THE GIFT OF SEX: A GUIDE TO SEXUAL FULFILLMENT

The Gift of Sex: A guide to Sexual Fulfillment



The Gift of Sex: A guide to Sexual Fulfillment

Introduction

The purpose of the book is to provide the reader with a guide for understanding his or her sexuality and the sexual relationship in marriage. The authors state on the cover that they will help focus on the following aspects of the issue: the physical, the total experience, moving past sexual barriers, resolving difficulties and finding help. These can also be identified as five main topics made by the book, and the authors cover each topic in detail.

Analysis

The authors examine the physical dimension of sex in terms of how our bodies work, how we can learn about our own bodies, how we can share what we learn and share our bodies with a partner, how our bodies work, and the different phases of the sexual response. The authors first emphasize that we should not be ashamed of our bodies and that we have to know that our bodies are created by God and are not something shameful in marriage (Penner & Penner, 1981). They show how some people do think of their bodies as shameful and how this affects their sexual development adversely, as well as affecting their ability to develop a sexual relationship adversely. There are certain things which make people dissatisfied with their bodies, such as excessive weight or the fact that in some way they do not fit the body image society holds out as beautiful (Penner & Penner, 1981).

Some reasons can be more devastating than others, such as deciding that you no longer love the other person. Birth control can be an issue and can reduce spontaneity, which at times can mean reducing desire altogether. The authors emphasize that sex is a choice made by two people and that a common problem occurs when one partner is simply not interested (Penner & Penner, 1981). However, as can be seen from the title of this section, the authors are not suggesting that these problems cannot be overcome and are instead offering advice on how to do just that. Resolving Technical Difficulties In this regard, the authors offer advice on resolving technical difficulties, by which they mean sexual problems that many people seem to have. Some problems come from a lack of information, or from misinformation that people are given early in life. Most sexual education is haphazard, and so people do not all get the same information. Much about sex is difficult for many people to express because it is emotionally charged for them. Each partner may have some knowledge about their own body but not about their partner's. Some people suffer from unconscious avoidance and cannot give themselves the freedom to enjoy sexual activity (Williams, 1975).

The problem with many books about sex is that, in the guise of offering supposedly racy, new, stimulating ideas and images about sex, it is in fact quite boring and ...