kurdek. Without the backing of society and their own social networks (supportive family and friends), gay and lesbian couples have an uphill battle in maintaining their relationships.
May 24, 06: A sex theme park designed to enhance its visitors' lovemaking skills will open in the heart of London within months, the academy's director announced. "Amora -- The Academy of Sex and Relationships" is hoping to seduce up to 600,000 visitors through the doors in its first year.
. . It's out to "separate fact from myth in the world of sex and educate everyone into being better lovers", said Doctor Sarah Brewer. "The more sex we have, the more we want --and the less sex we have, the more we want", she said.
. . The seven zones of self-discovery explore attraction, love and relationships as well as sexual well-being, which looks at the dangers of unsafe sex.
. . Both sexes have the chance to learn how best to kiss and how to talk in a more sexy fashion. But if these prove ineffective, visitors are able to build their ideal partner from a series of body parts.
. . The theme park is expected to appeal mainly to the under-25s, but no one under 18 will be admitted. It is predicted that women visitors will tend to be in groups of three or more, while men will be on their own or with another male friend.
May 22, 06: A young boy who believes he was born the wrong sex was allowed to enroll as a girl at an elementary school in southwestern Japan. The 7-year-old boy entered the school as a girl in April 2005 after he was diagnosed with gender identity disorder at age 6.
. . The school's decision is highly out of character for Japan's public school system, known for learning by rote and having little tolerance for children who don't fit in. Awkward children can be mercilessly bullied by other students.
. . The school has not told other parents about the switch, and it was unclear whether any of the students knew the boy's true gender. The school official said there had not been any complaints from other students or from the boy's parents since his enrollment. He said the school district would watch his case closely and reassess the decision as the boy reaches puberty.
Hood College is reviewing its homecoming rules after a lesbian was crowned king, a college official says.
May 18, 06: The world's first "theme park" dedicated to sex and relationships is set to open in London's bustling West End later this summer, its promoters said.
. . Amora: The Academy of Sex and Relationships, featuring "high-tech and interactive exhibits together with new media displays", expects up to 600,000 visitors within its first year in the Trocadero Center at Piccadilly Circus.
. . "Titillation is not the goal", the promoters --who include sexologist and self-help book author Sarah Brewer-- said in a statement, refuting comparisons with museums of erotica in Amsterdam, Barcelona and Paris. "Our vision is to build a Kinsey-type institute in Europe for Generation X and Y to bring modern thinking around sexuality."
May 16, 06: A Georgia judge today struck down a ban on same-sex marriage that was approved by voters in 2004, saying it violated the Southern state's constitution.
. . Judge Constance Russell of Fulton County Superior Court ruled that the measure violates the state's "single-subject rule" as it asked voters to decide on multiple issues in one amendment, said Jack Senterfitt, an attorney with gay rights group Lambda Legal Defense. The group had challenged the ban along with the state arm of the American Civil Liberties Union.
. . Georgia was one of several states where voters solidly backed state constitutional amendments in 2004 to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
May 16, 06: [Is this laughable?!] King Abdullah has told Saudi editors to stop publishing pictures of women, as they could make young men go astray. The king's directive, made in a meeting with local editors, caused surprise as the monarch has been regarded a quiet reformer since he took office in the ultra-conservative country last August.
. . In recent months, newspapers have published pictures of women --always wearing the traditional Muslim headscarf-- to illustrate stories with increasing regularity. Usually the stories have had to do with women's issues. The papers have also started publishing a range of views on causes that are not generally accepted in Saudi Arabia — such as women having the right to drive and vote.
London: May 2, 06: If you thought that men were the only creatures with sex on their minds everyday, well then it’s time to think again, for a new survey has found that women spend 30 minutes more than them every day thinking about it too.
. . The survey, of 4,000 Brits by internet giant lastminute.com, found that while men think about sex 150 minutes in every 24 hours, women on the other hand, spend 180 minutes per day thinking about getting hot and heavy.
Apr 25, 06: Bra producers have been forced to offer bigger cup-sizes in China because improved nutrition is busting all previous chest measurement records. "It's so different from the past when most young women would wear A- or B-cup bras."
. . Lingerie firm Embry Group no longer produces A-cups for larger chest circumferences and has increased production of C-, D- and E-cup bras to meet pressing demand. The Beijing Institute of Clothing Technology released a report last week saying the average chest circumference of Chinese women has risen by nearly 1 cm (0.4 inch) to 83.53 cm (32.89 inches) since the early 1990s.
. . Similar growth in the average height of children prompted a rethink last year in Beijing on the height allowance for free bus rides.
Apr 21, 06: Public schools can bar clothing with slogans that are hurtful, a U.S. appeals court ruled today in the case of a student who wore a T-shirt saying "Homosexuality is shameful."
Apr 20, 06: In pre-communist China, sex was less a taboo than it became under former leader Mao Zedong, whose own highly active --and disease-ridden-- love life was chronicled by his doctor in a book banned in China.
. . Under Mao, sex was officially a matter of doing one's reproductive duty for the state. He wanted a new labor force to build a new country and the state encouraged high birth rates. Since then, the government has embarked upon a stern family planning policy to control a booming population --the world's largest-- but official attitudes toward sex remain puritan, though they are changing slowly. They need to change faster, health experts say.
