Sexual Intelligence

Sex—and culture, politics, psychology—and sex.

by Marty Klein, PhD

Dear Doc (& Men, Too): Less Viagra, Please

Many men who don't get erect don't have an erection problem, they have an expectation problem. Viagra won't help them. Read More

The End of Normal Sex

The social acceptance of same-gender sex, non-monogamy, & S/M will help liberate everyone, including non-practitioners. Read More

Disappointing reason to support gay rights: "My son is gay"

Although his support is welcome, Senator Portman's sudden support of same-sex marriage is selfish--it isn't for Americans, it's for his son. Read More

Is There Such A Thing As Gay (or Straight) Porn?

Why do straight people watch transsexual porn? As Kinsey said, the world isn't divided into sheep and goats. Read More

Manti Te'o Reveals a Generation's Intimacy Problems

Young people who don't learn how to communicate face to face won't look forward to intimacy. Read More

Highs & Lows of Sex in 2012

Do you remember these amazing sex-related stories from 2012? Read More

Philip Roth Retires, Undefeated

Novelist Philip Roth wrote about sex as it really is: messy and undignified. His characters often have sex for reasons other than pleasure--to distance loneliness and fear of death, for example. Read More

Sympathy For Wedding-Night Virgins

Pre-marital sexual inexperience often starts a couple's journey on the wrong foot--especially when combined with poor communication, gender stereotypes, and common myths. Read More

Banning Conversion Therapy: Good Intention But...

There's no data supporting conversion "therapy"--or the majority of what therapists do. Read More

Attention Both Parties: Here's a Sexual Health Platform

Democrats and Republicans needs to address sexuality. Here's how. Read More

Parents Television Council REALLY Loves the Sin

Many censors like to enjoy what they consider horrible and dangerous for the rest of us. Read More

32 Helpful Things You Can Learn From Porn

Of course porn's a fantasy--but it also contains many lessons sex educators have been teaching for decades. Read More

Is It Right to Discriminate Against Chick-Fil-A?

The president of Chick-fil-A restaurants, Dan Cathy, proudly opposes same-gender marriage. He says it's contrary to the bible, and that proponents of gay marriage are inviting God’s judgment. Read More

We're ALL Fred Willard

Fred Willard is a tremendously gifted TV and film actor (Everybody Loves Raymond, Modern Family; Best In Show, A Mighty Wind). His career is now abruptly over because he was arrested by L.A. vice cops at an adult movie theater. Not convicted, not sentenced. Arrested. For “lewd behavior” in a porn theater. Read More

Celebrating the Limits of Religious Freedom

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." Read More

Court Slaps FCC, Ducks Free Speech Issue

It’s taken eight years, but the Supreme Court has finally ruled on the Cher/Bono/Richie fleeting expletives case (FCC v Fox Broadcasting) and NYPD Blue case (FCC v ABC). The Court unanimously reversed the FCC’s punishment of the two networks for showing 8 seconds of a character’s buttocks, and letting a few naughty words on live TV go un-bleeped. Read More

Sexual Harassment—Or Unwanted Sexual Attention?

If you're interested in sexuality, consider the following scenario. It's a COMPOSITE of various situations that recur at conferences and other large gatherings. It's particularly important that people interested in progressive politics and gender relations work this out. Again, this is a COMPOSITE--the way therapists write about cases, changing some details and adding others. Read More

Same-sex Marriage, Birth Control, and Religious Exceptionalism

In the same week, (1) President Obama announced his support of same-gender marriage, and (2) the University of Notre Dame sued the federal government about birth control. Read More

Government Still Obsessed with Janet Jackson's Nipple

Way back in 2004, Janet Jackson’s right nipple was unexpectedly exposed for exactly one-half second during the Superbowl half-time show. Grown men cried. Women fainted. Children were driven mad by the brown protuberance. Read More

Stanford Law Students Learn About Obscenity and Free Speech

I had the pleasure of moderating a panel at Stanford Law School this week. The title was Obscenity and Free Speech, part of their weeklong Adult Entertainment Symposium. Read More

Youth, Sexuality & Technology

Yesterday I had the great pleasure of addressing Sex::Tech, the national conference on Youth, Technology & Sexuality sponsored annually by ISIS (Internet Sexuality Information Services). Over 400 sex educators, youth program directors, and technology developers (many under the age of 25 themselves) gathered to discuss how to use new technologies to enhance young people’s sexual health. Read More

Imagine: Sex Is Just Sex

I’m always being asked why the U.S. is so nutty when it comes to sex. Read More

It's Not a War on Women — It's a War on Sex

First, why is "slut" considered an insult? After all, it's simply a woman who's willing to have sex with several men with whom she isn't married, and probably doesn't even "love." Read More

Superbowl Sex Trafficking Increase? Super Nonsense

Sex trafficking--the real thing, not the political consumer product or object of sloganeering--involves kidnapping or manipulating someone out of their community, forcing them to engage in sex acts somewhere else, and not allowing them to leave at will.

It's horrendous. Read More

Should Prison Inmates Have the Right to Masturbate?

Should prison inmates have the right to masturbate? I was interviewed about this on Public Radio last week. To prepare, I read up on the subject just a bit. And I was shocked. Read More

Your Kid Looks At Porn. Now What?

I was recently interviewed by internet safety expert Dr. Larry Magid for a piece on kids looking at porn. We had such an interesting conversation I thought I'd write about this myself.

Of course, 700 words can't possibly cover every aspect of this issue. But let's begin. Read More

The Morning After: Screwed by Obama

President Obama has joined President Bush in opposing the widest possible access for Emergency Contraception (Plan B). And he's done it for the two worst possible reasons: emotion and "common sense." Read More

Giving Thanks: Teen Pregnancy, Rape, & Sex Abuse All Decline

Mandatory introduction: Sex abuse is gruesome, rape is horrifying, unintended teen pregnancy destroys lives. One single case of any of these is way, way too much.

But there's reason to give thanks today. Read More

Yale Bans Sex Week—for the Wrong Reasons

Yale University President Richard Levin has announced that the school is discontinuing "Sex Week" in its present form.

Since 2002, Yale University's Sex Week has brought speakers to campus to discuss a variety of sex-related topics. But as it grew, it involved corporate sponsors such as Pure Romance (in-home sex toy sales parties) and porn stars such as Sasha Gray. Read More

14 Ways to Observe Pornography Awareness Week

Coinciding with the horrors of Halloween is Pornography Awareness Week. Read More

Marty Klein is a certified sex therapist and licensed psychotherapist. He has written five books and 200 articles about sex; his TV appearances include 20/20 andNightline. more...