Penis size: Does it matter?

in , , ,

First contribution to AskMen.com: more to come.

Does Penis Size Matter?
How Big Is Normal? And Do Women Really Care? Get The Answers Here
by Dr. Jason Winters
Penis size is a major source of anxiety for a lot of guys. The anxiety can be bad enough that it completely undermines their self-confidence as sex partners. This is understandable given the importance of the penis size in many men’s minds. Despite this very real feeling concern, is penis size that important when it comes down to doing the dirty?
What Exactly Is Average?
Penis size, much like most human traits, follows the bell curve. This means that almost all guys fall within the normal range.  Very few men have penises that would be considered particularly small or large. At one end of the penis size spectrum is congenital micropenis, defined as approximately 2.5 inches or less in length, fully erect. About half of one percent of men would fall into this category. At the other end of the spectrum is someone like Jonah Falcon, the man who currently holds the record for the largest penis. His penis is 13.5 inches erect, making it extremely difficult if not impossible to have penetrative sex. So what’s the average?

Read the rest here: link

 

New research on gynandromorphophilia, or sexual attraction to 'shemales' (pejorative).

in , , , ,
Bailey Jay

Bailey Jay

It appears that a growing number of heterosexual-identifying men are seeking out pornography featuring performers who were born male, retain their penises, but otherwise are female. These trans women performers and sex workers are often called shemales or tgirls, although many consider both terms pejorative. Typically, their transitions include the use of feminizing (i.e., female) sex hormones and breast enhancement surgery.

Many heterosexual men with this sexual preference are understandably confused and question their sexual identities. I've worked with several of them in my clinical practice. The objective of our work together is to increase understanding, acceptance, and integration of their sexual interest within the context of their heterosexual identities (much like any other unusual sexual interest).

As for the exact nature and origins of this sexual interest, nobody is entirely sure. Some, such as Dan Savage of Savage Love, have suggested that what drives these men is a sexual interest in penises, but not men. Framed this way, trans women with penises are a man-free and safe way to satisfy a sexual interest in penises.

Another theory suggests that a sexual interest in trans women with penises is related to, or a manifestation of, autogynephilia. Autogynephilia is a paraphilia (an unusual sexual interest) seen in heterosexual men, and characterized by sexual fantasies of having a woman's body.

A study recently published in the journal Psychological Medicine is the first to shed some light on this topic.

The main findings were that men with gynandromorphophilia really are heterosexual (and not homosexual or bisexual), but exhibit a unique pattern of sexual responding to stimuli featuring trans women with penises.

You can read the full academic journal article here: link.

Abstract

Background
Gynandromorphophilia (GAMP) is sexual interest in gynandromorphs (GAMs; colloquially, shemales). GAMs possess a combination of male and female physical characteristics. Thus, GAMP presents a challenge to conventional understandings of sexual orientation as sexual attraction to the male v. female form. Speculation about GAMP men has included the ideas that they are homosexual, heterosexual, or especially, bisexual.

Method
We compared genital and subjective sexual arousal patterns of GAMP men with those of heterosexual and homosexual men. We also compared these groups on their self-ratings of sexual orientation and sexual interests.

Results
GAMP men had arousal patterns similar to those of heterosexual men and different from those of homosexual men. However, compared to heterosexual men, GAMP men were relatively more aroused by GAM erotic stimuli than by female erotic stimuli. GAMP men also scored higher than both heterosexual and homosexual men on a measure of autogynephilia.

Conclusions
Results provide clear evidence that GAMP men are not homosexual. They also indicate that GAMP men are especially likely to eroticize the idea of being a woman.

Art show at the Belkin: Maria Eichhorn's Film Lexicon of Sexual Practices.

in , , ,

Passed along by Franz (thanks!).

Running this fall at UBC's Belkin gallery is a retrospective of German artist Maria Eichhorn. One of the pieces is a series of films that she began almost 20 years ago. Here's the description from the Belkin's webpage:

Film Lexicon of Sexual Practices, begun in 1999, consists of 20 three-minute long (the length of a roll) 16 mm films. Each film depicts in a single shoot a close-up of the sexual activity named in the respective title – Anal coitus, Mouth, French Kissing, for example. Every time the work is exhibited, new films are produced. This is the fifth time the work has been shown and the Belkin has commissioned three new films for the exhibition: Japanese bondage, Wax play and Needle Play. Visitors to the exhibition can choose films from the titles listed on the wall and request the films to be screened by the attending projectionist.

More information: link.

Possibly another field trip?

Some male spiders destroy partners' genitals to prevent future mating.

in

Evolutionary (psychology) theory of sexual selection suggests that organisms have a biological imperative to produce as many genetically-related and viable offspring as possible. One strategy is to mate as much as possible. Another strategy is to limit a partners's access to other mating partners. Destroying your partner's genitals after mating take this approach to an extreme.