. . There has been a huge rise in pre-marital and teenage sex. According to state media, 70% of urban youth admitted to having premarital sex in 2004, up from just 15% in 1989. "China needs to work on the widespread misunderstanding of sex, the lack of teaching materials and on the negative approach to youngsters involved in sexual activity", said a student.
. . Not all Chinese grow up with sex as a taboo. In the matriarchal Mosuo tribe in southwest China's Yunnan province, women traditionally move into their own house --and choose between their suitors-- from the age of 13. "When you take in a man, you spend a night with him and, if he performs well, you keep one of his gifts inside the house so that he knows he can return", said Yang Erche Namu, a Mosuo who has won fame in China as a pop star, model and writer.
Apr 19, 06: Around the world, middle-aged and elderly men tend to be more satisfied with their sex lives than women in the same age group, a new survey said.
. . Substantial majorities of people who are married or who have a partner remain sexually active throughout the second half of their lives, according to a survey of 27,500 people aged 40 to 80 in 29 countries. "There was very little effect of age on sexual well-being", though other factors such as health problems or depression had a substantial impact.
. . The survey published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior looked at how they viewed their sex lives, their health, and their happiness. It found that a greater proportion of people in Europe, North America, and Australia, where men and women have more or less equal relations, enjoyed sex physically and emotionally.
. . A smaller percentage of people reported satisfying sex lives in male-dominated cultures in poorer countries. But the gender gap persisted around the world. "There's a systematic disparity between men and women, where men are on the average substantially --or about 10 points-- higher in their levels of satisfaction as women in that country", he said.
. . "Pleasure is not part of the story" in sexually conservative cultures in the Far East -- China, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand, Laumann said. "Procreation is the rationale for sex. Many women characterize sex as dirty, as a duty, something they endure" --and often stop having it after age 50.
. . But roughly two-thirds of adults in Western nations reported their sex lives were very to extremely satisfying --though some countries appeared happier than others.
Roughly four out of five middle-aged to older Austrians, for instance, rated their sex lives highly, while considerably fewer adults in France and Sweden shared that sentiment.
. . In the United States, about three-quarters of men and two-thirds of women reported they were very satisfied with the physical and emotional aspects of their sex lives. In Japan, by contrast, just 18% of the men and 10% of the women answered positively about their sex lives. And in Taiwan, only 7% of the women said sex was very important in their lives.
. . Satisfying sex is not the same as a satisfying sexual relationship, Laumann said the survey showed. "People who are dating have higher levels of sexual satisfaction than (married) couples ... but when they think the relationship is temporary, they're not going to feel as positive about sex."
Comedian Gilbert Gottfried, the voice of the Aflac Inc. duck in television commercials for the insurer, was crowned "unsexiest man in the world" by an alternative newspaper.
Apr 19, 06: The Roman Catholic Church's sex-abuse scandal has cost the Boston Archdiocese at least $151 million since it erupted in 2002, the Church said today in a financial report.
Apr 17, 06: Investigators found that Levitra treatment was associated with an 81% improvement in erections compared to 30% with placebo.
. . When the effects of treatment for men and their partners were considered, Levitra significantly improved satisfaction scores compared with placebo in six areas:
. . -- orgasm satisfaction (60% vs 32% for men, 56% vs 32% for partners),
. . -- confidence (62% vs 34% for men; 59% vs 30% for women),
. . -- pleasure (67% vs 44% for men; 64% vs 38% for partners),
. . -- ease of erection (64% vs 41% for men and 60 vs 37% for partners),
. . -- satisfaction with erection (60% vs 28% for men; 58% vs 27% for partners)
Apr 17, 06: [Note that these are *academic people, not at all porn-business people.] When America's top sex researchers gathered recently to discuss the next decade in their field, some envisioned a future in which artificial sex partners could cater to every fantasy. "What is very likely to be present before 2016 would be a multi-sensual experience of virtual sex", said Julia Heiman, director of the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction at Indiana University.
. . A field dubbed "teledildonics" already allows people at two remote computers to manipulate electronic devices such as a vibrator at the other end for sexual purposes. "People who use it are just blown away", said Steve Rhodes, president of Sinulate Entertainment, which has sold thousands of Internet-connected sex devices over the past three years. "This is not something that just the lunatic fringe does. What people are missing here is the point, which is the human connection that we are facilitating through the technology."
. . Gina Lynn, who writes the "Sex Drive" column for Wired magazine, says she has used and enjoyed the Sinulator and says there is no reason to fear the technology.
. . Is it possible to go a step further and come up with a sex robot such as that portrayed by actor Jude Law in the 2001 film "AI: Artificial Intelligence" or the orgasmatron machine of the 1973 Woody Allen movie "Sleeper?" Carl DiSalvo, a doctoral candidate at Carnegie Mellon University's School of Design, has helped design a robotic device that simulates the warmth and feeling of a hug. He said such work could be expanded into the realm of sex.
. . Companies such as realdoll.com sell very lifelike human-size sex dolls without electronics for $6,500, not including $500 shipping.
. . Marvin Minsky, a pioneer in the study of artificial intelligence dating back to 1951, said such devices could either trigger an actual physical response from the brain, or have the entire experience take place in the mind with the sensation of sex --but without the mess or risk of sexually transmitted disease.
. . "It's bound to happen ... and is not as far off as some people think", Minsky, a professor emeritus at MIT, said of direct brain manipulation. "They are doing things with monkeys but it is not a big world-class industry yet, so that could take 20-30 years. But if the game (industry) people got involved in some underdeveloped country that didn't have any laws against it, it could all happen twice as fast."
