Americans have been lying about the benefits of abstinence only education and the dangers of porn for decades — Quartz

Over the past few weeks, as the idea of a Trump presidency has gone from unthinkable joke to horrifying reality, I’ve heard a new term making the rounds, particularly among my friends in media. “We’re living in a post-truth era,” they tell me, citing Trump’s many lies and contradictions, the rise of fake news sites, and a growing distrust of the mainstream media as evidence that the American people are increasingly distanced from reality.

I think this is a fairly accurate assessment. But as someone who’s been writing and educating Americans about sex-related topics for over a decade, I can testify to the fact that we’ve been living in a “post-truth” era for years. Quite frankly, I’ve been dealing with a post-truth world for my entire career.

The easiest entry point for understanding America’s fuzzy relationship between sex and fact is the sad state of American sex education. According to the Guttmacher Institute, a mere 13 US states require sex education to be “medically accurate.” To put that in context, 39 states require HIV education to either stress or cover abstinence, in spite of the fact that there’s little proof that a focus on abstinence actually helps delay sex.

Indeed, America’s two-decade long love affair with abstinence-only education (which president Barack Obama has attempted to put an end to) feels like the epitome of “post-truth.” Study after study shows that abstinence-only education doesn’t reduce the rate of teen pregnancy, delay the age at which young people start having sex, or lower rates of STI transmission. But as long as telling kids not to have sex feels like the solution, these misguided lesson plans will likely persist. (In fact, it might actually get worse; president-elect Donald Trump and vice president-elect Mike Pence are not known for an enlightened outlook on sexuality. Pence once said on national television that condoms are “very, very poor protection” against STIs).

This aversion to the truth is much more than a failing of political conservatives. In my experience, liberals are just as willing to ignore the facts when it’s convenient to their larger narrative.

Over the years I’ve rolled my eyes at numerous acts of “journalism” that perpetuated half-truths and outright lies about the sex and porn industriesâ€"often in the supposed service of protecting women. >The Price of Pleasure, for exampleâ€"an anti-porn documentary created by NYU professor Chyng Sunâ€"misled many of its interview subjects and used manipulative editing to craft a vision of a ruthlessly exploitative porn industry that few porn performers recognize. A piece in The Atlantic once positioned double anal, an extreme sex act that even the most practiced porn performers need to warm up to, as a routine occurrence. And let’s not forget the New York Times’ own Nicholas Kristof, whose factually inaccurate writing has peddled numerous myths about sex work and who has positioned himself as a voice of authority in spite of numerous sex workers who’ve contested his version of the “truth.”

The topic of sex is vulnerable to this sort of misinformation for a number of reasons. It’s an intensely personal experience, and one most of us have some degree of experience with. This creates a personal sense of authorityâ€"even when we lack any facts or expertise beyond our own limited experience. Compounding this false confidence is the persistent taboo against public discussions of sexuality. Stigma around sex prevents us from openly and honestly discussing the topic, adding further fuel to the many “truthy” statements that circulate about human sexual experience.

A slumping news industry has coincided with the rise of social mediaâ€"a phenomenon that has made news consumption more individualized and created information bubbles that help reinforce what feels right over what’s actually true.While unfortunate, in this context it makes sense that we’re seeing a spread of inaccuracy in our discussions of politics, the environment, and other hot-button topics that have historically been more buffered from falsehoods than sex.

But if my work in sex education offers me a deeper understanding of the factors that encourage and enable a collective divorce from reality, it also gives me hope that post-truth isn’t a permanent state of being. If we stay committed to pursuing and promoting a reality-based vision of the world, it’s possible to overcome seemingly overwhelming odds.

On the same Tuesday that Trump secured the White House, California’s adult industry battled misinformation, ignorance, and a well-funded propaganda machine to defeat the egregious Proposition 60. Opposed by many health organizations and practically all of California’s adult film actors, the proposition would have violated worker privacy and potentially made it possible for regular Californians to sue porn producers if they believed actors weren’t wearing condoms. Around the globe, sex workers have banded together to make their voices and opinions heard, and are slowly chipping away at the post-truth ethos that’s oppressed their industry for decades (if not centuries).

