...Among other things Cindy Gallop's ted talk on pornography....

Whist researching "Effects of Pornography - positive or negative" I came across this article in the Telegraph.  Not a newspaper I would normally alight on for discussion about pornography but nevertheless a really great article.  Even better it has the link to the full length ted talk given by Cindy Gallop in 2009 where she talks about pornography and how far removed it is from real sex, with its lack of hair, lack of fumbling, getting it wrong at times, without the mess of good sex.  Do watch it if you have a spare 20 minutes. 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/thinking-man/scary-effects-pornography-21st-centurys-accute-addiction-rewiring/

Low testosterone... an interesting read by Dr Mark Porter in the Times

New guidance from the BSSM (British Society for Sexual Medicine) gives clear advice as to how to test for low testosterone,  what the results mean and how that might be impacting your life.  Dr Mark Porter's article gives a really clear breakdown of what to be aware of. 

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/dr-mark-porter-low-testosterone-one-in-ten-men-over-40-has-it-heres-what-they-need-to-do-g8h9vgs63

Fairwell to Nancy Friday

Nancy Friday, the preeminent literary authority on female sexuality, died on November 5th.  In her wake she will leave a generation of women who have been able to explore their sexual fantasises without shame.  Nancy Friday’s 1973 cult sexuality tome, My Secret Garden: Women’s Sexual Fantasies, is still on the reading list of the MSc I teach, due to its unashamed honesty of what women were and really fantasising about.  

Can frequent sex improve brain function in older adults?

A study involving 73 people between the age of 50 and 83 has shown that people who engage in more regular sexual activity scored higher on tests that measured their verbal fluency and their ability to visually perceive objects and the spaces between them. 

Participants who engaged in weekly sexual activity sorted the most highly, with the verbal fluency tests showing the strongest effects.

 

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170622083020.htm

Sex is painful for nearly one in ten women....

A study of over 7,000 sexually active women aged 16-74 in the British Journal of Obstestrics and Gynaecology suggests that dyspareunia (painful intercouse) is common and affects women of all ages.

This is something that can be helped with proper treatment and i would recommend seeking advice on this either from your doctor or a sex therapist, however embarrassing it might feel. 

Painful sex is often linked to other sexual problems such as vaginal dryness, feeling anxious during sex and lack of enjoyment of sex.  

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-38729240