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Friday, December 9, 2016

Your birth control could be affecting your sex life and how faithful you are to your partner... and it's not good news

10:00 AM Bilal Muazin No comments

Sex education

According to a Norwegian University and the University of New Mexico your pill can impact more than just your period

BIRTH control could be affecting more than just when your period comes new research claims it can also have an impact on your sex life and how faithful you are.

A study conducted by the the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and University of New Mexico found that your type of pill can make you more likely to stray away.

New research has revealed that your birth control could be impacting your sex life and faithfulness

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New research by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and University of New Mexico has revealed that your birth control could be impacting your sex life and faithfulness

Researchers surveyed 274 straight university females, who lived in Norway and were were all in relationships about their sex life in the past week.

The questionnaire also asked how committed and loyal they were to their partners and which particularly type of contraceptive pill they used.

On the whole, women who were more faithful to their partners had sex more often but this was especially common with those too the pill which contained lowered oestrogen levels and high progesterone.

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On the whole, the research found women who were more faithful to their partners had sex more often

While those on birth control with high oestrogen and lowÂ progesterone had sex more often when they didnâ€™t feel loyal to their partners.

However, the effect only existed for penetrative sex with a penis not solo sex or any other type of partner.

The researchers also conducted another study which surveyed 112 women every week for three months to find out more about their hormones and behaviour over time.

The results once again revealed that less oestrogen and more progesterone were linked with frequency or sex and commitment but there was no difference with perceived loyalty.

The findings supported the theory that women initiate sex more when they have high progesterone levels Â but only if the feel serious about their relationship.

NTNU psychology professor Leif Edward Ottesen Kennair said in a press releaseâ€œThe function of sex in humans outside ovulation is an evolutionary mystery.

â€œBut we believe that it has to do with binding the parties in the relationship together.â€

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and University of New Mexico conducted a survey which found that women who were on high levels of progesterone pills were more loyal and had sex more with their partner

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But the survey found that women who were on high levels of progesterone pills were more loyal and had sex more with their partner

Overall, the study helped reveal more about how birth control affects our sex lives and shed some light on how it might impact our relationships.

â€œPrevious workâ€¦indicates that the initiation or termination of birth control usage during a relationship can have consequences for womenâ€™s relationship satisfaction,â€ the researchers concluded.

â€œOur findings suggest that the type of hormonal contraceptive women select may affect sexual behaviour with partners.â€

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Thursday, December 8, 2016

Hormonal contraceptives linked to more sex in committed relationships

1:57 AM Bilal Muazin No comments

Sex is quite wonderful when the goal is to have children. But sex can also serve as a "glue" in a committed relationship.

Most animals have periods when they come into heat, and outside these periods they don't find sex interesting at all. Humans, however, are constantly interested in sex. This sex interest can seem like a waste of energy, but an evolutionary perspective may explain why we function this way.

MORE SEX WITH PROGESTERONE AND COMMITMENT

A new study from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and the University of New Mexico confirm that sex is important for pair-bonding between men and women in relationships. The researchers also found a correlation between the type of oral contraceptive women use and how often couples have sex. The findings were recently published in the scientific journal Evolution & Human Behavior.

"The function of sex in humans outside ovulation is an evolutionary mystery. But we believe that it has to do with binding the parties in the relationship together," says Leif Edward Ottesen Kennair, a professor of psychology at NTNU.

Kennair worked with Trond Viggo GrÃ¸ntvedt, Nick Grebe and University of New Mexico Professor Steve Gangestad to ask hundreds of Norwegian heterosexual women about contraception, sex and relationships.

Their results show that of women in long-term relationships and who are using hormonal contraception, those who are more committed to their relationships have more sex with partners, as one might expect.

"But this association was especially true when the contraceptive that women used had potent levels of synthetic hormones that mimic the effects of the natural hormone progesterone, and lower levels of the hormone estrogen," Gangestad said.

"We're talking about intercourse here, not other types of sex like oral sex, masturbation and such. This strengthens the idea that sex outside the ovulation phase has a function besides just pleasure," says GrÃ¸ntvedt.

