IS IT BAD TO CRACK YOUR KNUCKLES?
As I, Billy, was sitting on the beach, relaxing and leafing through an old copy of theJournal of
Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, I came across the answer to this age-old
question. I also wish my father had known this, because maybe he would have yelled at my
brother less. Cracking your knuckles is not as bad as people think. The usual argument is that
knuckle popping causes arthritis. This does not happen. Chronic knuckle cracking may cause
other types of damage, including stretching of the surrounding ligaments and a decrease in
grip strength, but not arthritis.
So what causes the pop? The sound is produced in the joint when bubbles burst in the
synovial fluid surrounding the joint. Really interesting, huh?
WHY DO SOME FOLKS HAVE AN “OUTIE”
BELLY BUTTON AND SOME FOLKS HAVE
AN “INNIE”?
I didn’t have the answer to this question until I delivered my first baby. I always believed that
you had an “innie” if the doctor tied a good knot, and if he didn’t, you were cursed with that
funny-looking “outie.” Well, there is no knot tying at all. We just put on a clip, cut, and wait for
the umbilical cord to dry up and fall off. It is all random.Sometimes someone can develop an “outie” because they have a hernia at this site. This
also has nothing to do with the doctor’s Boy Scout skills. I have recently heard of plastic
surgeons removing an “outie” for belly beauty. How sad.
One question that cannot be answered, however, is why some belly buttons collect so
much lint.
WHAT CAUSES MORNING BREATH?
In Australia, the “poo fairy” comes at night to take a dump in your mouth. In England, they say
a long night at the pub leaves your breath “tasting like the vulture’s dinner.” And a Scottish
friend with a new Hawaiian bride reports that a late-night fridge-binge of haggis and poi will
leave you with the worst morning breath of your life.
So, given all these tales, we should probably start with the anaerobic bacteria, the
xerostomia (a fancy word for dry mouth), or the volatile sulfur compounds (which are actually
waste products from the bacteria). All these combine to give you that wonderful get-up-in-themorning
feeling of garbage mouth.
Other things also contribute to this oral smorgasbord: medications, alcohol, sugar,
smoking, caffeine, and dairy products.
But don’t run off and have your tongue sandblasted; there are simple things that you can
do to fight morning breath. Brush regularly (don’t forget the tongue), floss, and drink plenty of
water.
WHY ARE YAWNS CONTAGIOUS?
Here are several things we can be thankful arenot contagious:
drooling
nosebleeds
itching
seizures
farting
That said, there are several theories for what causes yawns and why they are contagious.
It was originally thought that people yawned to get more oxygen, but this appears not to be
true.The most common theory is behavioral. In an article examining contagious yawns, Dr.
Steven M. Platek and others state, “Contagious yawning may be associated with empathic
aspects of mental state attribution and are negatively affected by increases in schizotypal
personality traits much like other self-processing related tasks.”
Huh? I find myself yawning right now.
What they mean is that people are unconsciously imitating others when they yawn.
Humans are not the only species that yawn. Yawning is seen in many animals, including cats,
fish, and birds, although we don’t know what a yawning fish looks like either.
WHY DO MEN HAVE NIPPLES?
Since our editor thought this question made the best title for this book, we racked our brains
to come up with a hilarious, witty, and informative answer to this question. Our attempts
proved futile, so, in order to finish this book so another brilliant title wouldn’t go to waste, we
went for the boring, straight scientific response. Sorry.
We are mammals and blessed with body hair, three middle ear bones, and the ability to
nourish our young with milk that females produce in modified sweat glands called mammary
glands. Although females have the mammary glands, we all start out in a similar way in the
embryo. During development, the embryo follows a female template until about six weeks,
when the male sex chromosome kicks in for a male embryo. The embryo then begins to
develop all of its male characteristics. Men are thus left with nipples and also with some
breast tissue. Men can even get breast cancer and there are some medical conditions that
can cause male breasts to enlarge. Abnormal enlargement of the breasts in a male is known
as gynecomastia. Gynecomastia can be caused by using anabolic steroids. So, if Barry
Bonds ends up coming to the old-timers game with a pair of sagging 44DD man boobs, then I
think we will finally have our answer to the steroid controversy.
CAN YOU LOSE A CONTACT LENS IN THE
BACK OF YOUR HEAD?
It is common for people to come into an emergency room because they can’t find their contact
lens. Sometimes it is found folded and tucked beneath the eyelid, but other times it is
nowhere to be found. So where is it???
