Author, sexologist speaks on ‘America’s war on sex’

Anna Schilawski

“It’s not about pharmacy rights or state’s rights. It’s about sex,” Dr. Marty Klein said in his lecture to a large audience Tuesday night in the Indiana Memorial Union’s Alumni Hall.

Klein was chosen by the IU Health Center’s Health & Wellness Department to speak on his most recent book, “America’s War on Sex: The Attack on Law, Lust and Liberty,” which focuses on America’s current outlook on public policy and sexuality.
Not only is Klein an IU alumnus, he is a renowned sexologist, a licensed marriage and family therapist and certified sex therapist who was the featured speaker of the
“Sexploration at IU,” which runs the rest of the week.

“‘America’s War on Sex’ was perfect because Election Day is next month,” said Katie Wilkinson, office and outreach coordinator for Health & Wellness Education.
She said she thinks some of the sexual politics gets overlooked because of politics and the war on terror.

Klein began his lecture with a PowerPoint presentation showing many images of men and women of all ages and races who have been charged with criminal acts associated with sex.

He raised the question to the audience about how these issues are related and said each crime had an enormous range of punishment.

“People that watch network news constantly say there’s more sex,” Klein said. American media are overstating the amount of sex, violence and sex danger, which results in a “sexpanic,” Klein said.

Klein discussed many controversial topics such as abortion, the HPV vaccine, which can protect women from cervical cancer, birth control and sex education.

“Condoms are a modern miracle,” Klein said.

But he said America’s narrative on sexuality today is that it is dangerous and people need to be afraid of it.

“There’s a desire for people to control sexuality,” Klein said. “We have a real political problem.”

Klein discussed topics ranging from the politics of fear to Janet Jackson’s nipple exposure during the Super Bowl to the Declaration of Independence.

Klein concluded his formal lecture with lessons about civics and discussed the U.S. Constitution.

“Our constitution says that people have rights,” Klein said.

He also said adults can do whatever they want because those are their rights, and no one wants those rights to be compromised.

The lecture ended with a question-and-answer session lasting about half an hour, and Klein said people should not view opinions as right or left wing, but as factual and not factual.

Americans need to learn how to frame the problem in order to come to a solution.
Sophomore Hannah Meckes said she attended the event for her human sexuality class.

“I really enjoyed it,” Meckes said. She said it gave her an overall different perspective and helped her to recognize there is a problem going on in America.
“I was really surprised of the criminal acts associated with sex,” Meckes said. “I never realized they existed until now.”

Here’s a new Sensex tracker: Sex drive

Geetanjali Jhala

MUMBAI: “My husband has become so short-tempered, now I don’t dare approach him.”
“It’s been six months since my husband held my hand or even smiled at me.”
“I’ve lost so much money in the market that sex is the last thing on my mind.”
“It’s been so long since I had sex that I’m sure I won’t be able to perform.”

These are some of the complaints that city sexologists have received in the last few months, complaints from 30-something stockbrokers who had done “phenomenally well last year when the markets were on a high”.

But the economic slump has had a direct impact on the interpersonal relationships, sex lives and marriages of people. “Since January when the Sensex started falling — particularly in the last two months — the number of such complaints has increased four fold,” says Dr Rajan Bhonsle, one of Mumbai’s leading sexologists.

As the economy continues to do badly, affecting savings and businesses, this number is expected to rise, say doctors. Typically, patients approach a professional only when the situation worsens, so doctors feel that over the next few months, more people are going to seek help. “In my experience, I have seen people who come for counselling after the marriage has reached the stage of divorce,” says andrologist Rupin Shah, who deals with male reproductive health.

The subsequent depression and anxiety can lead to erectile dysfunction (ED) a.k.a. impotence. “Losing their life’s savings affects their self-confidence and self-esteem, naturally affecting the urge to have sex,” says Dr Prakash Kothari, sexologist. This, he says, is usually temporary — if checked on time, counselling and medication help cure the problem. “But low sexual desire, failure to perform sexually, lack of support from the partner and not checking the problem in time can lead to permanent ED.”

Like in Rahul Saxena’s (name changed) case: The 37-year-old broker had been having sleepless nights for four months.

He used to wake up at 4am to check the stock prices and foreign markets on financial news channels. Every time his wife tried talking to him, he rejected her advances, believing she wanted to have sex.

Initially she thought there was something about her that put him off because he was always “tired and irritable”, but after months of no sex and no communication, she finally pushed him to seek help.

Sure enough, he was suffering from depression and low self-esteem, causing temporary erectile dysfunction. He didn’t feel the urge to make love to his wife of three years because he was always anxious. Eventually, he started feeling guilty for rejecting her and so he withdrew completely.

Unfortunately, where monetary losses are concerned, often the spouse is not forthcoming with support because she tends to blame her husband for her losses, adds Dr Bhonsle.

When the wife makes an attempt to approach her husband, he rejects her irritably. Sometimes, this rejection from her husband can leave a deep scar on her self-esteem and marriage, say doctors.

Brokers who have played the markets for over 10 years do not feel the pinch because they’ve seen how the market fluctuates; but not those who are new to the game and whose businesses are affected.

“The anxiety affects their sleep, appetite and subsequently their sex lives. I know a number of people who are turning to yoga and other exercises to help relieve the stress, especially people who’ve lost their own hard-earned money,” says Dr Harish Shetty, psychiatrist.

Stress and anxiety caused by the recession is like any other individual economic stress, except in the number of people being affected. “I have old patients reporting back to me at a time like this. Even those who’ve managed to control their anxiety and depression for three years are now slipping,” says Dr DK Deshmukh, psychiatrist at the Lilavati hospital.

“Worrying” about the economy will only cause personal harm, say doctors. “History has shown that a recession is always temporary and that the markets will rise again,” says Dr Bhonsle. “I always tell my patients not to stress over factors that are not in their control.”
j_geetanjali@dnaindia.net