Don’t Put That in There! And 69 Other Sex Myths Debunked

Carroll and Vreeman (Don’t Cross Your Eyes) continue their medical myth-busting series with a volume dedicated entirely to battling common misconceptions about sex and sexuality. For men, they cover questions of size, sex duration, and benefits and disadvantages to circumcision. They address the tired stereotypes that women lack libido or find a man performing housework sexy, as well as the trope of a vast age difference in male and female sexual peaks. They also discuss athletes abstaining from sex before a competition and probe the mystery of chocolate as an aphrodisiac. The doctors painstakingly lay out the risks of sexually transmitted infections, including the possibility of infection from a toilet seat and the statistical effectiveness of condoms, but they also outline the health benefits of sexual activity and argue in favor of HPV vaccination for young girls. They present a range of myths regarding pregnancy, from Todd Akin’s absurd 2012 “legitimate rape” comments to the more routine questions of weight gain from birth control and sexual position determining a baby’s sex. The authors’ research is thorough and impartial and helpfully presented with a healthy dose of humor. (July)