Subject: [alt.sex] FAQ (3/4)

From: [email-masked] (David JOHNSON)
Date: 9 Oct 92 19:29:57 GMT

Archive-name: alt-sex/faq/part3
Last-modified: 9 Oct 1992

---------------------------------------

c3-13. What percent of men and women masturbate? and at what
       frequency?

According to Masters and Johnson in their book 'On Sex and Human
Loving' third printing, page 295:

     Data about masturbation are a bit tricky to interpret. You
     may recall that Kinsey and his colleagues found a wide
     discrepancy in the incidence of masturbation between male
     and female adolescents, but some recent studies suggest that
     this difference may be narrowing (see chapter 6). A similar
     trend may also be occurring in regard to masturbatory
     behavior in adulthood.
     The kinsey reports stated that 92 percent of the males and
     62 percent of the females queried had masturbated at least
     once in their lives. More recently, two separate studies
     came up with very similar statistics: The _Playboy_ survey
     (Hunt, 1975) found that 94 percent of 982 males and 63
     percent of 1,044 adult females had masturbated, and Arafat
     and Cotton's study (1974) of 435 college students found
     masturbatory experience in 89 percent of males and 61
     percent of females.
     However, Levin and Levin (1975), summarizing data from a
     _Redbook_ questionnaire survey answered by 100,000 women,
     found that almost three-quarters of the married women had
     masturbated since marriage. Providing additional evidence
     that more women seem to have tried masturbation today than
     in the past decades, Hite reported that 82 percent of her
     sample of 3,000 women had masturbatory experience.

For more details and speculations as to why the rise, techniques
used, frequency, etc -- buy the book.

---------------------------------------

c3-14. How are the bases defined again? (ie. 1st base = kissing,
       etc.)

                            ,^.
                           < 2 >  2nd Base: Groping, copping a
                          / `.' \ feel
                         /       \
                        /         \
3rd Base:           ,^./     _     \,^.
Finger-fucking,    < 3 >    |O|    < 1 > 1st Base: [French]
mutual masturb.     `.'\     -     /`.'  kissing
                        \         /
                         \       /
                          \ ___ /
                           | H |
                            \./
        Home Run: 'Going All The Way', Sexual Intercourse

---------------------------------------

c3-15. What's the average length and width penis?

From: [email-masked] (Klaus Ole Kristiansen)
Date: 16 Sep 91 07:49:09 GMT

According to the book Mandens Krop (which is translated from
English, but does not give the original title) the average is
15cm and 90% are between 13 and 18cm.

The records for a fully functional penis are 1.5 and 30cm.

-----

Source: "Race Differences in Behaviour: A Review and Evolutionary
Analysis" by J. Philippe Rushton, Dept. of Psychology, University
of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5C2 in "Journal
of Personality and Individual Differences" Vol. 9, No. 6,
1009-1024, 1988.

According to a paper by J. Philippe Rushton, the average size for
erect penises is:

     Group              Length           Diameter

    Orientals           4 - 5.5"          1.25"
    Caucasians          5.5 - 6"          1.3 - 1.6"
    Blacks              6.25 - 8"          2"

    Clitoral lengths:
     Europeans 1.2"
     Africans 2".

---------------------------------------

c3-16. What can one do about premature ejaculation?

>From "Human Sexuality" a brief edition by James Leslie McCary. D.
Van Nostrand Company, Copyright 1973, ISBN 0-442-25236-6

             The Treatment of Premature Ejaculation

Given the cooperation of his lover, a man can train himself
(except when the cause is purely physical) to withhold orgasm
until both want it to happen. The main enemy is the fear and
anxiety engendered in the man by previous failures. Once he gains
confidence in his "staying power" and accepts the fact that all
men face the problem at one time or another, the battle is half
won. To assist him toward confidence in his abilities, several
routes can be taken.

Some counsellors recommend that a local anesthetic (for example,
Nupercainal) be applied to the penile glans--care being taken not
to smear any of the ointment on the woman's vulva--a few minutes
before the beginning of intercourse. The assumption is that the
deadening effect will decrease the sensitivity of the penis and
delay ejaculation. Others prescribe the wearing of one or more
condoms to reduce the stimulation generated by the friction of
intercourse and the warmth and moisture within the vagina. Since
muscular tension is a notorious catalyst in ejaculation,
premature ejaculation may be prevented by the man's lying beneath
the woman and thus taking a more passive role in coitus. (Sexual
intercourse in the cramped confines of an automobile is
unsatisfactory for many reasons, one of which is that it often
creates muscular tension that terminates in early ejaculation.)

Some men also find that taking a drink just before coitus helps,
since alcohol is a deterrent in all physiological functioning.
Other men claim similar success through concentrating on
singularly unsexy thoughts, such as their income tax payments.
(It is suggested, however, that these men take care not to let
their partners know of their diversionary thoughts, lest they be
dumped from the bed before ejaculation, premature or otherwise!)
Having an orgasm and, after a short rest, attaining another
erection often permit a man to experience a more prolonged act of
coitus the second time. Some men masturbate shortly before they
expect to have sexual intercourse; because their sex drive will
thereby be decreased, they can then prolong intercourse later.

The technique of delaying the man's orgasm can be learned, and
probably the best method is one requiring the cooperation of both
the man and his sex partner. The best chance of success lies in
both partners' consulting a psychotherapist who will, first of
all, assure the couple that premature or early ejaculation is a
reversible phenomenon. The couple will then be instructed in the
somewhat complicated technique of bringing about the reversal of
premature ejaculation.

