Dr. Tatiana's Sex Advices

Do you get more letters from males or females?

Quite often males have the worse deal. Sexual cannibalism is an obvious example, particularly where the female eats the male before he's actually had a chance to mate.

If monogamy is so rare, how do black vultures manage it?

There are certainly opportunities for a bit of hanky-panky at a carcass. But black vultures don't like sex in public, and if a young and inexperienced vulture solicits sex there, he or she will be attacked by every other bird.

I've heard that females evolved to be prudish.

Total nonsense. In the last 10 years the data have started to become very, very clear: It's not just that females are promiscuous; it's that in many species they benefit from it.

How about males--is it always best for them to sow their wild oats?

Absolutely not. Often it's better to hang around and keep other males away. Or you start playing all sorts of tricks so the female uses your sperm and not someone else's: a secretion that seals off rival sperm, devices to scour the female's reproductive tract. Some are really quite monstrous.

So who's winning the war between the sexes?

Both sides are running in place as fast as possible, and nobody's actually getting anywhere.

I'm looking for a guy with brains and brawn.

A good old male elephant can probably get you both.

Do you have any advice for humans?

Have fun!