From National Geographic:

This Spider Destroys Female Genitalia to Prevent Future Mating
Some orb-weaving spiders secure their fatherhood by mutilating their partners’ genitalia—the first such discovery in nature, a new study says.
By Michael Greshko
Talk about tough love—some male spiders lop off parts of females' genitalia to prevent her from mating again, a new study says.
The behavior, which guarantees that the male will father all of her offspring, is the first to suggest that males evolve behaviors to maim external parts of the female genitalia.
Published November 5 in Current Biology, the discovery also adds further nuance to the theory of sexual selection, which holds that males and females within a species compete for opportunities to mate—even if it kills them.
“All the time, we’re discovering [such] new, astonishing adaptations,” says Jutta Schneider, a biologist at the University of Hamburg who wasn’t involved in the study but has collaborated with some of its authors. “This competition has enormous power.”

Read the rest here.

Video: The Science of Cheating.

in ,

Posted in the comments section (thanks!), from ASAPScience:

Are we meant to be a monogamous species? SUBSCRIBE! It's free: http://bit.ly/asapsci Get FREE audiobook: http://audible.com/asap SHARE on Twitter: http://bit.ly/1NaMZxm SHARE on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1P7RcSq Written by: Amanda Edward, Gregory Brown and Mitchell Moffit GET THE ASAPSCIENCE BOOK: http://asapscience.com/book/ FOLLOW US!

Fun video but not sure that I totally agree with the sentiment that science is intentionally excluding same sex relationships, if that's what is being implied.

When straight men have sex with other straight men.

Is Western culture, we've (arguably) reached the point where there is widespread acceptance of, and rights for, people who are not heterosexual (i.e., LGBT). It was a battle hard fought, and a battle that is not over yet. The vast majority of Canadians now support gay marriage and in the US, a small majority are also on board. Changing laws reflect this.

With increased acceptance comes more freedom to identify and act in ways that were previously judged very negatively. We know, based on research, that somewhere in the neighbourhood of 3-5% of men identify as LGBT. We also know from past research that men's sexual preferences tend to be more specific than women's. That's to say, men are more exclusively focused on what turns them on and are less open to more diverse experiences that don't fall within the bounds of their preferences.

But, with increased acceptance of non-heterosexual identities and behaviours, it appears that more heterosexual-identified men are starting to explore sex with men. This may challenge the assumption that men have exclusive sexual interests and will only act in accordance with those interests. It's also possible, though, that these men are actually bisexual, but now have the freedom to have sex with men as well as women.

A recent article and interview with researcher Dr. Jane Ward in the NYMag's section Science of Us addresses this issue. Here's the opening:

Why Straight Men Have Sex With Each Other
By Jesse Singal
There’s a pretty clear gender divide in how Americans deal with straight people who dabble in gay activity. When heterosexual women make out with one another at a bar or party, it’s generally understood that they’re simply playing around for attention, or exploring the fluid space that is female sexuality. When heterosexual men hook up with each other, on the other hand, it’s seen either as an act born of desperation — think men who are locked up — or an indication that while they may claim to be straight, they really aren’t — think disgraced GOP members of Congress. When straight women hook up with other straight women, no real explanation is required; when straight men hook up with other straight men, it’s a different story.

Read the rest here: link.

 

Female ideal body shapes throughout the ages.

in

There is a distinction between cultural influences on what we idealize, and the aesthetic preferences that seem to be hard-wired (i.e., across cultures and time). Often, the two are difficult to untangle. With that in mind, the following video from Buzzfeed purports to show varying female body ideals throughout history. Aside from the fact that all the models are ridiculously attractive, it's still an interesting clip, if not entirely reliable. It is also necessary to point out that there is large individual variation in what people find attractive, and the importance people place on physical attractiveness. In other words, people's individual preferences often deviate from the ideals, and physical attraction often takes a back seat to other traits that are more important in terms of attraction (e.g., personality, interpersonal style, etc.).

A diverse cast of models shows how the standard of beauty for women has changed dramatically over time. Find out more about how our perception of women's beauty has evolved: http://www.buzzfeed.com/eugeneyang/womens-ideal-body-types-throughout-history#.ohrrLWZkZ If you prefer a version with black text, watch the Facebook version: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1619559064851636&set=vb.1318800798260799&type=2&theater Check out more awesome videos at BuzzFeedVideo!

Soul mates.

in , , , ,

The idea of a soul mate, or one true love, is one of those deceptively lovely myths that we've all been sold (I'm looking at you Disney princess and prince movies).

