The clitoris has between 8,000 and 12,000 nerve endings, and contrary to popular belief, the number one sex organ is not the penis, vagina or tongue. It's the brain.
Last Thursday in my sexual psychology class, a consultant from Pure Romance offered an informed presentation. Falisha, the company consultant, explained Pure Romance as a "practical resource for women who want to take responsibility for either their financial means or their sexuality." She showed a brief video clip wherein the company's founder, Patty Brisben, explained how and why she founded Pure Romance. As a divorced mother of four, Brisben needed a career solution that would financially provide for and allow her to spend time with her family.
Although Falisha didn't discuss the timeline that led Brisben to found Pure Romance, the story is detailed on the company Web site. While on maternity leave in 1983, Brisben saw an episode of the Phil Donahue show featuring women who sold adult bedroom toys in house-party environments. Curious, Brisben signed up to be a consultant for Fun Parties and after a successful inaugural year, she left her medical assistant job to become a full-time consultant. Brisben remained one of the top five consultants in sales and recruitment for the next decade before Fun Parties collapsed, leaving Patty effectively unemployed.
Personally determined and motivated, Brisben felt with her experience and skill set, she could found her own company and in 1993, she did exactly that. In the first year, her $5,000 self-funded enterprise, then called Slumber Parties, employed 55 consultants, but Brisben quickly identified an underrepresented marketplace and the company expanded exponentially. In 2008, Patty and Pure Romance celebrated a slew of accomplishments: the company's 15th anniversary, the company's 30,000th consultant and $80 million worth of retail sales – in 2008 alone.
But Pure Romance doesn't just stimulate; it educates. Brisben's entrepreneurial success has yielded medical benefits as well. She created the Patty Brisben Foundation, a non-profit organization that finances research and education for women and health care providers concerning women's sexual health. Additionally, Brisben sponsored and presented at Yale University's Sex Week in 2008 and she was also a presenter at Indiana University's Sex Week last year. Brisben not only propagates female sexuality but profits from it as well, an admirable accomplishment in modern society.
In our double-standard culture, which rewards men for promiscuity but penalizes women, females don't speak so explicitly of their sexuality. Falisha dispelled this stereotype by charmingly and professionally displaying a table of adult toys, including several vaginal vibrators, the names of which were Humdinger, Shockwave and Thunder Vibe. Rather than offering a sales pitch, Falisha spoke about the science and technology behind each of the toys and showed detailed diagrams of the human biology so students would understand why and how the Double Trouble Ring, Licky Licious, Lavender Lover and Bubble Blower worked.
One of the Pure Romance principles Brisben and Falisha emphasize and demonstrate is for women to feel comfortable talking about their sexuality. Although some traditionalists would claim an open sexual forum is both unnecessary and unsanitary, the education provided by sexual discussion is utterly essential. For what intelligible reason should women understand they cannot embrace their sexuality, and for what judgmental reason should anyone else condemn them for it?
Falisha provided sexual health information taken for granted by some but not known to all students, especially those from conservative high schools lacking a sex education program.
"Never, ever, ever — make sure you write this down," she said, "use an oil-based lubricant with latex condoms. The oil-based lubricant can wear down the lining of the condom, creating holes. And you know what that can lead to," she says, imparting imperative information with a grin. More than one person scratched that pearl of wisdom down in a notebook.
Recently, I saw one of Ball State University's advertisements where President Jo Ann Gora is strolling through campus, narrating the benefits of a Cardinal education. "Education: Redefined." She proudly proclaims, though I don't expect many prospective students translate that to mean they'll learn mint and menthol products can increase blood flow, thus altering someone's sexual mood. Still, these practical and applicable tidbits can accumulate to create a well-informed student population and an appealing topic for dinner discussion.
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