sex in the news

I will be appearing on Neil Cavuto’s Your World on The Fox News Channel today to discuss whether it is appropriate for our government to fund this research.

The National Institute of Health (NIH) released a list of over 6,000 studies it will be supporting with funds from the stimulus package, also known as the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA). While the vast majority of the research is related to neuroscience, genetics, or diseases such as cancer, tuberculosis, heart disease, and multiple sclerosis, there are a handful of funded scientific studies that involve sexuality.

This set off alarms for some, including the New York Post where yesterday an article declared, “The next fiscal year is set to be one of the friskiest ever in the nation’s science labs, as researchers probe the ins and outs of sex patterns among humans.” In Central New York’s Post-Standard, Tory Mazzola, spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee, was quoted as saying that funding research is an inappropriate use of the stimulus funds: “Because stimulus was sold as a new investment in infrastructure. It was sold as job creating. It was sold as a new way forward for America.”

On the surface it may seem shocking to some people if our tax dollars are paying for “sex” research. Others believe that we should not discount scientific freedom, intellectual curiosity, and the fact that sexuality is a vitally important aspect of being human. Yet when we look further we see that this research is not sexy at all. All of the NIH approved studies include a statement of the public health implications, and all of these statements are available to the public on the NIH website. Most involve work about HIV/AIDS.

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Celebrate love and equality by attending The Great Nationwide Kiss-In.

On Saturday, August 15 at 2pm EST/ 11am PT, the “Great Nationwide Kiss-In” will occur, as people all around the country will assemble in designated public locations and kiss. 

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By Dr. Sari Locker

Teen Death Related to Erectile Dysfunction Drug

Joe Loudon, a 16 year old from Orinda, CA, died at a party recently, and the autopsy results found that in addition to alcohol, he also had an erectile dysfunction medication, Papaverine, in his system. It is unknown whether he took the drug voluntarily, or someone slipped it into his drink, coerced him to take it, or gave it to him without revealing the type of drug. His parents said that they had no knowledge of how this drug could have been in their son’s possession. They are looking for leads about how he may have gotten the drug.  

Teens and Viagra: What do we know?

While it’s not known why Joe Loudon had an erectile dysfunction drug in his system, his story raises the question of why some teens may seek out erectile dysfunction medication. While most teens would never be exposed to the infrequently used older medication Papaverine that was in Joe’s body, there are teens who may consider experimenting with a more common erectile medication, such as Viagra.  There is a good deal of info about teens and Viagra…  (more…)

Today is the first day of summer, when millions of people make their way to beaches all around the county. How much sex will be going on at the beach?

The warm sun and coo­­­­­l breezes, the rhythm of the pulsating waves - it’s all very sensual and alluring. Fun in the sun sometimes takes a sexual turn; yet, remember, having sex on a public beach is illegal under public indecency laws (not to mention that getting sand in your genitals may cause irritation or urinary tract infection). Despite these issues, every summer tons of people do it, and ask my advice about it. I’ve already received several e-mails asking me whether it’s safe to use condoms at the beach. The answer: only if you use them on the shore. (For more info, read my advice column.) This summer, do you plan to be law abiding at the beach, or make mad passionate love in the surf? If you are going to let sexual freedom override the laws of the land, which beach will you choose for your furtive sandy romp? Rupert Holmes popularized the passion for “making love at midnight, in the dunes of the Cape” in his 1979 hit song Escape (The Pina Colada Song). As it turns out, people are not getting as busy as they used to out on Cape Cod. Last summer on Cape Cod’s National Seashore (the 20 miles of coastline from Provincetown, MA to Truro, MA), fewer people than usual were ticketed for illegal public sex on the beach. In summer 2008, park rangers issued 49 disorderly conduct citations for “obscene” acts, a misdemeanor carrying fines up to $150. In 2007, they gave 132 citations, so the drop was dramatic. Could it be that the Cape Cod dunes are falling out of vogue as the sex destination? I wonder if the stats on the beaches of the Hamptons were up last summer. As only a true Bonacker knows, the East Hampton, NY beaches are the hottest. But there’s no song that mentions that…yet!

Last week on CNN HLN with Mike Galanos, I discussed Carlie Beck, the 20 year old cheerleading coach who was fired from Casa Roble High School in Orangevale, California, after it was revealed that she posed nude for Playboy’s website as a “Playboy Cyber Girl of the Week.” Well, now she’s moving up. It was just announced that she will be “Playboy Cyber Girl of the Month for June.”

On CNN HLN, I discussed both sides of the issue of her firing. Carlie has every right to pose nude, if that’s what she wants to do. She seemingly tried to separate her high school coaching from her nude modeling, since she used a different last name to pose — Carlie Christine — and the nude pictures are only available with a credit card. On the other hand, teens must be taught to not pose for risqué or nude photos, and that anything they put online can have serious consequences. So, their cheerleading coach obviously was sending the wrong message to her cheerleaders. Also, since one of the cheerleaders knew about the pictures and told the principal, then Carlie must have told that cheerleader about it. It is highly unlike that one of her students would have just happened onto the photos, because they were posted on an interior page of the site amid dozens of 1 inch square images of other nude women.  So if Carlie told the students where to look that would have been inappropriate.  

The moral of the story, however, is not about whether her firing was right or wrong. It’s that the firing made her “famous.” Instead of illustrating how nude pictures can hurt someone’s life, now Carlie gets exactly what she wants. She wanted to be a well-known model, which is why she posed nude. If she hadn’t been fired, then no one would have noticed her nude pictures in the sea of other pictorials of attractive nude 20 year olds. Now she’ll be the girl of the month, instead of just the girl of the week. All her dreams are coming true, thanks to the scorned cheerleader who precipitated her firing.  If she gets her way, then by next year, she may even get into the actual Playboy magazine! Maybe she’ll aim even higher and strive to be the next “Girl Next Door,” and move in with Hef. Wonder what message that would give the girls she used to coach.

Last night’s Nightline story about sexting included some of my comments.  Vicki Mabrey, her producer, and the entire Nightline team did a great job telling the different sides to this story.  To see the video, click on the photo below, and it will open the video on the ABC News website.