Sex & Relationships By The Doctors Staff on 4:00 AM PDT, June 5, 2012
Foreplay and the Brain
Dr. Louann Brizendine, author of The Male Brain, says foreplay should start 24 hours before sex. "In the female brain, everything that happens 24 hours before is still in her brain," she says. "If you've had a fight the day before, her amygdala, which is the area of the brain that has all the intense emotions, like anger, and fear and being upset, are still there, and that will put the breaks on her sexual arousal circuit."
Dr. Brizendine says a 20-second hug is a good way start to foreplay. Research shows hugs release oxytocin in the female brain, which makes the woman feel good and calms down the amygdala.
The Importance of Kissing
"Males use kissing to get things started, but females use kissing to assess him as a potential partner," Dr. Brizendine says. Research shows men prefer deep, wet tongue kissing, while women want to start off a little slower.
See how male and female brains
react to kissing.
Get more sex tips from Dr. Brizendine!
Don't Forget the Nose
Pamela and Will, married for eight years, join plastic surgeon Dr. Andrew Ordon and OB-GYN Dr. Lisa Masterson at "The Arousal Bar" onstage. Dr. Ordon explains that the sense of smell is very important when it comes to arousal.
Pheromones are scents the body exudes, which are sensed more than actually smelled by the opposite sex. Pamela and Will test pheromone colognes — androstenol, which attracts men, and androstenone, which attracts women.
The couple participates in a blind smell test using different essential oils. Find out which scents get their motors running!
The Importance of Foreplay
World-renowned psychosexual therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer says foreplay is the key to great sex. The Doctors remind men to hone in on a woman's most erogenous zone: her mind.
The palm of the hand, soles of the feet and nape of the neck are also important areas of focus, and take time for at least five minutes of passionate kissing to set the stage for a satisfying encounter.
"Foreplay is the way to get in the game," Dr. Lisa says. "It is not a race, and it helps women lubricate since women take longer to orgasm."
"Medically speaking, you need foreplay to get your body ready for intercourse," Dr. Lisa adds. "If the man goes charging in there, he can cause lacerations and little tears, and that's totally not sexy."
Spice up foreplay with simple household items!
Learn how "choreplay" can turn up the heat in the bedroom!
Do women need more foreplay than men?
Adult Films and The Brain
Brain Monitoring
Bill Scott, Neurofeedback Expert and CEO of BrainPaint, monitors the brainwaves of Kim and Wayne to see how male and female brains differ when exposed to sexual imagery.
BrainPaint Results
Bill reveals the results of Kim and Wayne's brainscans, illustrating how male and female brains respond differently to sexual content.
• See what happens in the brain during an orgasm!
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