Women Reclaim Virginity Through Faith, Surgery

Critics charge approach is ineffective, dangerous

(NEWSER) - Obama's health care reform includes $250 million for abstinence-only sexual education. To receive the funding, programs must teach that abstinence from sexual activity is "the only certain way to avoid out-of-wedlock pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and other associated health problems." They must also tell young people that pre-marital sex is "likely to have harmful psychological and physical effects," CNN notes. More»

New book reveals reasons behind lack of sex in marriage

(NEWSER) - Why does passion so often fizzle in a marriage? Prepare to be shocked: Bettina Arndt’s The Sex Diaries reveals the reasons aren’t what you think, the Daily Mail reports. Included in the nearly 100 couples who kept diaries for a year are many men who love their wives and wonder where the sex went—without turning to cheating or porn—and women who simply don’t have high libidos. More»

(NEWSER) - Attention women: For the sake of your relationship and general world harmony, it's time to resume having sex even when you're not in the mood. So says Bettina Arndt, a female columnist for the Canberra Times, who wonders, "Whatever happened to wifely duty?" It's still possible—in fact, easy—to enjoy sex even if you're not jazzed about the idea beforehand, she says. More»

Teens who pledge purity still do it, and they use protection less

(NEWSER) - Taking an abstinence pledge made teenagers no less likely to have sex before marriage but significantly less likely to use contraceptives when they did have sex, the Washington Post reports. “Previous studies would compare a mixture of apples and oranges,” said Janet Rosenbaum, the author of a new study that sought to weed out the demographic differences in other, similar studies. “I tried to pull out the apples.” More»

Couple takes first kiss on wedding day

(NEWSER) - A kiss was more than just a kiss for one Chicago couple, who vowed that they would not smooch—or engage in any other kind of physically amorous activity—until today, their wedding day, the Chicago Tribune reports. “It really tested us and encouraged us to grow closer in our hearts and our minds, just expressing things verbally,” said the 30-year-old groom. More»