The technique requires that the woman manually stimulate her
partners' genitals until the point that he feels the very
earliest signs of "ejaculatory inevitability." (This is the stage
of a man's orgasmic experience at which he feels ejaculation of
seminal fluid coming, and can no longer control it.) At that
moment he signal the woman with such a pre-agreed word as "now",
and she immediately ceases her massage of the penis. She then
quickly squeezes its glans, or head, by placing her thumb on the
frenulum (on the lower surface of the glans) and two fingers on
the top of the glans, applying rather strong pressure for 3 or 4
seconds. The pressure will be uncomfortable enough to cause the
man to lose the urge to ejaculate. Such "training sessions"
should continue for 15 to 20 minutes, with alternating periods of
sexual stimulation and squeezing.

In later sessions, the man inserts his penis in the woman's
vagina as she sits astride him until he senses impending orgasm,
at which point he withdraws and she once more squeezes the penis
to stop ejaculation. Use of these techniques is continued in
further sexual encounters until, progressively, the man is
capable of prolonged sexual intercourse, in any position, without
ejaculating sooner than he wishes.

Two notes of caution should be sounded to those using this
technique. First, the technique will be unavailing if the man
himself applies the pressure to his penis; and, second, the
couple must not treat this newfound sexual skill as a game and
overdo it. If the technique is overused, the man may eventually
find that he has become insensitive to the stimulation and unable
to respond to it. He may then develop new fears, this time about
his potency, and risk developing secondary impotence. The
guidance of a therapist is strongly recommended in the treatment
of premature ejaculation to prevent such secondary problems.

Masters and Johnson report a 97.8% success rate in the treatment
of premature ejaculation.

In any discussion of premature ejaculation, a word of caution
must be injected. It is important to understand that at any one
time or another almost every man has experienced ejaculation more
swiftly than he or his partner would have liked. The essential
thing is that the man not became anxious over possible future
failures. Otherwise what is a normal, situational occurrence may
become a chronic problem.

---------------------------------------

c3-17. Is it possible for men to be multi-orgasmic?

From: sawyer@hubble..westford.ccur.com (George Sawyer)
Keywords: NEMO, Taoist Yoga, Sexual techniques
Message-ID: <[email-masked]>
Date: 4 Nov 91 16:49:14 GMT

The following is a modified repost of my answer to "Postie's
query"

I study and teach Taoist esoteric yoga, and among the practices
are sexual techniques which are VERY EFFECTIVE. There are solo
techniques, and partner techniques. They require ongoing practice
and, for men, realistically speaking, the partner techniques
require a practising partner.

A basic concept is that you can have an orgasm without
ejaculating. Since ejaculation takes you through the refractory
period & etc. cycle as well as emptying your fluid level, it
tends to limit activity. Remove this constraint and you can go on
as long as you want. (Have as many orgasms as you want). When you
get close to the point of ejaculatory inevitability, you perform
the techniques, which pull the sexual energy out of your testes /
prostate up to your brain & compress the prostate causing partial
loss of erection & subsiding of prostate. When the energy moves
upward, you have an non-ejaculatory orgasm.

The only way I can describe the orgasm experience is to compare
it to to some types of psychedelic drug experiences - except that
you are in control and can stop immediately if you want. The more
you practice, the longer and stronger the effects are. An orgasm
of 5 to 10 minutes is "quite easy" and you can become able to
have one of more than an hour with "determined practice". About
an hour twenty minutes is my personal best (from solo practice at
that) and I made it stop because I was getting too high.

You tend to rest for a few or several minutes after each orgasm,
being with your partner, and then optionally doing it again. Use
lots of lubricant.

There are different levels of orgasm, the initial one being a
"senses" orgasm, in which you experience amplified pleasure from
all your senses simultaneously. Since this includes touch, it is
a bodywide experience. An "unexpected" benefit for men is that
you will always have more energy after sex than before, thus
dramatically reducing the "roll off and snore" syndrome. Also,
after sex you will feel much closer to your partner and much more
connected than prior. Many people have intense experiences of
total connection and submersion into each other.

It is also a First Class system for being celibate. Completely
eliminates wet dreams, and gives you a fair amount of choice
about whether to allow yourself to become aroused or not. Over
the long term you develop some degree of control over your sexual
desire in general. Feels great (even the non-aroused solo
practice), and doesn't require "struggle and effort". The
non-aroused solo practices are being done by individuals in many
Christian monasteries & nunneries in Europe.

Downsides. NOT TO BE IGNORED
For men, it only really works if your partner practices too.
Otherwise they get BORED watching you have extended orgasms while
they wait.

Initially, it is QUITE DIFFICULT not to ejaculate, and you will
need cooperation from your partner at the WORST possible times -
"I need to stop NOW!".

It does not work well with promiscuity.

It takes time to learn - I'll say an average of 6 months to
beginning of competence and control, and requires 15min to 30min
per day of various meditative practices.

Realistically, most people don't stick to it long enough to be
able to do it. Success rate among persistent people is very high,
and the practices are not difficult.

Some women find it really weird if you don't ejaculate, and you
can really fuck up your relationship/marriage if you don't take
care of your significant other first and foremost. That is far
more important than mastery of sex techniques.

These techniques are not part of a religion, no Deities to
believe in, no statues, none of that.

The techniques are described quite clearly in:

"Taoist Secrets of Love: Cultivating Male sexual energy" (men's)

"Healing Love thru the Tao: Cultivating Female sexual energy"
(women's)

Both are written by Mantak and Manewan Chia, and widely available
at New Age bookstores.

The pre-requisite is: "Awakening Healing Energy Thru the Tao"

Most people find these reference books a bit much, and take one
day courses. There are about 70 instructors in the USA, you can
find the nearest one by calling the Healing Tao center @ (516)
367-2701. Classes are about $85, and there is a pre-requisite
course "The Microcosmic Orbit" which is also about $85.

DO NOT IGNORE THE SAFETY POINTS IN THE BOOKS

Happy practice!

---------------------------------------

c3-18. What are some good positions to try out?

The Teachings of Kama Sutra:
(See Appendix 3. The list is long enough to warrant its own
section.)