Probably on the bathroom floor at home. A little anatomy lesson: there is nowhere else for
it to go.
Other commonly “misplaced” items that lead people to the ER: tampons, condoms, and
car keys.
CAN YOU LOSE A TAMPON INSIDE YOUR
BODY IF THE STRING COMES OFF?
.This is a surprisingly frequent question, and often a reason women find themselves in the
emergency room. Patients often come in either because they cannot remove the tampon or
because it has disappeared and they don’t seem to know where it went.
Time for another anatomy lesson. The vagina is a potential space, not a hole or cavity
inside the body. The walls of the vagina are normally in contact with each other unless
something is inserted between them. When something enters the vagina, the body makes
room for it. At the end of this potential space is the cervix. Therefore, there is no place for the
tampon to go. It cannot be lost inside that small area and you should be able to remove it, or it
can be easily removed by any doctor. Often we find nothing inside, and that means you
probably forgot you removed it. Leaving a tampon inside too long can put you at risk for a
serious infection, so don’t be embarrassed to ask for help
IS IT TRUE THAT THE TONGUE IS THE
STRONGEST MUSCLE IN THE BODY
RELATIVE TO ITS SIZE?
Now, we are sure there are many possibilities as to why someone would need the answer to
this question. We never asked our friend who asked this question why this was important, but
surely she had her reasons.
Some sources do agree that the tongue is the strongest muscle per size, but the tongue is
actually made up of four muscles. The heart has also been mentioned, but since it moves
involuntarily and is mainly an endurance muscle, it doesn’t really get to the heart of this
question (bad pun intended).
The sartorius, which slants across the thigh to the knee, is the longest muscle in the body.
As for the strongest, there are two other candidates, the masseter, used for chewing, and the
gluteus maximus. By gluteus! Who knew that our asses were so strong!
Another tidbit for you trivia geeks, here are Billy and Leyner’s two favorite ass-vocabulary
words:
callipygian: having beautifully proportioned buttocks
steatopygic: an extreme accumulation of fat on the buttocks
WHY DO YOUR TEETH CHATTER WHEN YOU
ARE COLD?
The body usually maintains a constant temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. At this
temperature the cells of the body work best. If there is any significant change in temperature,
it is sensed by an area of the brain called the hypothalamus. When the body gets too cold,
this center alerts the rest of the body to begin warming up. Shivering, the rapid movement of
the muscles to generate heat, then begins. Teeth chattering represents localized shivering.
WHY DO YOU HAVE AN APPENDIX IF YOU
CAN LIVE WITHOUT IT?
The appendix is a small pouch off the large intestine. The wall of the appendix contains
lymphatic tissue that is part of the immune system for making antibodies.
Removing the appendix doesn’t cause any harm because there are several other areas in
the body that contain similar tissue—the spleen, lymph nodes, and tonsils. The spleen and
the tonsils can also be removed.
WHAT ARE GOOSE BUMPS?
It’s all about the arrectores pilorum.
What, you say, are arrectores pilorum?
These tiny little hair erector muscles that contract and raise the hair follicles above the
skin. These are goose bumps or goose flesh or chicken skin.
What causes them?
They start with a stimulus such as fear, cold, or the sight of yourself in the mirror after a
night of vodka-induced debauchery. This causes the sympathetic nervous system to become
activated. The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for the body’s “fight or flight”
response. This sends a message to the skin and activates those little muscles.
WHAT REALLY IS HAPPENING WHEN MY
FOOT FALLS ASLEEP?
Saturday night palsy is a condition often seen in the emergency room, not a sequel to a John
Travolta film. It is caused by the same mechanism that makes your foot fall asleep but is a tad
more severe. Saturday night palsy is caused when someone, who is usually really wasted, is
unable to move an arm or leg in response to the pins and needles caused when a limb “falls
asleep.” It can lead to temporary or even permanent nerve damage.
Here is what happens in normal conditions. When pressure is exerted on part of your leg
or arm, several things occur. Arteries can become compressed, making them unable to
provide the tissues and nerves with the oxygen and glucose they need to function properly.
