Got a few minutes to spare? Then check out this National Geographic Channel quiz which challenges you to compare twinned photos to find 10 differences in each, and learn facts about identical twins, particularly how they may not actually be fully identical.

Sure hope you do better than me…

The National Geographic Channel created this quiz as part of their In the Womb series.

By the way, the next episode of In the Womb screens this Saturday 28th February on National Geographic Channel.

Did you know that in the United States alone, there are 19 million new sexually transmitted disease (STD) cases diagnosed each year?

Scary numbers.

But most people will look at those numbers and say, ‘yeah, but that won’t happen to me. I’m safe. My behavior is not risky.”

Unfortunately, it could easily happen to you. All it really takes to get a sexually transmitted disease is one instance of unprotected sex.

Which is why I suggest that anyone who is sexually active or intending to become sexually active read Seductive Delusions: How Everyday People Catch STD’s by Jill Grimes MD.

It’s an easy to read book that focuses on real life stories of young adults as a way of educating and instructing everyone on how to recognize, treat, and prevent STD’s from infecting their lives. Dr. Grimes has chosen to write about the various STD’s in a narrative style that takes us into the examination room with the patient and doctor. As a result, you quickly start to realize that you cannot stereotype those who are suspectible and likely to get infected. It could just as easily be a family member or friend in that room with the doctor.

The ten chapters of Seductive Delusions cover the most prevalent STD’s, among them Herpes Simplex Virus, human papilloma virus, chlamydia, gonnorrhea, and HIV. Each chapter consists of two stories - one from a female point of view and one from a male - and also a factsheet that spells out all the facts about that particular STD.

Read the book from cover to cover and you will discover…

• Which STDs are asymptomatic or hard to diagnose in either women or men
• Why, if you are diagnosed with one STD, you should get tested for others
• Why it’s crucial to tell your past and current sexual partners about your diagnosis
• How to make decisions about the best course of treatment
• Why certain STDs are misdiagnosed and why it’s important to follow up when symptoms persist

STD’s are all around but talking about them is not something that people often do, especially within families. Hopefully, books like Seductive Delusions might just change that. After all, knowledge is power.

Find out how much you already know with this STD quiz.

Remember Claire, the 105 year old who said ‘no sex was the secret to longevity’. Well, it turns out that she’s not alone in being disinterested in sex. Seems that that are a whole lot of people (research has the number at 1% of the population) out there who classify themselves as asexual - as having no interest in sex and feeling no sexual attraction.

It’s a concept that most of us have difficulty understanding. We ask: How could someone be totally disinterested in sex? Don’t they want to make connections and have relationships with others? Don’t they want someone to love? And what about children and a family?

David Jay has been wrestling with these questions most of his life. Early on, he realized that unlike all his friends, he really had no interest in sex. It must have been a scary revelation for a teenage boy. After all, we live in a society obsessed with sex. A society that highlights people continuously as sexual beings. And here was David with no interest what so ever.

Wanting to make connects with others who felt the same way, David Jay started the Asexual Visibility and Education Network (AVEN) in 2001 to provide a community and a voice for asexuals. Today, he is one of the most prominent voices and is determined to foster a greater general understanding of asexuality by talking sex…

“The problem is not that there is too much discussion about sex; 99 percent of the world really, really likes sex, so it is something that should be talked about openly and honestly. But we need to have more discussion about how people can not have sex and still be happy.”

But it’s not just the general public that Jay and the AVEN are targeting. They are also targeting the psychological community to get asexuality cataloged as a legitimate sexual orientation rather than diagnosed as a disease or mental illness. But with some psychologists looking at asexuality as a sexual dysfunction that could take some time.

(source)

I really wanted to enter this giveaway myself but that would be breaking the ‘organizer cannot participate’ rule that exists with these giveaway.

So I guess it’s back to the random number selector to find out who to give the Core Strength Vinyasa Yoga: Power Hour DVD to.

And the winner is…

A’Lyn

Congratulations A’Llyn. You’ll be receiving an email shortly with directions on how and where to provide your mailing address.

By the way, anyone keen on learning more about Core Strength Vinyasa Yoga should head over to Sadie’s and subscribe to her monthly Core Strength newsletter, check out the over 100 yoga videos she has posted, and read her Power Hour Blog. 

