Rebecca Chalker, you are an American feminist, certified sex adviser, and health writer. Can you tell us more about yourself, your background, your study, and your work as a sex and health adviser? In the late 1970s I worked at the Feminist Women's Health Center in Los Angeles, editing their book, A New View of A Woman’s Body, and also worked in their clinic as a lay health worker advising clients on gynecological self-help issues and assisted in abortion procedures. Both the book and my work in the clinic enhanced my work on A New View, on my other books, public lectures and teaching. I later moved to New York City and began writing medical self-help books at HarperCollins and then at Seven Stories Press with a book on abortion and later on women’s sexuality. I also taught in the Women's and Gender Studies Department at Pace University in New York City for 20 years, where I taught two courses that I developed, »A Cultural History of Sexualities from Prehistory to the Present,« and »Hot Button Issues in Sexuality« for first year students. I'm currently putting a webinar together called »Sex From Prehistory ‘til Tomorrow!« based on my course, that should be up by early June. In 2010, I received my PhD in sexology from the Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Sexuality in San Francisco. In addition to enhancing my knowledge in various areas, I was able to view video presentations by important sexologists who had lectured at the Institute from its beginning. I used the 1st edition of The Clitoral Truth in my classes at Pace and was aware that professors in various universities we're also using it as a text. This edition stayed in print for 18 years and the German edition, Klitoris: Die Unbekannte Schone, was published by Orlanda in Berlin in 2018. Also, in 2018, the updated and enhanced English edition entitled The Clitoral Truth About Pleasure, Orgasm, Female Ejaculation, the G Spot, and Masturbation was published. What myths, misconceptions, and truths do you wish to especially emphasize? Glad you asked! The so-called G spot is, well, global (!) and is even in American dictionaries (!) »G spot« is a serious misnomer. Beverly Whipple and John Perry who wrote »The G Spot« book did not do their homework…they only popularized a partial idea of the female prostate. Nonetheless, they became famous, made millions of dollars, won prizes, and have never correct their errors, although Dr. Whipple and I are now on good terms, and she in interested in my work on the female prostate. Early on, Dr. Whipple worked to explain the then mystifying phenomenon of female ejaculation, and even made a movie about it, and I give her credit for that. How this book contributes and adds to the understanding of lesbian sexual pleasure since research on female orgasms shows that lesbians give and receive the highest percentage of orgasms. For instance, a USA national study on Differences in Orgasm Frequency Among Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Heterosexual Men and Women (2018) showed that lesbian women (86%) are much more likely to orgasm during sexual activity than bisexual women (66%) and heterosexual women (65%). I'm familiar with Elizabeth Lloyd's work on orgasm and I'm sure she made important contributions and critiques to this study. This result is no surprise, but I would like to see the same questionnaire done on non self-selected populations… although I believe the results would be somewhat similar. The study demonstrates on many levels is that heterosexual women are limited by men’s ease of orgasm and not asking for what they like or not knowing how sexual activities that lesbians take for granted could enhance pleasure and satisfaction. What is your professional opinion on the difference in orgasms between lesbian women (86%) and bisexual women (66%)? In this instance, this study’s results are no surprise, and these are not the first researchers to affirm this. Recently I read the book Ars Erotica - Sex and Somaesthetics in the Classical Arts of Love by Richard Shusterman (2021) - a history book about lovemaking through time and places but written entirely from a male perspective. I was disappointed because on 440 pages there was almost nothing on female sexual anatomy and her pleasure, therefore your book makes an even more valuable and important contribution to understanding female physiology and pleasure. What is your perspective on ordinary books on female pleasure and jousiannce? Are you familiar with the term and how would you describe it? Jousiannce, an intense, complex psychological and bodily experience that goes beyond momentary satisfaction. Regarding sexuality, the term asserts heightened fulfillment of desire(s), but when applied to sexuality, it doesn’t readily translate into English, in the United States anyway, and it isn’t used by sexologists here to describe sexual experience. Where do you think a real story/reason behind the notion of women like Medusa and Pandora come from and the notion of their excessive lustful nature? Medusa and Pandora were created by Greek men to symbolize their contempt for women, even though they had mistresses and routinely made use of sex workers. I’ll give you a example: Like »a wild animal even more polluted than an asp is the woman who dabbles in poisons.…An asp destroys with its poison, but a woman has only to touch her victim to kill it.« Medusa was often drawn with snakes roiling around her face that have been compared to pubic hair. Pandora was originally a lifegiving goddess, but the poet Hesiod was largely responsible for her transformation into the hapless woman who opened the box or jar of troubles, and like Eve, ruined it for everyone. How do you think that coronavirus affected sexual activities and their quality? Do you think the health and public services tackled the issue in the right way? This is not an easy question to answer, but some research shows a general decrease in heterosexual partner sex, but an increase in masturbation and online pornography, and masturbation with sex toys also increased in women. What inspires you most in your work and in your personal life, and where your inspiration comes from? With the exception of gay men, over the years I have found many people are eager to talk about sex and learn what other people think and do. Once I had a dinner party for about a dozen people, average age 35 to 45. men and women, probably all heterosexual, and instead of going home around midnight, something came up about my work and the party ended at 3:00 AM after a rousing Q & A and a give and take session. Personally, I have required a wealth of information on sexuality and a few things I learned enhanced my sexual interests and practices, but it did not promote any dramatic changes in what I prefer or do sexually. It certainly did change the way I think about sex though. I'm relatively nonjudgmental about whatever people do as long as no one is hurt, but I also understand that for a minority of people what hurts may be a sexual turn on, and, unfortunately, some end up in emergency rooms. The same thing happens in American football, and occasionally in other sports, but even with traumatic brain and physical injuries, money is being made and change is slow in coming. At last but not least, what are you currently working on and what are your plans for the future? I am sure you are currently working against the absurdity of the GOP and Supreme Court wanting to overturn the 40 years old law about the right of abortion. I'm working on a webinar called »Sex from Prehistory ‘til Tomorrow!« that should be posted in June and when it is ready I will send you an Announcement which you may post to your readers if you like. Of course I'm disgusted with the radical ideologues on the Supreme Court who are poised to hand over control of women’s reproductive, professional, and personal lives to the patriarchy and their women enablers. There is and we'll be more accurate information on abortion on the Internet which will likely be women most available resource, but also Websites and posts with accurate information. There will be telephone advice from reliable sources, activist groups that will help women with travel and lodging, and a host of other resources.
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