Dear Dr. Yvonne,
What does a lack of sex do to somebody? Would we die?
Rich

Dear Rich,
While this would seem like a simple question, it’s actually quite complicated, depending on your belief system. A person’s reasons for not having sex can play a huge part in how their mind-body-soul responds to a chronic state of abstinence. Religious figures who practice celibacy to a tee, for example, may live long, healthy lives in part because they feel a great spiritual reward for this earthly sacrifice.

Different philosophical and religious perspectives on how the world works are all going to have a different answer for you. The Taoists, for example, believe that it is harmful for a man to practice total celibacy. They hold that this actually creates a strong desire for sex, which results in an imbalance of energy, vitality, and spirit. In their view, it could also cause a loss of sexual essence and energy through increased wet dreams (and, according to their belief system, semen should not be wasted “recklessly”). So really, you see, the choice of life or death is really up to you.

Dr. Yvonne Kristín Fulbright is a sex educator, relationship expert, columnist and founder of Sexuality Source Inc. She is the author of several books including, “Touch Me There! A Hands-On Guide to Your Orgasmic Hot Spots.”

Hi Yvonne,
I was just diagnosed with HSV2.  How serious is this?  How do I date with it?  Is my sex life over? I’ve read that it’s actually pretty common, but that a lot of people don’t know they have it. Try convincing a girl to sleep with you when you just told them you have herpes. Any advice would be appreciated.
J

Dear J,
Herpes is a viral infection caused by related strains of the Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV). According to the Centers for Disease Control, one out of every five adolescents and adults has had the genital HSV (HSV2) infection. So if it makes you feel better, you’ve got plenty of company.

Having HSV is no picnic. While most people are unaware of their infections, when an outbreak occurs, the virus lets itself be known. Signs include sores and flu-like symptoms. A person who has an outbreak can expect several (as in 4 or 5) within a year. Yet these recurrences tend to decrease in frequency over time. While there is no treatment, antiviral medications can shorten and prevent outbreaks. Daily suppressive therapy for symptomatic herpes can also reduce the risk of transmission to a lover. A latex condom, when used consistently and correctly, can also reduce the risk of transmitting genital herpes. It is wisest to abstain from sexual contact during an outbreak to avoid transmission.

It is admirable that you want to be honest and forthright with your future sex partners. Having genital herpes can certainly cause distress for the person who is infected and their (potential) partner. That doesn’t mean, however, that your sex life is over. First, know that this is an overwhelming issue and while it’s personal, you can’t take any reactions to it personally. It takes a lot of courage to share and people tend to appreciate how hard it is to divulge. They’re also grateful that they’ve been informed. If a person doesn’t want to sleep with you, they’re rejecting the infection – not you. 

In telling a partner about your status, it is wise to share before you become sexually intimate. You can calmly say something like, “I really like how things are going with us. So before we become intimate, we need to talk about safer sex and STDs. I mention this because I have herpes and feel strongly that you need to know this in protecting yourself should we choose to become more intimate…” Having herpes doesn’t always affect one’s sex life as much as initially feared. Just make sure you educate yourself about the disease, manage it well, and minimize its impact on your life. A support group may also help you to cope. The more you know about your infection, the easier it will be for you to share, for you to relieve any of your partner’s fears, and to correct any myths or misinformation.

Dr. Yvonne Kristín Fulbright is a sex educator, relationship expert, columnist and founder of Sexuality Source Inc. She is the author of several books including, “Touch Me There! A Hands-On Guide to Your Orgasmic Hot Spots.”

  Nothing says summer like a bowl of gazpacho soup. Refreshingly cold on hot summer days, this adaptation of the classic Spanish cold tomato soup deliciously combines the best of summer vegetables. Gazpacho is filled with antioxidants, vitamins, and fiber. But beware because gazpacho recipes vary.  Some are made with just vegetables and seasonings while other add ingredients such as a ton of olive oil and bread, which can boost the fat and calorie content of an otherwise, low cal, low fat dish. 

So here is my healthy, low carb, low fat version.  It will cool you off and keep you looking slim and trim all summer long!

Tanya’s Gazpacho Recipe:

Ingredients

2 large tomatoes

1 large cucumber

1 large green pepper

1 large onion

1 4.5 oz. jar pimentos (drained)

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

24 oz. tomato juice

1½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

Croutons (optional)

In the blender, place 1 tomato, ½ cucumber, ½ onion, ¼ green pepper, pimentos, ¼ cup tomato juice. Blend for 30-40 seconds.

Pour into large bowl and add olive oil, vinegar, 20 ounces of tomato juice, salt, pepper, Tabasco sauce and garlic

Dice the remaining pieces of vegetable and add to the bowl.

Refrigerate at least two hours before serving.

Makes 10 one-cup servings

Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD is a nutritionist and the creator of The F-Factor Diet™, an innovative nutritional program she has used for more than ten years to provide hundreds of her clients with all the tools they need to achieve easy weight loss and maintenance, improved health and well-being.  For more information log onto www.FFactorDiet.com.

Oops, they did it again. Major retail outlets are sexualizing young girls.This past spring, Kmart sold cropped sweatpants flashing the words “True Love Waits” across the derriere. The pants are no longer available in stores or online, but they have reignited the debate on how we’re dressing our children.

Whether they are wearing it or stating it, are we pimping our youth with sexual messaging? And if so, who is to blame?

Parents have long been dealing with the problem most recently tagged the “Britney Syndrome.” While the pop princess and her counterparts Beyoncé, Christina and Jessica have been pegged for corrupting American youth, it seems every decade has an icon who challenges our fashion tastes.

