In Our Country, We Do Sex, Too

And we'd also like to talk about it. Unfortunately, sex education is censored (or replaced with lies) by our most beloved leaders.

When it comes to sex education, let's hope India does a better job than we do:

NEW DELHI (AFP) - India's health minister on Wednesday lamented opposition from several states to a government plan to introduce sex education from next year, a report said.

"In our country, we do sex. But we don't want to talk about it and that is why we have a billion population," Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss said at an event to mark World Population Day.

"In our close-knit society, we have to enlighten and create awareness among our children," he was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India.

The government has been fighting with around a dozen out of 29 states to introduce sex education in a bid to spread awareness of AIDS and condoms as well as family planning.

The Council of Boards of Education of India, which sets the teaching curriculum for schools, has prepared a package on sex education, according to a Times of India report earlier this year.

"We have recommended to make it a mandatory subject to be taught twice a week," Ramadoss said.

"They will be the losers if awareness is not created at the right age," the minister said of state opposing the plan.

Schools in the conservative nation, which ironically brought the world the Kama Sutra, have shied away from educating youngsters about such topics as human reproduction.

But the minister said education would not provoke promiscuity.

"We are not taking up sex education in a blatant manner, but in a subtle way," said Ramadoss. "We don't want to create controversy. But we have 55 per cent population that falls in the reproductive age and we have to create awareness among them."

Anal Sex

Anal sex. It appears that all the cool kids (as well as some exploited ones) are doing it. [The uber cool ones aren't into it (scroll down to the Bugger You! post), but I digress.]

Lately, I noticed a fair amount of discussion on blogs and in primetime about this topic. The one essential thing missing from all these discussions is the actual information you would need to make an informed decision. Hence my PSA.

Like with everything else in life, the decision to engage in anal intercourse should, at a minimum, include an advantages/disadvantages analysis.

If you're a woman, the one benefit of anal sex is that you're doing a favor (or performing a service*) for your sexual partner. (As a rule, most women value anal sex as a negative experience. This makes sense physiologically: there's no comparable arousal response in rectal tissue vs. vaginal tissue.)

[*From what I've read, the compensation for anal intercourse ranges from a few hundred dollars to $4,000 (this was payment in full for doing a porno movie, so this sum might not be an accurate figure for the purpose of our discussion).]

And here are some of the potential drawbacks of anal sex:

--anorectal STDs (sexually transmitted diseases)

--HIV and Hepatitis B infection

--HPV-related anal cancer (HPV, or Human Papillomavirus = genital warts virus)

--anal fissures

Since "U.S. survey and other data suggest that, in terms of absolute numbers, approximately seven times more women than homosexual men engage in unprotected receptive anal intercourse", I hope my PSA was helpful.

(If you're interested, here are some good drawings of the anal muscles.)

Sex Education On TV

Turns out TV entertainment shows are a good source of sex education for teenagers.

Teenagers can get sex education as well as laughs by watching TV series such as "Friends," a new study found.

Watching or discussing a show with an adult reinforces or clarifies the lessons carried by television, according to the study released Monday by Santa Monica-based Rand Corp., a nonprofit research group.

"We've always known that teenagers get useful information about sex from factual reporting and advice-oriented media, but now we know they can get this information from entertainment television programs as well," said Rebecca Collins, lead author of the report.

So, watch, laugh, learn, and discuss.

Too Much Sex (As If...)

Instapundit points us to this article: Is Sex Necessary? Here are a few highlights:

--Having regular and enthusiastic sex...confers a host of measurable physiological advantages, be you male or female.

--...by having sex three or more times a week, men reduced their risk of heart attack or stroke by half.

--...the equivalent of six Big Macs can be worked off by having sex three times a week for a year.

--Oral sex (fellatio) ...could be a far richer, more complex and more satisfying experience than squeezing a tube of Crest--even Tartar Control Crest.

-- ...is there such a thing as too much sex? If you're female, probably not. If you're male? You betcha.

Interesting article, overall. However, it contains a couple of mistakes.

First:

Prostoglandin, a hormone found only in semen, may be absorbed in the female genital tract, thus modulating female hormones.

Prostaglandins (PGs) are one of the most widespread substances in the body. They are produced, in abundance, by both women and men. So, the line "Let's have sex so that you, too, may enjoy the benefits of PGs!" while novel, is medically inaccurate. Also, make sure you consider both the benefits (better sensation) and the risks (pregnancy, increased risk of acquiring an STD) before deciding to have intercourse without a condom.

Second:

Dr. George Winch Jr., an obstetrician/gynecologist in Elko, Nev., concurs. If a woman is pre-menopausal and otherwise healthy, says Dr. Winch, her having an extraordinary amount of intercourse ought not to pose a problem. "I don't think women can have too much intercourse," he says, "so long as no sexually transmitted disease is introduced and there's not an inadvertent pregnancy. Sometimes you can have a lubrication problem. If you have that, there can be vaginal excoriation--vaginal scrape."

Far be it for me to discourage any woman from having an extraordinary amount of intercourse . However, please realize that, even if you don't have lubrication problems, a lot of sex can cause vaginal scrapes, tears, and even active bleeding.

What does "a lot of sex" mean? It depends on the woman, but, for example, having sex every day, 2-n times a day (like when you're on your honeymoon, or a romantic vacation) would qualify. The problem is twofold: a) the tissue lining the vagina is fairly delicate, and b) the vaginal tissue is very vascular (it has a rich blood supply).

Every time you have sex, very small vaginal tears are routine (due to the mechanical action of the penis). They are not a problem because the body is equipped to deal with them--they heal spontaneously. However, you have to give your tissue time to heal (a few hours, to 24 hours would be best). If you don't, not only can you increase the number of tears in the vaginal tissue, but you run the risk of aggravating an existing tear and causing it to bleed.

So, in order to have a pleasant experience and avoid trauma to the tissue, use your judgment:

--if intercourse starts to become uncomfortable due to vaginal pain, take a break (for a few hours, at the very least)

--wear loose-fitting clothing (no: G-strings, jeans, stockings; yes: men's boxer shorts, skirts)

--avoid sitting or walking for a long time (best position: lie in bed, legs up, resting on something)

--if you notice labial swelling (labia=vaginal lips), cold water or a cold pack will help
N.B. Make sure not to apply the cold pack directly to the tissue; wear underwear or wrap the pack in a towel.

--if you notice any active bleeding (bright red blood), don't panic. Use a pad and a pair of TIGHT underwear (this applies pressure) and go to the ER.
N.B. Don't be embarrassed (ER people are there to help you, not judge you), and don't procrastinate. In the ER, ask to see the Ob/Gyn resident/attending--they tend to be more skilled in these matters. And, don't worry--the repair is routine, fairly easy to do, and it isn't painful (despite the delicate location, local pain killers work very well).

Enjoy, and be safe!