Why Does Sex Exist? Study Solves Mystery

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December 23, 2016

Why do humans have sex? A new study may have found the answer.

“One of the oldest questions in evolutionary biology is ‘Why does sex exist?’ ” says Stuart Auld, a biologist at the University of Stirling in Scotland. His research team studied more than 6,000 waterfleas to explain the age old mystery of why humans have a biological imperative to get it on.

Waterfleas were used because they can reproduce both ways: through cloning and by having hot waterflea sex.

The findings, published in the British journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, discovered that the flea’s “sexually produced offspring were more than twice as resistant to infectious disease as their cloned siblings,” which suggests that they are more likely to survive and pass on their genes.

“By comparing clonal and sexual daughters from the same mothers, we found sexually produced offspring get less sick,” Auld said. “Unusually, these creatures sometimes reproduce sexually by mating with a partner and sometimes asexually by cloning themselves.”

Sexual reproduction creates more opportunities for creatures to fight back against pathogens. With new genetic variations coming into the mix with each generation, children created the old fashioned way– through sex, are healthier than those created through cloning.

Using Condoms Makes Your Vagina Healthier

By

Anka Radakovich

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June 7, 2022

A new study says that using a condom drastically reduces a woman’s risk of bacterial vaginosis (BV).

The study was conducted by Dr. Lenka Vodstrcil, PhD, a professor at University of Liverpool who specializes in clinical epidemiological research. The focus of her research has been the prevention and treatment of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STI’s), and research on the cervicovaginal microbiome and immunology.

The research team tracked the bacteria living in 52 women’s vaginas for a year. Each woman wast told to swab her vagina every three months and keep a record of any sexual activities. They were also asked to note if a condom was used during sexy time.

The findings? The study Dr. Vodstrcil conducted at Melbourne’s Monash University showed sex without a condom significantly drives up levels of two dangerous bacteria: Gardnerella vaginalis and Lactobacillus. It also found that women who had unprotected sex with new partners had higher concentrations of the bacteria than women in long-term relationships.

Vaginas have five different strains of bacteria, with Lactobacillus being the most dominant. Sexual health researchers say that vaginas are healthiest when dominated by the L. crispatus strain.

The study also noted that the more people used condoms, the less urinary tract infections they had; another reason to get your guy to wear a condom! It also showed that women with high levels of L.crispatus have a lower risk of all infections; including HIV and yeast infections. The bacteria has also been linked to an increased risk of developing pelvic inflammatory disease.

The “little lady down there” can be thrown off at any time; especially from semen or menstruation, which reduce the number of “good bacteria” Lactobacillus, allowing the BV causing bacteria to take over. Dr. Wijgert noted that condom-less sex with a new partner is a “microbial assault on the vagina.”

But sex isn’t necessarily always bad for the vagina. Dr. Wijgert found “that a woman’s vaginal microbiome adapts to the bacteria present on her long-term partner’s penis. With a new partner she says “The vagina will mount an immune response against the bacteria, causing inflammation.”

Since its your vagina, there really should be no argument about whether he wants to wear a condom or not. Cutting down on urinary infections should be reason enough. So next time a man tries to talk you into having sex without a condom, tell him you’re trying to keep your “Lactobacillus in check”, and your lady business healthy.

Sexual “Afterglow” Lasts 48 Hours

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Anka Radakovich

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February 21, 2022

It turns out that sexual afterglow lasts a bit longer than that after-sex cigarette. A new study called “Quantifying the Sexual Afterglow,” The Lingering Benefits of Sex and Their Implications for Pair-Bonded Relationships” says afterglow actually lasts about 48 hours. Who knew?

The study, published in Psychological Science, says that it’s an evolutionary thing. “Sex presumably facilitates pair bonding, but how do partners remain pair-bonded between sexual acts?” the researchers asked. “Evolutionary perspectives suggest that sexual afterglow serves this purpose. We explored how long sexual satisfaction would remain elevated following sex, and predicted that stronger sexual afterglow would characterize more satisfying partnerships.”

The scientists studied 215 newlyweds, and asked them to rate their daily sexual activity, because, well newlyweds probably do it more often than anyone else does. (Oddly though, the sexy time results only averaged out to getting laid 4 times in two weeks.)

Every night at bedtime, the newlyweds were asked to take notes. Did they have sex with their partner that day? Were they satisfied with their sex live, their spouse, and their marriage that day? A 7-point scale was used (1=not at all, 7=extremely) to rate their spouse. (People should do this in real life.)

