HomeSocial aspects of sexuality

Social aspects of sexuality

Difficulties in assessing women’s sexuality

Our understanding of female sexuality must reflect what real women are physically and emotionally capable of. The advantage of a realistic approach is that...

Sexual pleasure need not always focus on orgasm

Alfred Kinsey concluded that any research that involved making subjective judgements of the emotional rewards of sex activity would make it impossible to compare...

Why women do not orgasm from cunnilingus

Men believe that cunnilingus causes female orgasm. But where does this belief come from? It doesn’t come from any research findings. Cunnilingus is clearly...

Sexual pleasure is defined by sociable activity

Mammals use grooming to connect socially with others. They also snuggle up together for warmth and comfort. Regardless of responsiveness, it can be reassuring...

Only some men are motivated to offer foreplay

There must inevitably be some men who are content with the frequency and quality of sex that their female partners provide. This may be...

A man needs to make sex exciting for a woman

When women see men, they think of sex. You could equally well say that men think the same thing when they see women. But...

Sexual techniques that may pleasure a woman

Men engage in sexual activity to release accumulated arousal through thrusting and orgasm. By contrast, even responsive women only generate the kind of arousal...

How a couple can bring variety to intercourse

Few women provide explicit erotic turn-ons. But most, at least initially, are affectionate. Demonstrating affection involves close physical intimacy and causes male arousal. When...

A man wants a partner to make love to his penis

When aroused, men experience rigidity of the sex organ (the penis). But this increased blood flow, although concentrated in the genitals can also affect...

Sexual techniques that may pleasure a man

Men hope that a lover will enjoy contributing enthusiastically to their intimate time together: sharing fantasies, sex play and affection. Arousing a man is...

How to make the most of sexual pleasuring

Sexuality is about enjoying sexual pleasure with a lover. We experience sensual, emotional and erotic pleasure. A sex education should include a description of...

Why couples struggle to communicate over sex

Sex is most rewarding for a woman in the romantic scenario of a new relationship. In the beginning a man’s easy arousal means that...

How a woman can interest a man in having sex

Sex occurs much more easily in the early stages of a relationship because being affectionate with each other provides the most natural lead-in to...

How a man can have relationship sex more often

Nature never intended men to be monogamous. In every society, men’s greater inclination for promiscuity is accepted as a natural and defining characteristic of...

The role of relationship therapists and counsellors

Adults are embarrassed about sex because of their emotional insecurities. Our emotional needs include a need to impress, a need to belong and a...

Anorgasmia, preorgasmia and vaginismus

Women who masturbate themselves to orgasm are called pre-orgasmic. Rather than celebrate the fact that they experience orgasm, the implication is that women are...

Premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction

It’s not uncommon for a man to have a problem with erections from time to time. But erectile dysfunction (ED) that happens routinely is...

The misunderstandings behind sexual dysfunction

True sexual dysfunctions are very rare. The word dysfunction implies that something is not working properly. In order to define dysfunction, we must first...

Sex as a bargaining chip in loving relationships

When we are single, we can focus on our own selfish needs. But when we have a relationship with another person, we need to...

The misconceptions that arise from pornography

Pornography provides boys with completely unrealistic images of women’s sexuality. The female body is sexualised and objectified (projected in way that causes male arousal)....

Men and women’s perspectives on relationships

Sexuality is about a sexual relationship, which includes social, emotional and sexual aspects. Long-term committed relationships are vital to supporting families over the decades...

Explaining men and women’s sexual behaviours

Men and women behave very differently in sexual scenarios. Key behaviours include male promiscuity, women’s sexual passivity and women’s focus on relationships. We use...

Sexual behaviours compensate for responsiveness

We cannot start to understand sexuality unless we differentiate between responsiveness and conscious behaviours. For the most part, our minds and bodies function in...

Misunderstandings over how orgasm is achieved

The issue of female orgasm with a lover is at the core of sexual politics. Men want to feel valued as lovers. Women want...

Women have varying degrees of sexual willingness

Human beings are sociable animals. Most of us want to be accepted in our social group. We want to share experiences. We hope to...

Women are often disappointed with casual sex

We are all living longer due to improved health and lifestyles. So ‘til death do us part’ is much longer than it used to...

Women attract men by sexualising themselves

We wear clothes for protection, for warmth, for decency and also for display. The need to differentiate ourselves depends on our personality. Many women...

The sexual politics of women competing over men

If men and women wanted the same thing there would be no sexual politics. Men and women are at odds because they want different...

Sex as a competitive sport and erotic entertainment

A woman values a man as a social asset (who has status and experience). But a man values a woman as a sexual asset....

Women are not respected for being promiscuous

A polite way of expressing some men’s enjoyment of promiscuity is to say that they like the ladies. There is no equivalent expression to...

Prostitution generally involves men paying for sex

There have always been some women who are willing to offer men sex on demand. But they want to be paid. By far the...

The sex industry focuses on male gratification

Sexuality is about talking, observing or interacting with others in return for payment or other non-relationship rewards. Depending on our personality we may employ...