Communication and good sex

A Sydney Morning Herald article "Shyness found to hamper safe sex" states that "A new national survey of more than 1000 people has revealed about 63 per cent of men and 52 per cent of women still refused to mention contraception in the heat of the moment" They recommend we practice talking about contraception in front of a mirror befure venturing our with a potential sex partner.

What is it about sex that makes men and women irrational unthinking pleasure seeking machines? Are we driven subconciously by the media? or pornography? or do we actually have no regard of the consequences of sex? Do we in the search of that perfect orgasmic moment not care of the consequences of the sexual activity on ourselves, our family, community and society?

What does it mean to be a real woman?

Interesting article "Don't Judge a Woman by their cover" in the SMH today.

"The message, ingrained in society, is: if you don't adopt the trappings associated with conventional femininity, you're not a ''real'' woman"

Do we as a society and a culture judge a real woman only by external appearances? Do we stretch this to say 'real women' also have to be sexy and sex objects - thereby spawning what has come to known as 'Raunch Culture'.

Where does that leave young women who don't want to be dressed in the current fashion with sky high heels? or necessarily want to be the sexiest chick in town?

Variations of Sexual Differentiation

The world champion 800m runner Caster Semenya is said to have undescended Testis, High levels of Testosterone, but apparently (not clearly stated) external female genitalia.
She apparently also identifies and behaves as a female.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/secret-of-semenyas-sex-stripped-bare/2009/09/11/1252519599453.html
The newspaper articles say she "is technically a hermaphrodite"
More likely she has Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome.

This raises interesting questions of what determines our identity as female or male?
Our genitals?
Our Chromosomes?
Our Gonads?
Or our personal brain identity?

Degrees of Sex Differentiation

Todays Sydney Morning Herald article "Several degrees of androgyny"
http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/several-degrees-of-androgyny-20090826-ezvd.html
Discusses the complexities of being born and growing up male and/or female.

They discuss a condition known as "Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome" While the article describes what we call 'Complete AIS", most have varying degrees of insensitivity to androgens and are 'Partial AIS'

There is a support group for AIS in Australia with excellent information. Indiana University has an excellent site - worth a visit.

Contact us at the Graduate Program in Sexual Health if you are interested in discussing, researching or inviting one of the team to speak on issues of Gender.

Teenagers and Sex

Hello all
It has been a while since I visited. We are at the end of week one of semester 2. It is exciting to see how happy the students seem to be.

Some of you may have seen the ABC TV series on the Science of Teens on Thusrsdays at 8 pm? I had a small part in the episode to air on the 6th August:
http://www.usyd.edu.au/news/fhs/628.html?eventcategoryid=49&eventid=4484

Hope you all enjoy the show.

The many health benefits of sex

Apart from being so much fun, sex is also really good for your health. Check out the web site:
http://www.webmd.com/sex-relationships/features/10-surprising-health-benefits-of-sex
Some of my favorites:

• 42 half-hour sessions [of making love] will burn 3,570 calories, more than enough to lose a pound.
• Having sex and orgasms increases levels of the hormone oxytocin, Higher oxytocin has also been linked with a feeling of generosity. So if you're feeling suddenly more generous toward your partner than usual, credit the love hormone
• men who had five or more ejaculations weekly while in their 20s reduced their risk of getting prostate cancer later by a third

I would like to know the benefit of sex on athletic activity. Should we quarantine our athletes from sex before the big game? or encourage a diet of plenty?

Graduate Program in Sexual Health wins award at WAS 2009

I have just returned from the World Association for Sexual Health Congress in Gotenberg Sweden.
The BIG news in that our program was awarded the WAS AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE & INNOVATION IN SEXUALITY EDUCATION 2009.
This is the equivalent of winning an Oscar award for sex education.

Do let me know (P.Weerakoon@usyd.edu.au) if you want to be a part of this award winning group.

Marriage and Love

An article in the Sydney Morning Herald on the 4th June discusses common pitfalls in marriage.
http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/lifematters/marriage-traps-to-avoid-20090604-bwc6.html?page=-1

Infatuation and Love are chemically induced in the brain (YES it is chemistry) BUT the feelings induced by changes in Serotonin, Dopamine and Noradrenaline last only for 18-24 months.
Staying to together in a committed relationship requires the couple to hang in there - as they move into a phase of couple bonding (also hormone induced).

The highs of love can be reinvigorated - taking time to do something exciting and new could bring your love chemistry back into action - try it!

Walking the tightrope of Biology Psychology Sociology: No wonder we call it Sexology!

An interesting article in SMH today
http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/the-drugs-of-desire-pushing-us-into-a-sexual-arms-race-20090528-boz7.html
Discusses the medicalisation of sexuality and sexual health.
I quote:
"The model of sex research Masters and Johnson pioneered, with its focus on physiology and the language of function and dysfunction, has led inexorably, these critics [Leonore Tiefer and others]argue, to a mindset where sexual functions are seen as simply physical ones, with cures that are pills or creams or gels or patches."