>From the net (* indicates beginning of a new post):

*    Both are variations of the missionary position and can be
     done with either person on top:

     1)   Instead of the usual man's legs inside the woman's
          legs, have the man place one leg _outside_ the woman's
          legs. The allows a "sideways" penetration which makes
          my SO happy.
     2)   Place _both_ man's legs outside the woman's legs. This
          causes inward pressure on the vagina and clitoris and
          tightens the vagina. We both like this very much :)
          Note: If the woman is on top you must be careful not to
          crush the man's testicles :(

*    Have her lay on her side, bottom leg straight and top leg
     bent at the knee, which is in the air. You approach her,
     sitting up, straddling her bottom leg and enter her this
     way. This allows for *deep* entry which your SO may or may
     not like.

*    Penile thrusting from the right angle can pull the labia
     enough to give amazing clitoral stimulation. I usually find
     this happens most with rear-entry positions.

*    The first is with the woman on top, her legs straight and
     directly over the man's, pushing her weight backwards and
     forwards with her arms (above the man's shoulders);

     The other is basically the same thing with the man on top,
     sliding forward and backward.

     We also occasionally use a position with her legs inside
     mine, but on top. We both have to be pretty energetic for
     this, though. It seems to produce intense sensation,
     increased tightness and friction, etc., but we've never been
     able to make it lead to an orgasm for my partner.

*    Have the guy lie on his back legs spread wide. Have her
     mount with her back towards you. Now, with your thigh
     between her legs bend your knee slightly, this way she can
     bounce her clit on your thigh with each stroke. With your
     leg you can control how much she gets... straighten out your
     leg and she has to go down further to get the same
     stimulation. Guess it works well for me 'cause of my 18"
     thighs. ;)

*    A recent x-SO of mine had a favorite position, and I was
     wondering if other women enjoy this also. I would enter her
     from behind (just like doggy style), then while I was fully
     inserted she would lie down with me on top of her. We would
     both place our hands underneath her (just above where I was
     inserted. Then she would wiggle almost methodically. I
     assume this put great pressure on the clitoris. However
     after a short time she would orgasm and even sometimes
     multiple.

*    My ex-SO much preferred doggy style. She indicated that that
     was the right level of penetration. What is the position
     called that has man on top, woman with legs up so far that
     her knees are practically at her ears? My ex-SO did not like
     that, she said penetration was too deep. Same thing with her
     on top, but sitting up, making her body at right angles to
     mine. Also, she says that doggy style caused some
     stimulation of the clitoral and pudendal region that wasn't
     there in other positions, presumably because of the movement
     of tissues around the outside of the vagina during
     intercourse.

Upside-down position:

*    That question on the purity test refers to (I believe) the
     people being opposite - ie one standing upright and one
     standing on their hands or head. This is a fun one, but you
     have to be careful that you don't stand up too quickly
     afterwards if you have been upside down or you could
     possibly pass out.

OR

*    Have her sitting on the edge of the bed, facing away from
     the edge, on your lap. Lean over forwards, holding on to a
     handy dresser. She does a handstand, and you hold yourself
     up with one hand and hold both of you together with the
     other. Good for some giggles.

*    We prefer it with the man on his back, with lots of pillows
     under his rear end, propping him up. I then mount directly
     on top, one leg between his and the other between his leg
     and arm, i.e. I am at a 90 angle with him, sort of
     squatting, at least initially :-)

     If I then lean forward and move up and down and around, the
     combination of deep penetration and frontal rubbing of my
     clitoris on his leg makes for a very interesting
     combination.

*    standing up... my girlfriend's hanging on to my shoulders,
     and her legs definitely don't touch the ground.

*    My SO likes really deep penetration. She likes "doggie-
     style" but she prefers variations of "in the buck" (legs
     over the man's shoulders to provide deeper penetration.)
     Actually, as long as you get your arms under her knees it
     provides the same effect -- some women, my SO included, find
     it extremely uncomfortable to have their knees pressed all
     the way up to their chest during intercourse and just
     putting your arms under her knees or legs will lift her rear
     up and arch her back, giving you a better angle to penetrate
     at. Also, since your arms are under her legs, you are
     supporting some of her weight, so she doesn't have to hold
     her own rear up for you.

     When we get into this position, I've found that she prefers
     a sort of rocking motion as opposed to a straight in-and-out
     thrusting (try bending your own legs so that your knees come
     up about even with her hips, then you'll be almost cradling
     her in your lap and if you rock back and forth you will stay
     inside and alternate between plunging deep and not- so-
     deep-- this has been the easiest way for me to bring her to
     orgasm).

     Another thing she likes is to get on top and face away from
     me. I'm living in a college apartment and I've got the
     bottom bunk and the bed above has bars under it. I can grab
     one of these bars and pull myself up into her, and if I go
     fast and hard enough, we can get the bed bouncing pretty
     good and she actually bounces up off of my penis and plunges
     back down onto it. She really enjoys this but it's tough for
     me to do it for very long.

---------------------------------------

c3-19. What is the M-spot?

From: (unknown)
I don't know if the spot I'm talking about is really the
"M-spot," or not. There's actually a *pair* of these "spots." You
stimulate them from outside the body, unlike the G-spot, which
you get at from inside the vagina. These "M-spots" are on both
men and women!

They're not easy to find, and you've got to already be somewhat
sexually aroused, I think, or it won't feel like anything. I
think you probably also have to be ticklish, but maybe not.

Stand up. Take your shirt and pants off. Put your hands on your
hips. Now, feel how your hands are resting on a big "shelf" of
bone? That's your pelvic bone. Grip that bone, and get a feel for
the shape of it in that area. Now, concentrate on where the tips
of your fingers are. Feel around that area. Relax your stomach
muscles completely. (Try sitting down if it helps you relax that
area.) If you have big hands, or a small waist, your fingertips
are probably already on "the spots." Otherwise, move your hands
forward, around towards the front of you a little bit, until you
find the edge of that bone, on both sides. Now reach around that
ridge of bone, pressing in on the sides of your tummy. Dig in
with your fingertips. That's it! They're *right* on the edge of
that bone, off the insides of it, not off the top of it. Your
fingertips should be somewhere just below and to the sides of
your belly-button.