Mar 7, 06: When asked in a poll conducted by NBC's "Today Show" and Zogby International how often they would rather sleep than have sex, a stunning 44% of respondents chose sleep at least some of the time with 8% choosing it always. All of which is not particularly surprising after the poll also revealed that nearly half of us don't get enough sleep and roughly 25% get fewer than six hours a night.
Apr 5, 06: A study of Baltimore teens concludes the average age for first-time sex is 14.8 years, compared to 16.4 across the nation. Nearly 42% had engaged in vaginal intercourse by the age of 14, and 26% had done so before age 14. The new study was done by Danielle Ompad at the New York Academy of Medicine.
. . Ompad said emphasis on abstinence-based sex education might no longer be relevant. "Sex education and intervention programs should address the risk for the unintended consequences of sexual behaviors", Ompad said, adding that the education should include discussion of using condoms for disease prevention and using birth control for pregnancy prevention.
. . A study last year found that 19.5% of the ninth-graders in California had tried oral sex and 13.5% have had vaginal sex.
Apr 5, 06: A new federal law passed in 2003 ensures that American sex tourists landing on foreign soil and hiring prostitutes under the age of 18 can get 30 years in prison. But in Georgia, punishment for pimping or soliciting sex with a girl under 18 is only five to 20 years, according to Deborah Espy, the Deputy District Attorney of Fulton County.
. . Half of the street-level prostitutes in Atlanta are believed to be under 18, according to experts. "People are stunned that Atlanta's the No. 1 sex center in the country."
. . Up to 90% of runaways are believed to end up as prostitutes, with a third lured into prostitution within 48 hours. Some are sold into sexual slavery by their parents, according to a 2005 study by the Atlanta Women's Agenda. In all, an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 underage girls are prostituted in the United States, according to a University of Pennsylvania study.
. . The pimps even held an annual "Player's Ball" in Atlanta in 2003, openly buying and selling women and naming a "Player of the Year", according to the Atlanta Women's Agenda study. The risks may seem worth it to some. While there are few reliable statistics, child sexual exploitation is believed to be the world's third-biggest money maker for organized crime, said Stephanie Davis, policy adviser to Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin.
Apr 3, 06: Nordic European countries, which have attracted a reputation for their chilliness and reserve, have more sex therapists than their warmer more southerly neighbors, according to a new survey.
Public female toplessness has been legal in Ontario for about a decade now. [& male, I assume...] No one takes advantage of this right, but it exists, enshrined in law and legal rulings.
In January, a Canadian Justice Department report called for the decriminalization and regulation of polygamy, and warned the nation to prepare for a court challenge to two-person marriage. In a 2003 survey, 20% of Canadians said they are willing to accept polygamy. An estimated 30,000 to 40,000 Americans live in polygamous marriages in and around Utah.
Apr 1, 06: Tired of playing second fiddle to men in conservative Saudi Arabia, five women decided if you can't beat them, join them. Al Watan newspaper said the five women underwent sex change surgery abroad over the past 12 months after they developed a "psychological complex" due to male domination.
. . Women in Saudi Arabia, which adopts an austere interpretation of Islam, are not allowed to drive or even go to public places unaccompanied by a male relative.
Apr 1, 06: Long, twirling moustaches and bejewelled daggers are no longer enough for a man seeking to marry in India's desert state of Rajasthan, long considered a land of fearless warriors. But if he is lucky enough to have a sister, he can relax.
. . A declining sex ratio in the state is prompting a girl's parents to spurn offers of marriage from men unless the potential groom's family also has a marriageable daughter for their son. "Around 30% of the marriages in the past year in Shekhawati region of Rajasthan were fixed on this swap system."
. . The sex ratio in many of Rajasthan's districts has dropped to 922 girls for every 1,000 boys, according to the last census. In one or two villages, it has plummeted to less than 500.
. . The joint engagement pact, called "aata-saata", or the "double-couple plan", has emerged as young women find themselves much in demand in a state where the traditional preference, as in much of India, has been for sons. The report said that dowry, where traditionally a bride's father had to bestow riches on a groom to secure a marriage, has completely disappeared from many parts of the state. Rather the groom's families are now offering to bear the cost of finding a suitable bride for their sons.
. . Heavily skewed sex ratios have emerged in several parts of India as couples use ultra-sound technology to achieve their desire for a baby son despite such tests being illegal. A joint study carried out by researchers in India and Canada recently suggested that a half-million female fetuses may be aborted in India every year.
Apr 1, 06: Media with high sexual content is fueling the sex life of teenagers, suggests a new study that surveyed 1,017 black and white teens between the ages of 12 and 14.
The study analyzed 308 different television shows, movies, songs, and magazines commonly used by teenagers and calculated each teens “sexual media diet”. The researchers then followed up with each teen two years later inquiring about their sexual behavior.
. . As it turns out, white teens who use media with high sexual content were more than two times as likely to have sex by the time they were 16 years old than those who used less. In black teens, the relationship was not as solid.
. . Teens are looking to entertainment media for sexual information because they don't receive it from other sources, said Jane Brown, a professor at University of North Carolina and the principal investigator of the study. "Unfortunately, the media aren't the best sex educators. The media tend to leave out the crucial three C's: commitment, contraception and consequences."
