I spent months interviewing people about their sex lives. This is what I learned
![I spent months interviewing people about their sex lives. This is what I learned](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/fe4449fce2a73799bcba1e95ecaab5a93c9d835e/0_6_1654_992/master/1654.jpg?width=460&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=ec5a5792ab63e8a5e07a9d43f0383c01)
Flirting in China, sex work in Australia, dangerous liaisons in Nigeria – intimate relations vary wildly around the world, as I discovered while compiling a global special of the Guardian’s This is how we do it column
A friend of mine moved to the UK recently, and tells me English men are bad at foreplay. It’s a culture shock. She’s Spanish, and insists that oral sex is – for a Spaniard – second nature. Whereas English men rarely attempt it, and when they do, she wishes they would stop.
Does where you are born determine how you will have sex? Perhaps this seems like a stupid question. We tend to see sex as being unlearned and instinctive; something humans around the world do in a relatively similar way – with slight adjustments according to taste and sexuality. There is no global “oral sex satisfaction” survey I can find to verify what my friend told me. If you try to define the sexual character of a whole country, you will resort to stereotypes. “Continental people have sex lives; the English have hot-water bottles,” the Hungarian-born George Mikes wrote in 1946. This is a sweeping generalisation, but I can’t entirely dismiss it.
Continue reading...Date: |
Filter
-
The Wall Street Journal - World
Defiant Biden Hits Campaign Trail as Democrats Discuss Replacement
The president’s halting debate performance spurs turmoil in the Democratic Party over its 2024 candidate.Joe Biden -
The Guardian - World
The secret lives of porn addicts: ‘I am meticulous about covering my tracks’
As pornography use soars, some men feel their behaviour is moving from a compulsion to an addiction. They describe how this affects their health, happiness and relationships. Tony is in his 50s and recently did a rough calculation of how much of ... -
The Guardian - World
At age 40 I performed in the med school musical – and learned humility is my superpower | Roland Bull
I was both the oldest and least mature member of the cast, grinning from ear to ear as I stumbled through the choreography. Get our weekend culture and lifestyle emailI’m what might generously be described as a late bloomer. I spent my 20s and 30s ... -
The Guardian - World
I just found out who my real father is. What do I do now? | Ask Annalisa Barbieri
DNA tests can reveal some huge hidden secrets. Take time to process your own feelings before coming to terms with your new family tree . I’m happily married with adult children, and grandchildren. One of my children bought me a DNA testing kit ... -
CBS News - Top stories
How many CD accounts should I have? What experts say
It can be difficult to determine how many CDs you need. Here's how experts say you should approach the issue. -
The Hill - Politics
Buttigieg: Debate wasn’t what ‘I would have loved for us’
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Friday lamented President Biden's debate performance but defended his continued candidacy in the 2024 race. “It wasn’t the debate I would have loved for us to have,” Buttigieg said on MSNBC. “I know what ... -
Inc. - Business
Walmart Is Paying Its People as Much as $500,000, and I Hope It's a Sign of Earning Back Trust
Can the big retailer brand turn around its reputation as an employer? -
MarketWatch - Business
I’m confused: Should I pay tax now or later on my retirement savings — and from what funds?
The best Roth conversion strategy can be elusive when you get conflicting advice. -
The Guardian - World
Euphoria felled by reality and scant ambition – I have seen what could be Labour’s future | Aditya Chakrabortty
Thatcher’s old heartland is now a microcosm of the nation. Labour ended years of Tory rule there, but it struggles with that legacy and new expectations. Take what follows as a parable, then a warning.. An arm of British government has been in ...
More from The Guardian
-
The Guardian - World
Biden denounces supreme court decision on Trump immunity: ‘He’ll be more emboldened’
In speech from White House, president said ruling ‘undermined the rule of law’ and compared their characters. Joe Biden has issued a full-throated denunciation of the US supreme court’s decision to grant his predecessor, Donald Trump, broad ...Joe Biden -
The Guardian - World
Marine Le Pen says National Rally should not try to form government without a majority – Europe live
Far-right politician says National Rally ‘wish to govern’ France but cannot do so properly without a majority. Speaking on France Inter this morning, the far-right National Rally’s Marine Le Pen said she would be respectful of Jordan Bardella’s ... -
The Guardian - World
Israel-Gaza war live: fresh strikes on Khan Younis as UN secretary general says ‘no place safe in Gaza’
Reports of eight dead in IDF strikes in southern Gaza city on Tuesday after order to evacuate Gaza’s second-largest city. . Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Deir al-Balah for Al Jazeera says that it has been “quite difficult for residents” in the ...Israel -
The Guardian - World
USMNT crash out of Copa América after contentious defeat to Uruguay
The US were eliminated from the Copa América with a 1-0 loss to Uruguay on Monday night, a defeat that will increase pressure on US Soccer to remove coach Gregg Berhalter before a World Cup on home soil in 2026.. Uruguay scored in the 66th minute ... -
The Guardian - World
Senior Tory criticises ‘worst campaign in my lifetime’ as frustration grows
Rishi Sunak accused of failing to tackle threat from Reform while candidates complain of lack of support from CCHQ. Recriminations have begun to fly around the Conservatives as a senior figure called the last few weeks the “worst campaign in my ...