I can't describe it any better than that. It's probably easier to
find if your partner does the searching, instead. If you look for
the spots yourself, you could be pressing right in them and not
know it, because it's like trying to tickle yourself -- it just
doesn't work.

Get naked with your partner, do some normal foreplay for a while,
and get to where you're really ready for sex. Then have your
partner stand behind you, and have him/her put their hands on
your hips, as if you were, then proceed as given above. If they
push and poke around in that area long enough, they're bound to
find the spots. They might end up just tickling you to death,
though. :-) (If it tickles, they're not pressing hard enough.)

When they do find your M-spots, you will KNOW IT. You will feel a
fire light up inside you. Within moments, you will want to turn
around and kiss your partner so hard they suffocate. It is VERY
intense. It's kind of uncomfortable, at first, and you can't take
it for very long.

If you're SO is "moving too slow" during foreplay, go for these
spots. Things will speed up REAL fast.

Good luck...

Sorc

Re: M-spot
I've experienced something like this, although she (my girlfriend
at the time, not a prostitute :-) touched a spot to either side
of the navel, not directly below it. 1 - 2 inches down is about
right, but then 2 - 3 inches over. It's right on the inside of
the pelvic bone. If you're wearing jeans, and you casually hang
your thumbs over those first two belt loops, the tips of your
thumbs are right there.

This wasn't just a "male" thing -- it worked on her, too. It's
just ticklish if you do it too lightly, but press a little more
firmly, and it's *very* intense. It's not really orgasm-inducing,
but it turns light arousal into high arousal *really* fast. Get
ready for your partner to *tackle* you if you do this right. Use
several fingers and kind of "push in" on it, like you're kneading
dough with your fingers.

So, I don't know if this is the "M-spot," but it's definitely
some kind of spot. :-) And it was great for warming up, but I
don't know what it'd be like having it stimulated during actual
intercourse. If she was on top, so the guy was relatively
stationary, and she did that "kneading" while "riding"... hm...
I'll put that on my list of things to try. :-)

---------------------------------------

c3-20. What are Kegel exercises?/How can one increase the force
       of ejaculation?

From: [email-masked]
Message-ID: <[email-masked]>
Date: 6 Oct 91 05:18:11 GMT

Kegel exercises (pronounced "Kay-gill", in case you ever actually
have a conversation about them) were invented to give women
better bladder control. They have a number of useful advantages
in sex. In women, they can help tighten the vagina, particularly
after childbirth. The muscles can also be used deliberately
during intercourse to stimulate her partner.

They have a variety of uses for men. As I already mentioned, they
strengthen the muscles used in seminal retention, making that
technique more effective. They can make ejaculation more
powerful. This may increase male enjoyment somewhat and female
enjoyment if she is sensitive to it. Deliberate twitches during
intercourse are also useful for males.

Knowing how to force relaxation of the muscles can help maintain
control and prevent premature ejaculation, as well as relieving
the muscle cramps that can occur from too many ejaculations in
succession.

For females:

My recollection of the exercise regimen taken from the older ESO
book is as follows. First you have to identify the PC muscles and
get them under conscious control. Starting and stopping urination
is one method. Inserting a finger into the vagina to feel the
contractions or watching the movement of the erect penis is
another. Once it is under control, there are three kinds of
exercises. The first is to clench the muscle and hold it for two
seconds before releasing it. The second is to bear down as though
constipated, using the abdominal muscles to force the PC muscles
to relax. I find that alternating reps of these two works well.
The third exercise is a fast twitch of the muscle, with
repetitions as close together as possible, similar to orgasmic
contractions. An initial set of exercises consists of 10
repetitions of each exercise. Five sets should be performed in a
day. As strength improves, the number of repetitions in a set is
increased. Around 30 repetitions in a set is suggested as a good
number for retaining good muscle tone. The exercises are
unobtrusive and can be performed almost anywhere.

For males:

Kegel exercises might indeed help with [increasing the force of
ejaculation]. Here is how they are performed by males. First you
have to learn to consciously control the muscles. One way of
doing this is to use them to stop and start urination repeatedly.
When you have an erection, contracting them causes it to move,
making them easy to identify. Once you have the muscles
identified, there are three types of exercises to do:

1)   try contracting the muscles and holding them that way for a
     slow count of ten. You may not be able to last that long at
     first, but that is why you are exercising.
2)   force them to relax by bearing down as though you were
     constipated and trying to force a bowel movement.
3)   twitch (contract and release) the muscles as fast as you can
     ten times in a row. I find that it works well to alternate
     each of the first type with one of the second type. I don't
     recall how many of these are recommended. Something like ten
     of each to start, eventually working up to a hundred.

In addition to the possibility of increasing the force of
ejaculation, these may increase the number of contractions and
the total enjoyment. The same muscles can also be used to reduce
the amount of semen in an ejaculation by contracting them as hard
as possible during it. This leaves a less than satisfied feeling,
usually accompanied by an urgent desire for another orgasm 10 to
20 minutes later. This can be useful if your partner wants more
sex than you do. Supposedly, increasing the strength of the
muscles can increase this effect to allow quite a few orgasms in
a row.

---------------------------------------

c3-21. What are blue balls?

From: [email-masked] (Jim Markley)

Blue Balls is a real condition! The "correct" term for blue balls
is epididymitis, which is an inflammation of the epididymis. So
what is an epididymis, you ask?

Well from the library dictionary -- an elongated mass at the back
of the testis composed chiefly of the greatly convoluted efferent
tubes of that organ.