For my generation, it was Madonna. I remember longing to emulate the Material Girl’s netted, cut-off tops, lacy tights, short skirts and rubber bracelets. I begged and pleaded with my mother to let me do so. I could be super cool, and dance just like Madonna, if only I could bare my stomach with a midriff top. But my mum firmly said, “No.” Go figure — I was only 10.

Janelle Perry, a grandmother from Queensland, Australia, has given birth to naturally conceived triplet boys in a ‘one-in-a-million’ delivery at Brisbane’s Mater Mothers’ Hospital.

Janelle and husband Robert’s tiny trio – Cooper, Kyle and Jordan – were born at 34 weeks’ gestation by caesarean section last week.

Doctors are “99.9 percent certain” the boys are identical. Perry, who turns 47 next week, now has eight children. She said she is adamant that is enough.Perry has four children in their 20s from a previous marriage, a daughter, Rebecca, 4, with Robert, and two grandchildren.

The Perrys, of Logan, south of Brisbane, sold all their baby things last October after trying unsuccessfully for two years to have more children.

Hi Yvonne,
How does losing a testicle affect a man’s sexual response? I had an accident, so I wanna know from someone whose knowledge I can trust (and I think that I am asking the right person), if this loss will affect any aspect of my sexuality, like erection. Or will it somehow reduce my chance to have kids?
Mitch

Dear Mitch,
When a male only has one testicle – whether due to undescended testicles (cryptochidism), testicular cancer, or an accident – in most cases, his fertility will not be affected. His remaining healthy testicle should supply enough hormones and produce enough adequate, viable sperm to fertilize eggs, hence have children. To make sure this is the case for you, be sure to consult with your healthcare provider for information on your particular situation.

When it comes to your sexual response, physically, you should not react any differently in becoming aroused, reaching orgasm, and coming down from climax. Psychologically, however, you may grapple with a sense of loss. Men who find themselves with one testicle may feel inadequate, not as masculine, or self-conscious – all of which can impact his sexual functioning. If you’re concerned that any of these issues are yours, or if you worry about how a partner might react, be sure to talk to a sex therapist about any psychological issues at play. A partner who truly cares about you will make every attempt to be compassionate, supportive, and understanding of your situation. 

Dr. Yvonne Kristín Fulbright is a sex educator, relationship expert, columnist and founder of Sexuality Source Inc. She is the author of several books including, “Touch Me There! A Hands-On Guide to Your Orgasmic Hot Spots.”

A test that can detect Down’s syndrome from the blood of pregnant women, which would be the first reliable noninvasive prenatal test for the chromosomal disorder, has raised the prospect of routine screening for the condition for every expectant mother who wants it.

The experimental procedure, developed in Hong Kong, has been shown to diagnose 90 percent of Down’s syndrome cases in a small trial, while also correctly identifying 97 percent of fetuses that do not have the condition.

If its accuracy can be improved and it is validated in larger patient trials, which scientists believe should take three to five years, it would transform prenatal testing for Down’s.

At present this is provided only for women at high risk of having a Down’s baby because the current procedure is invasive and can cause a miscarriage. It requires amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling (CVS), which involve inserting a needle into the womb to remove amniotic fluid surrounding the fetus, or a small piece of the placenta.

A 52-year-old woman serving as a surrogate mother for her daughter, a contestant on NBC’s “American Gladiators,” has given birth to two of her own grandchildren, a set of twins.

The babies, a boy and a girl, were born Wednesday at an Arizona hospital, the family said.

“I just feel so blessed and fortunate. It’s the best experience of my life,” Crystal Sirignano told The Flint Journal for a story published Friday.

“I don’t regret one second, even the times when I didn’t feel good. None of that was as bad as watching what my daughter went through.”

She has owned Total Body Fitness in Grand Blanc for 25 years while husband D.J. owns John’s Steakhouse in Goodrich, where the couple live.

Crystal Sirignano offered to become a surrogate for her daughter after Kendra Sirignano went through several failed infertility treatments and surgeries.

Is male circumcision bad for a man’s sex life?
Jason

Dear Jason,
The foreskin is the highly sensitive, thin layer of skin that surrounds the tip of an uncircumcised penis. During sexual arousal and sex, it retracts, acting as a “sleeve” and lubricant, keeping the head of the penis moist much like the eyelid does for the eyeball. During sex the foreskin glides back and forth, minimizing friction, which some may see as a benefit for not circumcising.

Penises with and without a foreskin are both very erogenous. Yet a major reason the foreskin is such a hot spot is because it’s packed with nerve endings, making it very delicate and an area that should be handled with care. The benefit to having a foreskin is that it contains a richer variety and greater concentration of specialized nerve receptors than any other part of the penis. Some men who are circumcised feel that they have been robbed of their full erotic potential in not having a foreskin.

Lately, research indicates that being circumcised is beneficial to a man’s sexual health. Removal of the foreskin can slightly lower his risk of contracting some sexually transmitted infections, e.g., HPV and HIV. With the foreskin removed, a man has less mucosal skin (or surface area) as far as virus exposure, decreasing the chance of transmission. The circumcised penis, however, often requires additional lubricant for pleasure and some research indicates that it may make for decreased sensation during sex.

Dr. Yvonne Kristín Fulbright is a sex educator, relationship expert, columnist and founder of Sexuality Source Inc. She is the author of several books including, “Touch Me There! A Hands-On Guide to Your Orgasmic Hot Spots.”

 A Virginia man lost about 80 pounds in six months by eating nearly every meal at McDonald’s.

Not Big Macs, french fries and chocolate shakes. Mostly salads, wraps and apple dippers without the caramel sauce.

Chris Coleson tipped the scales at 278 pounds in December. The 5-foot-8 Coleson now weighs 199 pounds and his waist size has dropped from 50 to 36.

The 42-year-old businessman from Quinton says he chose McDonald’s because it’s convenient.