And even though government-funded sex education is often mediocreâ€"if not outright harmfulâ€"a number of independent sources have harnessed the internet to provide smart, thoughtful, and fact-based sex education to young people around the globe. This is the lesson activists and politicians alike need to internalize in the age of Trump. With enough commitment, dedication, and persistence, the truth can ultimately win out.

Follow Lux on Twitter @luxalptraum. Learn how to write for Quartz Ideas. We welcome your comments at ideas@qz.com.

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Bad Sex in Fiction Awards ceremony celebrates 24th year

“It’s terribly British, isn’t it,” said the man next to me at last night’s Bad Sex in Fiction Awards ceremony at the (appropriately named) In and Out Club in St James’s. He was referring, of course, to the yearly bash â€" now in its 24th year â€" in which the Literary Review magazine nominates half a dozen passages from contemporary fiction seen to represent sex at its most cringeworthy, reads them out to champagne-infused guffaws, and then awards a prize to the author of the worst.

It is a terribly British event, but it also provides a snarky satisfaction that transcends nationality. Because for anyone with the sneaking suspicion that the sexual act is better done or seen than artistically described â€" that its complex idiosyncrasy is one of the few things that lie outside the remit of the otherwise resourceful English language â€" the Bad Sex Awards hits its mark.

Yet as the entrants this year make clear, writing about sex with flagrant abominableness is still cheerily far from going out of fashion. Hearty examples were a passage from Blue Peter presenter Janet Ellis’s The Butcher’s Hook:

When his hand goes to my breasts, my feet are envious. I slide my hands down his back, all along his spine, rutted with bone like mud ridges in a dry field, to the audacious swell below.

“Audacious swell”? Quite.

Then there was the American Gayle Forman’s entry, from Leave Me:

They were in that room, Jason had slammed the door and devoured her with his mouth, his hands, which were everywhere. As if he were ravenous. And she remembered standing in front of him, her dress a puddle on the floor, and how she’d started to shake, her knees knocking together, like she was a virgin, like this was the first time.

Erri de Luca.
Claudio Onorati/EPA

But the gong went to the Italian poet and translator Erri De Luca for The Day Before Happiness (de Luca understandably wasn’t present). “My prick was a plank stuck to her stomach,” the Neapolitan was justly rebuked for writing:

With a swerve of her hips, she turned me over and I was on top of her … I was her plaything, which she moved around. Our sexes were ready, poised in expectation, barely touching each other: ballet dancers hovering en pointe.

Not everyone felt this deserved the award â€" as an American woman nearby remarked to me, this could clearly be read as satire, plain and simple. Perhaps, but satire doesn’t necessarily get you home dry, especially when it’s ambiguous. After all, the book, a coming of age story, is not particularly comic in the way that, for instance, the early sex-mad tomes of Philip Roth and Martin Amis were.

In fact, the awards were conceived not to discourage writing about sex, but to discourage writing about sex badly. The wording of the original mission statement in 1993 by Auberon Waugh, then editor of the Literary Review, is revealing: the bash was to “draw attention to poorly written, perfunctory or redundant passages of sexual description in modern fiction”.

It would be helpful to have some guidance on what non-redundant, good sex writing looks like, since it’s not entirely clear whether it can exist in a literary form at all. After all, the most sexually charged novels of the last 100 or so years use the rule of thumb that the act is unmentionable, boring, or best only suggested.

The novels of Dickens, Eliot and Trollope are full of sexual yearning, and their emotional and erotic pull are none the worse for the veiled references to kissing and love. Even in 20th century novels with subject matter devoted to romantic entanglements, the sexual act is not necessarily spelled out or even mentioned â€" Iris Murdoch doesn’t go further than “making love” as an account of the nocturnal activities of her highly sexually charged couple Dora and Paul in The Bell (1958).