. . The scientists found that the best way to protect teenagers from early sexual engagement is for parents to communicate on the topic with their kids.
. . Both black and white teens whose parents disapproved of early sexual activities were less likely to have sex by the time they were 16, the survey found. Those who didn't get a clear sense of disapproval from their parents were more likely to engage in sexual activities.
A Couple of ducks 'come out' in Sweden. In the middle of mating season, a couple of male ducks returned to a park in southern Sweden, for the third consecutive year, ignoring the siren calls of all the lady ducks around them.
Apr 7, 06: Unrelated people who kiss each other on the lips for more than five minutes at public places in the Indonesian city of Tangerang will face arrest. It was not clear if the guideline referred to an uninterrupted five-minute kiss. Kissing in public is generally frowned upon in Indonesia, especially in rural, predominantly Muslim areas, but giving a time limit for such behavior is unheard of.
Gay couples from American states that ban same-sex marriages cannot legally be wed in Massachusetts where such unions are legal, the state's highest court ruled.
Mar 23, 06: Up to a third of telephone users in Britain make calls in the nude, with men more prone to do it without clothes than women, a survey revealed. Research commissioned by Britain's Post Office, which offers a fledgling home phone service, revealed that 40% of men admitted to nattering naked compared with 27% of women. The results were based on a survey of 1,500 telephone users.
. . The research also showed that people were so busy that one in 10 people admitted to wandering off and leaving the caller talking to themselves.
Mar 27, 06: A Muslim couple in India has been told by local Islamic leaders they must separate after the husband "divorced" his wife in his sleep, the Press Trust of India reported. Sohela Ansari told friends that her husband Aftab had uttered the word "talaq", or divorce, three times in his sleep, according to the report.
. . When local Islamic leaders got to hear, they said Aftab's words constituted a divorce under an Islamic procedure known as "triple talaq." The couple, married for 11 years with three children, were told they had to split. The religious leaders ruled that if the couple wanted to remarry they would have to wait at least 100 days. Sohela would also have to spend a night with another man and be divorced by him in turn.
Mar 27, 06: Young men who feel good about their looks are more likely than their peers with a less positive body image to engage in risky sexual behavior, a new study of college students shows. Among young women, in contrast, those with a more positive body image were less likely to engage in risky sexual behavior.
. . The researchers interviewed 434 students, ranging in age from 17 to 19, during their first year of college. 59% reported being sexually active. Just over two-thirds of sexually active students said they didn't use condoms every time they had sex, while a little over half said they used alcohol while having sex at least some of the time.
. . While sexually active students reported less dissatisfaction with their looks and a more positive body image on average, "it's important to point out that we don't know which comes first", Lefkowitz said. People who feel better about their looks may be more likely to have sex, or being sexually active may confer a better body image, she explained.
. . As the researchers hypothesized, men with better body images had more lifetime sex partners and were less likely to use condoms during sex, while women who felt more positively about their looks had fewer partners and used condoms more frequently.
Mar 14, 06: Forget the Mao suits of a generation ago. Actually, forget about any clothes at all. Naked wedding photos are the hot new trend among young couples in once deeply conservative China. Even in Anhui, a largely rural province in the east, many newly-weds are having their pictures taken in the nude, to the fury of their parents' generation, the Xin'an Evening News said.
. . The China Radio International news website even carried an article on the trend showing some images of naked newlyweds.
March 12, 2006, CBS's 60 Minutes: Lesley Stahl reports: Psychologists used to believe homosexuality was caused by nurture — namely overbearing mothers and distant fathers — but that theory has been disproved. Today, scientists are looking at genes, environment, brain structure and hormones. There is one area of consensus: that homosexuality involves more than just sexual behavior; it’s physiological.
. . Bailey and his colleagues set up a series of experiments in his lab at Northwestern University. In one study, researcher Gerulf Rieger videotaped gay and straight people sitting in a chair, talking. He then reduced them visually to silent black and white outlined figures and asked volunteers to see if they could tell gay from straight. The idea was to find out if certain stereotypes were real and observable. Based on physical movement and gestures of the figures, more often than not, the volunteers in the study could tell a difference.
. . "So, is the conclusion that gay people do in fact move differently?" Stahl asked Rieger.
. . "Yeah, absolutely", he replied. It's not true 100% of the time; it is true on average. The researchers also studied the way gay and straight people talk, and they found differences on average there too.
. . "But don't you find this interesting that the one big area where gay men are more like straight men is in sex? I mean, that is…both amusing and odd", Stahl said.
. . "It suggests that whatever causes a man to be gay doesn't make him feminine in every respect. There must be different parts of the brain that can be feminized independently from each other", Bailey replied.
. . But how and when does this feminizing occur? If the differences were already apparent in childhood, that would point to an early, perhaps even genetic origin — and that's what Bailey and Rieger are testing in a new study using childhood home movies.
. . If you can spot a child's future sexual orientation before the child even knows he or she has one, doesn't that prove it's genetic? Studies have shown that homosexuality runs in families. So genes must be the answer. But then the researchers tell you identical twins can have different sexual orientations. Does this prove that it's not genetic? "What it proves is it's not completely genetic. They have the same genes", says Bailey.
. . Asked if that brings us back to the mother and the father, Bailey says no. "But that's environment", Stahl said.
. . "That's environment. But that's not the only environment. There's also the environment that happens to us while we’re in the womb. And scientists are realizing that environment is much more important than we ever thought it was", Bailey explained.
