SEXIS WRONG

Horniness Begets Health
Laura Moore
Editor’s Note: Sex radicals Susie Bright, Annie Sprinkle, Marcy
Sheiner, and Bob Flanagan, among others, have written about
using orgasms and/or sex to quell pain and for other health
reasons. With her book Sex Heals, Laura “The Healthy, Sexy
Mom” Moore joins their ranks, revealing her experiences and
explaining the science behind the humping-healing connection.
Chapter three, below, discusses some of this. Several of
the points are expanded in other portions of her book, which
is available through .
“When I get that feeling, I need sexual healing.”
—Marvin Gaye, “Sexual Healing”
Have you ever stopped to wonder why our sex drive is so
strong? We don’t want sex just when it’s time to continue
the species. We want it all the time. We think about it every
day. We are bombarded with advertisements that use sex as
a selling point (and they usually work!), and the funniest jokes
seem to be related to sex...or the lack thereof.
Could there be an underlying biological motivating factor,
other than procreation, involved with our sexuality? Does
our innate horniness have beneficial effects besides mere
pleasure? Certain scientists believe so, and I will bet my life
on it. Being sexually driven and satisfied helps to keep our
hormones balanced so that our bodies can be as robust as
possible.
Certain hormones, such as prolactin, growth hormone, and
oxytocin, help to keep our immune systems strong. These
same hormones (along with many others) are released during
orgasm. Our immune systems are responsible for fighting
off microorganisms and toxins that make us sick and cause
allergic reactions. When we have stronger immune systems,
our bodies are better able to combat these substances. Our
sex drive is a built-in immune booster.
Let’s take John L. as an example of how much influence sex
can have over our health. John had been married for over fifteen
years and was always the picture of health. When he got
divorced, however, his health rapidly declined. His doctor was
puzzled because his eating and exercise habits remained constant.
His doctor simply diagnosed him with depression and
gave him a prescription for the antidepressant Zoloft. Before
filling the prescription, though, John came to me to ask for
my insight. After a series of questions regarding his personal
life, I noticed that the only thing missing from John’s life was
a lover. I asked if he had had sex since his divorce, and he was
flabbergasted. “Dear God, no! That would be immoral!”
“Well, how do you feel about masturbation?” I quickly replied.
Luckily for John, he didn’t consider jerking off a oneway
ticket to hell, so after a month’s worth of solo sex, his
immune system seemed as strong as ever…and he never did
fill that Zoloft script. Which, by the way, would have probably
suppressed his immune system even more because antidepressants
put big dampers on libido.
Here’s an even better example of sexual healing: Not too long
ago I was attacked by a very nasty stomach virus. I couldn’t
keep anything down, my head throbbed, and I was terribly
weak and nauseated. One of my editors called during this
plague and told me he needed an article by the next day.
Yikes! I sat with pen in hand for fifteen minutes—nearly in
tears—thinking, “There’s no way I can write anything feeling
this horrible.”
Then, eureka! The sexual healing goddess awoke within me,
and I knew what had to be done. I went straight to my bedroom,
pulled out my most trustworthy vibrator, and got busy.
As soon as my mechanical love tool touched my clit, all dis-
300 EVERYTHING YOU KNOW ABOUT SEX IS WRONG