let's talk about sex.

• with references to an unbelievably disturbing claims that Brits have 2.8 million indirect sexual partners, a new internet calculator developed by Lloyds Pharmacy generates the number of indirect sexual partners you have based on your age, number of direct sexual partners, your partners' ages, and self-reported averages of sexual activity. it is being referred to as your "sex degrees of separation," and if you want to give it an eye-opening try, make sure you have the stomach to handle the shocking results.
• with a nod to TheFrisky, we'd like to draw attention to an article that highlights a tension that naturally arises within the arena of sexual violence. for some women, there is a hesitation to get actively involved in anti-sexual-violence efforts because they do not want to be perceived as anti-sex or anti-man. (though we feel that it should go without saying, we are compelled to point out that advocating rape prevention is not synonymous with advocating celibacy, and not all men are inclined to be violent towards women.) however, some women may feel conflicted when it comes to certain aspects of the sexual violence issue because, frankly, human beings naturally engage in fantasy--and, some women do harbor certain sexual fantasies of rape or sexual dominance. one woman's story, however, details a particularly horrifying experience in which her significant other allegedly misread her signals and forced her to have sex, claiming that he believed it was all part of the game and that he was simply fulfilling her fantasy. though expression of one's sexuality is a natural and perfectly acceptable part of being human, it just proves that both men and women tread a very fine line when it comes to communicating one's needs, expectations, and desires. in any sexual situation, whether you are in a committed relationship or not, you can never underestimate the importance of being perfectly clear in your intentions.
• a recent study has found that many women rely on alcohol in sexual encounters. before we even get into the dangerous implications of these findings, there are a few shocking--and scary--statistics: 1 in 20 women have NEVER had sex while sober; 48.5% of women surveyed reported that they preferred sex with some alcohol in their system; 75% of women preferred to have a drink before a sexual encounter with even their boyfriend or husband; the average woman has had sex with 8 people but was under the influence for at least five of them, and on two of these occasions did not remember the man's name the next day; and, finally and most atrociously, 14% of women surveyed admitted that they could not FACE a sexual encounter with their significant other without having at least a few glasses of wine beforehand. it is not even necessary to delve into the dangerous effects alcohol use has when it is introduced into a sexual situation. moreover, it is extremely disturbing that women, as argued by the study, seem to be severely lacking in confidence and consistently need alcohol to boost their self-esteem and lower their inhibitions.