A study of Americans found that 73% believed in the idea of a soul mate. The problem with this sort of belief is that it can lead to relationship and partner dissatisfaction. The reality, no matter how good, will never live up to the fantasy (i.e., the ideal) of that one perfect person.

This is not to say they aren't lots of fantastic people out there who would be a great fit, but the idea of a single person who is absolutely 100% perfect is a trap.

Someone in the comments section passed along a clip by Tim Minchin, the comedian, and piece by xkcd, the artist and satirist, on the subject (thanks!). Here's the clip:

At the Secret Policeman's Ball 2008!

And an excerpt from the piece by xkcd:

But what if we did have one randomly-assigned perfect soul mate, and we couldn’t be happy with anyone else? Would we find each other?
We’ll assume your soul mate is set at birth. You know nothing about who or where they are, but—as in the romantic cliché—you’ll recognize each other the moment your eyes meet.
Right away, this raises a few questions. For starters, is your soul mate even still alive? A hundred billion or so humans have ever lived, but only seven billion are alive now (which gives the human condition a 93% mortality rate). If we’re all paired up at random, 90% of our soul mates are long dead.

Read the rest, with lots of fun doodles, here: link

Video retouching.

in ,

Second post on retouching, following up on the Dove marketing campaigns.

We tend to compare our physical attractiveness to the ideals presented to us by the media. However, the images and videos we see have been significantly changed during post-processing. In other words, what we see does not represent any sort of reality. This is the first example that I've seen of 'live' video retouching.

Here's a striking video from Hungarian singer Boggie, in which her moving image is being retouched and "corrected" throughout the entire video. Directed by Nándor Lőrincz and Bálint Nagy, the three-minute video shows Boggie's transformating from a lovely woman in dim lighting to a lovely, flawlessly made-up woman who has, judging by her glowing surroundings, been abducted by aliens and forced to sing for them.

Certificate of purity presented at wedding kicks off polarized debate.

in , , ,

Sent along by Ola with the following message (thanks!):

An instagram photo is going viral of a daughter presenting her father with a certificate of purity, signed by a doctor, saying her hymen was intact before her wedding. Her older sister also presented their father (a Reverend) with a similar certificate at her wedding.
I am just cringing will reading it, because not only is a hymen not a way of "testing" virginity (I believe it's unsettling to even test this), but also, as the article mentions multiple times, it seems there is no male version of this certificate. Her husband claimed to be pure as well at the time of the wedding, but again, no certificate was presented.
The family also seems to be monetizing on this, posting a certificate on their website you can fill out, as well as t-shirts and merchandise pushing the idea of purity and virginity before marriage. 
Honestly, the article just makes me sad. I understand she and her family feel pride at the commitment she made, but it's sad that they don't even understand the concept (of virginity) that they are striving so much to "maintain". It also just makes me sad in the larger sense of bodily autonomy, and that somehow a woman is "lesser" if she for some reason could not get such a certificate signed on her wedding.

The certificate that started the firestorm:

Check out the article on CBC, with lots of photos: link. The piece includes a pile of commentary from Twitter and Instagram. There doesn't seem to be much middle ground. People are either highly supportive, or find the story entirely objectionable.

Putting on my clinical hat (and not my personal-opinion hat), the main questions are: Is this causing any distress or harm to anyone? Is this simply a matter of different beliefs and values? Based on my reading of the story, the answers are no, and yes.

Thoughts?

New virtual reality sex toy for males.

in ,

Passed along by Christine (thanks!).

When I first watched the clip, I couldn't tell if it was intended to be comedy or a legit business idea. Apparently, it's the latter (despite the stoner vibe).

There are now many sex toys on the market for male consumers. They range from very basic masturbation sleeves through to lifelike full-sized dolls. Fleshlights, which are latex masturbation sleeves in hard outer shells, have achieved huge success. This new device, the Ejaculator, uses a similar basic design, but introduces hands-free stimulation and virtual reality visual and auditory experiences.

The device isn't in production yet. The creator and his team have been busy fund-raising. Their Indiegogo campaign has raised nearly $80,000, which greatly exceeds the $48,000 they were aiming to secure. Check it out here: link.

And the promo video:

Get it here: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/ejaculator-vr-headset-sync-d-stroking-adult-toy/x/10465229#/story launches the future of sex integrating Virtual Reality and male sexual pleasure into one cohesive mind blowing experience. Only on Indiegogo, are you ready for the future.

Female paraphilia case studies.

in

Paraphilias only become a clinical concern if they cause significant distress or dysfunction to the individual, or cause some sort of harm. In other words, simply being kinky is not a disorder. As clinicians, we have to be exceptionally careful not to pathologize healthy variants of sexual interest and expression.