Nerve pathways can also become blocked, preventing normal transmission of electrochemical
impulses to the brain. Some of the nerves stop firing while others fire hyperactively. These
signals are sent to the brain, where they are interpreted as burning, prickling, or tingling
feelings. It is these sensations, paresthesias, that alert you to move your foot. Shaking your
foot releases the pressure and nutrient-rich blood flows back into the area and nerve cells
start firing more regularly. The “pins and needles” feeling can intensify until the nerve cells
recover. That is why it is painful when you try to “wake up” your sleeping limb.
Persistent numbness or tingling can be a sign of certain medical conditions, and in those
cases you should see your doctor.
WHY DO YOU GET BAGS UNDER YOUR EYES
WHEN YOU ARE TIRED?
Feeling exhausted? Wondering why you have bags under your eyes that make you look like
Droopy Dog or John Kerry?
Lack of proper restful sleep seems to cause dark rings for reasons not properly
understood. The skin around the eye is the thinnest found anywhere on the body, and this
thin skin allows dark, venous blood to show through.
Dark rings around the eyes are a common problem. They appear to be genetic and can
get worse as you age and your skin gets thinner. Adequate rest, good nutrition, and overall
good health tend to make the circles less noticeable. You can also wear sunglasses all the
time.
WHY DO YOU LAUGH WHEN TICKLED?
You definitely don’t spend a great deal of time learning about laughter in medical school. I
know that doesn’t surprise you since physicians are such serious people. The closest they
come to humor is the physiological study of laughter—gelotology. There is even a form of
seizures called gelastic seizures that causes sufferers to laugh incessantly.
Laughter is a complex process that requires the coordination of many muscles throughout
the body. Laughter also causes an increase in blood pressure and heart rate, breathing
changes, reduced levels of certain neurochemicals, and a potential boost to the immune
system. So, overall, it is very good for you.
Researchers have attempted to decipher the purpose of laughter and many believe that
the reason for laughter is related to making and strengthening human connections, a kind of
social signal. Studies have shown that people are thirty times more likely to laugh in social
settings than when they are alone. Reports also suggest that the origins of laughter may
predate human evolution.
So, what about the connection between tickling and laughing?
Well, this tickling-induced laughter is actually a reflex. Scientists don’t fully understand
how this works, but because you cannot tickle yourself, the reflex seems to require an
element of surprise.
WHY DOES SWEAT STINK AND STAIN?
Have you ever used the expression “sweat like a pig”? Think again. Pigs don’t sweat. Pigs
don’t have sweat glands, which explains why they have to wallow in puddles and mud to cool
off.
As for us humans, we routinely sweat as a way of eliminating excess heat and maintaining
a normal body temperature. The average person has 2.6 million sweat glands distributed over
the entire body except for the lips, nipples, and external genitalia. There are two different
types of sweat glands, eccrine and apocrine. These glands are different in size and produce
different kinds of sweat. Eccrine glands are located all over the body. Apocrine glands are
different because they are found mostly in the armpits and groin. They are larger and open
into hair follicles. Though sweat is mostly water, it is the small amount of protein and fatty
acids in the apocrine sweat glands that gives armpit sweat that wonderful milky or yellow
color. It is also what causes it to stain.
Sweat itself is odorless whether it comes from the armpits or other areas of the body. The
funk begins when sweat mixes with bacteria that occur naturally on the surface of the skin.
This distinctive odor is called bromhidrosis—foul-smelling sweat.
WHAT IS SNOT?
Phlegm, snot, spit, boogers, sputum—all different varieties of the same thing. These terms
are used to describe different forms of mucus, a slimy material that lines various membranes
in the body (called, of course, mucus membranes). Mucus is composed chiefly of mucins
(lubricating proteins) and inorganic salts suspended in water. Mucus aids in the protection of
the lungs by trapping foreign particles that enter the nose during normal breathing. Mucus
also makes swallowing easier and prevents stomach acid from harming your stomach wall.
As for the different varieties, phlegm is one type of mucus. By definition phlegm is limited
to the mucus produced by the respiratory system, excluding that from the nasal passages
(that is what we refer to as snot), and that which is expelled by coughing (sputum). In
medieval medicine, phlegm was counted as one of the four bodily humors, possessing cold
and wet properties. Phlegm was thought responsible for apathetic and sluggish behavior,
which is how we get the wordphlegmatic . Boogers are less historical, a slang word for dried
nasal mucus or snot.
The presence of mucus in the nose and throat is normal. When you are sick the mucus
can become thicker and change colors. Color is not a clear indication of a bacterial infection,
but persistent rust-colored or green mucus tends to indicate a more serious condition.
