Sex and Love // Current

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7 days ago

Sexing Up The PG-13 Vampire ... But Not Too Much

Unless you've been living under a cultural rock, you probably know that New Moon, the second installment in the wildly... more

atomiclegion
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Sex infections still growing in U.S.

American squeamishness about talking about sex has helped keep common sexually transmitted infections far too common, especially... more

TravG73
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Woman who has 300 orgasms a day finds partner

A woman with a rare medical condition called Persistent Sexual Arousal Syndrome has finally found a man who can keep up with her... more

AnnieMole
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Brooke Magnanti, Anonymous Blogger, Revealed: British Scientist Is Belle De Jour, Former Prostitute

A British scientist says she is Belle de Jour, the anonymous blogger whose accounts of life as a call girl were turned into books... more

atomiclegion
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Plastic-hardening chemical makes men soft

Regular contact with high levels of bisphenol A (BPA), a compound commonly found in plastic food and drink containers, appears to... more

retro_Syl
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Masturbation 101

It is a subject that would make most parents, teenagers and teachers blush, but officials in Spain are tackling masturbation hands... more

TravG73
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'Man-gagement' Rings Gaining Popularity

It's a big deal for a guy -- getting down on one knee, slipping the ring on the finger of his girlfriend and proposing... more

TravG73
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Sexual Hook Ups Damned By Chastity Groups, Hailed By New Feminists

"Today's first base is kissing ... plus fondling this and that. Second base is oral sex. Third base is going all the way. Home plate is learning each other's names."

So wrote Tom Wolfe in his 2000 book "Hooking Up" -- a term that describes a wide range of coupling from making out to intercourse.

For more than a decade, the "hookup" has been an integral part of the American college experience -- a result of the increased permissiveness that came with the sexual revolution of the 1970s.

Just recently at Harvard University -- sometimes pegged as "godless and liberal" -- the hookup culture came under fire, mostly from a small but growing abstinence group called True Love Revolution.

They argue that women who invoke a new kind of feminism -- the right to have sex whenever and with whomever they choose -- is demeaning to women.

"A popular thing to say among this intellectual crowd, in the ivies and in feminism in general, is to say that sex is empowering and a real woman uses her sexuality in any way she pleases," said Rachel Wagley, a 20-year-old sociology student who is TLR's co-president. "It's blatantly false and a lie that this culture tells to girls for their own benefit." Silpa Kovvali, a 21-year-old computer science concentrator, argued in a Harvard Crimson editorial that there is nothing "inherently degrading" about engaging in casual sex -- in fact, she said, it can be "empowering."

But chastity groups seem to be on to something -- a growing unease that although hooking up can be liberating, it can also be annoying and sometimes destructive.

"It's a huge part of life here," said Maariya Bajwa, a senior at the University of Florida. "When I used to take the bus I'd hear random people having conversations about random hook ups they had. I was like, 'Uh guys, we're on a bus. I don't need to hear about your one-night stands.'"

By the end of senior year, the average college student has had 6.9 hookups, mostly after a "good bit of drinking," according to a survey of 4,000 students at five universities by Stanford University sociology professor Paula England.

Her work revealed that while 24 percent of the respondents had reported never having hooked up, 28 percent had more than 10 such casual sexual encounters.

England, who set out to explore the dating habits of college students, found they were kissing, having oral sex and sometimes intercourse with "no expectation that either party has an interest in moving toward a relationship."

"There's a lot of degrading treatment of some women and it is empoweringly free for other women," she told ABCNews.com."Today's first base is kissing ... plus fondling this and that. Second base is oral sex. Third base is going all the... more

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14 days ago

Babeland challenges 'puritanical' sexual ideals

Amid a myriad of sex toys ranging from dildos to handcuffs, Audrey McManus, education coordinator at Seattle's Babeland sex shop, is adamant that fear has no place in sexual education.

Babeland's mission is simple—to create an atmosphere where sexuality is made comfortable and accessible. Its flagship store, located on East Pike Street, was created in 1993 after Claire Cavanah and Rachel Venning noticed a lack of women-friendly sex shops in the region.

While the store has grown and expanded its target audience and has multiplied to stores in New York and Seattle, the focus remains the same—to educate and create a positive environment for sexual discovery and exploration.

“We live in a society based on puritanical values,” McManus says. “Americans have this reputation of being so sexual, but we really are oppressed.”

In relation to other sex shops on Capitol Hill including The Crypt and Castle, Babeland offers a distinctly different atmosphere. The first noticeable difference is the bright lighting and colorful walls, which are intended to create a more inviting space. The displays are also presented in a less discrete way. Customers are encouraged to ask questions, turn the equipment on, feel vibrations and get comfortable with the devices before purchasing them.

Babeland clientele breaks down to roughly 65 percent women and 35 percent men. According to McManus, most people who visit the store are heterosexual, but the store’s selection is not limited to any one sexual identification.

“Gay men just don't think this store is for them,” says McManus, who indicates that gay men make up the smallest percentage of customers. “Our gay porn selection is kind of bad. This is not the mecca for gay porn.”

Along with selling sex toys ranging in price from $15 to more than $100, Babeland provides extensive sexual education classes and workshops focused on increasing sexual pleasure and releasing stigma. When it comes to teaching about sex, Babeland focuses on three key elements—lubrication, communication and relaxation.

On Nov. 8, Babeland hosted “The Art of Oral Pleasure: Clit Trick,” an event focused on educating people and their partners on oral stimulation. In an effort not to be gender exclusive, they will also be hosting a workshop Dec. 13 titled “The Art of the Blow Job.”

“The goal is for anyone to go shopping for sex toys without feeling judged,” McManus says. “There really needed to be a place where women felt comfortable shopping.”

Babeland tries to make their products easy and accessible for customers.

“Sex is something everybody does,” McManus says. “Everyone in here is here for the same reason. It is a very comfortable place to shop.”

McManus, who has been working in the sex toy industry for years, also suggests that people who are nervous and intimidated also check out Babeland's extensive online shopping collection.Amid a myriad of sex toys ranging from dildos to handcuffs, Audrey McManus, education coordinator at Seattle's Babeland sex... more