BIG DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TYPES OF CONTRACEPTIVES

Hormonal contraceptives, like birth control pills, implantable rods and patches, contain two types of hormones: estrogen, which naturally peaks just before ovulation when naturally cycling women can conceive offspring, and hormones that have the same effect as progesterone, which naturally peaks during the extended sexual phase, a time when offspring cannot be conceived. The levels of each hormone type vary in different contraceptives. Hence, some contraceptives mimic hormones that are more characteristic of ovulation, whereas others mimic hormones when women can't conceive. The women who used contraception with more estrogen were most sexually active when they were in a less committed relationship. On the other hand, women who used contraception with more progesterone were the most sexually active when they were faithful and loyal to their partners.

"Before we did this study, we didn't know how much difference there was between the two types of hormonal contraceptives," says GrÃ¸ntvedt.

A CREDIBLE HOLISTIC PICTURE

The researchers surveyed two groups of women. All the women were using hormonal contraception and were in committed, heterosexual relationships. One group consisted of 112 women that researchers followed over a 12-week period. The women were asked how often and when in their cycle they had sex.

The second sample group consisted of 275 women in long-term relationships who used hormonal contraception. This group was not followed over time, but the researchers asked them how many times they had had sex in the past week. This type of study - using data collected at a specific point in time - is called a cross-sectional study. Both groups were asked to indicate the type of contraception they were using, and if a pill, which brand it was.

"Since we examined these two groups using different methods - a snapshot for the one group and a longitudinal study for the other - we can be confident that the results provide a reliable overall picture," says Dr GrÃ¸ntvedt.

NATURAL OR SYNTHETIC HORMONES APPEARED TO BE THE SAME

The basis for the NTNU study was a 2013 American study, where 50 women and their partners answered a series of questions about their relationships, menstrual cycles and frequency of sex. None of these women were using any kind of hormonal contraception, so only their natural hormones were involved. The study showed that women initiated sex more in the extended sexual phase - when they were not ovulating and progesterone was the dominant hormone - if they were invested in the relationship.

NTNU researchers wanted to verify the American results in their study, but with participants who were using a hormonal contraceptive that simulates a natural cycle. Their results were the same as in the US study, in which women were not using any hormonal birth control.

The researchers were thus able to show that how often women have sex is linked to how committed they feel towards their partner and the type of hormone they are governed by, whether natural or synthetic.

"A lot of social psychology studies that have led to cool discoveries through the ages have lost status, because it hasn't been possible to copy them and verify the results. We are extremely pleased to have been able to verify the results of the study by Grebe and his colleagues, and we are equally pleased that we have also made new discoveries," Kennair says.

Source:

Norwegian University of Science and Technology

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Yes, Sex Robots Are a Thing and Here's Everything You Want to Know

1:57 AM Bilal Muazin No comments

Sex robots may be all over science fiction, but our real sexy-AI future is probably closer than you thought.

As 2016 comes to a close, it's worthwhile to ask where we're at, sex robot-wise, as we move into the new yearâ€"and the answer depends on what kind of sex robot you're looking for. First, there are the "escort" services in Japan and South Korea that let people rent out technologically-advanced sex dolls. Though we already knew about American artist Matt McMullen's "RealDolls,", lifelike sex dolls that can be modeled after real people (like the one Ryan Gosling fell in love with in Lars and the Real Girl), he's currently adding artificial intelligence so they can talk to their human companions. And engineer Douglas Hines invented a robot named Roxxxy, which (or is it who?) responds verbally to touch and can talk about the news.

Thankfully, it doesn't look like sexbots are in danger of replacing human partnersâ€"at least for now. According to a survey by Tufts University researchers, most people agree that having sex with a robot is more like using a sex toy than sleeping with a person. But even when sex is taken off the table, our artificial friends could have some other interesting uses in the future.

We asked sexual biotechnology researcher Nicole Prause, PhD, if what's available now really counts as a sex robot and what we can expect in the future.

