Is intense sexual stimulation tied to unnatural modern conditions?

Human males masturbate to ejaculation more often, and more intensely, than any other animal. In captivity, monkeys and lions also masturbate, but it is a practice rarely observed among most animals in the wild.

The current theory is that we humans masturbate more because we can fantasize.

Desire sometimes ratchets upward soon after hot sex.

Does "the more you scratch, the more you itch" sometimes apply to sexual jollies? Is the reverse true? Intriguingly, the Chinese noticed a "ratcheting up of sexual desire after orgasm" thousands of years ago. Men today do too:

I sometimes feel hornier in the days following orgasm. At such times, I also have strong feelings of attraction for other women (even though I'd never want to have sex with anyone other than my partner).—Tom

My new girlfriend and I got each other off, and now, a day or two later, I'm definitely noticing powerful urges to masturbate and look at porn again (after three months porn-free). It seems so contradictory that our heavy petting would trigger this, but it's happening. I'm masturbating more and I even looked at homemade porn yesterday.

Would we be happier without online pornography?

A few years ago, men from all over the world began arriving in my website’s forum complaining that they were unable to stop using Internet porn. Google had sent them—perhaps because my site shares information about the effects of sex on the brain. My site, however, is about relationships, not recovery. Yet their obvious distress, and porn’s impact on their relationships, motivated me to welcome them. As I listen, these visitors support each other in the struggle to leave porn behind.

Often they report dramatic changes as porn use recedes: more energy, increased social confidence, better concentration, greater gains from workouts, stronger erections, a return to earlier sexual tastes, increased optimism, and more enjoyment from life’s subtler pleasures. In short, many men are happier without Internet pornography.

Will an orgasm a day really keep the doctor away?

Several years ago, men began showing up in my website's forum struggling to end compulsive porn use. Gradually, they worked out that a period of abstinence often helps reboot their brains. (Initially, their sexual arousal is so tightly wired to porn images and flashbacks that foregoing orgasm for a time can speed re-wiring and stave off binges).

Discussions naturally arose about whether frequent ejaculation is needed for health reasons. Surprisingly, there is no consensus on the answer. There is, however, a wide gap between popular lore and the views of most reproductive health experts.

Overcoming The Monogamy Challenge

Has your sex life become so dissatisfying that you feel restless with your marriage, or even resentful of your spouse?

Marnia Robinson joins us to take a look at the science behind why steamy romance is destined to fade, what that means for the future of marriage, as well as to share some of her 31 tips for reengaging sexually with your spouse.

I'm blogging for a new online magazine called, "The GOOD MEN Project." My first post is up. It was originally entitled, "The Monogamy Challenge," but then the PR people got hold of it.

Here it is:

Cupid's Ammo

"Financiers take too many risks; scientists do not take enough." --Seth Roberts

When your appetite changes, your perception changes. Think about how uninviting that fifth slice of pizza is compared with that delectable first slice. Recent brain research is revealing a disturbing phenomenon: intense natural stimuli can interfere with our brain’s normal appetite satiation mechanism. By numbing the pleasure response of the brain, such stimuli can make pleasures less satisfying. The effects linger for weeks. The result is less overall enjoyment and contentment, even though the superstimuli continue to register as especially “valuable.”

Could this sneaky primitive mechanism also be at play in our love lives? We can’t say, because it hasn’t been studied.