Unassociated Press

Sex. Sex. Though women statistically think about it once every two to three days, I think about it…well, much more than that. I can’t imagine how the tricky little word manages to slip by other women for two to three whole days; to comfort myself, I assume that they’re like me but society pushes them to be demure. Though in our American society we still blush at the subject, sex is undoubtedly the one hobby we all have in common (or at least hope to one day), so a firm grasp of the anatomical machinery below our belly button is imperative to having a fulfilling sex life. Here you are, my sexy readers, a sex blog…

The Stench of Love

If your display of wealth or your good humor isn’t winning her over, it could be because smell appears to be the biggest deal-maker or breaker in finding a mate. Humans release pheromones, chemical compounds that may or may not smell attractive to others. That elusive quality of “chemistry” between you and that motorcycle riding bad boy your mother warned you about might have simply been a keen awareness and attraction to rebel without a cause pheromones. According to Dr. Mehmet Oz and Dr. Michael Roizen, co-authors of You: The Owners Manual, “These signals by-pass the thinking or logical part of your brain and go straight to your amygdale—the emotional part.” So stock up on the cologne boys… or at least take a shower every now and then.

Testosterone: A Girl’s Best Friend

When we think of testosterone, we think of men—big strapping men. However, women produce testosterone as well, in small but crucial amounts. A woman’s testosterone levels drive her libido, but these levels decrease with age and certain medications (such as beta blockers and other medications to control hypertension). A lack of testosterone can cause poor lubrication of the vagina and can even cause sex to become painful. As far as treatment for low testosterone levels go, the Australian pharmaceutical company, Acrux, is developing a testosterone spray to help post-menopausal women increase their libido. According to their website, “Testosterone MDTS® for the treatment of decreased libido in women [has] successfully completed Phase 2 development under the Investigational New Drug (IND) system of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)”. But before you start stocking up on spray ladies, know that BBC reported that two women taking high doses of the spray during the trial dropped out due to an increase in body hair—a known side effect of the drug.

Though adequate levels of testosterone in women are necessary for a happy marriage, research is underway that explores the differences in testosterone levels of married and single men. MedicalNewsToday.com reported on the extension of such a study that includes Kenyan men who are married and even some who have multiple wives. So far the studies suggest that lower testosterone levels can be attributed to married men when compared to their single buddies, and those who have multiple wives have even lower testosterone levels.

How to Stay in the Game Longer

The most important thing you can do to prolong your sex life actually has nothing to do with boxes of chocolate or bouquets of flowers…well, at least not on the physiological side of things. Decreasing arterial aging is important in maintaining good blood flow to your heart, brain, and yes—your sexual organs. This is true not only for men, who get the most attention when it comes to erectile dysfunction, but also for women, who require adequate blood flow to the clitoris. Foods rich in folate (like orange juice, spinach, and dark green, leafy vegetables) and tomato sauce are great staples of a diet determined to reduce arterial aging. And remember to listen to your mother and take your vitamins: vitamin E is known to decrease the risk of prostate cancer in men and decreases vaginal dryness in women, and vitamin C increases sperm motility.

Not only will good nutrition help to extend your sex life, maintaining good physical fitness will as well. “If you can’t walk up and down two flights of stairs without stopping, it’s a sign that you’ve got a problem that most likely will affect your sex life,” says Dr. Oz, “Men who burn at least 200 calories a day through exercise reduce the chance of impotence.”

From Watermelons to Oranges: The Evolution of the Testes

I’ll admit, this one’s got nothing to do with extending and improving one’s sex life, but I’ll share it with you anyway.

Compared to other primates, the human penis is larger proportionally than just about any other species. However, human male testes are tiny when compared to other species, particularly chimpanzees; this is because humans tend to be monogamous animals (the operative term being tend to be). When a female chimpanzee goes into heat, she copulates with many males to improve her chances of conception. The male chimps need large testes to produce large quantities of sperm so that have a better chance of their sperm successfully reaching the egg. According to Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen, “Since humans theoretically don’t have to compete with other men, their testes don’t need to produce an oil rig’s worth of sperm, which means their testes don’t need to be as large”. So the next time you take a trip to the zoo, don’t let the gorillas make you feel inadequate—you’ve got the bigger penis anyway.