Would it be fair to say that sex robots already exist?

Nicole Prause: Sure, at the most basic level, sex robots already exist. There are machines to "auto-extract" ejaculate both for fertility and pleasure purposes already. They are not responsive to human preference or feedback, but the mechanics already exist. Responsive characters already exist, tooâ€"they just have to limit your requests of them because they are not very flexible.

What are the most advanced sex robots we have right now?

NP: The most advanced robots in terms of their intelligence do not exist in sex. The most advanced development I have seen for emotional tasks is for automated therapy, such as for PTSD. Studies are being conducted showing that, while people do not ascribe actual human qualities (they do not believe the robot has come to life), they will disclose more emotional content to a robot therapist than to a human therapist. These advances are occurring in collaborations between research psychologists and computer scientists.

What do you think the most advanced sex robots will look like in 10 years, then?

NP: Sex robots in 10 years are likely to be increasingly able to detect sexual movements (e.g., being touched on the nipple and how hard), but so little is known about "typical" sexual interactionsâ€"how many people desire or respond to nipple stimulation and what is optimal pressureâ€"that it will be very difficult to develop accurate "off-the-shelf" robots. The advances are most likely to come with learning algorithms developed for other, non-sexual purposes. The necessity of advanced computing to integrate the information from the periphery (nipple, vulva, et cetera) and the stigma of working in this area suggest sexually-focused robots will not receive attention from the best scientists until sometime far after others have developed related capabilities. I am not optimistic we will see much in 10 years.

Do you see any potential uses for them beyond entertainment?

NP: People can remain aware of the robot as a robot and still have true emotional experiences themselves, and I do not see why sexual experiences would be different in this respect. Much like sex films, which adults overwhelmingly recognize as fantasy, I believe robots will be a useful tool for some people beyond entertainment alone.

What positive effects do you think they could have on our lives?

NP: Robots could be very useful in situations where partner access is not available. For example, therapy to overcome sexual abuse might feel safer to start with a well-controlled, programmed, non-judgemental partner. Those who have difficulty attracting partners, due to mental illness, different physical appearance, or simple disinterest, might choose to enjoy sexual activity with robots. Established romantic relationships could include a robot to increase their sexual breadth. Robots also might serve in a discharge capacityâ€"directing illegal sexual behaviors towards the robot instead of a human.

What negative effects could they have?

NP: The biggest likely negative effect is the technology backlash that always occurs in sexuality: people will be shamed for sexual behaviors with robots. They will be made to feel they are broken, maladjusted, or otherwise lesser. In other words, the most likely negative effects are from the social response to sex robots, not the robots themselves. They also might present a challenge for individuals with social anxiety, who otherwise might be motivated to improve their social interactions out of a desire to attract a sexual partner, have a family, and so on. Of course, any device could carry some basic risk of injury, but I trust those to be minimized, as safety will be in mind with development.

This is likely to mimic what we have seen with sex films: a tiny minority of people who view sex films report having problems with them, while society loses its collective shit with conservative panic about imagined problem. "Loses its collective shit" being a super-professional opinion.

If we want to get an idea of what sex robots could be like one day, do any sci-fi movies actually do a good job depicting them?

NP: No. Movies with sexbots always present them as far more advanced than I can imagine them being in 50 years, much less 10, in terms of emotional simulations. Repetitive sexual movements I expect to become much more realistic more rapidly than the interaction.

Would it be possible for people to one day fall in love with robots?

NP: As with sex films, there will be a tiny minority of people who fail to distinguish reality with robots. I hope we focus on this education rather than demonizing the technology.

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Why a woman's sex drive can be determined by the type of contraceptive pill she using

1:00 PM Bilal Muazin No comments

The type of birth control pill women take can affect how often they want sex, a study has found.

One of the main types of oral contraceptive boosted the sex drive of women who were in committed relationships.

But this effect, seen in women taking pills high in the hormone progestogen, only occurred if they felt highly committed to her partner.