And while Margaret Drabble’s super-sexy characters Clara and Gabriel get pretty steamy in Jerusalem the Golden, nothing beyond the fact is spelled out. It’s a blessed relief which does nothing to diminish the profoundly saucy atmosphere of the book.

The awards are also a humorous reminder not just of the imaginative power but also of the literary value of discipline and restraint in matters of bonking. A recent book about prime minster Herbert Asquith’s passionate attachment to Venetia Stanley tells of his thousands of letters to her, all passionately headed with variants of “my own darling” and “darlingest”.

Asquith’s desperate fixation with Stanley pours out from every page, but had he indulged in anything more sexually explicit than the desire to “go for a little drive, or will you come to Downing St & have a talk”, it would hardly have helped, and probably only hindered, the accumulated intensity of his fixation. Voluble lusters: take note.

Zoe Strimpel, PhD Candidate, University of Sussex

"

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Jenna Dewan Tatum Dishes on Sex Life with Channing Tatum

It’s safe to say Jenna Dewan Tatum and Channing Tatum know how to keep their marriage spicy.

Dewan Tatum isn’t shy about discussing the couple’s romantic relationship in the January issue of >Cosmopolitan, revealing, “We definitely have a very happy and healthy [sex life].”

“…I’ve always been a very sexual person,” the 36-year-old admits, adding, “Something about being a dancer connects you to your physical body. It’s primal, earthy, sexual energy by nature. You feel your body in a certain way.”

She says that “Channing is very much the same way. He’s very in tune with that.”

The couple celebrated their seventh wedding anniversary this past July. They tied the knot just three years after meeting on the set of their 2006 movie Step Up.

Despite instant attraction, the romance took some time to develop while they were filming the dance movie. In fact, Dewan Tatum says they tip-toed around their feelings: “It was two nights of being weird.”

“We hadn’t even kissed. And then he went out partying with a bunch of dancers,” she recalls. “His room was right above mine, and he came down drunk with a sombrero on, banging on my door.”

RELATED VIDEO: Jenna Dewan Tatum Stresses the Importance of Date Nights with Channing Tatum

Dewan Tatum reveals that she had previously told the hunky star, 36, he didn’t seem ready to begin a new romance, but on that night, “He was like, ‘I couldn’t stop thinking about you. Let’s do this. I just want to be with you.’ From that point forward, we were together.” Now, the pair are happy parents to daughter Everly, 3. Eric Ray Davidson/Cosmopolitan The January issue of Cosmopolitan hits newsstands on Dec. 13. "

| Jenna | Dewan | Tatum | Dishes | Life | with | Channing | It’s | safe | Tatum< | know | keep | their | marriage | spicy | p> Dewan | isn’t | about | discussing | couple’s | romantic | relationship | January | issue | Cosmopolitan< | em>< | revealing | “We | definitely | have | very | happy | healthy | [sex | life] | ”< | p> “…I’ve | always | been | sexual | person | year | admits | adding | “Something | being | dancer | connects | your | physical | body | primal | earthy | energy | nature | feel | certain | p> She | says | that | “Channing | much | same | He’s | tune | p> The | couple | celebrated | seventh | wedding | anniversary< | this | past | July | They | tied | knot | just | three | years | after | meeting | 2006 | movie | Step | p> Despite | instant | attraction | romance | took | some | time | develop | while | they | were | filming | dance | fact | toed | around | feelings: | “It | nights | weird | p> “We | hadn’t | even | kissed | then | went | partying | bunch | dancers | recalls | “His | room | right | above | mine | came | down | drunk | sombrero | banging | door | p> RELATED | VIDEO: | Stresses | Importance | Date | Nights | strong>< | p> Dewan | reveals | previously | told | hunky | star | didn’t | seem | ready | begin | night | “He | like | ‘I | couldn’t | stop | thinking | Let’s | want | From | point | forward | together | ” Now | pair | parents | daughter | Everly< | Eric | Davidson | Cosmopolitan The | hits | newsstands | span> |

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Jenna Dewan Tatum Dishes on Sex Life with Channing Tatum

It’s safe to say Jenna Dewan Tatum and Channing Tatum know how to keep their marriage spicy.