In simple terms blue balls most commonly occurs when the
epididymis get blocked up when the sperm leave the testis but not
the penis. The "efferent tubes" are the conduit for the sperm
from the testis to the urethra. When they get blocked you get
pain. Why blue balls and not "swollen balls," well maybe the
connotation is that you balls have the "blues", or maybe its
because with all that swelling some of the blood flow is
restricted enough to cause some blueing of the area because of
pooling blood.

------------------------------------

c3-22. Is spanish fly dangerous?

From: [email-masked] (Rebecca Radnor)
Subject: Re: Aphrodisiacs??? does really work???

There is this great show on CNBC called steals and deals that
recently did a week on sex related stuff. They said that most of
the spanish fly stuff that is sold is basically sugar water. The
real machoy is illegal, and an overdose can be lethal. (I think
they said it will give you a permanent hard-on that can develop
gangrene and need to be surgically amputated, but I'm not sure.)
There are some places that are selling it, but on the show they
said that the risks are far to high compared to the benefits.

From: [email-masked] (The Bedroom Commando)
Subject: Spanish Fly

Spanish Fly has been used for almost a century that I am aware of
along the Mexican-American Border by the Cattle Industry for
breeding purposes. It has not, nor was it EVER intended for use
by males... it was administered to cows orally... for the purpose
of procreation (albeit heightened somewhat) of a new line of
calves.

Spanish fly is a powder of ground up wings of the CANTHARIS
VESICATORIA beetle of the Southwest desert. As a child, I have
had these light brown 1/2 inch long beetles alight upon my skin,
and the noticeable resultant 'burn' was the same that one would
receive if a drop of sulphuric acid had been placed there!

One can find these beetles attracted to the lights around service
stations and truck stops in the Southwest and many tourists
leave, taking with them, the telltale burn mark of the Cantharide
beetle every summer.

Its use in the industry has been long discontinued in the US, but
can still be found among the peon ranchers of Northern Mexico.

One other thing, it is highly poisonous if taken internally. Much
of this information can also be found in the "Taber's Cyclopedic
Medical Dictionary"... Don't be misled that I'm on Net in
Montana... I was born and raised on a ranch in the Sonoran-Desert
Mountains of Southeast Arizona.

------------------------------------

c3-23. Is it possible to get pregnant from anal sex?

From: [email-masked] (Elf Sternberg) 
Subject: simple question 

It is not *technically* possible to get pregnant from anal sex;
there is no way for semen to get from the rectal tract to the
vaginal tract.

However, anal sex is still not a very good method of birth
control. Semen leaking from the anus after intercourse may drip
across the perineum (the short stretch of skin separating vulva
and anus) and cause what is known as a 'splash' conception. The
failure rate for this is surprisingly high! 8% of couples of who
use anal sex as a method of birth control have babies each year.

--------------------------

c3-24. Should I buy a vibrator?
       What kind of vibrators are there?
       Do vibrators 'desensitize' women?
       Can I be replaced by a vibrator?

From: [email-masked] (Elf Sternberg) 

Vibrators come in three distinct 'types'. Many women find
satisfaction in this most common (and more often thought of), the
classic penis-shaped, battery powered shaft of plastic. These
suffer, however, from a lack of real power and inconvenient
battery death.

The second type of vibrator, the 'wand' vibrator, overcomes these
problems with wall current. These large, club-shaped vibrators
provide LOTS of stimulation, and wall current provides all the
power you could ask for, but the designers apparently intended
for people not to view these things as sex toys, but as "personal
massagers," and the ungainliness of these things reflects that.

The third type of vibrator, the 'handle' type, looks vaguely like
a small hairdryer with a small, perpendicular shaft out of the
thicker end to accommodate a variety of soft plastic or latex
heads. The best of all possible worlds, these vibrators never
die, fit in one hand, and can provide a variety of sensations.

Shower Massagers make a wonderful variation on the classic
vibrator, and if you enjoy the warmth and wetness of the tub, you
probably want to consider investing in a shower massager. Like
the wand and handle vibrators, shower massagers have a host of
uses beyond masturbation, too!

BUYING A VIBRATOR: Don't make buying a vibrator a traumatizing
experience. If you MUST have one of those penis-shaped things,
most lingerie shops carry them. But most department stores sell
the 'wand' or 'handle' vibrators under the guise of "personal
massagers," and buying one from reputable department stores means
a warranty, you can return it if unsatisfied, and it won't have
"Doc Johnson's Love Machine" emblazoned across it in pink letters
in case mother comes to visit.

CAVEAT: Before using any mechanical vibrator, apply lubrication!
Your lover probably does not rank friction burns in the same
category as love bites. Use a water-based lubricant, such as K-Y
(always recommended), Aegis, or Wet.

CAVEAT: Do not purchase a vibrator specifically designed to
deliver heat to the body as a sexual device. If they work on
muscles, great, but don't use them on your cunts and cocks. I
know of at least one case where a woman burned herself with one
of these things because her climaxes were so strong she didn't
notice how much the heater had burned her.

RECOMMENDATION: I prefer the 'handle' type myself, with the
Con-Air and the Oster "personal massagers" as my all-time
favorites. Oster makes a 'heating' type of vibrator, as well, so
be careful when you buy.

ADVICE: Nobody knows how to masturbate YOU better than you do,
and the same rule applies to everybody else. Don't use a vibrator
on someone else until you've watched them use it on themselves,
preferably several times. Men, especially, should watch how their
girlfriends/ wives use the vibrator alone before taking the
reins.

No mechanical piece of plastic can replace the love and affection
of a human being; try to see the vibrator as just another toy,
and not as competition.  Some women do experience a temporary
'desensitization' after the effects of a powerful vibrator, but
put the toy away for a week and sensitivity returns to normal.
Vibrators do not cause long-term desensitization.

Should you buy a vibrator? That's a decision only you can make; I
personally have bought two for my wife, and a shower massage, and
they've made our sex life a whole lot better, not worse. As
always, your mileage may vary.

