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Based in part on the lecture ³The McDonaldization of

Sex´ by Dr. Leonore Tiefer

1
 Sexual Dysfunction
¢ In March 1998 the
FDA approved
Viagra as a
treatment for
erectile dysfunction
(ED).
³4
 

 

 
 m   
 
¢ The first year 3
million men were
treated with Viagra
translating into $1.5
billion in sales. By
2003, 6 million men
were taking Viagra
and sales rose to
$1.7 billion
  ith the introduction of Levitra
and Cialis
¢ the drug industry
estimates the
potential market for
these drugs to be
30--40 million men in
30
the U.S. alone.
The drug industry has expanded
the notion of ED
¢ encourages the use
of these drugs as
an enhancement to
sexual pleasure,
relationships, and
women
 So what¶s the problem?
¢ Sexual Dysfunction
exists
But Viagra isn¶t the fix for most
people.
ED has
psychological,
social causes,
physical
causes, and
more
Myth: 30 Million men have
erectile dysfunction
Meality: It is too inclusive
Any problem with
an erection is
included.

They didn¶t ask and is it a

problem for you?
 Female sexual dysfunction
(FSD): Claim is 43% of women
suffer
Corporate message sells insecurity to
sell you product
 e get sound bites about sex
 Sexual-medicine industry, a lot
of parallels to Fast food industry
¢ 4 principles of fast food society: Efficiency,
numbers game, predictable, cookie cutter.
 A new sexual health industry, as unhelpful as
media. Own agenda and interested in narrow and
mechanical view of sex
àorms from magazines, from sex advice columns.
Most are not based on real peoples real letters
10 sex tips to drive your man or woman wild
àew sexual health industry not doing it thru
science, sex research or sex education
àew mens sexual health clinics and womens that
come in major newspapers everyday.
Many of these ads are franchises that focus
on building anxiety
  arning: Expensive genital tests etc. look
very scientific, eg blood flow, probably but 9
out of 10 times get prespcription for Viagra
or other sex drug.
 They focus on 4 things:
Efficiency, numbers game,
predictable, cookie-cutter sex
 Big Pharmas message: ³Listen
Everyone you need routine ³perfect´
and regular desire for sex and orgasm´
 Big Pharmas message:

¢ Ifyou¶re not
having perfect-
perfect-
routine sex it is
a problem or
condition, a sex
dysfunction.
 Big Pharmas message:

¢ You should correct

by taking something
for life, eg Viagra.

Guess what it is not a

cure, pure profit
 Occasional failed erection
caused by
¢ Stress
¢ Alcohol
¢ Fatigue
¢ Mecreational drugs
¢ Melationship problems

Its OK!
  hy?
¢ Sex can be so many things. It is not perfect,
routine, regular enactment of some script.
A Script is written by someone
else and performed by others.

 hose script are you following?

They give Instructions on how to make love.
There are no drugs for making love.

Love is neither science nor art

 .

¢Myth: Sex is
Less to do
with feeling
and more
about
function
 .

¢ You don¶t hear

about problems that
people have
making love
sometimes they are
physiological.
 Ads never connect cultural
diversity to sex
¢ or validate
changes in body
over time.
 Ads have universal
one size fits model
routine, standardized
sex and they call it
³real sex.´
There is no real sex.
¢ Sex is social construct. There is reproduction.
There is no real sex.
¢  e are exposed to
sexual hype night
and day.
Performance anxiety used to be number one
issue. Eg erection or premature ejaculation

Viagra,
creates
performance
anxiety, that¶s
part of
marketing.
 Advertisements
¢ Don¶t accept
anything but
perfect erection or
go to doctors
office.
 Advertisements
¢ Anxiety over
sex: more
common in
young or
people in life
transitions.
Before sex was hidden and so private it
may have caused some anxiety.
àow sex is so in the open and not hidden, it
is the other extreme.
People feel they can¶t measure up to what is
the norm.

There is no built-in norm

 By emphasizing the
mechanics
¢ Doctors and pharma
companies keep the
focus on
performance
insecurity without
offering anything
other than medical
diagnosis and
treatments.
Sex, It¶s no longer a
hobby its an
obligation
 Viagra OK for a few
Appropriately used
Viagra can be
helpful to some.
Eliminates about
80% of people who
take it
  arning: Viagra is
serious medication that
interacts with other
medicines but it doesn¶t
fix anything, you have to
take it forever.
 hy are you using
Viagra?
To get an erection.
How good or bad
was your erection
before?  hy did
you have the
problem with
erection? Some
people taking it as
insurance
 hy are you using
Viagra?
There are so many
things you do for
intimacy, for
pleasure for self
expression that
don¶t require a hard
erection.
Hard erection is just
one piece of the full
story. It¶s a nice
component of a full
sexual experience.
If penis is broken,
first thing to see
is if you can have
a great sex life
anyway
¢ Only 50% of men get refills for Viagra

It is not as effective as its claimed

Good for 10% of people who are using it.
Viagra has side effects. Take it judicially. Eg
nausea and dizziness
Let¶s take a different approach
Sex isn¶t a Competitive
performance sport
Our job is to avoid being gullible. Check out
library, internet and bookstore.

The McDonaldization of Sex

lecture by Dr. Leonore Tiefer
Check this out
  e need to learn to adapt
¢ But there are no
drugs for selling
adapting.
¢  e are all
embodied spiritual
beings, we are all
sexually different,
our capacities for
pleasure are
different. You have
to work it out and
negotiate with your
partner
Sexuality should be a life affirming source of
pleasure intimacy and playful regression
 Sex isn¶t just intercourse
¢ Perfectly normal
couples might like
to do without sex,
how about
cuddling
Pleasure isn¶t restricted to genitals
Satisfaction is the successful
achievement of Expectations
¢ Open your minds
and hearts and
souls about
sexuality at a new
level, keep talking.
 Copyright 2011
All images from public domain and copyright of respective owners