. . Dr. Breedlove says he can take a male rat and make it behave like a female for the rest of its life, and vice versa for a female, just by altering the hormones it's exposed to at birth. Because rats are born underdeveloped, that's roughly the same as altering a third-trimester human fetus in the womb.
. . While biologists look at hormones for answers about human sexuality, other scientists are looking for patterns in statistics. And hard as this is to believe, they have found something they call "the older brother effect." "The more older brothers a man has, the greater that man's chance of being gay", says Bailey. Asked if that's true, Bailey says, "That is absolutely true."
. . If this comes as a shock to you, you’re not alone. But it turns out, it’s one of the most solid findings in this field, demonstrated in study after study. And the numbers are significant: for every older brother a man has, his chances of being gay increase by one third. Older sisters make no difference, and there's no corresponding effect for lesbians. A first-born son has about a 2% chance of being gay, and the numbers rise from there. The theory is it happens in the womb.
. . "One of the things we've only found out lately is that older brothers affect a boy only if the boy is right-handed", Breedlove said. "If the boy is left-handed, if his brain is organized in a left-handed fashion, it doesn't matter how many older brothers he has, his probability of being gay is just like the rest of the population."
. . Then there's the question of how something in the womb could affect one twin but not the other. There are many more questions at this point than answers, but the scientists 60 Minutes spoke to are increasingly convinced that genes, hormones, or both —-that something is happening to determine sexual orientation before birth.
Mar 7, 06: The mayor of a New Zealand town wants a nude cycling race to be called off --because the participants won't be wearing helmets. The mayor of the Tasman District said police would look like "fools" if they allowed the race to go ahead for the third straight year, in spite of the objection of local residents. Police said they had queried the legality of the race and found they can take no action.
. . About 100 people are expected to take part in the "clothing optional" race Sunday around Golden Bay. The race aims to promote safe cycling and alternative energy.
Feb 27, 06: Pope Benedict XVI said today that embryos developed for in vitro fertilization deserve the same right to life as fetuses, children and adults —-and that that right extends to embryos even before they are transferred into a woman's womb. The Vatican has long held that human life begins at conception, but Benedict's comments were significant because he specified that even an embryo in its earliest stages —-when it is just a few cells-— is just as much a human life as an older being.
Feb 24, 06: Adult sex toys jostled for space with cotton pads and cough syrup on pharmacy shelves in Rome this week. Farmacap has signed a contract with condom-manufacturer Durex to distribute the sex aids. The company said the adult toys were "registered as aids or health instruments" in the health ministry's catalogue of recognized pharmaceutical products, and thus as suitable for sale in a pharmacy as Vick's.
Feb 22, 06: Despite weakened sex drives and flagging erections, men in their 50s enjoy sex almost as much as those in their 20s. The 30s seem to be a time of disappointment.
. . Researchers in Norway surveyed 1,185 men aged between 20 and 79 about various aspects of their sex lives, including drive, erections and ejaculations. The men were asked to rate their satisfaction with each aspect on a scale of zero to four, with four representing good sexual function and no problems.
The average scores for men in their …
. . 20s: 2.79
. . 50s: 2.77
. . 30s: 2.55
. . 40s: 2.72
“The results showed a very strong correlation between men getting older and reduced sexual functioning, but not between age and sexual satisfaction, said a study team member in Oslo, Norway.
. . 86% of the men surveyed were married or in a sexual relationship, and 57% had been sexually active in the last 30 days.
. . As expected, the survey found that the ability to maintain an erection and ejaculate declined with age. Satisfaction with erections for the entire group of men averaged 2.83, with the high score of 3.63 going to men in their twenties and the low score of 1.60 going to men in their seventies. Men in their twenties reported an overall score of 3.85 for their ability to ejaculate, while men in their seventies averaged only 2.32.
. . After the age of 59, overall satisfaction with sex fell significantly to 2.46 for men in their sixties and 2.14 for those in their seventies.
Japanese couples who celebrate the husband's retirement with a leisurely cruise or overseas trip may find themselves headed for a divorce court when they get home. Many Japanese men who retire have spent decades living largely apart from their families as they devoted themselves to their jobs --a recipe for trouble when they decide to take extended trips abroad with their wives.
Feb 17, 06: Most surveys about sex find impossibly that men have had far more partners than women, typically two to four times as many. Either there are a bunch of phantom females out there, or somebody is lying. Or perhaps men just have lousy memories.
. . Psychologist Norman R. Brown at the University of Michigan has done several studies on the apparent flaw in these surveys. The latest was a web-based survey of 2,065 heterosexual non-virgins with a median age in their late 40s. The women reported on average 8.6 lifetime sexual partners. The men claimed 31.9. Rather than let it go at that, Brown and his colleagues later in the survey asked the participants to rate the truthfulness of their response. About 5% said they lied. In addition, more than 10% said they knew their answer wasn't accurate.
. . But there's more to the discrepancy. Men and women use different methods to calculate their past dalliances. Women rely on a raw count, a method Brown says is known to result in underestimation. "They tend to say, 'I just know', and if you ask them to explain how they know, they say, 'Well, there was John, Tom, etc.'" [forgetting a few...]
. . Men also rely on a flawed strategy. "Men are twice as likely to use rough approximation to answer the question", Brown said. "And rough approximation is a strategy known to produce over-estimation."
