Natural Health and Herbal Remedies Blog

We have in our sample of sex offenders only five cases of individuals legally punished for sexual behavior with animals. While this number is too small to permit meaningful generalizations, we cannot simply ignore these cases any more than a zoologist could ignore a new species because only five specimens were known.

In our society an amazing amount of shame surrounds sexual activity with animals. Despite its frequency among country boys, it is one of the most taboo of all sexual acts, one toward which society reacts with both condemnation and ridicule. A more potent combination can scarcely be imagined. An outcast or rebel may endure or even enjoy social condemnation, but no one can long tolerate ridicule. Even in circles where statistically unusual sexual practices are regarded as interesting eccentricities, bestiality is a matter for contempt. A man might not conceal his homosexuality, he might enjoy a notoriety because of his fetishism or sadism, but he would shrink from letting his animal contacts be known.

It is not too surprising (although disappointing) that all five of our cases not only denied the offense to us, but denied any other animal contact. Moreover, they did not report any fantasies or dreams of sexual behavior with animals and denied any sexual arousal from watching animals in coitus.

The animals involved in the five cases include dogs, cows, chickens, and a mare. The ages of the males at the time of offense were sixteen, sixteen, “in youth,” twenty-six, and about thirty-eight.

The sociosexual fives of the five men are not unusual. Their hetero-sexuality falls within ordinary limits. Of the four full-fledged adults (one of the five cases was a sixteen-year-old when interviewed), all had had coitus with prostitutes, but only two had relied heavily upon them. Two had married. Three of the five had had sexual activity with other males, but only one had a strong homosexual history.

Four of the males came from broken homes—a high percentage. One had always lived in cities, two had always been rural, and two had been temporarily rural in their teens before their animal contact offenses. It is possible that this background predisposed them to animal contact.

Two were heavy drinkers and a third had been truly alcoholic-totaling three of the four adults. Drugs seem not to have been involved. Two (one of them the sixteen-year-old) were mentally dull, but the others were average.

Excepting the sixteen-year-old, all the men had antisocial tendencies, essentially offenses against property—thefts. Two had, in addition, some sex offenses. One man who had twice been convicted of molesting young girls was an authentic sex offender; the other was at worst only technically an offender, having been convicted at age eighteen for coitus with a willing girl three years his junior.

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The treatment of choice for PID is antibiotics that treat all the potential bacterial causes of the disease. Health care providers would rather treat a woman for PID if there is any chance that she has it, even if the disease cannot be conclusively diagnosed, because the potential consequences of missing the diagnosis are so severe.

Sometimes the bacteria causing PID are not identified, but the treatment is the same whether or not they are identified.

The treatment of PID is the same whether or not it is thought to be sexually transmitted. Most women with PID are treated as outpatients, but about 20 percent of them must be hospitalized. A woman who has severe pain, or who cannot take oral antibiotics because she is nauseated and vomiting, is often admitted to the hospital to allow antibiotics to be administered intravenously. Younger women are often hospitalized to make sure they receive their full course of treatment.

If there is suspicion of a localized area of infection (an abscess) or if there is any question about the diagnosis, a woman is usually admitted to the hospital. Women who are HIV positive and have been diagnosed with PID must receive aggressive treatment for the disease, and this too requires a hospital stay. Women who are pregnant and have PID are also usually hospitalized for aggressive treatment of the disease. Irrespective of the circumstances, any decision regarding hospitalization must be discussed with one’s health care provider.

Some of the medications used to treat PID are ceftriaxone (given as an injection) and doxycycline, or ofloxacin and metronidazole. These medicines are usually administered for two weeks.

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Since it is likely that everyone with herpes infections, whether oral or genital, type 1 or type 2, sheds when they are symptom free at some time or another, one might think “Since practically everyone has herpes, and it’s not clear when it’s safe to have sex, it’s inevitable that I’ll get it if I have a partner who has herpes!” or “I’m going to get herpes anyway, so I might as well give up trying not to get it.” Some people want to do everything they can to prevent transmission of herpes.

Some couples who have been together a while and are planning to remain together may not be as worried about transmitting the virus. In my opinion, it is always a good idea to discuss the question of herpes early in a relationship, before becoming sexually active, so that you can decide together how you want to approach this issue.

Everyone, and every couple, approaches the issue differently. It is best to make decisions based on accurate, current information, not on myths. Likewise it is very important that decisions be made together, as a team. Sometimes the person with herpes thinks it is entirely his or her responsibility, but this is not the case. Facing the question of herpes is often the first difficult decision that a couple makes, and working through this issue can be the first step toward real closeness. Remember: being in a relationship involves confronting thousands of issues over time. Herpes is just one of them.