So you enjoy the occasional cigar, do you? Well, if you’re in the camp that believes cigarette smoking is a no-no, but the occasional cigar is no biggie, think again. A recent article in Men’s Health lists the following as possible side effects to cigar smoking:

• * Frequent daily cigar smoking may double a man’s risk of throat, laryngeal, nose, esophageal and lung cancers, compared with those who don’t smoke.
• * Even a few puffs can raise your heart rate and blood pressure.
• * You are also at risk of exacerbating existing breathing problems like asthma.
• * And perhaps the scariest side effect of all? You may suffer weaker erections due to all the nicotine found in a cigar!

Not saying you should never enjoy a vice here or there, just reporting the information to help you make those informed decisions. We love looking out for you, don’tcha know?

With cold weather fast-approaching in the bulk of the U.S., methinks there are going to be plenty of seats heating up in cars across the nation. After all, that’s one of those luxuries we doled out big money for when we all purchased our gas-guzzling SUVs, right? Exactly.

However…

If you’re looking to add to your brood, have the man in your family rethink firing up their seat. Why? Preliminary studies have found that 90 minutes of warming his buns on a heated car seat created a significant increase in a guy’s scrotal temperature (makes sense). And because stress on the testicles (remember all those hot tub and tightie whitie warnings?) have been shown to negatively affect sperm quality, this study concludes that over time, it’s a possibility that these new-fangled heated seats may affect men’s fertility, too.

Keep in mind that at this point, the study has only examined short-term changes in scrotal temp and not the effects on a guy’s swimmers yet. But with the knowledge that normal sperm production is temperature-dependent and thrives best when the testicular temp is slightly lower than the body’s core temp, more studies need to be conducted to find out whether this extra heating is enough to do some disservice to a man’s reproductive future. Stay tuned for more info on this…

Source

As the kiddies head back to school (and back to scads of germ-acquiring opportunities) resist the urge to splurge on antibacterial soaps. Though the sheer impact of their title may make a weary parent squee with anticipation of heading off the beasties, antibacterial soaps are really no better than just plain soap and water.

True, many brands claim superiority, but the fact of the matter is that most of these drugstore soaps do not contain enough of the active ingredient triclosan to make them effective. In fact, in studies, families who used antibacterial soaps averaged the same number of germs on their mitts as those who lathered up with the old standby soap and water.

Lesson? Stick with plain old soap, but remember to wash often and well.

This has been your Healthbolt Easy Health Tip of the Day.

It’s Sexbolt Saturday again, everyone, and today’s post will be short and sweet so your time is better spent, if you know what I mean, wink-wink.

Today, I stumbled across a sex position (something you’ve told me you want to learn more about) that is sure to make both of your heads spin (be sure to read the tips included for the most benefit.)

Called “The Mermaid”, all you need is a flat surface, a pillow and a dollop of flexibility. The rest is up to you.

Looks like good stuff, all. Enjoy. And have a Sexy Saturday.

Happy Sexy Saturday, everyone! And aren’t we all celebrating (if you’re in the U.S., that is) since this is Labor Day weekend? Yep, this last blessed unofficial weekend of summer gives us an additional day to stay home from work and party in the bedroom between cookouts and beach trips. Beautiful!

So I won’t keep you all tied up at the computer, since you’ll surely have some other sexy matters to attend to, but I do want to share two great links with you today, both from Women’s Health magazine.

15 Things You Never Knew About Sex: A totally fun quiz exploring things like how graham crackers and sex are related, whether or not French kissing is bad for your teeth, and settling once and for all whether chocolate is a natural aphrodisiac or not! (By the way, I scored an 11 out of 15 on this quiz, thereby clinching the title of “Sex Goddess”. Yay me!

After you’re through with the quiz, your reward is a bonus link spelling out the best position for achieving the ever-elusive female orgasm. But no worries if you’re a fella - this position is sure to make your head spin, too (of course, nothing makes you hotter than seeing your lady explode with pleasure, am I right?)

That’s it for this weekend, my sexy friends. Have a great end-of-summer weekend, and don’t forget to create some summer heat of your own…in the sack!

Bad news if you’re overweight and are employed by the state of Alabama. If you don’t ease up on your Southern-fried favorites and hit the gym a bit more, you’ll end up paying $25 a month for insurance that is otherwise free to the un-fat folk.

That’s right, in an unprecedented move to encourage state workers to slim down, Alabama will be the first state in the nation to charge overweight workers who don’t make the effort to lighten up.

This $25 insurance fee will join the already-in-place $24/month fee that ‘Bama employees are charged for smoking. The state says it’s seen some success in getting their workers to quit lighting up, so they reason this new fee will encourage thicker employees to skinny up. Alabama is, after all, ranked second in the nation for obesity.

So how do you feel about this bold move? Would you welcome a change like this in your state, or should one’s employer butt out? Let us know…