Dewan Tatum isn’t shy about discussing the couple’s romantic relationship in the January issue of >Cosmopolitan, revealing, “We definitely have a very happy and healthy [sex life].”

“…I’ve always been a very sexual person,” the 36-year-old admits, adding, “Something about being a dancer connects you to your physical body. It’s primal, earthy, sexual energy by nature. You feel your body in a certain way.”

She says that “Channing is very much the same way. He’s very in tune with that.”

The couple celebrated their seventh wedding anniversary this past July. They tied the knot just three years after meeting on the set of their 2006 movie Step Up.

Despite instant attraction, the romance took some time to develop while they were filming the dance movie. In fact, Dewan Tatum says they tip-toed around their feelings: “It was two nights of being weird.”

“We hadn’t even kissed. And then he went out partying with a bunch of dancers,” she recalls. “His room was right above mine, and he came down drunk with a sombrero on, banging on my door.”

RELATED VIDEO: Jenna Dewan Tatum Stresses the Importance of Date Nights with Channing Tatum

Dewan Tatum reveals that she had previously told the hunky star, 36, he didn’t seem ready to begin a new romance, but on that night, “He was like, ‘I couldn’t stop thinking about you. Let’s do this. I just want to be with you.’ From that point forward, we were together.” Now, the pair are happy parents to daughter Everly, 3. Eric Ray Davidson/Cosmopolitan The January issue of Cosmopolitan hits newsstands on Dec. 13. "

| Jenna | Dewan | Tatum | Dishes | Life | with | Channing | It’s | safe | Tatum< | know | keep | their | marriage | spicy | p> Dewan | isn’t | about | discussing | couple’s | romantic | relationship | January | issue | Cosmopolitan< | em>< | revealing | “We | definitely | have | very | happy | healthy | [sex | life] | ”< | p> “…I’ve | always | been | sexual | person | year | admits | adding | “Something | being | dancer | connects | your | physical | body | primal | earthy | energy | nature | feel | certain | p> She | says | that | “Channing | much | same | He’s | tune | p> The | couple | celebrated | seventh | wedding | anniversary< | this | past | July | They | tied | knot | just | three | years | after | meeting | 2006 | movie | Step | p> Despite | instant | attraction | romance | took | some | time | develop | while | they | were | filming | dance | fact | toed | around | feelings: | “It | nights | weird | p> “We | hadn’t | even | kissed | then | went | partying | bunch | dancers | recalls | “His | room | right | above | mine | came | down | drunk | sombrero | banging | door | p> RELATED | VIDEO: | Stresses | Importance | Date | Nights | strong>< | p> Dewan | reveals | previously | told | hunky | star | didn’t | seem | ready | begin | night | “He | like | ‘I | couldn’t | stop | thinking | Let’s | want | From | point | forward | together | ” Now | pair | parents | daughter | Everly< | Eric | Davidson | Cosmopolitan The | hits | newsstands | span> |

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They’ll only have sex with smart people

Are you the smartest person in the bedroom? If so, you may be sapiosexual, and wasting time by going after hotties who think string theory has something to do with choosing Oxford-style shoes over loafers. According to Vice, sapiosexuals are indulging in the hot fetish of the moment: viewing intelligence as the topmost turn-on.

The term, coined by a live-blogger who calls himself wolfieboy, just might make it into the next edition of Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Regardless, it already qualifies as a descriptor on OkCupid and inspired a Tinder-esque dating app for smart people, called, appropriately enough, Sapio. The fact that the big complaint about Sapio is a lack of participants maybe reflects the selectivity of those who embrace this sexual preference.