This section will provide some tools for couples who want to take steps to prevent the transmission of herpes. What can you do to prevent yourself from getting herpes, or how can you keep from transmitting herpes to your partner? The first thing is to know your herpes status. Getting a blood test will tell you your status for both type 1 and type 2 herpes (see the discussion of testing later in this section); you don’t need to be experiencing symptoms to be tested. A couple who know their individual statuses for herpes infections can then make informed decisions about what type of sexual contact is safe and what type is risky. If you or your partner have not had this test performed and thus don’t know whether one of you has herpes, then use a condom to help protect against transmission until you can be tested. As noted earlier, if both partners have the same kind of genital herpes (both have type 1 or both have type 2), then they will not reinfect one another, nor will they trigger outbreaks in one another.

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Any person, male or female, whether sexually active or not, can develop a genital yeast infection. There are no reliable statistics on how many people contract such infections because many people self-treat and never see a doctor about a yeast infection. Men probably have yeast infections less often than women, even though they are very common in men.

It is estimated that 75 percent of women will develop a symptomatic yeast infection at some point in their lives and that possibly 75 percent of those women will experience another symptomatic infection later. Some women have very frequent recurrent symptoms, with multiple yeast infections each year. It is believed that about 20 percent of women are colonized with yeast in the vagina. This means that even though the yeast is there, it is not causing infection or symptoms, such as itching and discharge. These women may remain symptom free or may develop symptoms later.

The following circumstances make a woman more likely to be a yeast carrier and to develop yeast infections: pregnancy, using oral contraceptive pills (particularly the higher-dose pills), using oral antibiotics (because they eliminate the normal bacteria from the vagina and allow the yeast to overgrow), and having diabetes that is poorly controlled. Douching disrupts the normal environment of the vagina and may make a woman more likely to get a yeast infection. Warm weather, too, makes yeast infection more likely. Yeast likes warm, moist areas of the body, such as the genitals, and wearing clothing that is tight and restrictive tends to make a person more likely to develop a yeast infection. Other vaginal irritation, for example from an allergic reaction to spermicide, may also allow yeast to overgrow.

Suppression of the immune system (through such medications as steroids or such infections as human immunodeficiency virus [HIV]) can also make a woman more susceptible to frequent symptomatic yeast infections. However, just because a woman develops a yeast infection does not mean she has a serious medical problem: as noted previously, some women are simply subject to recurrent symptomatic yeast infections.

Men who are not circumcised tend to have more frequent penile yeast infections than men who are, probably because the area under the foreskin provides a warm, moist area in which yeast can grow. (A fungal infection under the foreskin is called balanitis.)

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The challenge of discussing a chronic infection with a new partner can seem overwhelming. Some people decide that they don’t want to discuss the topic—ever—but there are two good reasons for bringing the topic up before becoming intimate. First, most potential partners respond favorably and are glad you cared enough about them to be honest. Few people decide not to pursue a relationship because of this one issue. Second, if partners are not told and later find out, or are told after becoming intimate, they may feel betrayed. Trust can be lost. Telling before you become intimate also allows you both to deal with the issue as a couple, rather than putting all the responsibility for preventing transmission on the person who has the infection. Honest discussion often allows people to develop a more intimate relationship. You may encounter a partner who does not respond favorably, and this can be painful. Consider in advance how you will take care of yourself if you get a negative response.

Before you discuss issues of sexual health and become intimate with a new partner—whether or not part of the discussion involves sharing information about a chronic STD—it is a good idea to establish the groundwork for a relationship first. As you get to know the person better, you may find that you don’t want to pursue the relationship any further, and you don’t want to have sex with that person. In that case, you may have discussed these issues unnecessarily If you get to know a person before becoming sexually intimate, it will be easier to tell the person about your STD. Don’t put off discussing this until the heat of the moment, however, because your partner will need time to process the information. Telling him or her as you are about to become intimate can be very awkward.

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The more you read about prostate cancer, the more it seems that one factor is consistendy underplayed—its lack of early symptoms. This is just one way in which prostate cancer differs from other diseases, many of which have early warning signs. To put it bluntly, by the time a man has symptoms of prostate cancer, it’s probably too late to cure it. Unfortunately, when prostate cancer is in its earliest, most curable stages—before it has spread beyond the wall of the prostate—it is silent; it produces no symptoms.

That’s why so much effort is being poured into screening and early diagnosis. To be sure, our understanding of prostate cancer is expanding every day, and the battle is being waged encouragingly on all fronts: prevention, early diagnosis, effective treatment of curable disease, better management of advanced disease. But despite many advances—at least for the immediate future—it’s not likely that a breakthrough in gene therapy will enable doctors to keep prostate cancer from developing, or that scientists will make major strides in curing advanced disease. Right now, the sad truth is that there is no cure for advanced prostate cancer. Until there is, our best hope of reducing the number of deaths from prostate cancer lies in two tactics—early diagnosis and effective treatment of curable disease.

