Umm… well I guess it kind of makes sense, but to read it sounds kind of weird I have to admit.  Ever heard the cliche that older women and men risk having retarded or disabled children, or otherwise, “defective” in one way or another? 

Well, it appears that studies are proving this theory, somewhat at least, in the sperm department. We have to assume the same applies for an older female’s eggs. 

Actually, the conclusion that older women’s eggs may be more likely to pass on genetic frailties to their children has been proven in theory and lab so far, but there had yet to be studies showing that older men’s sperm also was a culprit in passing on genetic defects at a higher rate than that of a healthy young man’s sperm. 

As a counterpoint, the studies ended up being somewhat skewed, since certain defects which ranged from physical to psychological showed a correlation between the older sperm and the genetic weakness, and other diseases and genetically passed deformities or psychological illnesses showed absolutely no correlation to the older sperm.

Studies are of course ongoing, as the findings may open some exciting new doors in the genetics and medical field, including new findings on diseases such as schizophrenia. 

The more scientists understand the origins of a disease, the better they can understand how to treat it, so this is some more promising news in the interesting world of gene research.

The FDA, in another attempt to help curb the harm possibly caused by our earlier story, of seven so called herbal products for men’s erectile dysfunction which in all actuality contain undeclared and potentially harmful chemicals and medications, they are warning consumers to immediately stop taking them and consult a doctor. 

The problem arose when the FDA tested seven men’s herbal erectile dysfunction and sexual enhancement supplements.  The tests turned up with undeclared components in them such as the active ingredients in Viagra and Levitra, controlled prescription medications for men’s sexual enhancement, which we all know have potentially harmful ingredients in them for certain individuals.

They are further concerned because the named sexual enhancement products, Zimaxx, Libidus, Neophase, Nasutra, Vigor-25, Actra-Rx, and 4EVERON, also may interact with men’s medications such as blood pressure medication, without them even knowing, since the active ingredients are not disclosed on the label of these products. 

This is illegal to not disclose ingredients, and is a serious public threat and irresponsible of any company to take part in.  Serious health issues could come up as a result of these medication interactions. 

The FDA has issued warnings to the companies involved, demanding they cease sales pending further investigation.  My guess is these guys will be out of business by years end.  This is pretty serious stuff. 

The Tour de France victor, an American named Floyd Landis, was basking in the glory of victory, that is until his team announced that the biker tested positive for unusually high testosterone levels, a sign that an athlete is doing what’s called “doping” in the athletic world. 

The US bike team competitor stands to lose his job with the US team, and even cancelled a Jay Leno appearance Friday after the accusations came out. 

There is still more to come on why he tested so high for testosterone levels, but there is more testing that needs to be done before the council can figure out whether to strip him of his Tour de France title and fire him. 

Landis of course has stated that he is not guilty of doping and wants a fair chance to prove he is innocent to everyone. 

As I watched “Entourage” last time, I found it funny how I’ve increasingly noticed TV and movie references to the most popular, and original pioneer, sexual enhancement drug for men.

There are a lot of people that swear certain scents make them suddenly feel “in the mood” for sex and affection - both men and women. One of the most common scents that are known to stir the passions of men is supposedly the scent of vanilla. Is there anything to it, or is the vanilla aprhodisiac thing just an old wive’s tale?Are these scents almost like the equivalent of human pheromones or something, working their magic on our innermost basic instincts, awakening some sort of animalistic sexual desires, or is it just a strong personal scent- association psychological thing going on?

So I’ve been hearing this super annoying commercial on the radio over and over, pushing the new female condom. This is a device that is worn by a women which acts the same way as the man’s condom does that fits over the penis to catch semen and sperm and prevent pregnancy.

It has recently come to light through new studies that women who are taking medical supplements that contain combinations of hormones (usually male and female - primarily estrogen for the female), including testosterone, which is the main male hormone responsible for male features, for menopausal symptoms and a diminished libido estrogen face a much higher risk of breast cancer than with estrogen supplementation alone, than originally thought.

HRT, or as it is called in the medical field, Hormone Replacement Therapy for menpoausal women can help relieve the symptoms that are a real nuisance for women going through menopause such as hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, mood swings, foggy mind, and other side effects.

That is, until some time in 2002, a very large study had found an association with this artificial HRT and higher risks of breast cancer in women, as well as strokes and blood clots.  This prompted many women to stop taking the hormone therapy and many women’s doctors to keep their dosage as low as possible and to use the treatment for the least amount of time possible. 

This data all came on the heals of a study of 120,000 women in the “Nurses’ Health Study”, found that more than 800 women who had taken the estrogen/testosterone combination, which is targeted at boosting depressed mood and sex drive and helping strengthen bone density, faced an even higher risk of breast cancer. 

So, it’s looking like testosterone may be on its way out for women, or severely underprescribed from now on in the wake of these new health hazards.

I thought it’d be interesting to write about how these heat waves that are striking the midwest and California currently may be affecting libido, and how hotter weather in general affects men’s and women’s libido.  Here’s my theory : Heat affects women’s libido negatively and men’s positively. 

It seems that men may actually get more turned on, and want to have more sex when the weather starts heating up beyond normal summer temperatures.  Think about when spring rolls around and everyone’s hormones seems to reawaken - well, for this scenario, the spring fever sexual prowess kicks in for both men and women, but for actual heat waves where temps reach the 90’s and 100’s, it seems to work opposite for women than it does for men.

Some research has pointed to the fact that men may respond differently in a sexual manner to varying temperature than women do.  Which explains the difference between the two in heat waves.

Think about it - how do you react in a sexual manner when the temperatures go way above normal?  I think it kicks it up for men, personally.

Remember when you went through the mandatory, awkward “sex education” portion of high school, where everyone wanted to start snickering during certain parts - especially when a woman appeared on the tape we watched about women giving themselves breast examinations, with a topless woman on screen?  How uncomfortable was THAT?

Well, apparently now educators have decided to take a little more agressive approach in teaching teens, who are having sex at younger and younger ages now, the virtues of abstinence. 

One particular two week course on sex education held in Texas recently was somewhat successful, it would seem, in persuading teens to hold off on having sex, at least according to surveys taken by the teens after the course had been completed. 

The students of the course not only said they felt more educated about sex, but felt more comfortable with the idea of abstaining from sex until the time was really right for them, letting peer pressure and other social issues roll off their back easier, knowing what was healthiest for them. 

Another interesting fact to note was that students whose original parents were still married were the ones most likely to report that they would be waiting for sex rather than jumping into anything.  So I guess that goes to show how much kids do look to their parents as role models, although some may scoff at that.

The swinger lifestyle, where couples have sex with other couples, is actually becoming more and more popular these days, with an estimated 3 million swingers in the US alone now. 

There are now even swinger conventions where swingers can meet with others that have the same lifestyle near and far, from the US and overseas, to engage in sex and other sexual activities with eachother. 

Talk about never getting bored with your partner!  Swinging takes a lot of guts, and many people just feel that it crosses a moral boundary that they just are not willing to cross, and are afraid (I can see why) of contracting STD’s. 

The largest conference for Swingers is held by The Lifestyles Organization, which has been organizing events for swinging couples since the 1970’s, and the biggest swingers event is held in Las Vegas - Sin City - how appropriate!

The swinging community is mostly middle aged couples who want to expand their sexual horizons, and have done all the experimenting they can do with their partners, and want to try something new with eachother. 

And most couples say they do not share their hobby with friends of family, since swinging is still considered such a taboo lifestyle, and it actually goes against many religions beliefs, which some of the swinging community even belongs to.