The other main type of pill, high in the hormone oestrogen, had the opposite effect.

Scroll down for videoÂ

A study found that differing levels of synthetic hormones in the pill worked in tandem with how committed a woman feels to her partner to determine how often they had sexÂ

THE PILL, DEVOTION AND SEX FREQUENCY

The study consisted of two trials, in almost 400 people.

In the first trial, researchers followed 112 women over a 12-week period, asking when they had sex in their cycle and how often.

A second trial quizzed 275 women on their hormonal contraceptive and how often they had sex in the previous week.

Taken together, the findings revealed that the more oestrogen a contraceptive contained, the more sexually active a woman was in a less committed relationship.

But women taking contraceptives with more progesterone were most sexually active when they were more committed to their partner.

The findings add weight to the idea that outside of ovulation, rather than just for pleasure, sex actually helps to strengthen the bond between couples.Â

Researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and the University of New Mexico looked at women in committed relationships taking the pill.

As might be expected, they found that those women who were more committed to their relationship had more sex with their partner.

But the researchers also found a link between the concentrations of hormones in their oral contraception.

â€˜This association was especially true when the contraceptive that women used had potent levels of synthetic hormones that mimic the effects of the natural hormone progesterone, and lower levels of the hormone oestrogen,â€™ explained Professor Stephen Gangestad, from the University of New Mexico.

Oral contraceptives deliver differing levels of synthetic hormones based on oestrogen and progesterone to alter a womanâ€™s cycle.

While some types of oral contraceptive will mimic the hormone levels characteristic of ovulation, others will more closely mimic the extended sexual phase Ââ€" when a woman is least likely to conceive.

Taken together, the findings revealed that the more oestrogen, the more sexually active a woman was in a less committed relationship. But women taking contraceptives with more progesterone were most sexually active when they were more committed to their partner

HOW MUCH PROGESTOGEN AND OESTROGEN IS IN THE MOST COMMON CONTRACEPTIVE PILLS IN THE UK AND US?Â
Pill brand	Progestogen	Oestrogen
Microgynon	150 mcg levonorgestrel	30 mcg ethinylostradiol
Rigevidon	150 mcg levonorgestrel	30 mcg ethinylestradiol
Yasmin	3 mg drospirenone	30 mcg ethinylestradiol
Loestrin 20	1 mcg norethisterone acetate	20 mcg ethinylestradiol
Cerazette	75 mcg desogestrel	Progestogen-only pill
Microgestin	1mg norethindrone acetate	20 mcg ethinylestradiol
Aviane	0.10 mg levonogestrel	20 mcg ethinylestradiol
Loestrin	1.5 mcg norethisterone acetate	20 mcg ethinylestradiol
Mircette	0.15 mg desogestrel	20 mcg ethinylestradiol
Yaz	3 mg drospirenone	20 mcg ethinylestradiol

In one of the trials, researchers followed more than 100 women over a 12-week period, asked when they had sex in their cycle and how often.

A second trial quizzed 275 women on their hormonal contraceptive and how often they had sex in the previous week.

Taken together, the findings revealed that the more oestrogen a contraceptive contained, the more sexually active a woman was in a less committed relationship.

But women taking contraceptives with more progesterone were most sexually active when they were more committed to their partner.

While some types of oral contraceptive will mimic the hormone levels characteristic of ovulation, others will more closely mimic the extended sexual phase Ââ€

â€˜This strengthens the idea that sex outside the ovulation phase has a function besides just pleasure,â€™ added Trond Viggo GrÃ¸ntvedt from NTNU.

He added: â€˜Before we did this study, we didn't know how much difference there was between the two types of hormonal contraceptives.â€™

The results suggest that how often women have sex is linked to how committed they are to their partner.

But the type of hormone most prominent plays a key role, whether produced naturally or synthetically in the form of oral contraceptive.

The findings are published in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior.Â

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Why a woman's sex drive can be determined by the type of contraceptive pill she using

2:30 PM Bilal Muazin No comments