[...]... address the much thornier ethical, psychological, and social factors involved in sexual experience, such as the personal and cultural constraints to sexual pleasure, the rationale underlying sexual diversity, the vehicles for sexual communication, the nuances of sexual harm, and so on To simplify what can be confusing and complex subject matter, I have organized the major themes of this book into six key... all of the harms of physical violence with the psychological impact of theft, rape constitutes the robbery of a person’s right to control the use of their own body, the quintessential form of personal property Nothing is more sacred For example, if your car is stolen, you have lost a very valuable piece of personal property Most people are devastated by the theft of their car But the theft of sexuality... difficulties alleviated by adherence to these six easy-to-understand ideas Think of them as the prerequisites for ‘‘good’’ sex in the twenty-first century Here is how this works Where sex is concerned, the first order of business is to Do No Harm Imagine what a better world this would be if everyone stopped hurting each other sexually Even a collective attempt to discontinue sexual harm would bring about a monumental... Syphilis’’ and the ‘ The HIV Prevention Vaccine.’’ The message of the former is that despite a cure, syphilis rages on, while for the latter, that if you expect HIV immunity from a vaccine, don’t hold your breath ‘‘Well, then,’’ students often ask, ‘‘What do you recommend about sex? ’’ Over time, I began to reply with the mantra that forms the backbone of this book: ‘‘Do no harm, celebrate sex, be careful,... are taught the same basic rule Do no harm A patient seeks a doctor’s advice If the doctor, as opposed to the illness itself, does not make the patient worse, the patient at the very least has not suffered from the visit To say it another way, if the doctor has no effect, this is without question better than making the patient even sicker The best possible scenario is that the doctor cures the patient—and... concepts—one per chapter Memorize them now: Do No Harm, Celebrate Sex, Be Careful, Know Yourself, Speak Up/Speak Out, and Throw No Stones Imagine them on a Post-it or on the back of a t-shirt Even better, write them down, repeatedly if necessary Why? These six principles form the essence of my advice about sex It is my belief that many, if not all, of the rewards of sex can be enhanced and its difficulties... about sex, so why not start with a bang? I certainly considered as much and quite frankly in a perfect world would not have hesitated to begin with the most exciting aspects of sex But unfortunately the sexual world is anything but perfect The best place to ethically improve it, I believe, is with the principle, and more importantly the habit, to do no harm Take a look at the numbers In 2004 there... teach them about the methods of pedophiles so as to minimize children’s risk of sexual harm Second, we must target potential victims (the children themselves) and teach them about child sexual abuse: how to avoid it or how 11 Sex Appeal to report it if it occurs Thirdly we must make the penalties for being a pedophile more severe Much has been done already (such as required registering of convicted sex. .. predators in the first place.) Rape is a more extreme example of this lack of empathy The selfish need to dominate and harm is instrumental to the rapist’s sexual desire in the first place Rape is a brutal narcissism that enables the rapist to take what he wants at the expense of the victim’s mental and physical health 15 Sex Appeal Sexual harassment is a nonviolent version of this behavior, along the lines... reveal new scientific data the bread and butter of the research community The mature and thoughtful dialogue that Satcher envisioned never materialized My hope is that Sex Appeal will change that What makes me a fitting author for this book? There are undoubtedly many people who have something important to say about sex doctors, therapists, newspaper columnists, and so forth They come from all walks of . America: The Ninth Amendment and the Pursuit of Happiness (with Steve Pinkerton and Mark Huppin) Romance in the Ivory Tower: The Rights and Liberty of Conscience sex APPEAL SIX ETHICAL PRINCIPLES FOR. Data Abramson, Paul R., 1949– Sex appeal : six ethical principles for the 21st century / Paul R. Abramson. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-19-539389-7 1. Sexual ethics. I by adherence to these six easy-to-understand ideas. Think of them as the prerequisites for ‘‘good’’ sex in the twenty-first century. Here is how this works. Where sex is concerned, the first order