Bogus crisis pregnancy counselling
The CEO of the Well Women Centres, Alison Begas, has urged the government to regulate the crisis pregnancy counselling sector. The appeal comes after it was revealed that organisations posing as legitimate counselling services are fronts for pro-life groups. Reporter Aisling Riordan went undercover to one such agency and was bombarded with anti-abortion propaganda and misinformation. Anyone facing a crisis pregnancy is advised to contact a reputable agency such as Positive Options, Cura or the Well Women Centre.

Sex better than money
A survey of 2,000 American married couples, aged 40 to 70, suggests that a good sex life is more important to lasting marital happiness than money. 84% chose physical intimacy as the number one issue, although having enough money appears to be important too and was cited by 72% of the respondents. Around half of those surveyed were unhappy with their sex lives with 67% of men and 59% of women admitting to being too tired to make love.

Web
When it comes to erotic writing, quality and free don’t often feature together – so I was pleasantly surprised when I came across Remittance Girl. The RG site features a range of clever, well-written short stories. The author has had work published in a number of erotic collections, including Garden of the Perverse: Fairytales for Twisted Adults (around £8 from Amazon.co.uk). For the most part, RG’s work is erotic without being in-your-face. See www.remittancegirl.com.

Sexton’s Miscellany

Carnal Knowledge
So you’ve had multiple partners, own enough sex toys to start your own shop and are a dedicated reader of this column. But how much do you really know about the birds and the bees? Take this short quiz and find out:
1. Small breasts are more sensitive than large ones. True or False?
2. The male G-spot is in the anus. True or False?
3. Unprotected intercourse is 10 times riskier than unprotected oral sex. True or False?
4. Younger people have more sex than their elders. True or False?
5. Sex is dangerous during pregnancy. True or False?
6. Oil-based lubes are safe to use with condoms. True or False?7. Semen contains 50 to 150 sperm per millilitre. True or False?
8. It is possible to give yourself a blowjob. True or False?
9. Cold sores can cause genital herpes. True or False?
10. Condoms are about 85% effective. True or False?
This week's top sex tip: Show a little restraint
A little bit of bondage never hurt anybody and restraining your partner does not have to be only for lovers of S&M. Many couples find that bondage can enhance the sexual experience.
Furry handcuffs are available in most sex shops. But as far as I’m concerned if you’re using handcuffs, use the real thing: metal is much sexier than pastel-coloured fuzz. If you are nervous about being tied up, ropes, ribbons or scarves can be used instead. These can be tied loosely so that you can wriggle out of them, making the restraint more figurative than literal.
If these symbolic restraints still make you nervous, a pair of strong hands can be very effective too. One thing I always find particularly sexy is my partner holding my hands behind my back or pushing me down on the bed, particularly if I am receiving oral sex. The feeling of having to submit to the pleasure is a big turn-on.
If you are doing the restricting, it can create a feeling of being sexy and in control. Conversely, being restricted may help you to relax and submit to being pleasured without feeling the need to return the favour.
Obviously bondage should never be used as a means to force a partner into a sexual activity they don’t enjoy. If you want to be ultra-safe, it’s best to practice this kind of sexual activity with someone you know and trust. But lots of people who are into S&M know the etiquette and understand the importance of trust. The question is how to find them!
Answers:
1. False
2. True
3. True
4. False. According to all the surveys, 35 – 44 year olds have more sex than 25 – 34 year olds and 16 – 20 year olds.
5. False
6. False. Only water or silicon-based lubes are safe.
7. True.
8. True. About 3 in 1,000 men are capable of doing this. However, auto-fellatio can cause serious back damage, so it really isn’t worth the risk.
9. True. Cold sores are oral herpes. If you perform oral sex on a partner, the germs can pass on causing genital herpes.
10. False. Condoms are about 98% effective if you follow the instructions properly.