=================================================================

Category 4. SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES

A quick table of current treatment effectiveness:
  Gonorrhea:    curable
  Syphilis:     curable in early stages
  Herpes:       incurable, but effective treatment available.
  HPV:          incurable, but treatment available.
  Chlamydia:    curable
  Lice:         curable
  AIDS:         incurable, but some treatment available.
  Hepatitis B:  incurable, but possible vaccine available.

c4-1.  How is the AIDS virus transmitted? and what does a HIV
       test show?

(From: Travis Lee Winfrey <[email-masked]>)

"AIDS is caused by the Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV). In a
person infected with HIV, the virus can be present in the body's
semen, blood, and breast milk. It can also be present, in much
smaller quantities, in vaginal secretion, saliva, and tears.

The AIDS virus can be transmitted via any of these fluids, but
only the first two -- semen and blood -- are likely to be
involved. Anal sex is the most commonly _perceived_ method of
transfer, but vaginal sex has been repeatedly shown to transmit
HIV. Men are less likely than women to be infected through
vaginal sex, but they have, in fact, been infected this way.
Cunnilingus and fellatio have also been established as capable of
transmitting the virus. Sexual activities, not sexual
orientation, transmit the virus.

HIV cannot be passed on through casual contact, hugging, hand-
shaking, touching the sweat of an infected person, or mosquito
bites. HIV can pass through non-latex or "natural" condoms, such
as Fourex Lambskin condoms. HIV transmission has nothing whatever
to do with the presence of feces in anal sex.

The HIV test shows the presence of antibodies to HIV. It does not
show the presence of the virus: the body first has to develop
antibodies, which normally takes about six weeks. Hence, a
positive result means that someone has antibodies and could
possibly develop AIDS in the future. A negative result means that
someone does not have antibodies _at the moment_. If there is a
reason to think that exposure was more recent than six weeks,
then a test taken immediately can only serve as a baseline to
compare against a test taken later. Within six months of HIV
infection, 99% of the population will test positive. No one
should be tested for HIV without first obtaining counselling and
ensuring _beforehand_ support from his or her family or friends.

The following numbers may be of use.

AIDS Hotline                            (800) 342-2437
AIDS Information Clearing House         (800) 458-5231 9-7 EST
CDC AIDS Ethnicity, Age recording       (404) 330-3020
CDC AIDS Transmission mode recording    (404) 330-3021
CDC AIDS Top 10, Projections recording  (404) 330-3022

---------------------------------------

c4-2. What is HPV (human papilloma virus)? Treatment?

*** The writer raises several good questions, which are still ***
*** unanswered. Any help will be greatly appreciated.         ***

From: [email-masked] (Loredich)
Subject: HPV and genital warts: a dossier
Message-ID: <[email-masked]>
Date: 15 Dec 91 02:08:27 GMT

HPV (human papilloma virus) is, like any virus, resistant to
antibiotic therapy. Once a human is infected with the virus,
there is no known treatment.

HPV can cause warts to appear on the genitals, on the head of the
penis in men, and both internally and externally in women. These
warts have been inconclusively linked to cervical cancer in
women.

There is no reliable examination or culture that will reveal the
presence of the virus unless warts have already developed, as far
as I understand it. Is there anyone with differing information?
Is it possible to diagnose HPV without the actual appearance of
warts?

The diagnostic procedure for women is called a colposcopy, which
involves an examination of the cervix with a microscope-like
device. The procedure for men involves an application of a
solution to the penis which turns the warts white, making them
easily visible. A similar examination for women involves the
application of white vinegar, which makes the woman smell like a
salad for several days afterward.

The virus is transmissible through sexual contact. However, there
seems to be some disagreement over the likelihood of transmission
when no warts are present. The gurus at Planned Parenthood swear
that the virus is transmissible at any time, with or without
warts. But several letters I received declared that transmission
is highly unlikely unless warts are present: apparently, the
virus is not close enough to the surface of the skin to cause
damage if no warts are visible. The jury is still out on this
one. Anyone know for sure?

Once the warts appear, they are removed either by freezing,
burning, or laser surgery (which sounds like the least unpleasant
option). Now, the virus itself does not go away, I was told, but
the warts do once they are removed. Do they reappear? The
consensus seems to be that they generally do not. One woman who
wrote to me declared that she had seen no warts in seven years.
Has anyone had recurring warts?

No real word on whether oral sex is a bad idea. When the warts
are present, I can't imagine that it would be too terribly
pleasant, but wartlessly, is there a high risk of transmission?
Again, Planned Parenthood shrieked in dismay and issued a stern
"NO!" when I asked, but I am not quite sure how reliable their
information has been. Does anyone know about this? Plenty of
readers have suggested that oral sex be performed with a condom,
but I am also concerned with being the receptive partner in this.
Can oral sex be safely performed WITHOUT a condom or dental dam?

Response from (anonymous)

The serotypes of this virus that commonly cause venereal warts
are associated with cervical cancer. Other serotypes of the virus
have been linked to other malignancies. As to transmission of HPV
in the absence of visible warts, even if no microscopic warts are
present, the mechanical trauma of sex is known to cause at least
microscopic damage to the skin/mucosa of the genitals that may
provide a means of transmission of this virus. The presence of
visible warts only increases the likelihood of such a
transmission occurring in the absence of adequate barriers to
transmission. HPV can be detected in a PAP smear as cellular
atypia, but I believe that a PAP smear has a low sensitivity for
detecting HPV.

---------------------------------------

c4-3. The major sexually transmitted disease (STDs) and their
      symptoms (Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Genital Herpes, AIDS, Pubic
      Lice (Crabs), Nonspecific Urethritis (NSU), Hepatitis B are
      covered.)

From: [email-masked] (Michael Raymond Feely)
Date: 13 Oct 91 01:35:57 GMT

All information is courtesy of "On Sex and Human Loving", Masters
and Johnson Copyright 1985. All typos are mine, but sadly, this
newsreader doesn't have a spell checker on it. Further info on
the development times and the percentage of asymptomatic cases of
AIDS would be appreciated...