. . Then again, maybe Brown's study is flawed, too. His next survey will be done by telephone, to find out if people lie and fudge as much in that medium, or if the Web-based surveys invite such behavior. The self-proclaimed liars "could be liars who lie about lying", he said.
Feb 15, 06: Many art historians and anthropologists believe Paleolithic cave wall art was done by accomplished shaman-artists, but mixed in with the finer paintings are graffiti-like scenes of sex and hunting. An analysis of thousands of paintings from the late Pleistocene epoch suggests the graffiti artists back then were likely the same as today -—teenage males.
. . Most cave art from 10,000 to 35,000 years ago was done by hand, quite literally. Artists would chew up a bit of red ocher, place their hand against a wall, and spit over their hand. Men and women have different hand proportions -—men have thicker thumbs and palms—- so by analyzing the dimensions of the hands in European cave art, and comparing them to 1,000 photocopies of modern hands of men and women of different ages, Guthrie determined just who painted what. Men and women and boys and girls of all ages left their marks but, statistically, teenage males dominated, contrary to popular belief.
. . "They painted what was on their minds." And as with modern teenagers, the ancients had more on their minds than just cars and sports. "In the graffiti, there is a lot of below-the-belt-art", Guthrie said. "The people in the art are predominantly women, and not a single one has any clothes on." But these weren't just any women, they were Pleistocene Pamela Andersons adorned with ludicrously huge breasts and hips. The walls were also decorated with graphic depictions of genitalia.
Feb 14, 06: A Massachusetts regulatory board voted to require Wal-Mart stores to stock morning-after contraceptives, two weeks after three women in the state sued Wal-Mart for refusing to fill orders for the pills.
Feb 14, 06: Researchers said that most men who have had penis enlargement surgery are not satisfied with the results. "For patients with psychological concern about the size of the penis --particularly if it is normal size-- there is little point in offering them surgery because it makes no difference", said Nim Christopher, a urologist at St Peter's Andrology Center in London. Christopher and his colleagues, who questioned 42 men who had the surgery, found the dissatisfaction rate was very high. Often the men requested another surgical procedure. "The average increase in length is 1.3 cm (0.5 inches) which isn't very much and the dissatisfaction rate was in excess of 70%."
Feb 10, 06: Married South Korean women are the least happy with their sex lives, Japanese men are the most likely to try and dodge a certain sex problem and French men are the most fond of their frolicking, according to a recent survey by Eli Lilly and Co. of 1,200 married men and women in South Korea, Japan, France and the United States also found the French had the best sex lives followed by the Americans.
. . About half the South Korean men, however, said they were satisfied in bed with their wives.
. . "Not often enough" topped the list of complaints by men in all four countries while the main complaint of wives was not enough romance. Less than one in 10 French men had any complaints about sex, which was also the lowest.
Feb 8, 06: Six gay penguins at a German zoo are still refusing to mate with females of the species. The females were flown in last year in a bid to bring the males to mate and help save the Humboldt species from extinction. The zoo has 10 male penguins of which six have shown strong signs of preferring male company and formed couples among themselves.
. . The initiative to "turn" the penguins and make them mate had prompted a furious response from gay rights groups. On its website, the zoo sought to defend itself from fresh criticism. "We will be delighted if the penguins form even one heterosexual couple and manage to produce first an egg, and then a little one. But of course we accept the male couples that have formed and we are not trying to enforce heterosexuality, as we were accused of doing last year."
Feb 8, 06: Hong Kongers, once found to prefer work to sex, have become a little more sexually active -- and picked up a few special interests along the way.Residents of the Chinese territory are now having regular sex, and doing it in more places, with more people and in more ways, the survey by HK Magazine found.
. . More than 10% of respondents said they'd had sex with so many partners that they had lost count. More than half of the men said they had paid for sex, while that figure for women was 2.4%.
. . The survey of 1,500 people found Hong Kongers were more prepared to have sex to further their careers and that an equal number of men and women --around 86%-- like to talk dirty.
. . The findings are in contrast to a survey by condom company Durex last year that placed Hong Kongers at the bottom of the world's sex league table, having sex just 79 times a year.
. . However, the HK Magazine survey did unearth some less surprising facts. In a city where 98% of the population has one or more mobile phones, 38% of men and 35% of women said they had interrupted sex to answer a call.
A UK firm called Lifestyle Choices has started selling a fertility test called Plan Ahead which purports to tell women approximately how many eggs they have left in their ovaries.
Feb 7, 06: The Brazilian government will distribute 25 million free condoms to promote safe sex during the country's Carnival holidays, the Health Ministry said. The Health Ministry said the purpose of the handout was to prevent the spread of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. Last year, it announced a plan to distribute more than 1 billion free condoms nationwide in 2006.
Feb 6, 06: Two complete strangers married in Britain after winning the chance to tie the knot in a radio station competition that has drawn anger from religious leaders. Emerging to face the media afterwards, the newlyweds --who will now honeymoon in Bermuda-- held hands, kissed in front of the cameras and revealed they were looking forward to getting to know each other.
Feb 6, 06: Police in eastern India are hunting a groom who quit his marriage ceremony midway when his bride's parents said they could not meet his dowry demand of a motorcycle. Police were on the lookout for Shaw after arresting his father and the matchmaker who arranged the wedding on charges of seeking dowry.
