Human Sexuality in Todays Culture - Literature review Example

Human Sexuality/Love/Relationships in today’s Culture Article The article, ‘Sex Experts Secret is out, and China’s open to it’, by Nicholas Bakalar, was extracted from The New York Times, printed on March 7, 2015. It is centered on an American sociologist, of Chinese origin, Li Yinhe. She is a renowned gay rights activist who has for a long time advocated for same sex marriage. Recently, the 63 year old social scientist openly came out to reveal of her existence in a transgender relationship, after a blogger accused her of being a lesbian. She went ahead to add that she was a heterosexual who had found love in a transgender, Wang Xiaobo, his partner for 17 years, till her demise in 1997.Despite the fact that Wang was initially a woman, Li claimed that she treated him exclusively like a man. Surprisingly, in spite of the fact that China is still new to the transgender sexual orientation, she received overwhelming sympathy from the Chinese people as well as the rest of the other hidden transgender family. The professor received an extensive traffic of over 360,000 people to her blog. She also got several articles in respect of her uniqueness as well as interviews in many different media houses to share her story, in an attempt to demystify the gay, heterosexual and transgender, who have for a long time been misunderstood. According to Harvey Makadon, the slow and delayed response to acceptance of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender can even lead to loss of lives. He states that, over the years, there has been a clear documentation of deaths of such individuals who are discriminated even in hospitals and left for dead. He stresses, that the sooner and faster we all embrace sexual diversity the better and easier it will be for people to freely and easily mingle with no fear (Makadom 347 – 350) Article 2 The article, ‘Nothing is wrong with your sex drive’, by Emily Nagoski, was also extracted from The New York Times, printed on February 27, 2015.The article speaks of a drug known as Flibanserin, produced by Sprout Pharmaceuticals and is meant to cure low sexual desire in women, or generally enhance their libido. In the past, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has rejected the authorization and release of the drug into the market to be used by humans, due to its adverse effects. It is also more unlikely that they will follow the same decision this time round. FDAs main argument is that, the drug is treating a disease that does not exist, and apart from that, the drug is not safe for consumption since it has extensively bad effects on its users. Previously in 2013, the drug was eliminated from mental facilities where it was being used to cure Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD) in women after it was determined to be unsafe. Researchers and experts have joined in the debate to remove the drug from the market by claiming that low or high sexual urges are neither a disease nor a disorder. All humans are made in a unique special way and therefore means that they all react differently towards sex. Also, they have elaborated that what women need is not a drug to alter their response to intimacy, instead exploration and soul searching so as to help them understand on to what stimuli do they achieve desired intimate response to their partner. A Comparison of the Two Articles and How the Issues Discussed Relate To Human Sexuality Article1 discusses on how different individuals and people in the community at large react to news and existence of individuals with peculiar sexual orientation in the society. It mainly focuses on how well or bad the society accepts these people for who they are, and not what they are. In today’s culture where relationships have greatly metamorphosed, there are all kinds and types of relationships that are contrary to the traditional man-woman relationship. It is therefore very commendable that China is openly embarrassing this fact and openly mingling with these individuals. On the other hand, article 2 is not very much stressing on the kind or type of relationship or sexual orientation, but going deeper to address some of the issues faced by people in relationships. With a focus on women, the article tries to find a cure or remedy for the existing problem among women, which is caused by the possession of a low sex drive. As much the advocating of a drug for this problem has harshly been down played, it is a valid and real problem that has greatly affected several women and even led to separation or divorce. However, instead of using drugs, the article suggests the use of non-medicinal methods since the problem is not entirely a disease. In some cases, it is normal, depending with the individual. Whether Or Not the Information Provided In the Articles Is Supported By Scholarly Sources Article 2 has received tremendous backing not only from authors, but also from scholars and researchers as well. For instance, according to Vera Maass, ‘Facing the Complexities of Women’s Sexual Desire’, low sexual urges may be a resultant cause of depression and in this case, logical steps such as therapy and counselling would be enough to eradicate the problem rather than using drugs. Also Vera Maass goes ahead and adds that the lack of sexual desire in a woman may be caused by the existence of other extra marital affairs that lead her to fail getting emotionally aroused by their partner (Maass 43, 2007). Additionally, Hossein Fatemi and Clayton, in his book, ‘The medical Basis of Psychiatry’, adds that sexual non desire in women can be caused by a psychological or biological problem, in which case the availability of excess testosterone in women can lead to the disorder. However, he insists that there is no known and documented success in the