Gonorrhea
---------

Transmission:       Intercourse, fellatio, anal sex, cunnilingus,
                    kissing (infrequently) Women run a roughly
                    50% chance of contracting the disease after
                    one session of intercourse, men 20-25%.

MALE Symptoms:      Yellowish discharge from the penis. Painful,
                    frequent urination. Symptoms develop from two
                    to thirty days after infection. Roughly 10%
                    of men have no symptoms.
                    Later stages of the infection may move into
                    the prostate, seminal vesicles, and
                    epididymis, causing severe pain and fever.
                    Untreated, gonorrhea can lead to sterility in
                    a small minority of cases.

UPDATE:             Traditionally, gonorrhea in the male was
                    thought to be a symptomatic disease as
                    described above. More recently it has been
                    recognized that a significant number of males
                    have asymptomatic gonorrhea. As asymptomatic
                    infections can lead to the same complications
                    as symptomatic infections and can be
                    transmitted in the same way, it is important
                    for men to realize that an exposure needs to
                    be investigated whether or not there are
                    symptoms. Also, a complication of gonorrhea
                    not mentioned above is septic arthritis
                    (infected joint). While the infection itself
                    is easy to treat, this can severely damage
                    the involved joint (often the knee) leading
                    to a permanent disability.

FEMALE Symptoms:    Under half of women with gonorrhea show no
                    symptoms, or symptoms so mild they are
                    commonly ignored. Early symptoms include
                    increased vaginal discharge, irritation of
                    the external genitals, pain or burning on
                    urination and abnormal menstrual bleeding.
                    Women who are untreated may develop severe
                    complications. The infection will usually
                    spread to the uterus, Fallopian tubes, and
                    ovaries, causing Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
                    (PID). PID, though not only caused by
                    gonorrhea, is the most common cause of female
                    infertility. Early symptoms of PID are lower
                    abdominal pain, fever, nausea, vomiting, and
                    pain during intercourse.

Syphilis
--------

Transmission:       Nominally sexual contact, but can be
                    transmitted by blood transfusion or from an
                    infected pregnant woman to her fetus.

Symptoms:
PRIMARY STAGE:      A chancre sore develops at the site of
                    infection from two to four weeks after
                    infection has occurred. The chancre is
                    painless 75% of the time. The chancre starts
                    as a dull red spot, turns into a pimple,
                    which ulcerates, forming a round or oval sore
                    with a red rim. The sore heals in 4-6 weeks -
                    however, the infection is still present. The
                    chancre is usually found on the genitals or
                    anus, but can appear on any part of the skin.

SECOND STAGE:       One week to six months after the chancre
                    heals. Pale red or pinkish rash appears
                    (often on palms or soles) fever, sore throat,
                    headaches, joint pains, poor appetite, weight
                    loss, hair loss. Moist sores may appear
                    around the genitals or anus and are highly
                    infectious. Symptoms usually last three to
                    six months, but can come and go.

LATENT STAGE:       No apparent symptoms, and the carrier is no
                    longer contagious. However, the organism is
                    insinuating itself into the host's tissues.
                    50 to 70 percent of carriers pass the rest of
                    their lives without the disease leaving this
                    stage. The reminder pass into Third Stage
                    syphilis.

THIRD STAGE:        Serious heart problems, eye problems, brain
                    and spinal cord damage, with a high
                    probability of paralysis, insanity, blindness
                    or death.

From: (anonymous)

While all of the symptoms mentioned are possible (as well as
others), it usually manifests with a limited number of these
symptoms at any one time (often just one). In the past, syphilis
was known as the great imitator because it could resemble almost
any known illness (It was said that "To know syphilis was to know
medicine.") Modern diagnostic techniques now make this a much
simpler disease to diagnose, especially in the early stages. The
statement in the FAQ that later stages of syphilis are not
curable is IMHO wrong. There is some controversy on this point in
treating advanced neurosyphilis, but I believe this represents
difficulties in evaluating the effectiveness of treatment in the
short term in these patients. I believe patients who are not
successfully treated represent treatment failures not incurable
disease. Having said this, let me point out that damage by the
disease prior to treatment is not reversible, although it is
often treatable.

Genital Herpes
--------------

Transmission:       Generally by sexual contact. Direct contact
                    with infected genitals can cause transmission
                    via intercourse, rubbing genitals together,
                    oral genital contact, anal sex, or oral anal
                    contact. In addition, normally protected
                    areas of skin can become infected if there is
                    a cut, rash, sore. Herpes viruses can be
                    spread in some instances by kissing, if one
                    participant has the infection sited in or
                    near the mouth.

Symptoms:           Herpes is marked by clusters of small,
                    painful blisters on the genitals. After a few
                    days, the blisters burst, leaving small
                    ulcers. In men, the blisters usually appear
                    on the penis, but can appear in the urethra
                    or rectum.
                    In women, they usually appear on the labia,
                    but can appear on the cervix and anal area.
                    First outbreaks are accompanied by fever,
                    headache, and muscle soreness for two or more
                    consecutive days in 39% of men and 68% of
                    women. Other relatively common symptoms
                    include painful urination discharge from the
                    urethra or vagina, and tender, swollen lymph
                    nodes in the groin. These symptoms tend to
                    disappear within two weeks. Aseptic
                    meningitis occurs in 8 percent of cases, eye
                    infections in 1% of cases, and infection of
                    the cervix in 88% of infected women. Skin
                    lesions last on average 16.5 days in men,
                    19.7 in women. Secondary symptoms are most
                    prominent in the first four days and then
                    gradually diminish.

Recurrence:         None in 10% of cases. Frequency for the
                    remaining population is from once a month to
                    once every few years. The majority of
                    sufferers do not have repeat attacks after a
                    few years. Most repeat attacks are less
                    severe than the initial attack.

AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)
-----------------------------------------

Transmission:       Sexual contact, sharing IV needles, blood
                    transfusion (Note that blood is now routinely
                    screened for HIV) Note also that the HIV
                    virus is significantly less likely to be
                    transmitted than the gonorrhea or syphilis
                    bacteria.

Symptoms:           No single pattern exists. Most common
                    symptoms are progressive, inexplicable weight
                    loss, persistent fever, swollen lymph nodes,
                    and reddish purple coin sized spots on the
                    skin (These spots are Kaposi's sarcoma, a
                    form of cancer) When symptoms appear, they
                    may remain unchanged for months, or may be
                    followed by any one of a number of
                    opportunistic infections. Typically these
                    include pneumocystis carinii, an unusual form
                    of pneumonia, fungal infections,
                    tuberculosis, and various herpes forms.
                    Treatment may fend off these infections,
                    however the typical course is for one
                    overwhelming infection to follow another
                    until the victim succumbs due to the immune
                    system's failure to return to a normal state,
                    and hence, the opportunistic infection's
                    relative freedom to wreak havoc on the
                    victim's systems. It is possible for AIDS to
                    be asymptomatic for prolonged periods of time
                    while still being contagious.

                    On the significance of symptoms of HIV
                    separate from infections:

                    While most AIDS patients do eventually die
                    of/with various opportunistic infections, the
                    significance of the chronic wasting can not
                    be ignored. In the early days of AIDS, there
                    were patients that by current definitions
                    clearly had AIDS, but were never classified
                    as such since they died of the "dwindles"
                    before acquiring an opportunistic infection
                    that would have made that diagnosis.
                    Also, there has been much discussion of the
                    minimal time until HIV seroconversion. It
                    should be noted that patients with advanced
                    HIV disease can become "HIV negative" as they
                    lose the ability to make antibodies to HIV
                    (this does not represent an improvement in
                    the condition). A final comment on HIV: the
                    opportunistic infections encountered in HIV
                    infection are generally acquired common
                    environmental pathogens or acquired from the
                    host themselves. This is why HIV wards do not
                    serve to infect all occupants with all
                    diseases present.

Pubic Lice (Crabs)
------------------

Transmission:       Nominally through sexual contact, however
                    they may be picked up through use of sheets,
                    towels or clothing used by an infected
                    person.

Symptoms:           Intense itching, usually felt mostly at
                    night. Some victims have no symptoms, others
                    may develop an allergic rash.

Nonspecific Urethritis (NSU)
----------------------------

(Most commonly - Chlamydia trachomatous and T. mycoplasma)

Transmission:       Some cases are allergic or chemical
                    reactions, and are not transmitted per se.
                    Others are through sexual contact.

Symptoms:           Similar to gonorrhea but usually milder.
                    Urethral discharge is generally thin and
                    clear. Some cases are asymptomatic.

Also:               This can also precipitate a condition called
                    Reiter's syndrome in susceptible persons.

The Facts on Hepatitis B
------------------------

What is Hepatitis B?

Hepatitis B, a potentially deadly, sexually transmitted disease,
is not selective about who it infects: anyone can get hepatitis
B. Yet, even though it affects the lives of hundreds of thousands
in the United States, most people know very little about this
serious disease.

The hepatitis B virus has been spreading rapidly in the United
States, with 14 Americans dying each day from hepatitis B-related
illnesses. Chances are you know at least one person with
hepatitis B because one in 20 Americans has been infected with
the virus.

Why is Hepatitis B Called a Sexually Transmitted Disease?

Hepatitis B is not commonly thought of as a sexually transmitted
disease. The fact is that it is commonly spread through sex, just
like AIDS, syphilis, herpes and gonorrhea. The number of
Americans who have contracted hepatitis B through sex has almost
doubled in the last decade.

Who Can get Hepatitis B?

Because it is extremely contagious--100 times more contagious
than AIDS--anyone can get hepatitis B. But you are in even
greater danger if:

o    you have had more than one sexual partner in the last six
     months
o    you have had unprotected sex (without a condom)
o    you or your partner have ever been diagnosed with a sexually
     transmitted disease (such as herpes, gonorrhea, syphilis,
     chlamydia, genital warts or AIDS)
o    you or your partner have had sexual contact with someone who
     has had hepatitis B, or someone who is in one of the
     categories listed above

What Are the Symptoms?

About half of those who get hepatitis B will suffer from an
inflammation of the liver, called acute hepatitis. Many people
with hepatitis B mistake the symptoms for other illnesses, such
as the flu, while others are more seriously affected and may miss
school or work for months. Some of the symptoms caused by
hepatitis B are:

o    mild, flu-like illness
o    skin rashes and arthritis
o    nausea
o    vomiting
o    loss of appetite
o    malaise
o    abdominal pain
o    jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and skin)

What Happens if I Get Hepatitis B?

Those who become chronically infected with hepatitis B have
substantially higher risk of developing liver cancer than the
general population. But even if you don't get liver cancer, the
effects of hepatitis B infection can be so severe that you may
not be able to go to school or work for several months.

Then there are those who don't even know they have hepatitis B.
We call them the "silent carriers". This group of symptomless
carriers can pass the disease on to countless others unknowingly
(and may eventually get very ill themselves).

NOTE: THERE IS NO KNOWN CURE FOR HEPATITIS B although there is a
possible vaccine. Ask a physician for more information.

After May 1, you can call 1-800-HEP-B-873 for referral to a
physician near you who can answer questions.

Because the transmission of different STDs are not independent,
persons who acquire _any_ STD are at considerably greater risk
(epidemiologically) of acquiring other STDs. Persons diagnosed
with one STD should be examined for other STDs at that time
(Multiple infections are possible!!!). Persons who have ever had
a STD (except lice, "crabs") should be aware of whatever was done
that led them to acquire that STD.