. . Although the demanding and giving of a dowry was officially banned in 1961, the practice continues. Every year, about 6,000 women are killed in India --often doused with kerosene and set on fire in staged kitchen "accidents"-- or harassed into suicide by husbands and in-laws angered by unmet dowry demands.
Jan 27, 06: When it comes to romance, women prefer someone who tickles their funny bone, while men opt for those who catch their eye, according to an international survey.
. . Australians and British men frequently admitted drinking too much, while about half of German and Italian men said they had lied about their finances. Spaniards were the most likely to use sex to catch someone's attention.
. . 80% of Brazilian and Mexican men said they had lied about their marital or relationship status, as did 70% of German women.
. . Both Spain and France suffered a gender gap. 30% of Spanish men, but no Spanish women, looked for love online. In France, 40% of men but only 10% of women attended parties, bars and clubs to meet someone, but they did have one thing in common: both sexes rated looks as more important than their counterparts in other countries.
. . When it came to that first meeting, a majority of men polled said beauty was more important than brains, while women put a sense of humor at the top of their list.
. . Physical attraction was the top priority for men in France, Brazil, Greece, Japan and Britain. And while 40% of Portuguese men rated intelligence over looks in a first encounter, no Australian men did so.
. . In the United States and Canada, humor was considered the most important trait by both men and women, getting 63 and 73% of the vote respectively.
Jan 25, 06: A study by an Italian sexologist has found that couples who have a TV set in their bedroom have sex half as often as those who don't. On average, Italians who live without TV in the bedroom have sex twice a week, or eight times a month. This drops to an average of four times a month for those with a TV.
. . For the over-50s, the effect is even more marked, with the average of seven couplings a month falling to just 1.5 times.
. . The study found certain programs are far more likely to impede passion than others. Violent films will put a stop to sexual relations for half of all couples, while reality shows stem passion for a third of couples.
Jan 25, 06: Impotence drugs such as Viagra and Cialis can increase the risk of eye damage in men who have a history of heart disease or high blood pressure, researchers said.
Jan 25, 06: Stage fright? Forget pretending you are talking to one person or concentrating on a single point in the audience --having sex is good way to calm nerves before giving a speech or presentation. But Stuart Brody, a psychologist at the University of Paisley in Scotland, said it has to be full sexual intercourse to get the best results.
. . He studied nearly 50 men and women who recorded their sexual activities for two weeks and analyzed its impact on their blood pressure levels when under acute stress, such as when giving a speech.
. . Brody discovered that the volunteers who had sexual intercourse were the least stressed and had blood pressure levels that returned to normal more quickly than people who engaged in other types of sex. But people who had abstained from sex had the highest blood pressure response to stress.
. . Even after taking into account stress due to work or other factors, the range of responses to stress were best explained by sexual behavior. "The effects are not attributable simply to the short-term relief afforded by orgasm but rather, endure for at least a week", Brody said. He believes that the release of the so-called "pair bonding" hormone oxytocin might explain the calming effect.
Jan 23, 06: British homosexual men on average earn nearly 10,000 pounds (17,800 dollars) more per year than the male population at large, according to a study. Gay men working full time earn on average 34,200 pounds per year, compared with the national average for men of 24,800 pounds, according to a survey of 1,118 readers of Diva and Gay Times. Lesbians, meanwhile, earn on average 6,000 pounds more than the national average for women.
. . Last year's government figures, which put the number of gay people in Britain at more than three million --or 6% of the population-- has allowed companies to make clearer estimates of the potential of the pink pound and led to huge interest among some of Britain's biggest brands, the Guardian said. The study found that gay people spent about three billion pounds on holidays in 2005, forked out another 1.9 billion pounds on clothing, and paid a total of one billion pounds in bills for portable telephones.
Jan 20, 06: The scent of a woman is more attractive at certain times of the month, suggests a new study that had men sniffing women's armpit odor. "We were interested whether armpit odor changes across menstrual cycle", said study author Jan Havlieek of the Department of Anthropology at Charles University, Prague. "To test this, we asked a group of women to wear cotton pads in their armpits for 24 hours." The most attractive smells, men said, were from the time between the first day of menstruation and ovulation.
. . The typically 28-day menstrual cycle involves the physiological changes that occur in a woman to prepare for a possibility of pregnancy. It is controlled by the reproductive hormone system. A cycle is divided into four parts and starts on the first day of menstruation, which is the shedding of tissue and blood from the womb. In the follicular phase, a dominant ovarian follicle—which is a sack that contains the ova, or egg—grows, becoming ready to ovulate. The mature egg is then released in the phase known as ovulation around day 12. The cycle ends with the fertile phase.
. . Although many men would tell you they're always in the mood, Havlieek and colleagues discovered that men find odors during the follicular phase the most attractive and least intense. On the other hand, the highest intensity smells, corresponding to the lowest attractiveness for men, were found during the time of menstrual bleeding.
Finally, the attractiveness of women's faces also changes during the month.
. . Havlieek's team found that facial images of women in the follicular phase -—when the dominant ovarian follicle is getting ready to ovulate—- are considered more attractive as compared to images taken in the luteal or fertile phase of the cycle.
Many young married couples in Baghdad are not getting enough sex. The problem, they say, is not a lack of desire but of power --electrical power.