use of drugs to remedy this predicament. Hormone replacement therapy, is a successfully positive aid especially in women who are past or in their menopause (Fatemi and Paula 269, 2008) Article 1 possesses adequate and relevant scholarly support especially on the transgender and gay issues that have in the recent past been the talk in almost all societies. According to Wallace Swan, ‘Handbook of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Administration and Policy’, despite the fact that the gays and lesbians have not yet been allowed to serve in the military, shows that equality still has a long way to go as far as sexuality is concerned. However, the gays and transgender have made a stride in the aid to ensure that they earn equal rights with the rest of the population (Swan 14, 2004).In relation to Gregory Bolich’s Scholarly writing, ‘ Today’s Transgender Realities’, he asserts that transgender acceptance can both be conditional and unconditional. Conditional in the sense that, as much as one may not want to associate with them, certain circumstances make it almost impossible not to relate. He therefore advocates for unconditional acceptance that has no restrictions, conditions and the art of comfortably coexisting with individuals of different sexual preference from ours (Bolich and Gregory 13, 2007) The Impact These Topics (S) Have On the Society As far as sexual orientation is concerned, article 1 goes a step further to sensitize the society into accepting gays and transgender individuals. It also helps to demystify the theory that these individuals are different as much as trying to kill the discriminatory attitude that exists, towards these people. In any case, if China can openly accept and support a transgender heterosexual relationship, why can’t the rest of the societies adopt the same culture? Dr. Sprout, one of the main researchers at Sprout pharmaceuticals also registered a case back in time when a certain patient had it totally wrong by saying that homosexuality is a disease. He even went further to try and find the cure for it without success. This is just to say that many at times, humans try to find a reason or explanation for that which they can’t understand, the same case with low sexual desire in women. Article 2 is mainly acting as an informatory and warning position especially to women who are blamed for lack of sexual desire towards their partners. It is also to sensitize the society that some of the newly emerging drugs may all not be safe for their consumption especially the ones taken without authorization from the FDA. Actually, the main aim of the article is to inform couples that not all problems in their relationships can be solved at the pop of a pill. It is also important to note that as much as there is worldwide lobbying for the acceptance of the gays into our societies, it is not going to be a one day expedition. It is going to be as gradual as the rise of it. This therefore calls for uttermost patience and tolerance with and for one another, so that eventually, this acceptance issue will become a thing of the past. How the Topic Issue (S) Affects Me Personally, both the two articles are an eye opener to many myths and false statements I have heard over the years concerning sexual orientation and low sexual desire in women. The articles have aided me look at this two subjects differently from a more informed point of view. This is not only important to me, but to other readers who may not have exactly understood what it meant to be in certain situation. It is important to know and comprehend exactly how one should react to an individual with different opinions and thoughts from the ones we are used to, norms. For the success of any kind of relationship, the atmosphere and general environment in which one lives in has to be not only supportive, but also accommodative for both parties so that they can coexist peacefully with each other. However, in a society where one or both partners have to hide their true identity, even go to an extent of meeting secretly in secret places to avoid being spotted by the public, the chances of such a relationship are next to nil. This is the same case with gay and transgender relationships. For them to prosper they have to gain support from the general public, against which, they will crumble. Giving these individual an opportunity to love and be loved is the only modest thing to do, collectively as a society. Revelations like the one in article 2 are a very important part of our everyday life. Many at times, due to misguided referral from friends, family and even others trusted sources; people are duped into using non-tested, non-authorized drugs for genuine cases of illnesses. It is therefore very important, the fact that this article has specifically singled out this issue and tried as much to address it and inform the public and arm them with as much information as possible. Sometimes, ignorance is not only a setback but also the cause of preventable complications that accompany lack of knowledge. Works Cited Bolich, Gregory G, and Gregory G. Bolich. “Todays Transgender Realities.” Raleigh, N.C: Psyches Press, 2007. Print. Fatemi, S H, and Paula J. Clayton. “The Medical Basis of Psychiatry.” Totowa, NJ: Humana Press, 2008. Print. Maass, Vera S. “Facing the Complexities of Womens Sexual Desire.” New York: Springer, 2007. Print. Makadon, Harvey J. “The Fenway Guide to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health.” Philadelphia: American College of Physicians, 2008. Print. Soares, Claudio N, and Michelle P. Warren. “The Menopausal Transition: Interface between Gynecology and Psychiatry.” Basel: Karger, 2009. Print. Swan, Wallace. “Handbook of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Administration and Policy.” New York: Marcel Dekker, 2004. Print. Read More