For those do-it-yourself types, there are many ways to make home mucus to prepare
yourself for a career in medicine:
RECIPES
Ingredients
1/2–1 pound fresh okra
1–2 cups water (the less water you add, the thicker your mucus will be)
Instructions
1. Chop the okra into large pieces and place them in a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid.
2. Add water to cover and boil the okra, about 10 to 15 minutes, until it is a dark grayish green
and very soft.
3. Turn off the stove and remove the lid. Let your slimy substance cool.
4. Strain the slimy mess into a bowl and discard the okra.
Or
1. Stir 1/8 cup borax into 500 ml (2 cups) warm water. It’s okay if some borax remains
undissolved. Allow solution to cool to room temperature.
2. In a separate container, stir 2 spoonfuls of glue (Elmer’s) into 3 spoonfuls of water.
3. Stir a couple drops of food coloring into the glue mixture.
4. Add a spoonful of the borax solution to the glue mixture. Stir (if in a bowl) or squish (if in a
Baggie).
WHAT ARE EYE BOOGERS?
This eye gunk is nothing serious. While you sleep, a mixture of oil, sweat, and tears collects
near the corners of your eyes. As the tears dry up you get left with a nice little bit of crust.
WHAT ARE THOSE LITTLE HALF MOONS IN
YOUR NAILS?
The pale half-moon shape at the base of each nail is called the lunule. It shows where the
hardening process is not yet complete.
The American Academy of Dermatology provided these nail facts:
Nails grow about 0.1 mm (or about .004 inch) per day.
Fingernails tend to grow a little faster than toenails.
Toenails are approximately twice as thick as fingernails.
In general, nails tend to grow faster in summer than they do in winter.
Men’s nails usually grow faster than women’s nails.
Nails on your dominant hand tend to grow faster.
SEX:
IS SPERM NUTRITIOUS? OR FATTENING?
You are what you eat. In this case, it is somewhat true, as sperm contains important genetic
material. But sperm, despite its important load, is not particularly nutritious or fattening. The
average ejaculate, about one teaspoon, contains between two and three hundred million
sperm. Total calories: about five. These calories are derived from protein, including enzymes
and sugars (mainly fructose) secreted into semen by the prostate gland to provide the sperm
with the energy to swim.
Other good stuff found in semen includes water, vitamin C, citric acid, phosphate,
bicarbonates, zinc, and prostaglandins. A veritable breakfast of champions.
CAN YOU GET PREGNANT WHILE YOU ARE
HAVING YOUR PERIOD?
In the 1970s there was an after-school special on TV where two girls were talking about
whether you could get pregnant from kissing a boy while wearing a wet bathing suit. That
definitely isn’t true, but the answer to this question is a little more complicated.
The basic answer is yes, you can.
First, not all bleeding is a real period. Sometimes a woman can have spotting during
ovulation and that would be a very easy time to get pregnant.
Also, if a woman has a short menstrual cycle (about twenty-one days), then she could be
ovulating on day seven of her cycle. This would be the seventh day from the first day of her
period, and if her period lasts seven days, then it is possible that her period is ending just as
she is ovulating.
Confusing? It is definitely easier to practice safe sex.
DO OYSTERS REALLY MAKE YOU HORNY?
Oysters definitely do resemble a certain anatomical part, but this doesn’t make them
stimulants. There are a lot of different foods and substances that are thought to be
aphrodisiacs. Though there is no science to prove that any of them work, there are some
theories on oysters.
Oysters are full of many vitamins and minerals, especially zinc. Zinc controls progesterone
levels, which have a positive effect on the libido. Other foods and products that are thought to
get your mojo working include:
chocolate
strawberries
champagne
Spanish Fly
animal crackers (but only if consumed during sex and dunked in Spanish fly)
BIG HANDS, BIG _____?
When I was in Spain, I learned that the Spaniards believed that the distance measured from
either side of your nose across the tip to the other side hinted at your penis size. As the owner
of a rather large schnoz, I, Billy, was happy about this. But, by this same measurement,
Geppetto must have had quite a task making pants to hold Pinocchio, and Cyrano de
Bergerac wouldn’t have had to waste so much time writing love letters for others.
Unfortunately, none of this is true.
There also seems to be no evidence that hand size is related to the size of your package.
When it comes to foot size, two urologists, in a study in theBritish Journal of Urology,
measured the stretched penile length of 104 men and related this to their shoe size. They
found that there was no relationship.
