Is semen retention harmful? Or is it better to spout it out?

While the answer doesn’t matter (literally) it’s definitely a question you’ve at least thought about once (or are at least thinking about now). According to Dr. Thomas Stuttaford, half of the writing team for the Sex Advice column in the Times, it’s age that plays a leading role in how long he can go without blow, and the older he is, the less sensitive his little head gets, which results in longer! lasting! loving! But whether or not he holds it in when he’s ready to explode, that doesn’t really matter. Suzi Godson - his co-writer - may agree, but her findings - from two different orgasm studies - make me a believer in the more often he washes a load, the longer things are likely to stay clean. And while some of her answer might not fair well with fierce, card-carrying members of the Church of Female Liquification (it doesn’t even mention female ejaculate, although it only talks about female orgasm in terms of old, subjective texts), it will make you smarter at parties. For example:

Female orgasm, on the other hand, is considered to be an inward explosion. When a woman reaches orgasm, the sexual secretions she ejaculates are retained within her body. However, her partner can then absorb the jing that she creates to boost his reserves. It smacks a little of misogyny, particularly when woman is referred to as the “enemy” in Taoist texts, before graduating to being called “other”, “crucible” or “stove”, but I don’t mean to be cynical.

What I love most about their answers, is I want to read more. Since the whole sex columnist thing is being talked about (and chopped away at) these days (Sex Doesn’t Sell (SF Gate) and Sex Writing Goes Limp (Salon), it’s quite refreshing to find a good sex advice column that isn’t getting axed, and that I have never read before. *even if it’s been around for like ever.

Fans of both the buildup and big bang should read what they’ve got to say. Really.