The G-Spot and other myths about sex

The G-Spot

The mythical G-Spot, an erogenous zone in the vagina which when stimulated
can lead to powerful orgasms, has been a matter of some debate with men and
women for the 60 years since German gynaecologist Ernst Gräfenberg
hypothesized about it. However, a recent study of 1,800 British women by King's
College London has raised serious doubts about it existence. The research was
conducted on pairs of identical twins between the ages of 23 and 83 and,
because identical twins have the same genes, it was expected to show that if the
G-Spot existed both sisters would have one. Which it didn't. 'This is by far the
biggest study ever carried out and it shows fairly conclusively that the idea of a
G-spot is subjective,' co-author of the study and professor of genetic
epidemiology Tim Spector, told press.
Masturbation causes blindness

Probably in an attempt to stop teenagers from doing it, some of the scariest sex-
related myths have arisen about masturbation. Among the most common:
masturbating causes blindness; will make you grow hairs on the palm of your
hands; could cause sterility in later life. All such theories have been debunked
time and again by medics but they continue to crop up - probably a reflection of
the guilt associated with the activity. In 2007 the College of Optometrists took
the, er matter into their own hands by declaring categorically that masturbation
does not cause visual impairment. It said the only correlation between the idea
is that semen contains a large amount of zinc and that a deficiency of zinc can
cause visual decline, something which would be nearly impossible to achieve
through masturbation.
Size matters

Whether a man's penis size matters to his partner or not, you can bet it matters
to him. The average penis size is between five and six inches erect and around
three and a half inches flaccid. An internet survey in 2005 of more than 52,000
men and women revealed that only 55 per cent of the male respondents were
happy with their penis size, whereas 85 per cent of participating women said
they were 'very satisfied' with their partner's penis. Other studies have found
that many men who believe their penis size to be inadequate are actually
average sized. Such misconceptions derive from the ridiculous (Italian pepper
grinder-sized members featured in porn movies) to the unfortunate (the
perceptive foreshortening men experience when looking down at their genitalia).
Despite the many penis enlarging pumps, pills and practises promulgated by
spam emails and internet advertising, few experts would endorse such tools and
they are widely thought to be bogus.
Men think about sex every 52 seconds

Every couple of years scientists come up with an estimate about how often the
male mind thinks about sex. Every 3 seconds, 7 seconds or most commonly
every 52 seconds, they haven't yet reached a consensus. Either way it is an
awful lot. Dr Louann Brizendine's book The Female Brain claims 'Studies have
shown that while a man will think about sex every 52 seconds, the subject tends
to cross women's minds just once a day.' Ask the average man, however, and
he'll likely scoff at the findings. How anyone can negotiate the morning
commute, working life and normal human interaction successfully if erotic
images are popping uninvited into one's subconscious at 52 second intervals, I
can't imagine. But then, I'm not a bloke...any thoughts readers?
Female ejaculation

Female ejaculation is hotly contested by sexologists. In surveys around 35 to 50

per cent of women have said that they have experienced a so called 'gushing
orgasm'. There are references to the apparent phenomena in Indian sex tome
the Kama Sutra as well as Greek and Roman accounts of it. Female ejaculation is
also mentioned in early 20th century 'marriage manuals' such as Theodoor
Hendrik van de Velde's Ideal Marriage: Its Physiology and Technique (1926),
which says 'It appears that the majority of laymen believe that something is
forcibly squirted (or propelled or extruded), or expelled from the woman's body
in orgasm, and should so happen normally, as in the man's case. Finally it is just
as certain that such an 'ejaculation' does not take place in many women of
sexually normal functions, as that it does take place in others.'
Women prefer circumcised men

There is huge online debate about whether women prefer their partners' penises
to be circumcised - an operation, usually conducted in infancy, where the
foreskin is cut away. Issues such as whether a man's penis looks more
attractive, gives more satisfaction (both to him and his partner) and is more
hygienic are under keen discussion. In Uganda last year 500 women interviewed
found their circumcised partners just as satisfactory between the sheets as their
uncircumcised counterparts. While a 1999 study by the British Journal of Urology
International revealed that men circumcised as adults reported a loss in
sensation, but more control in reaching climax. The huge number of studies
rarely consider the same data or reach comparable conclusions so in the end it
seems to come down to personal taste. However, as the majority of the world's
men are uncircumcised many women will never be able to make the comparison.
Women get emotionally attached after sex

'Can a woman have sex like a man?' ponders Sex and the City character Carrie
Bradshaw in one of her entertainingly obtuse newspaper columns. She's not
talking strap-ons and testosterone injections, but is asking if women can shake
off the assumption that by getting into bed with a man their pink and fluffy
minds will whiz off into the realms of marriage and babies. By and large sex
therapists agree that women are more prone than men to depression after
casual liaisons. And during orgasm the body releases oxytocin, dubbed the
'cuddle hormone', which is believed to foster post coital feelings of love and
attachment in both sexes. However, a survey by magazine Marie Claire showed
a mixed response from women debating the issue. A third claimed to actively
enjoy casual sex without emotional repercussions, while the rest found their
experiences emotionally unfulfilling or sometimes fulfilling.
Men need to spread their seed

Differences in sexual politics between men and women are often shrugged away
by the idea that guys 'need' to experience sex with different partners as a means
of 'spreading their seed' before they can settle down with one woman. While
ladies might snigger or harrumph at this idea, there is some scientific research
to back it up. In August Dr Achim Schützwohl of Brunel University published
research in Human Nature claiming that men are far more interested in casual
sex than women. He asked 427 male and 433 female students from Germany,
Italy and the US to record their responses to sexual advances from members of
the opposite sex ranked either as 'slightly unattractive,' 'moderately attractive'
or 'exceptionally attractive'. He found that men were far more likely to claim
acceptance of a sexual advance than women, as well as far less choosy about
the attractiveness of their prospective bedfellow.
Casual sex is emotionally harmful

Conventional wisdom determines that sleeping with many different partners on a

casual basis is harmful to a person's emotional well being. Not according to a
study by the University of Minnesota, published in December, however.
Researchers found that the self esteem and well being of the young adults who
had last had a casual sexual encounter- one fifth out of the 1,311 questioned -
showed an emotional status no different from the four-fifths who were in
committed relationships with their sexual partners. The researchers were 'so
surprised' by the results, which go against decades of sexual health teaching,
and stressed that they in no way advocate casual sex which poses the physical
risks of STIs and teen pregnancy.
Ejaculation shortens a man's lifespan

Controversial book The Multi-Orgasmic Man: Sexual Secrets Every Man Should
Know by Mantak Chia & Douglas Abrams claims that frequent ejaculation can
drain a man's energy and ultimately shorten his lifespan. But before you guffaw
and roll your eyes, this is actually a widely held view in Chinese medicine. Also,
a study published in August 2009 called 'Ejaculation Control and Mental,
Spiritual, and Physical Health Part 9' found that there was a decrease in prostate
cancer among the men with the lowest category of ejaculation frequency
between the ages of 40 to 49 years old. However, other studies have proved the
opposite, that frequent masturbation can actually reduce the chances of
contracting prostate ca

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