It seems hard to believe, but recent research suggests that a considerable number of people in Japan have little interest in sex or dating. Sex may be a primal urge, but circumstantial and cultural conditions can impact even our most basic drives. If the statistics below are accurate, this creates an interesting opening for research to better understand cultural, environmental, political and practical factors that impact sexuality. One commenter on the Guardian's site suggests that the data is culturally flawed due to a disconnect between true desires and one's ability to express these honestly (even as a participant in a research study). In other words, it is possible that desire for sex remains fairly consistent across the globe, but our willingness to express this desire is mediated by culture. See the comment/note below on Honne and Tatemae. Have you lost interest in sex and dating or could you see yourself putting these interests on hold? We'd love to hear from you, so please...

I'm sure most women find it frustrating that female masturbation does not share the same level of open discussion as male masturbation. Luckily, there are some who are fighting for the cause!

Tokyo, Japan has opened bar Love Joule, which acts as a safe space for women to gather, have a few drinks and openly discuss masturbation with one another. Behind the bar is not a vast display liquor, but a colourful array of vibrators.

Love Joule attempts to blast the stigma of female masturbation, which unfortunately remains a taboo subject. This bar is a female-only space, allowing men to enter only when accompanied by a woman. Patrons of the bar appreciate the safe environment created to allow women to get together and discuss sex and masturbation, without prying eyes and ears.

The bar is a huge hit, with an already expanding clientele. Love Joule is a step in the right direction toward diminishing the unnecessary stigma that surrounds the topic of female masturbation.

To...