Then the couples were asked again 4-6 months later. To test their theory, the team looked at data gathered from “two independent, longitudinal studies”, one with 96 newlywed couples and the other with 118 newlywed couples.”

“Results demonstrated that sexual satisfaction remained elevated approximately 48 hr after sex,” the study found.”Spouses experiencing a stronger afterglow reported higher levels of marital satisfaction both at baseline and over time. We interpret these findings as evidence that sexual afterglow is a proximal cognitive mechanism through which sex promotes pair bonding.” The study’s results remained consistent through all ages and sexual orientations.

Andrea Meltzer, the lead researcher on the study said. “And people with a stronger sexual afterglow—that is, people who report a higher level of sexual satisfaction 48 hours after sex—report higher levels of relationship satisfaction several months later…. This research is important because it joins other research suggesting that sex functions to keep couples pair bonded.” Like hugging and cuddling, the “feel good” hormones are at work bringing couples emotionally closer.

Affectionate young female couple relaxing on bed

In the future, the research team will study how afterglow affects other aspects of monogamous relationships, including cheating and “whether or not long term relationships result in marriages.” In the meantime, its good to know that doing something twice a week–even if it lasts for two minutes, can last two days.

Clitoris Rubbing Equals Orgasms, Science Confirms

By

Anka Radakovich

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September 9, 2017

If women are wondering why they’re not having more orgasms during penetrative sex, (or men are wondering why they’re not giving women orgasms) it comes down to one thing. The clitoris; A.K.A the “happy button,” the “little girl in the pink boat,” or “the pearl in the oyster.” It just wants to be rubbed. Orgasms are not going to magically happen through thrusting penetration alone.

A new study from The Kinsey Institute not only reveals that women need more clitoral stimulation, but reveals how women really liked to be touched to induce orgasms. The study, led by Kinsey’s spectacular sex researcher Dr. Debby Herbenick and team, was sponsored by OMGYes, and the results were published in the Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy. The study was called “Women’s Experiences with Genital Touching, Sexual Pleasure, and Orgasm: Results from a U.S. Probability Sample of Women Ages 18 to 94. Yay 94! It’s never too late ladies!

Researchers asked 1,055 women through online surveys and video chats exactly how they liked their hoo-has touched. 63% said they liked “up and down” motions, 51% said they preferred “circular” touch, and 30% liked “side-to-side.”

Only 18.4% reported that intercourse alone induced orgasm, a statistic that should induce women to tell their lovers to get some finger and tongue action going. One question asked was “For you, what do you think helps some orgasms feel better than others?” which most people never ask the people they are trying to give an orgasm to. Most women preferred “light or medium” touch on the clitoris, with only 10% preferring “firm pressure.” The most popular moves were “a rhythmic motion,” “a motion that circles around the clitoris,” “switching between different motions,” and “switching between more and less intense touch.”

69% of women said they liked “indirect clitoral stimulation” by touching “through the skin above the hood,” 28% “through both lips pushed together (like a sandwich), 20% “through the skin on the right side of your clitoris,” and 19% went with the left side.

Researchers found that “Findings may inform sexuality education as related to pressure in terms of individual differences in genital stimulation, developing a trajectory of sexual pleasure among women.” The study could also “foster greater sexual pleasure as well as expand couple communication. Their advice is to “Go explore and see what you like.” It’s time to get busy on the “little lady” of pleasure. If you’re not sure what does it for you, here are some stroke suggestions from this exciting, orgasmic study:

Better Sleep = Better Sex

By

Anka Radakovich

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June 2, 2020

A new study says that better sleep equals better sex! The study concluded that “Sleep problems can interfere with a woman’s level of sexual satisfaction.” The gigantic study, entitled “Better Sleep Can Lead To Better Sex,” analyzed data from a whopping 93,668 women 50-79 who were enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study. The groundbreaking study was formed to “change the way health care providers prevent and treat some of the major diseases impacting postmenopausal women.” Thanks to cool studies like this, I look forward to fornicating when I’m 79.

The study found that “short sleep duration (defined as fewer than 7 to 8 hours per night) was associated with lower odds of sexual satisfaction. Of the participants, 56% reported being somewhat or very satisfied with their current sexual activity, and 52% reported partnered sexual activity within the last year. Insomnia prevalence was 31%.”

