Sex Is A Myth

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Sex Is A Myth

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The Supreme Court ruled today that LGBTQ workers are protected by federal law banning discrimination ... [+] (Photo By Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Today, the Supreme Court ruled that federal anti-discrimination laws protect gay and transgender employees. The 6-3 majority wrote that LGBTQ employees are protected under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination because of sex. The dissenting opinion claimed that Title VII protected only those who were discriminated because they were biologically male or female.
Many who oppose transgender rights believe that gender is determined solely by biological sex. But, biological sex isn’t as straightforward as they likely think, and there is no one parameter that makes a person biologically male or female. In fact, many conditions make assigning a biological sex quite difficult.
Despite the complexities, biological sex is often discussed as if it were obvious how to assign male or female sex. In addition to today’s Supreme Court ruling, last Friday, Trump eliminated transgender individuals’ civil rights in health care and Roger Severino, the Director of the Office for Civil Rights at the Department of Health and Human Services said of the bill that “We're going back to the plain meaning of those terms [male and female], which is based on biological sex.” Earlier this month, Harry Potter author, J.K. Rowling, was labeled anti-trans for making a distinction between biological women and transgender women. And, in April, Idaho became the first state to require that athletes competing in girls’ and women’s sports be biologically female. None explained exactly how they would assign biological sex in ambiguous cases.
Rowlings comments were in response to an article which referred to, “the menstrual health and hygiene needs of girls, women and all people who menstruate.” She tweeted , “‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?’ After facing criticism for suggesting that transgender women were not women, Rowling followed up, “If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased.”  
The biology of sex is real, but it’s extremely complicated, and there is sometimes no easy way to draw a line between the biologically male and female. According to the BBC documentary, Me, My Sex and I , “There are about a dozen different conditions that blur the line between male and female. They’re known as disorders of sexual development or DSDs…. Altogether, DSDs occur as frequently as twins or red hair.”
Most think chromosomes hold the key to biological sex, but that’s not always the case. Typically, those with two X chromosomes are considered biologically female and those with one X and one Y chromosome are considered biologically male. However, a DSD known as Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (AIS) leads some to have an X and Y chromosome, but physically appear to be girls. Without genetic testing, babies with AIS are often assigned female sex at birth and are raised as girls. They may not realize they are not biologically female until they hit puberty and don’t begin to menstruate.
The presence or lack of a penis is often thought of as another clear indicator of biological sex, but that’s not a decisive way to divide the sexes either. Some individuals are born with ambiguous genitalia and are not clearly male or female in genital appearance at birth. In fact, research indicates that about 2% of the population is born with these ambiguous traits. Those born with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), for example, are chromosomally female but may have very masculinized genitalia. Despite the ambiguity, biological sex is often assigned to these individuals within a few days of birth.
Clinical psychogist, Tiger Devore , an outspoken advocate for individuals with DSDs who was born with ambiguous genitalia, describes the process that occurs at the birth of a child with ambiguous genitals, “People create radio silence and they wait for the doctors to come up with some kind of decision about this. The doctors are looking at their chromosomes, their gonads, how their tissues respond to various kinds of hormonal influences and seeing what they think will happen if they try to give this kid a male assignment or female assignment, and that can be a messy process.” 
When genitalia is ambiguous, doctors try to determine biological sex by examining many indicators. In addition to chromosomes, doctors will examine if the baby has ovaries or testes, and whether or not they have a womb.  Doctors also look at the hormones being produced and try to guess how the baby’s genitals will develop. To complicate the process, the results from each of these tests may not be clearly male or female but could fall somewhere in between. A baby may have a womb and may also have testicles inside their body. Rather than take a “wait and see” approach, doctors often still feel compelled to choose one sex for the baby.
 In Devore’s case, in order to conform to society’s norms for how biological males appear, doctors recommended to his parents that he undergo surgery to appear more male. His first surgery was at three months of age. He’s had fifteen more surgeries since then, ten of which were conducted before he turned ten years old.
In elite athletics, testosterone is sometimes seen as the key to identifying who is permitted to participate as female. South-African runner Caster Semenya was assigned female at birth, raised as a girl and identifies as a woman. But Semenya has a DSD, and as a result, has XY chromosomes and very high testosterone levels. In 2019, new rules were instituted to keep women like Semenya from participating in certain events unless they take medication to lower their testosterone levels. Studies of testosterone levels in elite athletes show overlap between men and women, so it’s tough to use testosterone as criteria for who is biologically male and who is biologically female.
As for the Idaho law which prohibits transgender girls and women from competing in sports Representative Barbara Ehardt, the sponsor of the bill told the New York Times that DNA tests to determine chromosomes would be the first step. “If there are questions beyond that, there are hormone, urine and blood tests that are much more common.” When asked about intersex athletes, Ehardt said, “If there was a situation such as that, that person’s doctor would no doubt already be familiar and already be in a position to solve.” It seems biological sex would once again be left to the subjective decision of a doctor. 
