Mary Roach begins the chapter by stating, “Homo sapiens is one of the few species on earth that care if they’re seen having sex.” Roach brings up this idea because she is at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center. Accompanied by primate researcher Kim Wallen, she is observing the mating rituals of rhesus monkeys. The subject is Page, a young female who is looking to mate. Although she is timid at first, determination leads her to seek the alpha male, Keystone. Page tries several tactics to capture Keystone’s attention and ultimately succeeds. Roach describes this interaction as hormones at play. This strong sexual desire seen in rhesus monkeys also occurs in humans.
Hormones can make us do crazy and sometimes unexplainable things. For women, there is a simple solution that will balance hormone levels. Birth control lowers a woman’s libido while taking the Pill; however, libido may remain low even when the Pill is no longer taken. In addition to hormones, sex pheromones are thought to affect how humans and animals act. These pheromones are scents that trigger responses within the brain. Some examples include: cucumber, Good ‘n’ Plenty candy, sweat, and urine. The reactions vary depending on the person, but studies suggest that pheromones do work. A combination of hormones and pheromones could lead to mating, but what makes great sex?
Throughout most of her book, Roach rarely mentions homosexuals. She must have realized this, and thus the fifteenth chapter was born. Masters and Johnson, who were regular references in Bonk, make one final appearance. Their lab studies show that the best sex occurs between gay and lesbian couples. Masters attributes this to a phenomenon known as “gender empathy.” This secret to great sex happens when people take their time in foreplay. Teasing one’s partner to a great extent before sex has the capability of turning both people on. Homosexuals excel at this. Roach simplifies gender empathy into a single statement: “Doing unto your partner as you would do unto yourself only works when you’re gay.” The topic of homosexuality deserves its own chapter and not a few brief pages at the end of the book. However, this last minute information shows how thorough Roach is in her research and how dedicated she is to the topic of sex.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Chapters 12-13 Quizzer
1. Name the five drugs that women can take to relieve arousal problems. Why are they prescribed?
Viagra is prescribed to women even though it has only been approved for men. Doctors prescribe it to women because there are few options. Another drug offered to women is Ritalin. This works by helping the woman stay focused on sex. Marijuana could also be an option for women. This illegal drug has been known to enrich the sexual experience. However, there are no studies to support this. Bremelanotide (“the Barbie drug”) started as a sunless tanning agent, but it was discovered that the drug also increased sex drive. Perhaps the most promising drug is flibanserin. It is an antidepressant that increases libido and is currently being evaluated by the FDA.
2. When watching pornography, what are the biggest differences between how men and women respond?
Men are choosier when it comes to porn. They only become aroused by images of their sexual orientation and interests. Women, however, respond to all sorts of porn. They are physically aroused by males, females, gay couples, strait couples, and sometimes animals. The only gay image that seems to arouse strait men is the sight of two women having sex.
3. Why would Egypt be a difficult place for Ahmed Shafik to conduct sexual research?
In Egypt, the topic of sex and science hardly ever mix. Ahmed Shafik has managed to become a successful anomaly. Without access to cadavers, Shafik uses prostitutes instead. He has brought in technology for his studies that Egypt otherwise would not have. The culture is so sheepish about sex that even the word “sex” is scandalous to say on television. Nevertheless, Shafik has been able to excel in his sexual studies operated out of Cairo, Egypt.
4. Masters and Johnson discovered “spectatoring.” Describe what this is and how it affects people.
Spectatoring is when an individual observes and critiques oneself during sex. Instead of focusing on the task at hand, spectators tend to dwell on how they look or how they are performing. Women who do this tend to have less consistent orgasms and will commonly fake them.
Viagra is prescribed to women even though it has only been approved for men. Doctors prescribe it to women because there are few options. Another drug offered to women is Ritalin. This works by helping the woman stay focused on sex. Marijuana could also be an option for women. This illegal drug has been known to enrich the sexual experience. However, there are no studies to support this. Bremelanotide (“the Barbie drug”) started as a sunless tanning agent, but it was discovered that the drug also increased sex drive. Perhaps the most promising drug is flibanserin. It is an antidepressant that increases libido and is currently being evaluated by the FDA.
2. When watching pornography, what are the biggest differences between how men and women respond?
Men are choosier when it comes to porn. They only become aroused by images of their sexual orientation and interests. Women, however, respond to all sorts of porn. They are physically aroused by males, females, gay couples, strait couples, and sometimes animals. The only gay image that seems to arouse strait men is the sight of two women having sex.
3. Why would Egypt be a difficult place for Ahmed Shafik to conduct sexual research?
In Egypt, the topic of sex and science hardly ever mix. Ahmed Shafik has managed to become a successful anomaly. Without access to cadavers, Shafik uses prostitutes instead. He has brought in technology for his studies that Egypt otherwise would not have. The culture is so sheepish about sex that even the word “sex” is scandalous to say on television. Nevertheless, Shafik has been able to excel in his sexual studies operated out of Cairo, Egypt.
