R U BEING CONNED?

We ran across this article last year and tucked it in a file for when time allowed us some serious contemplation. Science can be just wonderful at times but how scientific is it to base a study on what people claim about their sex life?

Here's the thing. This country, nay, the whole planet engaged in a conversation about sex during the years Clinton was president. The upshot was nearly unanimous. EVERYONE LIES ABOUT SEX.

This study http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16282622/ published in 1997 in the British Medical Journal claims " ...that men who reported the highest frequency of orgasm enjoyed a death rate half that of the laggards."

Other goodies claimed for copious sex in this article includes improved sense of smell, reduced risk of heart disease, weight loss and overall fitness.

The problem is that this and other studies base their findings on what men tell them. There's the rub. Is it possible that rather than measuring sexual activity the studies measure the men's ability to lie? And that lying brings positive results as the following article describes?

"Devious Butterflies, Full-Throated Frogs and Other Liars"
http:://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/26/science/26lying.html

James Bond of 007 fame may be an exception. His constant sexual activities are well documented and he made it work for him obviously since he matured, but never aged, and kept coming back in a younger and stronger body, time after time.

We also question their assertion that women benefited as well. The rub here is that they claim the benefit to women is from the hormone, prostaglandin, found in semen -- that is, the semen must not be blocked, i.e. unprotected sex.

The writers wax eloquent concerning how women benefit from men's frequent ejaculation. They claim women experience reduced depression, pain relief, and better bladder control, less colds and even better teeth. Huh? Oh, of course, oral sex.

James Bond's sexual partners usually died horrible deaths so there is no way to prove that they benefited from his constant gift of semen.

What we question is, if the beneficial effects are true why hasn't it been chemically produced and marketed for profit like every other hormone? One can hardly watch 5 minutes of TV without hearing of the curative powers of some hormone, enzyme or other chemical for whatever ails the female.

So why has there been no wonder drug prostaglandin lotion or salve offered for sale by a multitude of companies? The profit would be enormous for such a miraculous substance.

And finally how did they eliminate all the variables? It is an impossible task to show that all these benefits were caused solely by one thing. Urologists do believe that frequent ejaculation makes for a healthier prostate gland but sex is not a prerequisite for ejaculation.

So we suggest the writers change their title and premise or go back and clean up their experimental procedures. They are not only messing with science here, they are endangering the health and welfare of women.

They are making them feel guilty of causing their partner's health problems, even their death - just because they happened to have a headache.

gapperserve-at-peoplepc.com
http://gendergappers.blogspot.com

2007-001

Copyright 2007 Renee T. Louise and Ruth M. Sprague, Ph.D. These articles may be republished for noncommercial use only, provided that they are copied intact, and that this copyright notice is attached. Address all queries to: gapperserve@peoplepc.com.

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