Sex's Enemies: Religion, Politics, Science?

Growing up, religion was the first institution that pronounced a judgment on sex, and that judgment was that it was wrong. The shows I was allowed to watch on television, as the youngest of four kids, didn’t give me the idea that sex was a sin or immoral, but the Bible and my Catholic school classes and masses certainly did. It wasn’t just gay sex either, but all sex, well any sex performed out of wedlock that didn’t also stand a fair chance of producing a child. That meant no birth control, no diaphragms, no blowjobs, and definitely no anal sex. The head priest of the church my parents joined in the 80’s told them that sex with condoms was like getting your feet washed with your socks on. I knew from sneaking looks at my father’s porn that socks seemed to be an integral part of illicit sex, so I suppose it all made sense to me.

As I grew older and more comfortable with rejecting Catholicism as a bunch of ceremony and tradition founded on ignorance and denial, another institution seemed to stand in the way of sex: the government. I lost my virginity before the Supreme Court overturned sodomy laws, and since gay marriage is yet to be a Federal right, I can’t help but feel like any sexual relationship I engage in is somehow second rate to the intercourse among married couples. I soon found out in college that the one institution that didn’t seem to demonize sex was science. Sure, science uncovered STD’s and other ailments that resulted from sex, but they also invented the prophylactics, vaccines, and procedures, to prevent, cure, and ease the suffering of these as well.

So why does science now have to cock slap us in the face with its findings? According to a recent study, men who have sex more often, or especially, frequently masturbate in their 20’s and 30’s, are more likely to develop prostate cancer later in life. In a world of AIDS and the ever-present cry for abstinence to our young adults, who among us hasn’t felt like internet porn or cyber sex is one of the safest alternatives to sex society has to offer? But science had to stick its inquisitive nose into our butts to uncover the behaviors that may contribute to this disease, making us now think twice before we rub another one out.

But it’s not all bad news from science this week. Another study showed that men who drank moderately (about 10 drinks a week, on average) performed better sexually than men who didn’t drink at all, or men who at one time drank heavily, and then gave it up completely. The study also showed a decline in performance for men who smoked. This perhaps comes as no surprise to any of us who know that just the right level of drunk can give you the confidence to bed the beautiful boy at the bar, but too much and you’re finished before you can begin, and even a former smoker can admit that an ash tray kiss can definitely kill the mood.


Surprisingly it was a new study that relates to religion that made me most optimistic about my sexual health. This study shows that practicing yoga can make sex last longer and feel better, in addition to improving your overall health. I must admit that I certainly feel as calm and content after a good yoga class as I do after a good roll in the hay, and much better than I do after even moderate drinking. It seems to be the perfect combination of Eastern religious practice and science, without any messy political entanglements. The class I take at my gym may be called ‘virgin yoga’ but as anyone who can’t help but giggle at the sight of their ‘downward dog’ or ‘happy baby,’ pose in the mirror, it’s for anyone but.

Religion may continue to silence our sexual appetite, unless you’re of the Eastern persuasion, and politics may always try to stifle sexual freedom and expression, but I guess we can’t expect much more from science than to report their findings to the community. It seems we’d all just be better off with a few glasses of wine, and some long, tantric sexual sessions a month. But if you can control yourself and avoid the abundance of arousing material that constantly pollutes our consciousness, there is only one thing I can say to you: namaste.

Appeared Originally on 1/28/09 on homo-neurotic.com