But with the growing desirability of Silicon Valley nerds, it seems that sapiosexuality is on the rise. “What were once fringe interests reserved for the stereotypically introverted, intellectual, ‘nerds’ of the world â€" comic books, characters, and comic-inspired films and TV shows, sci-fi and fantasy like the ‘Star Trek’ reboots and ‘Game of Thrones’ â€" are now essential features of 21st-century American culture,” Lora Adair, a professor of evolutionary psychology at Lyon College, told Vice. Her point being that the pursuit of classically geeky interests now comes with cachet.

For those who want to appeal to sapiosexuals, the website New Love Times offers a few tips that go beyond turning public libraries into pickup spots. It suggests that revealing some ignorance is an aphrodisiac for potential partners who enjoy showing their intelligence, flying your nerd-flag proudly can be alluring, and unconventional dating spots â€" adventurous ethnic food will trump a steak every time â€" may seal the deal. Also: Make sure you’re pronouncing words properly and using correct grammar.

While there has been some blowback â€" sapiosexual doubters describe it as pretentious, exclusionary and not even worthy of its own distinction â€" blogger Hazel Leese clearly prefers brains to brawn. “If a man uses a word I’ve never heard before, my attraction radar surges to Defcon 1,” she writes. “Likewise if he uses somewhat poetic, non-standard language, my brain enters orgasmatron mode. Long [and] complicated words, beautiful poetry, technical phrases that I don’t understand are all tantamount to talking dirty to me. In other words, I like big words and I cannot lie.”

Additionally, we presume, when giving brainy dudes her phone number, she doesn’t need to find pen and paper. They’re smart enough to commit 10 digits to memory.

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An astonishing number of people believe Pizzagate, the Facebook-fueled Clinton sex ring conspiracy story, could be true

Here’s a question I never thought I’d ask: Do you think Hillary Clinton is connected to a child sex ring being run out of a pizzeria in Washington, D.C.?

If you voted for Donald Trump, there’s a decent chance you think it’s true. Or, at least, you’re not sure, one way or another.

Nearly 50 percent of Trump voters think the Pizzagate theory is either true or could be true, according to a new poll released today from Public Policy Polling.

It’s yet another reminder that “fake news” â€" an admittedly lousy term used to describe a wide range of untrue things on the internet â€" has a depressingly receptive audience.

In this case, the non-story is a made-up tale about Clinton, her associates and an underage prostitute network. It started up this fall in dark corners of the internet, but quickly bubbled up through Facebook, which weaponized the meme with its sharing tools.

And it’s the same tale that prompted Edgar Welch, a 28-year-old North Carolina man, to drive to a Washington, D.C., pizza place on Sunday, armed with a semi-automatic assault rifle, so he could “shine some light” on the claims. He was arrested after firing the gun inside the restaurant.

Welch told the New York Times that he didn’t vote for Trump last month. But people who did were particularly likely to think that Pizzagate was true, or might be.

Public Policy Polling, which surveyed 1,224 registered voters this week, says that 14 percent of Trump voters believe Clinton is connected to the nonexistent child sex ring, while another 32 percent aren’t sure. Nationwide, those numbers are 9 percent and 19 percent, respectively.

Public Policy Polling

Grain of salt? Sure: For starters, it’s possible that Welch’s story, which generated lots of attention earlier this week, helped seed the theory with poll respondents who might never have heard about it otherwise.

And more broadly, it’s a poll, so it’s going to have some noise in it. Which is the only plausible explanation for the fact that Public Policy Polling says that 5 percent of Clinton voters thought Pizzagate was true.

Or, in the words of Jim Williams, a Public Policy Polling analyst who worked on today’s survey: “You can ask anything to anyone, and you’re going to get 3 percent or 4 percent or 5 percent saying ‘yes.’”

It’s also true that crazy conspiracy theories about Hillary Clinton and her husband aren’t new, and have had a large national audience for decades. If you listened to talk radio during Bill Clinton’s presidency in the 1990s, you heard many tales about mysterious deaths, deals with drug cartels and more.

The difference now is that the internet, and Facebook in particular, makes this stuff so much easier to transmit, so quickly. This non-story didn’t exist a couple months ago, and now it has national traction. Imagine what we’re going to believe next.

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