As for other size issues, a small penis expands more than a big one during erection. And
since a woman’s sexually sensitive parts are in and around the outer third of the vagina, a big
penis is not necessarily needed to satisfy her. Size doesn’treally matter, ladies.
WHY DO MEN WAKE UP IN THE MORNING
WITH AN ERECTION?
You must be referring to nocturnal tumescence! Or do you mean Private Willie Is Playing
Reveille, or perhaps Morning Glory? There are many names for this morning starter, but only
one good explanation for its presence.
These erections are experienced in the REM (rapid eye movement) phase of sleep. REM
sleep is more frequent just before waking up.
Erections can also happen at other times without any stimulus. There is no scientific
reason why these spontaneous erections always seem to happen in the most embarrassing
places (parties, holidays, movies, weddings, funerals).
Professor Leyner has written extensively on the subject
CAN PEOPLE IN WHEELCHAIRS STILL
HAVE SEX?
If an aroused male is unfortunately the victim of a spinal cord injury, the ability to have sexual
intercourse depends on the level of injury. In men there are normally two types of erections,
psychogenic erections, which result from sexual thoughts, and reflex erections, which result
from direct physical contact.
Psychogenic erections develop from the nerves of the spinal cord that exit toward the
bottom of the spine at the T10-L2 levels. Generally, men with an incomplete injury at a low
level are more likely to have psychogenic erections than men with high-level incomplete
injury. Men with complete injuries are less likely to experience psychogenic erections.
Reflex erections arise in the sacral area of the spinal cord. Many men with a spinal cord
injury are able to have a reflex erection with physical stimulation if this pathway is not
damaged.
IS IT TRUE THAT YOU CAN BREAK YOUR
PENIS?
It pains us to say, but this is true. There is no bone in your “bone,” but you can rupture the
penis, which is called a penile fracture. Sudden trauma or bending of the penis in an erect
state can break the thick fibrous coat surrounding the corpora cavernosum tissue that
produces an erection.
This happens most frequently during sex. Don’t expect to get a cast and crutches, though.
This injury is an emergency and requires surgery to prevent sexual dysfunction. Ouch!
DOES MASTURBATION CAUSE STUTTERING,
BLINDNESS, OR HAIRY PALMS?
As a doctor, there is a great deal of medical research to read. Piles ofThe New England
Journal of Medicine and theAnnals of Emergency Medicine surround the house. Rarely does
this drudgery cause excitement, unless you stumble across the April 7, 2004, issue ofThe
Journal of the American Medical Association .
As a young boy you get bombarded by the fear that masturbation can cause stuttering,
blindness, or hairy palms. Even if you escape these maladies you can still be left feeling like a
degenerate if you engage in self-love too often. Fear no more. In the article “Ejaculation
Frequency and Prostate Cancer” you finally find out that whacking off may be good for you.
This article states that ejaculation frequency is not related to increased risk of prostate cancer
and that the group with an ejaculation frequency of greater than twenty-one times per month
had a lower risk of prostate cancer. Great! Andno hairy palms.
DOES USING A TAMPON FOR THE FIRST TIME
MAKE YOU LOSE YOUR VIRGINITY?
Dr. Billy’s young cousin’s friend asked him this one, another common question. There are
many different opinions about what constitutes losing one’s virginity, but most experts agree
that women lose their virginity the first time they have vaginal intercourse.
This question mainly revolves around the idea that only an intact hymen (a fold of tissue
that partly covers the entrance to the vagina) proves that a woman is a virgin. It is possible for
a woman’s hymen to become stretched open during activities like playing sports or
masturbating. Hymens have at least one opening that will allow menstrual flow out of the
body. Tampons may stretch the hymen a little bit, but they don’t usually stretch it open all the
way. Either way, most people in the modern age believe that the condition of the hymen does
not have anything to do with the definition of a virgin.
WHY DO NIPPLES BECOME ERECT?
Small muscle cells arranged cylindrically within the nipple are responsible for the nipple
becoming erect. This occurs when they are stimulated by cold temperature or sexual arousal.
WHAT CAUSES SHRINKAGE?
A penis whose flaccid length when stretched is more than approximately 2.5 standard
deviations below average size for his age group is referred to medically as a micropenis. This
is not a title that any self-respecting man wants to put in his bio, but perceptions of penis size
can be deceiving.