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All the natural methods or rhythm methods involve abstinence during that part of the menstrual cycle when fertilization is possible. They are now barely used except by practising catholics, to whom other contraceptive methods are forbidden.

The difficulty lies in determining the non-fertile days.

As the menstrual cycle is often irregular, one is obliged to take a wide safety margin, and this disrupts the couple’s sex life.

The Ogino method (75 to 85% effective) For women with a regular 28-day cycle, ovulation occurs between the 13th and 17th days of the cycle. In addition, sperm can survive up to four days in a woman’s genital system, so the first dangerous day is not the thirteenth but the ninth. And as the ovule can be fertilized up to a day after ovulation, the dangerous period lasts up to the eighteenth day. The couple must therefore abstain from all vaginal intercourse for at least nine days.

For irregular cycles (the most common) this period has to be prolonged even further.

As one can see, therefore, this method is very risky. It may suit a couple who would not consider pregnancy a great disaster, but it must not be used in cases where pregnancy must be avoided at all costs.

The temperature method

This can be combined with the Ogino method to help shorten the period of abstinence after ovulation. A woman’s temperature drops by about two-tenths of a degree at the moment of ovulation, rises again twenty-four hours later by about three-tenths of a degree, and stabilizes at this level until menstruation starts. The infertile phase starts on the fourth day of high temperature. One has of course to make sure that the rise in temperature is not due to any other cause.

The cervical mucus method

This is another supplement to the Ogino method. It involves observing changes in the appearance of the cervical mucus. This thick, opaque mucus is found in small quantities at the neck of the womb. At ovulation it increases in volume and becomes a clear fluid. Then it returns to its original appearance until the onset of menstruation.

Obviously these methods are not very certain. Moreover, when they do fail there is a higher risk of abnormality in the foetus, because the sperm and egg have met towards the end of their useful lives.

Coitus interruptus – the withdrawal method (60 to 80% effective)

This involves the man withdrawing his penis just before ejaculation. The high failure rate is due to the fact there can sometimes be sperm in the slight liquid discharge just before orgasm. The method is also very often frustrating, because the man’s orgasm is not really satisfying, and the woman often does not have time to reach hers unless the man is able to hold back long enough.

The vaginal douche

This is a rubber bulb with a nozzle designed to flush out the sperm. It is not a bad precaution but it is not very effective. It also does away with the moment of peace and relaxation women appreciate so much after lovemaking.

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The word “paedophilia” means love of children – which would be a very worthy sentiment if it were not a perverse sexual love and a crime in the eyes of the law.

It is a mistake to assume that the paedophile rapes children. Most paedophiles never do more than caress the child and touch or show their genitals. If caught, they are charged with indecent exposure, indecent assault or corruption of minors.

The typical characteristics of the paedophile are weakness and timidity. He shrinks from relationships with mature women for fear of being dominated rather than dominant. With a little girl everything seems easier, even if he does not go all the way to full sexual relations. Little girls are generally submissive because of their upbringing in the family. And they are innocent: in other words they have little awareness of the notions of good and evil. It is this that attracts the paedophile.

A paedophile is generally of a gentle and unaggressive nature. He rarely uses coercion to have his way with a child. He merely takes advantage of the child’s naivety, of the fact that she does not know what is “allowed” and what is not. In most cases she also trusts the paedophile because he is someone known to her – a family friend, or someone she has met in normal, everyday circumstances. He may be a priest, a teacher or a sports instructor, for example.

Paedophilia is not specific to heterosexuals or homosexuals; a paedophile may be interested in boys, girls or both.

Paedophilia is a typically male perversion. Even so, there is a point to be made here that shows very clearly how are judgements are twisted by moral conceptions. A woman can freely hug, kiss, caress and dandle a young child without anyone thinking it odd. But a man does not have that freedom to express affection: he will immediately be seen as a paedophile even if he has no sexual thoughts in mind.

Be this as it may, parents are strongly recommended to put their children on guard against this kind of encounter, and explain the reasons – though the explaining is hard to do and is very often neglected.

Paedophilia, like homosexuality, is difficult to cure. The paedophile has not chosen to be that way. He is a victim of impulses he cannot control. The most he can do is to try and integrate into adult society. If he manages this and has good sexual relations with adults, his paedophile tendencies may fade into the background or die out altogether.

Paedophilia in the family may be far more common than is generally recognized. Beyond the normal physical expression of affection and tenderness between parent and child, there is a whole range of possible activities, even without going as far as intercourse or coercive “child abuse” in the proper sense.

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The most spectacular variation on the dildo theme is the vibrator, used by homosexuals and heterosexuals alike, and by no means only for solitary masturbation. Many couples use vibrators in addition to other stimulation methods.

