The article discusses a couple's experience with nonmonogamous play involving alcohol, emphasizing the importance of communication, boundaries, and self-awareness to prevent hurt feelings and ensure mutual satisfaction. It also touches on individual sexual preferences and the importance of understanding and accepting one's own sexuality.
A 46-year-old woman in a relationship with a younger, less experienced man struggles with sexual dissatisfaction due to physical and emotional differences, and questions whether to seek fulfillment elsewhere or accept her partner. The advice suggests exploring her attraction to her partner, considering communication about her needs, and possibly seeking therapy to better understand her desires and expectations.
The article features a series of personal questions addressed by Slate's sex advice column, covering topics such as insecurities about size after witnessing a partner with a larger penis, a woman's difficulty with orgasmic contractions, and a man's excessive masturbation affecting their relationship. The advice emphasizes communication, professional help, and exploring intimacy beyond traditional sex to address these issues.
A study by the University of Essex reveals that women with higher interoception, or awareness of internal bodily signals, experience more frequent and satisfying orgasms. This inward focus enhances sexual satisfaction in both solo and partnered encounters, emphasizing the importance of understanding normal orgasmic processes for improving well-being and relationship satisfaction. The research highlights the role of bodily awareness in fostering sexual satisfaction, offering insights for women and their partners.
A woman seeks advice after discovering her husband's affair, feeling relieved and turned on by the situation. The columnists emphasize that being cheated on is not her fault and discuss the complexities of non-monogamous relationships. They encourage her to communicate with her husband about her feelings and desires, and to consider the potential implications for their relationship and sexual health.
Sex writer Zachary Zane advises a sexually frustrated girlfriend to break up with her boyfriend who disregards her sexual desires despite her efforts to communicate and improve their sex life. He emphasizes the importance of sexual pleasure in a relationship and encourages her to seek a partner who values her satisfaction, rather than settling for unsatisfactory intimacy.
A reader seeks advice on a casual sexual relationship where the woman consistently avoids penetration. The columnist suggests that the woman is intentionally keeping the reader at a distance and advises accepting the infrequent encounters or ending the relationship altogether. Persistence is unlikely to change the situation, and the reader is encouraged to explore other options for more frequent encounters while keeping the woman in their rotation.
Researchers from Lund University in Sweden have conducted a study analyzing recordings of 2,239 sexual encounters to determine signs of faked orgasms. The study found that excessive moaning and higher volume are indicators of faking it, while variation in pitch and unexpected sounds suggest a genuine orgasm. The researchers also noted that men are generally less vocal, with very few vocalizations described as screams. The study raises questions about the prevalence of faked orgasms, with up to 80% of women and a third of men admitting to faking it. Additionally, a UK surgeon on TikTok suggests that drinking coffee before sex can enhance orgasms by improving blood flow.
Delayed ejaculation (DE), a common male sexual health problem affecting an estimated four percent of men, is often overlooked and poorly understood. Men with DE experience lower sexual satisfaction, relationship distress, anxiety, and general health issues. The causes of DE can range from childhood trauma to anxiety and shame around sex. Risk factors include age-related changes, declining testosterone levels, and type 1 diabetes. Mental distress, particularly anxiety, plays a significant role in DE. Treatment may involve addressing the root cause with the help of mental health experts, prescribing selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), or administering testosterone or oxytocin. The stigma surrounding men's sexual health is gradually diminishing, leading to increased awareness and access to treatments.
A study conducted by researchers at Penn State suggests a potential connection between low sexual satisfaction and future cognitive decline in middle-aged men. The study found that decreases in sexual satisfaction and incidents of erectile function were correlated with signs of memory loss later in life. The researchers emphasized the importance of sexual health and urged increased attention to erectile function as a vital sign of overall health. Monitoring erectile function could potentially help identify individuals at risk of cognitive decline earlier. The findings highlight the need for further research in this area and underscore the importance of considering sexual health as a crucial aspect of overall well-being.
The orgasm gap refers to the disparity between the frequency of orgasms experienced by men and women during heterosexual sex. Studies show that heterosexual men orgasm more frequently than heterosexual women, with 95% of men usually or always orgasming compared to 65% of women. This gap may be attributed to cultural ignorance and devaluation of clitoral stimulation, as many women require clitoral stimulation to orgasm. Inaccurate portrayals of female pleasure in pornography and societal stigma around women expressing their desires also contribute to the orgasm gap. To close the gap, experts emphasize the importance of communication, exploring one's own body, and changing cultural attitudes towards sexuality.
A 52-year-old man is struggling with his self-confidence and avoiding sexual encounters due to his smaller-than-average penis. Negative experiences and comments from past partners have deeply affected him. While he has received positive feedback about his sexual performance, the fear and anxiety persist. The man is advised to explore treatment protocols for small penis syndrome, including cognitive therapy, behavioral interventions, and eye movement desensitization reprocessing (EMDR). He is encouraged to focus on the pleasure he can provide beyond penetration and to seek the help of a sex therapist or urologist to address his self-image and overcome his insecurities.
A study conducted by researchers from Penn State suggests that decreased sexual satisfaction and erectile function in middle-aged men may serve as early warning signs of future cognitive decline. The study, which examined the relationship between sexual satisfaction, erectile functionality, and cognitive abilities in men aged 56 to 68, found that declines in sexual satisfaction and erectile function were correlated with future memory loss. The findings highlight a potential novel risk factor for cognitive decline and suggest that improvements in sexual satisfaction could potentially boost memory function.
Low sexual satisfaction and erectile performance in middle-aged men may be warning signs of future cognitive decline, according to a study by Pennsylvania State University. The study followed 818 men aged 56 to 68 for 12 years and found that losses in sexual satisfaction and erectile performance were associated with future memory loss. The researchers studied the relationship between physical and psychological changes and their impact on cognition, stressing the importance of sexual satisfaction for overall health.
This week's top neuroscience stories include research on the impact of timing on happiness, a link between middle-aged sexual satisfaction and cognitive decline, the memory-boosting power of flavanols, the interplay between cognition and personality traits, and the breath-memory connection. Inhaling, particularly through the nose, has been found to enhance memory function, suggesting potential new therapeutic strategies for cognitive decline and memory disorders.