One of the reasons most of us are unaware of the ambiguity surrounding biological sex is that genitalia is something we don’t talk about openly. Clinical Psychologist, Aileen Schast, counseled parents who had given birth to children with DSDs and explained in a documentary how difficult it was for parents of a newborn whose sex was not clearly defined. “That early feeling of shame starts to develop. ‘This is something I can’t talk about. It has to do with genitalia, and we don’t talk about that. So, I can’t tell my sister and I can’t tell my friends at work,’” she described. Since few discuss these conditions, many don’t realize that they exist.
“What’s amazed me the most is that there is such a continuum from the male to the female, and it’s really hard to draw a line somewhere neatly in the middle,” Schast added. Biological sex, it turns out, is a lot like gender identity—not always male or female, but occasionally somewhere in between.


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Body image issues in men concern mainly penis size. Body image refers to the thoughts one has about their body, as well as one's notion as to how others perceive it.
Many men, affected by common myths or pornographic films, have a non-realistic perception of what the “normal” penis size is. Besides, the myth that size plays a catalytic role in pleasuring a woman reinforces the importance attributed to penis size.
Body image affects sexual function mainly through the thoughts that dominate during contact (Pujols 2010). That is, when concerns regarding the body are so intense that they distract attention from sexual stimuli, then it is very possible that satisfaction will decrease and dysfunction may appear.
In a recent study, 21% of women asked replied that penis length is “important” and only 1% that it is “very important”. Length was less important than girth and 32% replied that girth is important.
Penis length is determined by numerous factors, mainly racial. Penis length when erect ranges from 11 to 15 cm. (average length for Caucasian men is 13 cm). Science has determined that penis size is pathological when it is under 7cm (vagina length is approximately 7cm.).
Nonetheless, studies agree that how we feel about our body affects our sexual satisfaction much more than objective physical characteristics (Weaver 2006).
The notion that masturbation is harmful for health was debunked years ago. However, many believe that masturbation is normal behaviour only when there is no sexual partner or the possibility of sexual contact.
However, evidence refutes that myth. One of the largest studies showed that more than 60% of men and 40% of women masturbated in the last year. When the sample was limited to people who lived together and were in a steady relationship, percentages were even higher: 85% of men and 45% of women masturbate (Lauman etal., 1994). Furthermore, the data of a prospective study that examined the frequency of masturbation over a period of 8 years, shows that it remained steady with time, despite increased sexual contact frequency.(KorcmazCetin, 2008).
After 1974, the American Psychiatric Association stopped characterizing homosexuality as a psychological disorder.
Human sexual orientation is usually not experienced as a choice, but as a psychological urge to develop an emotional and physical relationship with individuals of the same or the opposite sex. However, the expression of this need presupposes that one enjoys a sense of freedom and security. In societies characterized by prejudice and low tolerance levels to anything different, one’s sense of freedom and security is low. Such an environment, however, impedes the expression of one’s personal needs. The right to enjoy one's sexual relations has been recognized as a human right by the World Health Organization, and all societies should safeguard an environment that respects and protects the sexuality of every individual. Only within such an environment can we explore, understand and experience the faces of our sexuality, without guilt or negative emotions.
Many men believe that sexual performance is a defining factor in their being preferred by a woman. However, evolutionary psychology has shown that women are interested in men in whom they discern characteristics that they consider important in raising their children.
A series of studies by David Buss in 37 countries around the world have shown that attractive physical appearance is important for both genders, but that men find it more important than women. As far as the financial power of the partner, the same series of studies showed that it is more important to women than to men. This is connected to women's desire to secure the survival of their children.
Many men believe that in the presence of an attractive woman they must always be able to have an erection. This is not true, i.e. a man may feel tired, may feel the need to develop some intimacy and an emotional relationship with the woman first, may not wish to be unfaithful, may feel guilty or he may not like the circumstances, etc.
Furthermore, it often occurs that erections are caused and then lost during penetration or contact, prior to climaxing. Many things could be happening: his desire was not strong enough, he was too stressed about impressing the woman to perform or there might well have been incidental reasons. In fact, a recent study showed that those who believed that they “must” always be ready for sex, were more likely to present erectile problems, when compared to men who did not share this belief. (Notre, 2006)
Many men worry about the duration of sexual contact. They often have non-realistic expectations that create continuous stress during sexual contact.
Numerous studies have recorded the time required for ejaculation in men with or without problems. Three of these were published in the “Journal of Sexual Medicine”: the first one (2005) was carried out in 4 European countries and showed that the average time until ejaculation in men was 5.4 minutes.
