The Sex o'clock news

Porn's own XXX domain may go ahead
Plans for an .xxx domain for adult material may yet go ahead despite the proposal being rejected in May last year. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which oversees the Internet’s addressing system, approved the idea in June 2005 but it was subsequently dropped over fears about how the adult domain would be run. Now ICM Registry, which backs the .xxx domain, has pledged to ensure that the domain will be properly policed. Sites will be blocked from children, use a tagging system that accurately labels content and ICM will ensure that no .xxx sites promote child pornography.

Link between Gonorrhoea and cancer
Guys, if you need another reason to always wear a condom, here’s one. The Harvard School of Public Health has found that men who have had gonorrhoea are twice as likely to develop bladder cancer. The gonorrhoea infection causes inflammation and symptoms such as incomplete emptying of the bladder, which are thought to contribute to the risk of bladder cancer.

Gere cheers for sex workers
Richard Gere, one of cinema’s most famous johns for his role in Pretty Woman, cheered Indian prostitutes at a rally in Mumbai to promote safe sex earlier this month. According to the UN, 5.7 million Indians are living with HIV/AIDS and many of those infected are sex workers. According to the statistics, Mumbai has an estimated 600,000 prostitutes, but as many of them do not work from brothels, safe sex programmes are difficult to implement.

Web
There are a number of sex toy review sites on the net, but one of the best has got to be We Review Sex Toys. What’s great about this site is that the reviews are well written, frequently funny and really thorough. All the specs are listed and the reviewers also rate each toy and suggest the level of experience they think you should have to use it. Another useful feature is that you can see if a product has been reviewed by a man or woman, which is great if you are thinking of picking a gift for your partner. See www.wereviewsextoys.com.

Sexton's miscellany: bad sex
Most authors love awards and accolades; who wouldn’t? But very few would be pleased to win Literary Review’s Bad Sex in Fiction awards. These awards were set up to dissuade authors from unconvincing and embarrassing descriptions of sex. The latest winner, first time author, Iain Hollingshead, won for his reference to “bulging trousers”, but compared to some of the other short-listed passages, Hollingshead’s was by no means the worst, or funniest. Previous winners and nominees have included Tom Wolfe, Irvine Welsh and Sebastian Faulks.
If you’re in the mood for some cringe-worthy literary smut, the short-listed passages can be read at www.literaryreview.co.uk/badsexpassages.

This fortnight's top sex tip
We all have favourite foreplay moves and sexual positions that we tend to use repeatedly – generally because we know they work. That’s fine, mostly, but it can get a little bit dull – and that’s one thing sex should never be.
If you’re not one for consulting sex manuals or suggesting new and exciting tricks, you can still shake up your routine simply by tweaking it.
Let’s say you enjoy giving your partner oral sex and know all the tongue moves, flicks and licks that he or she enjoys. While there isn’t necessarily any need to change this drastically, you could try one of the following:
- Change your positions. Try having your partner kneel over your head or stand, sitting on a chair, squatting on all fours – anything as long as it’s not the position you usually use.
- Alternatively, add something into the mix. Whether it’s using a vibe while giving head (he’ll enjoy watching!), trying the old ice cubes and warm drink trick, using food, strong mints or a flavoured lube, one little thing can make a big difference.
The same principle applies to your favourite sex positions. Stay with the one that really works for both of you – but use cushions to prop up your partner; try holding one or both legs at a different angle or have his – or her – head hang off the side of the bed.
None of these things takes much extra effort; nor do you have to give detailed instructions to your partner about what you’re trying to achieve – but entire experience will feel different, and that’s the key. Take a lesson from the Boot’s Change One Thing campaign – and do the same to your sex life!