[The Rewards of Sexuality – an excerpt from Sense & Sexuality] The rewards of sexuality—with the right guy, at the right time—are immense. Ask an older woman you respect who waited and chose the right man; you might be surprised to hear her describe love and passion that has lasted for decades—and keeps getting better. […]

[Risky Sex – an excerpt from Sense & Sexuality] And about those other sexual activities … Having more than five oral sex partners has been associated with throat cancer. Turns out that HPV can cause malignant tumors in the throat, just like it does in the cervix. In a study of sexually active college men, […]

[Infections – an excerpt from Sense & Sexuality] Most guys who have a sexually transmitted infection don’t know it. Routine testing for men does not provide information about HPV or herpes. So if you end up—like so many sexually active women on campus—getting bad news at the health center, don’t assume you’ve been lied to. […]

[The Cervix – an excerpt from Sense & Sexuality] Your cervix, the entrance to your uterus, has a vulnerable area one cell thick, called the transformation zone. It’s easy for HPV (the human papillomavirus, which can cause genital warts, and even cervical cancer) to settle in there. That’s why most teen girls are infected from […]

[Hooking Up – an excerpt from Sense & Sexuality] A recent study of the hook-up culture at Princeton University reveals: Before the hook-up: Girls expect emotional involvement almost twice as often as guys; 34% hope “a relationship might evolve.” Guys, more than girls, are in part motivated by hopes of improving their social reputation, or […]

[“Beer Goggles” – an excerpt from Sense & Sexuality] Did you hear? Science has confirmed the existence of “beer goggles”—when a person seems more attractive to you after you’ve had a few drinks. Enjoy a glass of wine or a couple of beers at a party, and the guy hitting on you begins to look […]

[“Beer Goggles” – an excerpt from Sense & Sexuality] Did you hear? Science has confirmed the existence of “beer goggles”—when a person seems more attractive to you after you’ve had a few drinks. Enjoy a glass of wine or a couple of beers at a party, and the guy hitting on you begins to look […]

[The “Trust Hormone” – an excerpt from Sense & Sexuality] Intimate behavior floods your brain with a chemical that fuels attachment. Cuddling, kissing and sexual contact releases oxytocin, a hormone that announces: I’m with someone special now. Time to switch love on, and caution off. When oxytocin levels are high, you’re more likely to overlook […]

[Fertility – an excerpt from Sense & Sexuality] Seventy-five percent of college freshmen say that raising a family is an “essential or very important goal.” But 55% of younger high-achieving women are childless at 35. And 89% of them think they’ll be able to get pregnant into their forties. OK, time out. It’s easiest for […]

[Why Read This? – an excerpt from Sense & Sexuality] Don’t take this the wrong way, but I hope to never see you in my office. For more than ten years I’ve been a physician at a campus counseling center, and hardly a day has gone by without my meeting a young woman like you. […]