The second one, carried out in the USA (2006), showed that, in a sample of 1500 men, the average duration in men with premature ejaculation was 1.8 minutes and in men without a problem was 7.3 minutes. However, there were men who could last up to 25 minutes, yet they claimed they suffered from premature ejaculation!
The third study (2007), which only included men with premature ejaculation, recorded that 90% of them ejaculated in less than 1 minute.
The myth that sex is a daily activity is not true for the majority of couples. It seems that most couples have sex 1-2 times a week (Laumann, 1994).
Recently, the results of a study were published, which recorded to what extent couples in a steady, long-term relationship are satisfied by the frequency of their sexual contact (Smith, 2011). The results were impressive, since only 46% of men and 58% of women replied that they were satisfied by the frequency of their sexual contact.
The overwhelming majority of men were not pleased with the frequency of their sexual contacts and would like to have sex more often. Of the women who were not satisfied, 2/3 wanted to have sex more often and only 1/3 wanted to have sex less frequently.
The fact that a high percentage of couples is not satisfied with the frequency of their sexual contacts indicates there is a gap between peoples' expectations and what they finally manage to experience in their relationship.
The fact that dissatisfaction was common in both genders shows that the problem does not occur from different levels of sexual desire, but from the fact that other pursuits and obligations take up the time the couple could spend together.
A man may contribute to the pleasure of a woman through his sexual practices and relationship with that woman, but he does not have absolute control of the situation. An important role in a woman’s pleasure is played by the woman herself, i.e. how relaxed and rested she feels, how well she knows what she likes and how comfortable she feels in showing her partner, if she has sexual thoughts, etc. Every person, regardless of their gender, affects their own personal pleasure, as well as that of their partner.
Being obsessed with achieving an orgasm and focusing on it may reduce pleasure for both partners and even destroy their sexual relationship.
A study of couples after having their first child showed that, 8 months after the arrival of the child, 50% replied that their sexual life was “bad” or “not very good” and one in five wanted help with it. Furthermore, the percentage of those who characterised the quality of their relationship as “bad” or “not very good” increased, from 1% prior to the birth to 20% 8 months after it. Young couples have to protect their personal relationship, by making sure they find time for it.
Even the effort to conceive can cause sexual problems. Women may be interested in sex only on their fertile days, while the man is called upon to perform his duty on a specific time and day, which may result in psychogenic sexual dysfunction.
A recent study (Grov 2011) of 8,367 people, showed that small or medium frequency in the use of pornographic materials has positive consequences on a couple’s relationship, increasing the frequency and quality of sex, as well as the intimacy between the couple members.
Furthermore, low or medium use of pornographic material seemed to be associated to better sexual communication in couples.
A survey of 1,291 people in steady relationships presented interesting data, comparing the use of pornographic materials as a solitary activity or as an activity for the couple (Maddox, 2011)
More men (76.8%) than women (31.6%) reported that they watch pornographic materials alone, but approximately half (44.8%) of the men and the women reported that sometimes they watch pornographic material with their partner.
Those who always used pornographic material with their partners reported higher sexual satisfaction and greater commitment to their relationship when compared to those who always used it on their own.
It is impressive that global proceeds from the pornography industry are estimated at approximately $97 billion, an amount that is haigher than the total proceeds of Microsoft, Google, Amazon, eBay, Yahoo, Apple and Netflix together!
This is useful data not so much because it highlights the high frequency of pornographic material use, but rather because it stresses that behind such products there is an enormous industry, which, in order to sell, constructs attractive models of men and women, that are far removed from an average person!
An issue that has started to concern the science of sexual medicine all the more recently is the sexuality of the elderly. This issue is of some concern, because in Europe, for example, the percentage of people over the age of 60 is expected to increase by 50% over the next 30 years (Kontoula, 2009). Furthermore, the expression of sexuality among the elderly has been related to better overall health, less frequent use of health services, as well as a better quality of life.
In this context, relevant data published recently about the population over the age of 65 in Spain (Palacios-Cena, 2012) confirmed that a significant number of elderly people have an active sexual life.
Specifically, 63% of men and 37.4% of women reported that they were sexually active. The most common sexual practices were kissing, embracing and intercourse.
The study agrees with other related studies and indicates that, if an elderly man or woman has a partner and good overall health, it is very possible that they may continue to enjoy sexual life far into their old age.
Modern epidemiology findings indicate that sexual problems are more frequent in men than in women. It is merely that in men a sexual problem (i.e. inability to maintain an erection or premature ejaculation) cannot be easily hidden.
Regardless of age, 40%-50% of women, as compared to 20%-30% of men, are afflicted by at least one intense sexual dysfunction. Sexual dysfunctions are related to age, since all organic causes in men and women are consequences of organic conditions associated with blood vessels, neurons and hormones. Psychogenic causes, however, are common in all ages.

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There’s no doubt about it: sex can be complicated. If you have questions, we’ve got you covered. Experts break down the most common sex myths and facts.
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