Cold air, cold water, fear, anger, or anxiety can cause the penis, scrotum, and testicles to
be pulled closer to the body, thereby shortening it to micropenis lengths.
Warm conditions on the other hand can cause the penis to lengthen. Although the size of
the nonerect penis differs widely from one male to another, this variation is less apparent in
the erect state. EvenSeinfeld weighed in on the shrinkage issue.
Some penis reference points:
1.The Kinsey Report, 1948: average length of 6.20 inches (15.25 cm) with a standard
deviation of .77 inches (1.96 cm).
2. Study by Wessells et. al., 1996: average length of 5.1 inches (13.0 cm).
3. Other studies: average length of 5.7 inches (14.5 cm).
DOES CIRCUMCISION LESSEN THE FUN
OF SEX?
The debate over circumcision has been going back and forth for years. Some American
medical experts believe that all newborn males should be circumcised. The side in favor cites
the decreased rate of urinary tract infections and sexually transmitted diseases among
circumcised men, and the other emphasizes the pain and stress inflicted on a baby during
circumcision. Others believe that the benefits of circumcision are not great enough to justify
the possible complications of the procedure. In 1999, the American Academy of Pediatrics
Task Force on Circumcision found potential medical benefits of circumcision, but decided that
the evidence was not strong enough to recommend routine circumcision. But, more important,
back to sex.
There are several studies found in urology literature that look at the effect of male
circumcision on male sexual satisfaction. These studies found conflicting answers.
The effect of male circumcision on the sexual enjoyment of the female partner was also
examined in a study in theBritish Journal of Urology . The authors concluded that “women
preferred vaginal intercourse with an anatomically complete penis over that with a
circumcised penis.” Interestingly, the authors of the study also wrote and published a book
entitledSex As Nature Intended It . They also recruited some of their volunteers for the study
from an announcement in an anticircumcision newsletter. We mention this not as circumcised
males but as impartial interpreters of the medical literature.
Interesting circumcision facts:
The twelfth-century physician and rabbi Moses Maimonides advocated male
circumcision for its ability to curb a man’s sexual appetite.
Male circumcision was introduced into English-speaking countries in the late
1800s as a method of treating and preventing masturbation.
Male circumcision, the most commonly performed surgery in the United States,
removes 33 to 50 percent of the penile skin, as well as nearly all of the penile
fine-touch neuroreceptors.
DOES THE KIND OF UNDERPANTS MEN WEAR
AFFECT THEIR FERTILITY?
Everyone has a preference.
President Clinton revealed on MTV that he preferred boxers.
Kramer onSeinfeld said, “I need the secured packaging of jockeys. My boys need a
house!”
The question is whether or not there is any science behind making this decision.
It was originally thought that wearing tight underwear could lead to infertility in men as it
may raise testes temperature to a point where it interferes with sperm production.
In 1998 inThe Journal of Urology, Drs. Robert Munkelwitz and Bruce R. Gilbert analyzed
semen samples from ninety-seven men with fertility problems. Half of them wore briefs, the
other half wore boxers. The researchers measured the men’s scrotal, internal, and skin
temperatures, both while the men were wearing underwear and again when they were going
commando. They found no significant differences between the two groups of men in scrotal
temperature, sperm count, sperm concentration, or sperm motility.
The purpose of the scrotum is to maintain the testes at a temperature of approximately
five degrees less than the rest of the body (about 93.6 degrees F). It appears as though the
scrotum does its work whether you are in boxers, briefs, or free ballin’.
So you can make your own fashion choice and your sperm won’t know the difference.
IS THERE REALLY A G-SPOT?
An article in theAmerican Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 2001 called the G-spot a
sort of gynecologic UFO. Well, the authors of that article may want to start readying
themselves for space travel. That is, after they read this paper from Cairo University: “The
Electrovaginogram: Study of the Vaginal Electric Activity and Its Role in the Sexual Act and
Disorders.” In this paper, the authors investigated the hypothesis that the vagina generates
electric waves, which affect vaginal contraction during penile thrusting. They found electric
waves could be recorded from the vagina. They also postulated that there was a vaginal
pacemaker that seems to represent the G-spot, which is claimed to be a small area of erotic
sensitivity in the vagina.
So what is this vaginal Loch Ness Monster?