4. Masters and Johnson discovered “spectatoring.” Describe what this is and how it affects people.
Spectatoring is when an individual observes and critiques oneself during sex. Instead of focusing on the task at hand, spectators tend to dwell on how they look or how they are performing. Women who do this tend to have less consistent orgasms and will commonly fake them.
Chapters 10-11 Graphical Organizer Description
There are many ways people achieve orgasm. People with spinal cord injuries are still able to feel an orgasm despite their nervous system damage. Studies have shown that autonomic nerves are responsible for sensations and remain intact even when nerve damage is present. In the absence of sexual intercourse, many individuals resort to masturbation. Sex toys such as artificial vaginas and vibrators are common masturbatory instruments. People have also found other ways of achieving orgasm. There are women who can think themselves to orgasm and individuals who orgasm simply by pulling their own body weight up a rope (as in gym class). Orgasm is an important part of life. People have found many ways of obtaining an orgasm. Even the human body has developed its own ways of keeping this bodily pleasure working.
Chapters 8-9 Vocabulary
1. Saline: (noun) a salty solution (pg. 178)
2. Caftan: (noun) a long garment having long sleeves and tied at the waist by a girdle, worn under a coat in the Middle East (pg. 180)
3. Collagen: (noun) The fibrous protein constituent of bone, cartilage, tendon, and other connective tissue (pg. 184)
4. Errant: (adj) Wandering outside the established limits (pg. 186)
5. Eunuch: (noun) A man or boy whose testes are nonfunctioning or have been removed (pg. 187)
6. Incontinence: (noun) involuntary urination or defecation (pg. 188)
7. Voyeuristic: (adj) deriving sexual gratification from observing the naked bodies or sexual acts of others, especially from a secret vantage point (pg. 194)
8. Umbrage: (noun) Offense; resentment (pg. 197)
9. Priapism: (noun) continuous, usually nonsexual erection of the penis (pg. 199)
10. Vestigial: (adj) Relating to a body part that has become small and lost its use because of evolutionary change (pg. 199)
2. Caftan: (noun) a long garment having long sleeves and tied at the waist by a girdle, worn under a coat in the Middle East (pg. 180)
3. Collagen: (noun) The fibrous protein constituent of bone, cartilage, tendon, and other connective tissue (pg. 184)
4. Errant: (adj) Wandering outside the established limits (pg. 186)
5. Eunuch: (noun) A man or boy whose testes are nonfunctioning or have been removed (pg. 187)
6. Incontinence: (noun) involuntary urination or defecation (pg. 188)
7. Voyeuristic: (adj) deriving sexual gratification from observing the naked bodies or sexual acts of others, especially from a secret vantage point (pg. 194)
8. Umbrage: (noun) Offense; resentment (pg. 197)
9. Priapism: (noun) continuous, usually nonsexual erection of the penis (pg. 199)
10. Vestigial: (adj) Relating to a body part that has become small and lost its use because of evolutionary change (pg. 199)
Chapters 6-7 Summarizer
Chapter Six is all about impotence and various cures people have developed. A large portion of the chapter is devoted to the work of Dr. Geng-Long Hsu, a Taiwanese urological surgeon. When impotent men try Viagra will little success, they come to Dr. Hsu to receive a permanent solution. Hsu uses a rare technique that involves removing veins from the penis. The surgical procedure has worked on over 90 percent of men. Hsu takes great pride in his work. The reason this procedure works has to do with how penis functions. When a man is sexually aroused, arteries bring blood into the penis. After orgasm or an extended period of time, veins bring the blood out of the penis. When Hsu removes some of these veins, blood cannot exit the penis as quickly, and, as a result, the man can have an erection for a longer period of time. Besides scheduling a visit with Dr. Hsu, men have many more options to cure their impotence.
There are many ways to approach impotence. Surgeons can remove veins or install a malleable penile implant. An individual can use a cock-ring to restrict blood flow or purchase a vacuum pump. But perhaps the most popular cure for impotence was introduced by Pfizer in 1998. Since then, Viagra has become a household name. Men with erectile dysfunction (ED) could now find comfort in a simple little pill. The process is not as simple elsewhere in the animal kingdom. Zhuang Zhuang, a male panda, was given Viagra in 2002, and no results were observed. It is believed that male pandas suffer from extreme erectile dysfunction. Viagra can solve a man’s impotence, but is there a procedure that could cure senility?
According to Skevos Zervos and G. Frank Lydston, implanting younger testicular tissue into an older man can cure high blood pressure, senility, and arteriosclerosis. Some men even experienced an increase in “sexual power” and “vigorous and prolonged erections.” In China, men are told to ingest tiger penis with wine or brandy if they are suffering from performance issues. As a last resort of increasing confidence, a man can order a Neuticle, prosthetic testicles. Originally made for dogs, these fake testicles are implanted into the recipient by a plastic surgeon and come in various sizes. Men can now become as large as they want to.
There are many ways to approach impotence. Surgeons can remove veins or install a malleable penile implant. An individual can use a cock-ring to restrict blood flow or purchase a vacuum pump. But perhaps the most popular cure for impotence was introduced by Pfizer in 1998. Since then, Viagra has become a household name. Men with erectile dysfunction (ED) could now find comfort in a simple little pill. The process is not as simple elsewhere in the animal kingdom. Zhuang Zhuang, a male panda, was given Viagra in 2002, and no results were observed. It is believed that male pandas suffer from extreme erectile dysfunction. Viagra can solve a man’s impotence, but is there a procedure that could cure senility?