“Women and healthcare providers need to recognize the link between inadequate sleep and their effects on sexual satisfaction,” says Dr. JoAnn Pinkerton, NAMS executive director. “There are effective treatment options to help with sleep disruption and sexual satisfaction, including hormone therapy, which this study confirmed to be effective at menopause for symptomatic women.” Increasing your exercise as you age, including weight lifting and yoga, is also proven to be great sleep enhancer.

Hellomd.com, a medical marijuana community site that promotes the medical and therapeutic qualities of cannabis, reports that prescription sleep medication use–as well as pain medication use, has been reduced by 25% in states with medical marijuana patients. “We believe that quality medical advice from trained professionals is important, and we know that as more people begin to discover the healing powers of cannabis that they will seek to learn and share.” Many sex therapists now recommend “micro dosing” marijuana as not only a sleep aid but as a sexual, sensual enhancement. The magical plant reduces stress, helps you fall asleep, and relaxes you. Relaxed sex = better sex.

Another study from 2015 in the Journal of Sexual Medicine found that the same equation: more sleep = more sex, was also was true for college aged students. Students in the study said they felt hornier with each hour of extra sleep they had. They also said the more they slept the night before, the more they felt interested in sexy time the next day. The more you sleep the more you want sex, the better you feel, and the more you want to feel someone.

Study Shows Marijuana Use Increases Sex Drive

By

Anka Radakovich

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November 6, 2017

A new scientific study has revealed that stoners have more sex. That’s right, smoking the magical plant makes you horny, baby.

The research was conducted by urologists at the Stanford University School of Medicine and spanned nine years. The study, one of the few of its kind, was called “Association Between Marijuana Use And Sexual Frequency in the United States: A Population-Based Study.” The study of 28,176 people aged 25-45 was published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, a scientific journal that publishes awesome sexy time sex studies.

The aim of the study was to “elucidate whether a relation between marijuana use and sexual frequency exists using a nationally representative sample of reproductive-age men and women,” the average age being 29.

Researchers analyzed data from 2002, 2006-2010, and another study in 2011-1015. The study evaluated “whether a relationship between marijuana use and sexual frequency exists.

Dr. Michael Eisenerg, a Urologist and Stanford Professor who authored the study, said: “The more people used marijuana, the more sex they had.” Who knew?

The study also revealed that cannabis has a generally unknown bonus. “These findings also alleviate some of the anxiety surrounding performance inhibition, noted Eisenberg. “Frequent marijuana use doesn’t seem to impair sexual motivation or performance.” If anything, it’s associated with increased coital frequency.” Performance anxiety? According to the study, light up a doobie and you’ll feel so good, you’ll forget you ever had anxiety.

The “clinical implications” for the study was that “marijuana users had significantly higher sexual frequency compared with never users. Marijuana use is independently associated with increased sexual frequency and does not appear to impair sexual function.” (Sex therapists are already recommending marijuana use for couples as a more sensual, bonding alternative to the numbing, bumbling effects of alcohol, without the hangover.)

“A positive association between marijuana use and sexual frequency is seen in men and women across all demographic groups,” concluded the study. “Although reassuring, the effects of marijuana use on sexual function warrant further study.”

“Usually people assume the more frequently you smoke, the worse it could be when it comes to sex, but in fact, we learned that the opposite was true,” says Dr. Eisenberg.

Couples who smoke pot generally report less inhibitions, more interest in sex, more tactile sensations, and more intense “highgasms.” Some dispensaries even carry specific strains that are tried & true as great for sex, with names like “Dirty Girl” and “Sexxxpot.” No wonder there is a growing pot shortage.

Study Finds Electrical Stimulation = Better Orgasms

By

Anka Radakovich

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July 18, 2022

Here’s a cool new study that could help the future of women’s orgasms. Scientists at the University of Michigan were studying the effects of electrical nerve stimulation to treat urinary incontinence (peeing your pants), and ended up discovering that it stimulated women into having orgasms!

That study led to a study called “Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation to improve female sexual dysfunction symptoms. A pilot study.”

The discovery happened in the same way as the invention of Viagra, which happened when researchers conducted tests on patients with high blood pressure and cardiac angina (chest pain caused by reduced blood flow to the heart). Viagra did nothing for heart problems, but it did cause unexpected boners. Hello!

Researchers zapped nerves in their female subject’s hoo ha’s for 30 minutes, as well as their tibial (ankle) nerve, with the results indicating more blood flow to the lady business. Subjects said the stimulation did not hurt and felt like a “tingling or buzzing” sensation.

