NEWS AND VIEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Oral Sex to be Legalised in Singapore
Singapore looks set to decriminalise oral sex between men and women, but homosexual oral sex will remain illegal. The Junior Home Affairs Minister, Ho Peng Kee, said the law could be revised in two to three months. The move follows a much-publicised case involving a 27-year-old policeman who was jailed for two years after receiving consensual fellatio from a 15-year-old girl. Prostitution is legal, but oral sex, chewing gum, bar-top dancing and bungee jumping are all prohibited in the city-state.

Catholic Church in Condom Row
The Catholic Church has been accused of telling people in the developing world that condoms do not protect against HIV. The claims are made in a documentary called Sex And The Holy City by the BBC’s Panorama, which was screened on Sunday 11 January. In an interview, Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, one of the Vatican’s most senior cardinals, states that the HIV virus can pass through condoms, and thus offer no protection. Catherine Hankins, chief scientific advisor to UNAids, refuted the church’s position. “Latex condoms are impermeable. They do prevent HIV transmission.”

Retail Therapy. If only all shopping was this much fun…
Adult stores are choc-a-block full of vibrators, which can be a bit confusing to a first-time buyer. Check out www.gash.co.uk. There’s a comprehensive review of the sex toys on offer covering everything from what they do to, very importantly, how loud they are when they do it. Easier than asking the clerk and no chance of bumping into your boss as you browse.

The pen is mightier than the sword?
Pencil pushers everywhere should investigate the Vibrapen. This stylish metal pen has a vibrating end for clitoral stimulation. It’s really quiet and it actually writes, so your work mates will be none the wiser. Buy online at www.cliterati.co.uk.

STIMULATION FOR EYES AND EARS

Books
If you prefer your erotica to be well written, check out Erotic Stories by Women, published by Penguin. Erotic Stories includes classic and modern writers from six continents, offering insight into female sexuality across the globe and over the years. This collection of 31 short stories includes literary giants such as Simone de Beauvoir and Edith Wharton as well as contributions from feminist Gertrude Stein and popular author Kathy Acker. There’s a bit of something for everyone from the titillating to the bizarre, with themes including adultery, fantasies, fetishes and even a paean to semen!

Movies
Good news for those of you who missed it on cinema release, Secretary is now available on video and DVD. Beautifully filmed and with incredible performances from James Spader and Maggie Gyllenhaal, Secretary is one of the first mainstream movies to deal with dominance and submission in a thoughtful and insightful way. Don’t let the S&M theme scare you, Steven Shaiberg’s restrained direction means that the movie is genuinely erotic and extremely sexy. Secretary is a romance that celebrates the diversity of love and sexual pleasure.

SEXTON'S MISCELLANY

Laid low by the Caped Crusader
Guys, if you’re planning on getting a J1 visa and spending the summer in New York, beware of Terrifica. Clad in a red leotard, boots, cape and mask, Terrifica prowls the New York party scene to make sure you won’t get your wicked way with women who are under the influence of more than just your charm. I can’t figure out if she thinks less of men or women though. Terrifica believes women are “weak… easily manipulated, and need to be protected from themselves.” She may not have any super powers, but she does have pepper spray. Be afraid, be very afraid…

The Deviant’s Dictionary
Here’s something for scrabble addicts.
Axillism: The use of the armpit for sex.
Dendrophilia: Attraction to trees.
Macophilia: Arousal from the sight of a high-end Macintosh computer.
Nasophilia: Arousal from the sight, touch, licking or sucking of a partner’s nose.
Taphephilia: Arousal from being buried alive.

Music
This week the super-sensual will be grooving to Air’s latest album, Talkie Walkie. Melodic and moody, it features organs, strings and electronic sounds to stimulate your ears.