Vibrators come in very many forms, all more or less based on the penis. In use, the shape is of little importance; it is merely residual phallic fetishism that requires the penis shape. Experience shows that in fact women rarely insert them into their vaginas or anuses, but almost always use them to touch lightly on external areas.

The vibrator has a motor inside which produces fast vibrations, mainly concentrated in the tip. In contact with the skin this vibration stimulates muscles and nerve endings alike, and also draws a flow of blood to the area stimulated.

Vibrators can be used to stimulate all the erogenous zones: the breasts, between the buttocks, the inner and outer labia, the vaginal opening and, above all, the clitoris. In fact the vibration stimulates too intensely to be used on the “button”; it is best to run the tip of the vibrator up and down the shaft of the clitoris, using only light pressure.

There are special two-headed models for simultaneous stimulation of clitoris and vagina or vagina and anus. Others have interchangeable heads designed for the different erogenous zones.

There is no need to list the possible applications of the vibrator in these pages – the reader will easily find the uses that best match his or her tastes.

Couples make relatively little use of the vibrator. There is a certain prejudice against it, which is perhaps justified: who needs a machine when nature has endowed us with all kinds of moving parts for the purpose – hands, fingers, lips, tongue and penis?

It is only reasonable, then, that couples should use the vibrator just for an occasional thrill. But it can be very useful in solitary masturbation, or for women who rarely reach a climax with other stimulation methods. In fact sex therapists consider the vibrator a major invention, and recommend its use in treating serious orgasm problems for which no other kind of treatment exists.

On the other hand most of the welter of weird gadgets to be found in the shops serve no very useful purpose and are in doubtful taste.

Sex shops are not the only place one can find sex aids, of course. People on their own and couples in search of variety find uses for all sorts of everyday objects from paint brushes, spoons, brush handles, bottles and candles to carrots, cucumbers, leeks and bananas. And those who enjoy sado-masochistic games can replace the panoply of sex shop gadgets with slippers, table tennis bats, rulers, belts, rope etc.

Men use few aids for themselves. They get little sensation from a vibrator, for example, except in and around the anus. There are small vibrators designed for anal stimulation, and strings of beads about a centimetre across, which are inserted into the anus; at the moment of orgasm, the man or his partner gently pulls the beads out one by one.

Many men insert objects of various kinds into their anuses. Sometimes they are unable to get them out again, as hospital casualty wards well know – so much so that a special type of surgical forceps has had to be designed to remove such objects!

Another sex aid used by men is the inflatable doll, though this is little more than a masturbation aid.

Men also sometimes use a penis ring. This is a large rubber ring which which can be slid down the penis to the base. The effect is to halt the flow of blood out of the glans and penis; the resulting congestion helps produce an erection, or at least helps to keep it up longer. If the ring is too tight, the glans can swell up and turn purple. Some such rings are provided with a knob or projection designed to touch the clitoris when the penis is deep in the vagina.

One kind of variation on the penis ring is the ampallang, especially used by Africans. The ampallang is a ring fixed around the penis at the base of the glans, with feathers, small pieces of animal fur or suitable ticklers of vegetable origin, designed to stimulate the vagina walls more actively than the penis on its own.

There are other attachments of various sorts and sizes that men can slip onto their penises. They are really only variations on the dildo theme, though some also have a projection at the base to stimulate the clitoris during intercourse.

Another aid, not in very common use, is the “Geisha ball”, a kind of small ping-pong ball which women can place between their labia. Inside is a smaller ball which rolls about as she moves, setting up delicious vibrations through the whole genital area.

And for a very different type of accessory, there is the “Victorian table”, so called because of its popularity in Victorian England. This was a low table with holes in the top, designed to let through a woman’s breasts or a man’s penis, providing for all sorts of erotic or sado-masochistic fantasies. When the table was not in use, the owner would hide the holes under ornaments or potted plants!

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Yes indeed. And it is not enough to be aware of the differences. One must bear them in mind and adapt one’s behaviour accordingly.

For example:

There is no such creature as a man who cannot reach orgasm.

A man experiences only one kind of orgasm. A woman may experience three, simultaneously or one after the other: clitoral, vaginal and G-spot.

A man’s orgasm may be very brief. A woman’s never is.

Another difference, psychological this time, stems from the fact that a woman as such is an object of desire to a man, and is aware of this. Except for certain cases, the reverse is not true. As a result, both men and women sometimes wonder who is giving who the pleasure.

In other words, when a woman caresses a man and arouses and stimulates him sexually, the man knows she is doing it for his pleasure. But when a man fondles and stimulates a woman, she may feel he is doing it for his own pleasure as much as for hers. And she may come to feel she is just a sex object. This leads to disunity or misunderstanding in many couples.

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