. . Making love for many of Iraq's Muslim population not only requires a willing partner but also a sure supply of water --preferably hot in the winter-- to enable the participants to take a shower afterwards before going to pray. No hot water means no hot shower and therefore prayers, which take place five times a day for devout Muslims, can become a problem. Either a couple avoids sex or they are forced to endure cold-water showers.
Jan 11, 06: A western Colombian city councilman wants to require everyone in town 14 or older to carry a condom to prevent pregnancy and disease, outraging local priests.
. . William Pena, a councilman in Tulua, said he will present a formal proposal to force all men and women —-even those just visiting-— to always carry at least one condom. Those caught empty-pocketed could pay a fine of $180 or take a safe sex course, he said.
. .
. . The capital city of Bogota handed out more than two million free condoms last year. In the city of Tunja, where 17% of all pregnancies last year were from women under 18 years of age, condom dispensers will be installed in bars and movie theaters.
Albert Einstein was the outstanding genius of the 20th century, but he was also an ordinary man who had many affairs during his two marriages.
An Indian college girl has temporarily married her teenaged boyfriend's elder brother so she can live in the same house as her lover until he is old enough to marry her. Both are 19, but the legal age for marriage in India --18 for girls and 21 for boys -- put a stop to their plans. Live-in relationships are not very popular in the tradition-bound country.
Jan 10, 06: Most Italians feel more guilty about over-eating than they do about cheating on their partners, a survey has found. The survey, by psychology magazine Riza Psicosomatica, found that excessive eating and spending topped the list of what people considered the most guilt-inducing vices.
. . Sexual infidelity came bottom of the list of the magazine's 'seven deadly sins', behind neglecting friends and family, failing at work and not looking after one's physique.
. . The survey of some 1,000 Italians aged 25-55 found that religion played little part in determining what made people feel guilty, despite Italy's Roman Catholic traditions. Only 7% of those questioned said religious rules induced guilt. The most powerful drivers of guilty feelings were the judgment of loved ones or the disapproval of society as a whole.
With surveys showing Hong Kong men prefer work to sex, the city's women are seeking help with their love life from a high street pharmacy chain that has begun stocking sex toys alongside soap and shampoo.
. . Vibrators were a surprise hit at Watson's group --controlled by tycoon Li Ka-shing-- and sex education bosses were delighted, saying it could help the sexually repressed city come out of its shell. "To emphasise the health image and role of the products, such gadgets are better sold in established dispensaries than in 'sex shops' which give an image more on the entertainment side", the doctor added.
. . The open sale of sex aids surprised many in this conservative Chinese city, where eroticism is a taboo subject.
. . Intercourse is also something of a no-no for many people, according to a survey by condom manufacturer Durex, which found Hong Kong's couples lagged far behind almost every other nation when it came to the frequency of sex.
Jan 9, 06: Women who take birth control pills might be at increased risk for a long-term loss of sexual desire, according to new research from a team at the Lahey Clinic in Boston. "We have known for a long time that 30 to 40% of women on birth control pills have decreased libido", said study co-author Dr. Andre Guay.
. . But his findings, published in the January issue of The Journal of Sexual Medicine, showed that lowered testosterone levels caused by use of birth control pills can persist for up to a year after a woman stops taking them. And that, in turn, may lower her sexual desire, along with her ability to get aroused and become lubricated.
. . Birth control pills decrease circulating levels of androgens, which modulate sexual functioning, Guay wrote in the report. In women, testosterone is made in the ovaries and in the adrenal glands. When a woman is on the pill, androgen production in the ovaries is inhibited and the production of a protein called sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) goes up. The combination leads to lower circulating levels of testosterone, Guay said.
Jan 9, 06: Caffeine motivates female rats to have more frequent sex, a new study suggests. But don't start guzzling more coffee just yet.
. . Scientists gave 108 female rats a moderate dose of caffeine. The caffeine shortened the amount of time it took the females to return to males after a first romp, indicating they were more motivated to do it again.
. . Loading up on more caffeine is not expected to improve human sex drive in most cases, however. "These rats had never had caffeine before", said study leader Fay Guarraci, an assistant professor of psychology at Southwestern University. "In humans, it might enhance the sexual experience only among people who are not habitual users."
. . The research could help scientists better understand sexual motivation, however.
Jan 1, 06: A new study finds that guppies experience menopause just like humans and other animals. The study is the first demonstration of menopause in fish and raises the question of why some female animals live beyond their fertile years at all.
. . It was previously thought that fish don't experience menopause because they produce eggs throughout their entire lives. Birds and mammals, in contrast, have a finite number of eggs that they are born with.
. . Guppies typically reproduce about every 30 days and give birth to litters approximately 20 times throughout their lives. The researchers found that as female guppies aged, they began to skip litters or even stop reproducing for extended periods of time, effectively ceasing to reproduce after a certain age. In other words, the guppies were going through a fish version of menopause.
Jan 1, 06: Scientists have long wondered why some female animals live beyond their reproductive years at all. According to one hypothesis, sometimes called the "grandmother effect", it's so that females past their reproductive prime can help care for their offspring or relatives. So far, however, humans are the only species in which this effect has been observed.
. . Menopause has been observed in other animals like Japanese quail, laboratory rats and mice, opossums, and other primates such as gorillas, but most of these animals lack well-developed family networks and engage in very limited, if any, maternal care.
. . On the other hand, female lions and baboons --animals which rear dependent young and live in complex social groups like humans-- don't experience menopause at all and die soon after giving birth to their last young.
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