The G-spot is simply a small area located on the upper wall of the vagina, toward the
belly, about two to three inches from the vaginal opening. The G-spot was named in honor of
Ernst Grafenberg, a German physician who, in the 1950s, wrote an article that mentioned an
erotic zone on the anterior wall of the vagina that would swell during sexual stimulation.
There are various opinions on the best way to find the G-spot. Some women say that
being on top during intercourse works best. Others swear by rear-entry as the best way to hit
the G-spot. Some even say that because of its location, a shorter, smaller penis may actually
be more effective at reaching the G-spot. A clue to its location may be that some women feel
a sudden urge to urinate when their G-spot is touched—not surprising since the G-spot is
located right near the urethra.
DO KEGEL EXERCISES REALLY WORK?
For those of you who have never heard of Kegel exercises, don’t expect to see a class
offered at your gym.
Kegel exercises were originally developed as a method of controlling incontinence in
women following childbirth. They’re named after Arnold Kegel, the Los Angeles doctor who
promoted their development in the 1940s. The principle behind Kegel exercises is to
strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor, or the pubococcygeus muscles. These muscles run
from the back to the front of your pubic bone and encircle the openings of the vagina and
rectum. Strengthening them helps improve the urethra and rectal sphincter function.
These exercises are recommended for women with urinary stress incontinence, but many
others do Kegel exercises for more fun reasons.
Advocates believe that there are several benefits for a woman who exercises her vagina.
They claim that it makes it easier for her to reach orgasm, makes orgasms stronger or better,
and makes the vagina more sensitive.
CAN HOT TUBS MAKE YOU INFERTILE?
Heat is damaging to the sperm, and theoretically can affect male fertility to a certain extent.
But, there is no clear scientific evidence that implicates hot tubs. There may be a temporary
reduction in sperm function after a soak, and prolonged repetitive use could cause problems,
but none severe enough to avoid the occasional dip.
Saunas do not appear to influence fertility either. A few studies have reported decreased
sperm count or decreased sperm movement after sauna use, but in Finland, where saunas
are most common, men have high sperm counts and no apparent fertility issues.
DO MEN NEED SEX MORE OFTEN
THAN WOMEN?
Men are often told that they have sex on the brain, and it appears as though this may be true.
In one recent study inNature Neuroscience, a team of researchers had twenty-eight men
and women look at erotic photographs while an MRI took scans of their brain. The subjects
looked at arousing photographs of heterosexual couples engaged in sexual activity, sexually
attractive nudes of the opposite sex, and at pictures of men and women in nonsexual
situations. When analyzing the MRI results, researchers found that two areas of the brain, the
amygdala and the hypothalamus, were more activated in men than in women when viewing
identical sexual stimuli.
So, do men have sex on the brain? Of course, and do bears shit in the woods?
We really didn’t need a team of researchers to answer this one.
CAN A MAN EVER RUN OUT OF SPERM?
What a nightmare. The well running dry. Could it be possible?
The answer is no, but there is some bad news.
A woman is born with all the eggs she will ever have, but a man’s supply of sperm is
renewed throughout his life. This sounds great, but researchers have found that men over
thirty-five have more abnormalities in sperm movement and sperm with more seriously
damaged DNA than younger men. It also has been found that over time, average sperm
counts have been decreasing. The World Health Organization guidelines say a normal sperm
count consists of twenty million sperm per ejaculate, with 50 percent motility and 60 percent
normal morphology. This is different than twenty-five years ago when the normal count was
near one hundred million.
CAN A WOMAN EJACULATE?
There have been many claims about female ejaculation, but this was always dismissed as
urination during intercourse. More recent evidence has found that higher levels of a
compound, prostatic acid phosphatase, has been found in patients who claim to have female
ejaculation. This compound is also found in high levels in male ejaculate and originates in the
prostate.
Researchers have taken an anatomic approach to the issue of prostatelike components in
female ejaculate. They believe that if women ejaculate a fluid that is not urine, then it must be
coming from someplace other than the bladder. The most likely source was thought to be the
female paraurethral glands or Skene’s glands.
Autopsy tests of Skene’s glands have found substances identical to those found in the
prostate. Some experts now call these glands the female prostate. So, it seems highly likely
that some women can, in fact, ejaculate, but causing that to happen may be as tough as
finding the G-spot.
WHAT IS A HICKEY?
A hickey is a bruise that forms when a person sucks and lightly bites an area on another
person’s body, causing the blood vessels under the skin to break. It is also a badge of honor
for horny fifteen-year-olds all around the world.
