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Letter: Stimulated discourse

Published 29 July 2009

From Andrew McFarland

When discussing the female prostate, Elaine Morgan draws a comparison between it and human male nipples, which she describes as “functionless” analogues of the female version (4 July, p 24). This fails to take male sexual function into account.

Male nipples do not have the child-rearing function of female nipples, but to brand them as functionless because of that means that we should regard post-menopausal sexual relationships and homosexual relationships as functionless. In humans, sex isn’t just about reproduction and in both sexes the nipples are an erogenous zone. Their stimulation can play a significant role in sex, so you can hardly call them “functionless”.

Belfast, UK

Issue no. 2719 published 1 August 2009

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