If you are intersted in this issue, check out the site:
http://www.newviewcampaign.org/

Have we swung too far into the biological in sexual function? Are we too eager to reach for the magic tablet rather than 'talk'?

I came across this web site today. Discusses the issue (they call!) SexTech
http://sexuality.about.com/od/sex_tech_faq/f/sex_tech_FAQ.htm

Interesting questions:

• Does technology change the way we have sex?
• Is Tech ruining Sex?

Check it out and let us know what you think.

Consent and Regret: Two sides of the coin in Sexual Behavior?

An article in the Sun Herald by Leslie Cannold has the following (quote from article)

"Consent and regret are different. You can't regret someone forcing you to do something because regret suggests responsibility and you weren't in control in the first place. You can consent to something, even drive it, yet realise while it's happening you've bitten off more than you can chew."

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/sexual-freedom-wont-spare-you-regret-20090524-bj6d.html

Teen brains are fired by testosterone fuelled desire and yet in their developmental stage of neuronal connections - vulnarable to impulsive behaviour and risk taking.

How can we help? Sex Education? Parental guidance?

Peer Pressure to have sex: All in the mind?

A Sydney Morning Herald article on the 21st May questions the reality of teenagers assumptions of what their "peers" are doing sexually.
http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/lifematters/sex-peer-pressure-selfimposed-20090521-bg9q.html

• Almost 70 per cent of young people who took part in a Melbourne-based study believed they'd had fewer sexual partners than their "average" peers.

The author of the study says:
.."it was important that young Australians be told it was okay to hold off starting to have sex, or to go without for a time, and that it was "not always the case" their peers had multiple sexual partners."

The article that details this study is in: Sexual Health Volume 6 Number 2 2009

I recently wrote a description of the research activities in the Graduate Program for Sexual Health for marketing. It sounds so good, I thought I should share it with the world!

Research in GPSH:
Applied and social research in sexual health within the context of the sexual rights in a bio-psycho-social investigative paradigm, especially in minority communities such people with a disability, aging, migrants and gender variant children; and the translation of research results into best practice models of health professional-patient communication, sex education and health delivery.
The strength of the team lies in the inter-professional international nature of the research community and the multidisciplinary supervision team enabling the application of innovative research methodologies befitting the sensitive areas of research.

Want to join us?

An interesting article in the Sydney Morning Herald comments on how teen girls are not taught skills to resist sexual pressure.
http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/lifematters/girls-not-taught-skills-to-resist-sex-pressure-20090518-bcpf.html
The reseaarchers talked with >60 girls in Pert (Australia) and reported that:
"A predominant theme that conceptualized the nature and timing of first intercourse among female adolescents in this study was the degree of personal control they maintained over their transition from abstinence"
and:
"positive recollections of first coitus were embedded within a greater self-efficacy for abstinence and sense of personal control over the timing of and the context in which intercourse was initiated."
"disappointing and regretful experiences among those who initiated intercourse earlier and for reasons external to the self. Conforming to social norms, drunken encounters, and pressure from partners...."
Read the article in:
Journal of Adolescent Health, Volume 43, Issue 6, December 2008, Pages 593-599

Apparently the first Obama budget has word on sex education. Wonder what impact this will have at a global level?
http://rhrealitycheck.org/blog/2009/05/07/2010-budget-slashes-abstinenceonly-money-keeps-abortion-funding-restrictions

We had our graduation on Friday. It was a wonderful sunny Sydney afternoon. Our students looked absolutely wonderful. We have 2 of our Masters Graduates already enrolled in PhD and 3 of our Graduate Diploma graduates enrolled in research Masters degrees. Two more of the Masters graduates are thinking of staying on for a PhD.

Three of the projects are in Sexuality and Disability and one in sexual pain disorder. Let us know if you are interested in sex research.

I can't believe its April already and we are ready to take applications for semester 2 2009. Anyone out there interested in joining us?
Studying with us will change your life both personally and professionally.
Try it: Walk in a room and when someone asks you what you do tell them "I am training to be a sexologist"

I am on Facebook - and would be happy to talk to others intersted

I would be happy to talk to others interested in sexual health education and research. Let me know and I will invite you to join my facebook page.

Talks on Good Sex

Are you intersted in exploring Good Sex and Gods plans for life?
If so join me when I discuss this very important topic.
Check the web site:
http://www.macwhoopee.org.au/

Where?
Robert Menzies College, 136 Herring Rd, North Ryde
When?
Four Wednesdays starting 4th March 2009 at 7.45 pm

Love to see you there!

Welcome to 2009

This is going to be a wonderful year for the Graduate Program. We have >30 new students from all over the globe and some really new and exciting research.
We will be at the World Association for Sexual Health Congress in Gotenberg in June this year (http://www.sexo-goteborg-2009.com/), Come by our table and say hello if you are attending the conference.