What You Don’t Know About The Penis (VIDEO)

“The penis is a very effective solution to a very basic biological problem.” – Diane Kelly

There is amazing variation in penises throughout the animal kingdom. Some phalluses have multiple heads (spiny anteaters), others are shaped like a corkscrew (lake ducks), and others are several times the length of the creature’s entire body (barnacles). By contrast, the mammalian "fleshy inflatable cylinder” we’re all used to seems pretty boring, right? As it turns out, however, the anatomy of the human penis is actually quite fascinating.

In this TED video, comparative biologist Diane Kelly shares what she has gleaned from years of penile research. As you’ll see, it turns out that something as seemingly simple and straightforward as the mechanics of an erection is really quite complex. After watching this video, I think you’ll agree with Kelly that anatomy is far from being a “dead” science and there’s still a lot we have to learn about our own bodies.

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Dressing Sexy Hurts Women In High- But Not Low-Status Jobs

As much as we might wish otherwise, looks matter in the workplace, and this is true for both men and women. Indeed, your physical appearance can affect everything from your likelihood of being hired to performance evaluations to promotions and pay raises. Several studies have found that, by and large, physical attractiveness is almost always an asset on the job, irrespective of gender.¹ So being sexy is good, right? Well, not necessarily. It turns out that being sexy and dressing sexy are two completely different things. Specifically, having naturally good looks may take you places, but flaunting those looks with provocative outfits could wipe out some of the benefits of being attractive, at least for women pursuing high-powered jobs.

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Panting, And Moaning, And Screaming, Oh My! Why Noisy Sex Is Better Sex

When it comes to making noise in the bedroom, some people prefer silence, while others prefer to wake the neighbors. Although the noisy type are more likely to be on the receiving end of a late-night complaint to the police, a growing amount of research suggests that this may be a small price to pay for a more intense and satisfying sex life. Indeed, scientists have found that sexual noises may enhance pleasure in a number of ways.

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Sex Surrogacy: The “Hands-On” Approach to Sex Therapy

“The best therapy for a man suffering impotence…may be a therapist-supplied ‘other woman’ who embodies patience. Actual patience with a willing woman is crucial.” – Quote from the November 1, 1969 San Francisco Chronicle

Some within the sexual health community have argued that the best way to resolve a sexual difficulty is to “practice” with a substitute partner who is very knowledgeable and experienced. Although this idea has garnered a lot of recent attention with the release of the provocative film The Sessions starring Helen Hunt, sex surrogacy first catapulted into the public spotlight in the 1970s when Masters and Johnson publicly advocated for at least some usage of so-called “surrogate” partners in the practice of sex therapy. As part of their pioneering research, Masters and Johnson actually recruited female volunteers to serve as sex surrogates for single men who were experiencing sexual difficulties and achieved a very high rate of success in treating erectile dysfunction. However, this approach was greeted with a great deal of skepticism and concern by both the broader community of sex therapists and the general public alike. So what is the status of sex surrogate therapy today?

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Sex Question Friday: I Have A Higher Sex Drive Than My Boyfriend. What Can I Do?

Every Friday on the blog, I answer people’s questions about sex, love, and relationships. This week’s question comes from a female reader who is frustrated by the fact that she wants to have sex more often than her boyfriend.   

So I am 20, my boyfriend is 23, and I have a MUCH higher sex drive than him. We have been together for 3 years, and he took my virginity when I was 17. Almost every time I want to have sex and I "put the moves on him" he pushes me away and tells me he's not in the mood and I'm starting to get frustrated. Is there any way you could help me or point me toward some helpful literature even?

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Sex Degrees of Separation: How Many Indirect Sexual Partners Have You Had?

“Every time you sleep with someone, it’s like you’re having sex with all of their previous partners.” We’ve all heard something like this before, right? The basic idea is that for every direct sexual partner you have, you also accumulate some number of indirect partners (i.e., people who are intimately linked to the person you actually had sex with). So just how many indirect sexual partners have you had?  You may be surprised to find out.

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Does Internet Porn Really “Cause Memory Loss?”

A new study published in The Journal of Sex Research about the psychological effects of exposure to online pornography has been making the rounds in the media recently. A number of provocative headlines have popped up stating things such as “Viewing Online Pornography Can Make You Lose Your Memory” and “Your Porn Addiction May Lead To Memory Loss.” So, basically, porn causes amnesia. Sounds pretty serious, right? Not so fast. A closer look at the research reveals that these claims are overblown.

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Are Laws Criminalizing HIV Transmission Making Us Safer?

