The Psychology of Human Sexuality

Is The Origami Condom The Future Of Safe And Pleasurable Sex?

Dr. Justin J. Lehmiller — Wed, 22 May 2013 10:00:45 +0000

"We have a product that is safe and effective, but underutilized. What if we could develop a condom that would provide all the benefit of our current versions, without the drawbacks? Even better, what if we could develop one that was preferred to no condom?"

Source: OrigamiCondoms.comEarlier this year, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced that they were offering a $100,000 grant to anyone with credible plans to develop the “next generation condom.” Why do we need to reinvent the wheel? Because condoms are not as widely utilized as they should be. Many people forego safe sex because they perceive that condoms will decrease their sexual pleasure. Therefore, if we could develop a condom that felt just as good as unprotected sex, it could have a major impact on rates of sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancies. However, as it turns out, one such condom may soon be at our doorstep.

The Sex Lives Of Friends With Benefits (Infographic)

Dr. Justin J. Lehmiller — Tue, 21 May 2013 10:00:30 +0000

What do "friends with benefits" do beneath the sheets? And do they ever want more than just casual, "no strings attached" sex? Check out the infographic below for the answers. The statistics presented here are based on the results of two recent studies of predominately heterosexual persons who reported currently having at least one friend with benefits.

Strange Sex: Tales Of Sexual Arousal From Stinging Insects

Dr. Justin J. Lehmiller — Mon, 20 May 2013 10:01:07 +0000

The buzz on the Internet last week was the story of a Swedish man who supposedly died after having sex with a hornets’ nest. According to various media reports, the man’s pubic hair and semen were found inside the nest and he had been stung 146 times, leaving his body so swollen that he looked like “a beached whale.” After making the rounds in the international media, it was discovered that the story was a hoax perpetrated by News Sweden, the Swedish equivalent of The Onion. What may surprise you, however, is that this story isn’t as far-fetched as it sounds because there are indeed some people in this world who derive sexual arousal from stinging insects.

Sex Question Friday: What Is The Best Sexual Position?

Dr. Justin J. Lehmiller — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:01:18 +0000

Every Friday on the blog, I answer people’s questions about sex, love, and relationships. This week’s question comes from a reader who wanted to know the best sexual position for heterosexual couples.

What is the best position for penile-vaginal intercourse?

One Reason To Sell Plan B Over The Counter: Many Pharmacists Won't Provide It To Teen Girls

Dr. Justin J. Lehmiller — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:40:29 +0000

Just last month, the United States Food and Drug Administration announced that Plan B One-Step (a form of emergency contraception) had been approved for sale over the counter to women and girls age 15 and over. Prior to that, the only way to get the drug was to ask a pharmacist. In addition, women under age 17 could not get it without a doctor's prescription. The FDA's recent decision has been met with controversy, particularly the lowering of the age limit. However, taking control of the drug away from pharmacists is a positive development because research reveals that a shockingly high number of teen girls of legal age are being incorrectly told by their pharmacists that they cannot purchase the medication, even in pharmacies where the drug is in stock.

Born Both Ways: Is It Evolutionarily Adaptive For Women To Have A Fluid Sexuality?

Dr. Justin J. Lehmiller — Wed, 15 May 2013 10:00:27 +0000

Same-sex behavior has long been a conundrum for evolutionary psychologists. From an evolutionary standpoint, a trait cannot evolve unless it is linked to reproductive success (i.e., it has to help us pass our genes along to future generations). However, same-sex activity obviously limits one’s ability to reproduce, so why does it persist in the population? Most explanations I have seen to date have focused on providing an explanation for why male same-sex behavior is adaptive (e.g., the "gay uncle hypothesis," which says that having a gay uncle is adaptive because they provide resources to care for their nieces and nephew). In contrast, female same-sex behavior has largely been left out of the picture…until now. A new paper published in Evolutionary Psychology lays out a hypothesis for why women seem to have evolved a fluid or “flexible” sexuality.

Men's Sexual Activities With Female Prostitutes (Infographic)

Dr. Justin J. Lehmiller — Tue, 14 May 2013 10:00:54 +0000

To date, most research on prostitution has focused on describing and understanding those who are selling sex. But what do we know about the buyers? Check out the infographic below to learn how many men say they've visited a prostitute before, what types of sexual activities they engaged in, and some of the reasons they bought sex.

How Important Is It To Have Sex Before Marriage?

Dr. Justin J. Lehmiller — Mon, 13 May 2013 10:00:32 +0000

In a recent piece on Salon entitled “My Virginity Mistake,” author Jessica Ciencin Henriquez talks about how an abstinence pledge ruined her marriage. In her words: “Without having sex before marriage, I blindly walked up an aisle and committed myself to a man who didn’t know me and gave my long-held virginity to someone with whom I had no more chemistry than a second cousin.” The crux of her piece is that sex is too important to a relationship to save it for the wedding night and that couples need to establish sexual compatibility before tying the knot. In light of this article, I thought it would be worth taking a look at what the science has to say on this topic. Does your sexual satisfaction and chance of relationship success really depend upon when you start having sex?

Sex Question Friday: Are Bisexuals Usually More Attracted To One Sex?

Dr. Justin J. Lehmiller — Fri, 10 May 2013 10:01:20 +0000

Every Friday on the blog, I answer people’s questions about sex, love, and relationships. This week’s question comes from a reader who wanted to know whether it is common for bisexual individuals to be more attracted to one sex than the other.

Become An Amateur Sex Scientist With The Kinsey Reporter App

Dr. Justin J. Lehmiller — Thu, 09 May 2013 10:00:42 +0000

Kinsey Reporter is a new smartphone app that lets people around the world anonymously record the details of their sex lives any time, any place. This app is available for free on both Apple and Android mobile platforms and is overseen by a joint partnership between The Kinsey Institute and the Indiana University School of Informatics and Computing.