According to Keely Malcom, a blogger at the University’s lab blog, Tim Bruns, Ph.D., an assistant professor of biomedical engineering at University of Michigan reported, “In this particular treatment, a patient receives nerve stimulation therapy once a week to improve neural signaling and function in the muscles that control the bladder. The nerves controlling the pelvic organs start out in the same location in the spinal cord and branch. One form of stimulation is effective for bladder dysfunction despite an odd placement of the electrodes: near the tibial nerve in the ankle.”

The current theory, Bruns explains, “is that the nerves that travel down to the foot overlap near the spinal cord with some of the nerves to the pelvic organs, leading to a possible overlap in synaptic routes.”

Michigan Medicine OB-GYN Mitchell Berger, M.D., Ph.D., and urologic surgeon Priyanka Gupta, M.D.says they were so encouraged by these early findings, that the the researchers are seeking funding for a larger study. “This study presents an alternative method for treating female sexual dysfunction that is nonpharmacologic and noninvasive. Through studies like this, we can further understand female sexual arousal and offer treatments for a disorder that has very few options.”

The study was funded by a grant from the Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research, which is funded by the National Institutes of Health.

With studies like these, who knows; in the future scientists could come up with a sex machine, an “orgasmatron” that we could use at home. We’d never leave the house.

Photo: Wikipedia Commons

“Psychiatrist Wilhelm Reich declared the existence of a universal healing and revitalizing force in the 1950’s, called “orgone”, (from the word “orgasm”) and created devices (the booth and breathing apparatus are pictured here) to capture and administer it.”

How To Have A Passionate High

By

Anka Radakovich

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February 10, 2018

With over 2/3 of the United States allowing some level of legal cannabis, Sexologists and Sex Therapists are recommending that people get high before getting it on. Part of the ancient ritual of Tantric Sex, cannabis is now being used by people of all ages sex for a more amazing, exciting, and sensual sexual experience. Now that it’s so legal, the time is right to have fun with this exciting, magical plant that can make sex better. And “budder.”

Dr. Nick Karras, a California sexologist from San Diego, has published a new, sex educational, infotaining mini e-book called The Passionate High. Karras, who is a practicing couples counselor, told me he has seen the “intentional use of marijuana actually save people’s marriages.” Bringing people closer on many levels, he says it’s about “incorporating the unique cognitive and physical effects that cannabis provides to cultivate deeper connections and greater creativity.” For only $2.99 his e-book tells you what you how to effectively do it right with the help of the “fun bud”.

The book offers one of the first “sex with cannabis for beginners” guides, explaining the strains of marijuana; (Sativa for a more giggly, cerebral high and Indica, which provides more of a relaxing, body stone.) He explains exactly how to ingest it (smoke it, don’t eat it as edibles can get you so stoned you won’t be able to locate your penis or vagina.) “The secret is micro-dosing” he says, “Start low and go slow.”

It’s also important to create a “ritual” he says, such as music, which can have a powerful influence, and soft lighting, which is important, especially when you’re stoned. “Cannabis heightens the senses,” he says, creating incredible tactile sensations and increased blood flow and circulation. He recommends a slow, sensual massage after smoking, with along with the relaxing effects of marijuana, lets your worries and stresses “fade to the background to let you more fully experience the present moment.” He also notes that cannabis “creates a deeper empathetic understanding of the other person needs,” a groovy side-effect.

So how does cannabis actually work? It “lights up” the pleasure centers of the brain, so that you relax and feel less distracted, which helps you to “let go”, be present, and be “in the moment.” “One of the most amazing features of cannabis”, says Karras, “is that is slows down time, allowing you to focus in on each moment. People often express to me the way cannabis “lights up” their senses and helps them relax.” Although alcohol can relax people, it can also have a numbing effect and impair judgement. “Cannabis, he says “focuses your awareness, eliminating past and future thoughts and keeping you focused on the amazing sex you’re in the middle of having.

Recent studies have also shown than people preferred the sexual effects of pot over alcohol, and reported that cannabis lowered inhibitions and increased the quality and frequency of orgasms. Karras notes that “Cannabis is a truly amazing gift that can be used to strengthen or awaken passion.”

Sex & Science: Rabbit Vibrators Vs. Using Your Hand

By

Anka Radakovich

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September 28, 2018

Here’s a hands-on orgasm study we like! Sex researcher Dr. Nicole Prause, founder of sexual biotechnology firm Liberos, conducted a a study comparing the use of the “Happy Rabbit” vibrator versus “manual masturbation” or “talking to the hand.”

