Well, Dolphins Aren'T The Only Ones

Well, Dolphins Aren't the Only Ones

Sex. Yes, that's what I said. It's funny how one's ears seem to perk up at the word. You know what I mean. Starting research on this topic, I figured would be a cinch. I mean how hard can it be to write an essay on intercourse? I know I have a lot to say about it. What I found out later was that I had opened a seemingly endless can of worms. There are literally thousands of definitions and topics that relate to this three letter word. Science believes that sex can be defined at many levels ranging from cellular (egg vs. sperm), to physiological (hormonal levels) to behavioral (sexuality). Oxford English Dictionary tells us that sex is; 1: Either of the two main categories (male and female) into which humans and most other living things are divided on the basis of their reproductive functions. 2: The fact of belonging to one of these categories. 3: The group of all members of either sex. 4: Sexual activity, specifically sexual intercourse. Because I like to bring up subjects that some people find taboo, we will be discussing number four.

Let's start by asking a question. Does oral sex count? Many people have very different views about what technically qualifies as sex. In a study at Palo Alto High School researchers found that 79 percent of teenagers, who have engaged in oral sex, but not intercourse, consider themselves virgins. Many would disagree, especially the people at Allwords.com, who define sex as "sexual intercourse, or the activities, feelings, desires, etc associated with it." Other people, including one of our past political leaders, would definitely agree with the students of Palo Alto High. This is a false impression most doctors and researchers would say. Nancy Brown, of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, states that people who engage in sexual activity are not virgins.

"A virgin is pure; a virgin has not engaged in any kind of sexual activity. There is nothing less sexual about oral sexÐ'...Many consider themselves virgins because their hymen is intact, but it's all the way we talk about it," she concludes.

The vote is still out.

Did you know that humans are one of only three species on the planet that engage in sex for pleasure? Dolphins and Bonobos, also known as pygmy chimpanzees, are the only other animals on the planet that join us in our erotic quest. Sex for pleasure would be "copulation between