The cases of female paraphilics presented in a paper by Fedoroff, Fishell, & Fedoroff (1999) demonstrate how paraphilias can become a clinical concern. Here is a sample case:

Case 2. This bisexual woman was brought to the emergency room by police, but not charged. Police had been called to a man's apartment when she appeared at his door and told him she wanted to have sex with him after she tied him to the bed. Instead of letting her in, the man called the police. When they arrived, she told them she would go with them quietly if they first let her carry out her sexual wishes. She was searched and a rope and large hunting knife were seized. On examination, she was hyper-talkative, grandiose, and irritable. She reported an insatiable sex drive directed toward the man she had intended to rape. She also described a belief that her mother had been attempting to poison her.

Comment: This woman was clearly in the manic phase of a bipolar mood disorder at the time of assessment. During the previous 3 weeks she had also shown symptoms of erotomania. Erotomania is a delusional disorder. It is one example of a psychiatric disorder that can result in behaviour (e.g., stalking) that is sometimes confused with paraphilic behaviour (Menzies, Fedoroff, Green, & Isaacson, 1995). She had become convinced that the man, with whom she had daily but casual contact, had become madly in love with her and seduced her by sending her coded messages to which she had responded.

When asked why she thought the man in question had not opened the door of his apartment to her she said, "I think he is a naive virgin". Although her presentation was coloured mainly by her major mental illness, she did admit to having strong sadistic and masochistic sexual fantasies (including non-consensual activities) which, while not required for sexual arousal, greatly enhanced it.

This is an interesting case in that her behaviour seems to be driven by her bipolar disorder; however, also contributing to her behaviour is her paraphilic sexual interest. Keep in mind that paraphilias, especially when presentations are more severe such as these, are relatively rare in women. You can read the rest of the cases here (warning: many of the cases involve child sexual assault).

Samantha, expert: Hitachi Magic Wand.

in ,

Repost, as mentioned in class this week.

The Hitachi Magic Wand, which Hitachi rebranded as the Magic Wand Original so as to dissociate the company name from the product, may be the most popular vibrator in history. This, despite it being designed and marketed as a back massager. It was originally popularized as a sex toy by Betty Dodson, the maven of the sex-positive movement, back in the 1960s.

 In this clip, Samantha explains to a massage device store employee the real deal about the Magic Wand. From Sex in the City:

i love samantha jones.

Manual stimulation.

in , ,

Passed along by a student (thanks!).

Preferences are likely to vary so be cautious in taking this as gospel. It would be interesting to hear what other females think.

And not sure that I'm completely on board with some of the themes and comments (older women as MILFS, represented as raisins???). Mostly a fun clip, nonetheless.

For more sex tips and life advice, sign up for our True Fans mailing list. We personally write an email to you every single week. Sign up here ►► http://bit.ly/1jwccad Learn how to finger a girl with this tutorial.


Walmart accidentally stocks sex lubricant in gun section.

in

Passed along by Kassandra (thanks!).

From Global News: 

An Alabama Walmart customer, who was apparently shopping for some lubricant for his weapon, made a hilarious find at the gun counter.
While shopping last month, Jamie Lee Bracey came across Gun Oil personal lubricant stocked at the gun counter at the Florence Walmart instead of finding the friction reducer in the pharmacy.
Apparently amused by Walmart’s merchandising error; Bracey recorded a short video of his find and posted it to his Facebook account.
The video has over 3 million views since it was posted on September 18.
“So I’m at Walmart and nobody’s here to help me,” Bracey says in the video. “I’m looking around I see this Gun Oil, and I’m like ‘oh wow, it says its water-based lubricant for your gun.’
“So, how’s that water-based, that could rust right?,” Bracey said while holding up the bottle.
The customer begins to read the description of the product.
“Let’s see here: long-lasting lubrication with easy cleanup. Glycerin and Paraben free. Wetter, lighter feel than silicone, ‘oh that sounds good that sounds really good,’” Bracey quips. “I think my gun would work really good, wetter and lighter.
“Then I see the ‘Ginseng and guarana to promote blood flow,’ and I’m like, ‘What?’ For topical use, apply desired amount to genital areas. Boom!”
A Facebook user commented on Bracey’s video saying that it’s a common mistake for some stores to stock personal lube in the sports section.
“I work in sporting goods at Cloverdale. Other associates leave it at my counter having no idea what it really is,” Johnny Yerbey wrote. “I always have to take it back to pharmacy haha. Its sooo deceiving.”

 

And the infamous video:

Walmart mistakenly stocked sexual lubricant in gun section [video] Walmart mistakenly stocked sexual lubricant in gun section [video] https://youtu.be/Kzt-KrRJ06M Peter Garrett suggests Midnight Oil could reform during interview on radio statio Triple M. source : http://goo.gl/0Z0d5A