Dr. Prause says, “Our original hypothesis was that the Happy Rabbit would bring women bring women to orgasm quicker than manual masturbation. However, we found that women wanted to play with their new toy, which resulted in a longer lasting sexual experience with broader physical sensations and more excitement than using their hand alone.” The study found that excitement levels and lengths of orgasm increased 17%.

Dr. Prause measured what happens physically and mentally as a woman approached orgasm, and how that differed when using the new Happy Rabbit. Under lab instruction, each woman underwent two randomized test sessions — one using manual masturbation and the other using the Happy Rabbit.

Using post Masters & Johnson-like orgasm measuring lab devices, along with questionnaires, Dr. Prause analyzed anal contractions, galvanic skin response, electroencephalography (brain activity) and emotional states before, during and after testing. Testing showed that “most women take more time to reach orgasm when using the Happy Rabbit as they explored the toy’s patterns and rhythms.” The results seem to imply that the longer you play with your lady business, the longer your orgasms will be.

The study also reported:

Women took an average of 26.4 minutes to achieve orgasm when using the Happy Rabbit, compared to manual masturbation, which took an average of 6.5 minutes.
Orgasms were reported, on average, 17% longer when using the Happy Rabbit compared to manual masturbation.
Alpha brainwave levels increased sooner when using the Happy Rabbit, which suggests achieving an orgasmic state using the Happy Rabbit doesn’t require as much effort as using your hand alone.
Emotional reporting suggests subjects felt more excited from start to finish of testing when using the Happy Rabbit compared to the hand based session.

Of the subjects tested:

Average age was 31 (Important to note that subjects were all sexually active and very familiar with their bodies).
54% are of color.
65% claim to be heterosexual.
47% have a “main” romantic partner.
Intercourse partners average 28 people in a lifetime.

The new Happy Rabbit, in six new versions, will go for $89.99 – $119.99

We look forward to more “sex on the brain” studies by Dr. Prause, including an upcoming study on the effect that “orgasmic meditation” has on the brain.

Photo of sex researcher Dr. Nicole Prause courtesy of Lovehoney.

“Orgasm Face” Differs In Eastern And Western Cultures

By

Anka Radakovich

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October 17, 2020

The “orgasm face” you make depends on the culture you grew up in, according to a new study. Researchers studied 3,600 facial expressions and how people reacted to those expressions. The study, called “Distinct Facial Expressions Represent Pain and Pleasure Across Cultures”, found that every culture expresses pain on their faces in the same way, but depending on where you were raised, your “O-face” is different than someone from another country. The research study was published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and was conducted at the University of Glasgow in Scotland.

According to researchers, “Observational studies report that people experiencing pain or orgasm produce facial expressions that are indistinguishable. Here, we investigate this counter intuitive finding using a new data-driven approach to model the mental representations of facial expressions of pain and orgasm in people from two different cultures. We show that representations of pain and orgasm are distinct in each culture. We also show that pain is represented with similar face movements across cultures, whereas orgasm shows differences.” In other words, facial expressions made during an awesome, pleasurable orgasm look exactly the same as someone getting punched in the balls.

It also found that “O face” differed from culture to culture. “Painful face” expressions in all cultures included “brow lowering, cheek raising, nose wrinkling, and mouth stretching”, according to the researchers.

The study used advance computer animation technology to create the thousands of images of facial expression. Participants in the study were asked to rate on a five point scale of “very strong” to “very weak” how they thought each expression expressed pain or orgasm. In the end, pain looked the same and orgasms looked different.

For people from Western cultures analyzing the expressions, they thought a “wide open mouth and wide open eyes” looked like the big O. For East Asian participants in the study evaluating the expressions, they thought an orgasm was happening when they saw “closed eyes and a smile”. Researchers noted that “Cross-cultural comparisons show differences in the facial expression models of orgasm, including wide-open eyes among Westerners and smiling in East Asians.”

Both Eastern and Western cultures saw pain as expressed by constriction of the facial muscles, while orgasms were expressed by a wider facial muscle movement. Researchers noted that “We anticipate that the development of new methods will allow better navigation of the complex social world and provide a richer, more accurate account of social communication.” You mean in the future we won’t have to ask the other person whether they had an orgasm or not?

Credit: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2018).