The insatiable ones

All women love sex.

I can prove it.

Rather, Robin Baker, PhD can. In his book “Sperm Wars,” he chronicles the summary of years of pioneering research into human sexuality. His findings turn a lot of commonly held beliefs upside down.

My favorite point in the book is the biological argument for female promiscuity. Baker bases his conclusion on the curious make-up of male sperm: Only 1% of them are actually designed to fertilize an egg. So what exactly are 99% of sperm built for? They exist to kill foreign sperm. Women are programmed to seek out the strongest reproductive candidate and have the top contenders battle out their viability in the womb.

Baker’s “survival of the fittest” sperm theory is also bolstered by evidence that women are most likely to stray when they are ovulating. They seek a variety of sperm so that only the strong survive.

Being voracious is in our genes.

I’ve never bought the idea that women have a lesser sex drive than men; that somehow they are built for one while men are built for many. In this regard, it’s women who are insatiable – we are naturally multi-orgasmic, with no refractory periods and thus have infinite sexual potential. I do understand the concepts of internalized oppression and learned behavior. But, and this is backed up from a physiological perspective, I truly believe that women are just as randy as men, provided they are given the space to be that way.

Some struggle against greater cultural barriers than others, and so perhaps that seed of the liberated slut is buried deeper. For the rest of us, it’s happily close to the surface and a major part of our identities.

Photo: Rankin