According to Skevos Zervos and G. Frank Lydston, implanting younger testicular tissue into an older man can cure high blood pressure, senility, and arteriosclerosis. Some men even experienced an increase in “sexual power” and “vigorous and prolonged erections.” In China, men are told to ingest tiger penis with wine or brandy if they are suffering from performance issues. As a last resort of increasing confidence, a man can order a Neuticle, prosthetic testicles. Originally made for dogs, these fake testicles are implanted into the recipient by a plastic surgeon and come in various sizes. Men can now become as large as they want to.
Chapters 4-5 Quizzer
1. It is no secret that sometimes farmers engage in sexual acts with their animals. Given the scenario of a male farmer and a female pig having intercourse, what would the sow experience differently with a man than she would with a male pig? What part of her experience would be similar?
The farmer and male pig have their own ways of engaging in sex. It takes longer for a pig to ejaculate (5 to 15 minutes) than it does for a man (1 to 5 minutes), and the pig’s ejaculate is about 70 times larger in volume than a man’s. A pig’s penis is curled (like its tail) while a man’s penis has only a slight curve. The biggest similarity between the two is their unusual habit of fondling breasts.
2. Do you believe that a female orgasm helps boost fertility rates? Why or why not?
I believe that there are some benefits orgasm has on fertility. Physician Joseph Beck conducted a study where he stimulated a highly sensitive female to the point of orgasm and watched the cervix at that very moment. Beck explains that the cervix made “five or six successive gasps.” The smooth muscle contractions and complexity of the female organ need further research. Humans were made to reproduce efficiently, and if orgasm does not help the chances of reproduction, why would it still be an occurrence within the body?
3. How has the human male’s anatomy evolved to deal with competition from other males?
The penis is designed to scoop out other men’s ejaculate from a woman’s vagina. In a study conducted by the State University of New York at Albany, it was found that 91 percent of competitor semen was scooped out of the vagina when a penis was inserted. A man’s ejaculate also contains spermicide, which is designed to kill other men’s sperm. Men are capable of waging chemical warfare in order to reproduce.
4. Do you think it would be easier to research sex in Leonardo Da Vinci’s time period or in the present? Why?
I think it would be easier to be a sex researcher in the present day. Sex research has always been an underground occurrence, but there is a larger underground society today. With sex toy shops and an increase in sexual education common today, sex research is not as far-fetched as it used to be. Also, studies in sex have come a long way since Da Vinci. Instead of cadavers, researchers now have willing volunteers to observe.
The farmer and male pig have their own ways of engaging in sex. It takes longer for a pig to ejaculate (5 to 15 minutes) than it does for a man (1 to 5 minutes), and the pig’s ejaculate is about 70 times larger in volume than a man’s. A pig’s penis is curled (like its tail) while a man’s penis has only a slight curve. The biggest similarity between the two is their unusual habit of fondling breasts.
2. Do you believe that a female orgasm helps boost fertility rates? Why or why not?
I believe that there are some benefits orgasm has on fertility. Physician Joseph Beck conducted a study where he stimulated a highly sensitive female to the point of orgasm and watched the cervix at that very moment. Beck explains that the cervix made “five or six successive gasps.” The smooth muscle contractions and complexity of the female organ need further research. Humans were made to reproduce efficiently, and if orgasm does not help the chances of reproduction, why would it still be an occurrence within the body?
3. How has the human male’s anatomy evolved to deal with competition from other males?
The penis is designed to scoop out other men’s ejaculate from a woman’s vagina. In a study conducted by the State University of New York at Albany, it was found that 91 percent of competitor semen was scooped out of the vagina when a penis was inserted. A man’s ejaculate also contains spermicide, which is designed to kill other men’s sperm. Men are capable of waging chemical warfare in order to reproduce.
4. Do you think it would be easier to research sex in Leonardo Da Vinci’s time period or in the present? Why?
I think it would be easier to be a sex researcher in the present day. Sex research has always been an underground occurrence, but there is a larger underground society today. With sex toy shops and an increase in sexual education common today, sex research is not as far-fetched as it used to be. Also, studies in sex have come a long way since Da Vinci. Instead of cadavers, researchers now have willing volunteers to observe.
Chapters 2-3 Graphical Organizer Description
Ever since Masters and Johnson first brought up the idea, researchers have been trying to determine whether the vaginal orgasm exists. As it turns out, the vaginal orgasm does exist, and there are many different views on how it occurs and what can help it occur quicker. Stimulating the “G-spot” in a woman’s vagina helps her reach orgasm sooner. Also, if a woman is an active “Kegeler,” she increases her chances of obtaining a vaginal orgasm. Unfortunately, some women are unable to have vaginal orgasm, due to their vaginal-clitoral gap. These secondary themes and supporting evidence show that vaginal orgasms do exist, and there are ways of making them easier to achieve.
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