In the United States, reckless or intentional transmission of HIV is currently illegal in 34 states. Many of you probably think that such laws make intuitive sense--an HIV infection will inevitably kill you at some point, so knowingly passing on the virus to someone else should be considered a criminal act. The intent of laws like this is obviously to deter infections and save lives. However, even the most well-intentioned of laws can trigger a range of unintended consequences. And in the case of these criminal HIV transmission laws, they are sometimes misused and may end up causing more harm than good.

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Six Myths About Sexually Transmitted Infections Debunked

Although most people are sexually active, it is surprising how little some people seem to know about sex. In particular, there are a multitude of myths and misconceptions about the topic of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Below, we will review six of the most persistent false beliefs about STIs.

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The Ten Sexiest Stories of 2012

For my last post of the year, I thought it would be fun to take a look back at the most read articles on The Psychology of Human Sexuality in 2012. Combined, the ten posts that follow have been read more than a quarter of a million times and represent a rather diverse range of content, with the exception of the fact that not one, but three Top Ten Lists of Sexual Fantasies appear. Apparently, there are a few voyeurs among you.

Now sit back, relax, and relive the sexiest stories of 2012.

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No Bones About It: What Motivates Necrophilic Behaviors?

Given the popularity of Twilight, True Blood, and all of the other vampire books and films out there, it would appear that a large segment of the population is intrigued by the prospect of sex between the living and the dead. In the real world, however, sex with the dead (i.e., necrophilia) isn’t quite as it is depicted in vampire lore and most people would probably find it quite disturbing. Case in point: a 37-year-old woman in Sweden was recently arrested for “violating the peace of the dead.” This woman had apparently collected a series of human bones that she utilized as sex toys. How do we know this? Well, she made videos of her activities, which the police later found. Yeah, not so much like Twilight. Many of you probably have just one question about this case: Why? Let’s take a look at what research on necrophilia has revealed about this extremely rare sexual practice.

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Adopted Children Do Just As Well Regardless Of Their Parents’ Sexual Orientation

Earlier this year, a study was released suggesting that children are better off when raised by heterosexual couples than by same-sex couples.¹ That study received widespread media attention, despite the fact that it was fundamentally flawed and really said next to nothing about the parenting skills of gay and lesbian parents (you can read more about my take on that study here). In contrast, a new study about adopted children just came out concluding that such kids do equally well irrespective of the sexual orientation of their parents. Although the newer study was far more academically rigorous, it was largely ignored by the mainstream media. In this post, I will review the findings of this study and discuss why the media just doesn’t seem to care about it.

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All I Want For Christmas Is Some Safe Sex

So this is Christmas, and what have you done? In all likelihood, you’ve probably had some sex. Research has found that there are seasonal peaks in sexual activity, with one of the biggest spikes occurring right around the Christmas holiday.¹ In a lot of ways, this makes sense. Most people are off work for a couple of days and college students are out of school for a couple of weeks. Without the stress and distraction of deadlines and homework, people have more time and energy to, ahem, get busy. However, it turns out that while people are having lots of holiday sex, it appears that they aren’t having very safe sex, which may result in some unexpected outcomes.

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One Year Of Great Sex: First Blogiversary Of The Psychology of Human Sexuality

The Psychology of Human Sexuality blog made its debut exactly one year ago today and has grown and changed in ways I could not even begin to imagine when it started. My initial plan was to update the blog just once per week with some commentary on recent sex studies. However, there was far more demand for responsible, science-based information about sex than I thought. Plus, it turns out that writing about sex is pretty fun (who knew, right?). I have gone from posting once per week to 3-4 weekly entries that vary in focus, ranging from question and answer, to media fact checks, to videos, to book reviews, to highlights of cutting-edge research.

I can’t thank you all enough for reading the blog, sharing the stories, submitting your questions, and weighing in with your perspectives. The Psychology of Human Sexuality has quickly become the most rewarding aspect of my job and it’s all because of you. I hope you’re looking forward to another year of great sex as much as I am! In the meantime, here are some fun facts and statistics about the site I’ve complied for your reading pleasure. Enjoy!

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Sex Question Friday: I Want A Non-Monogamous Relationship. How Do I Find Someone Who Wants The Same Thing?

Every Friday on the blog, I answer people’s questions about sex, love, and relationships. This week’s question comes from a reader who wants to have a non-monogamous relationship but isn’t quite sure how to find like-minded partners.   

How do you find out who is non-monogamous these days? So many people are afraid to divulge this kind of information for fear of being judged.

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