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Ruth Westheimer, the 92-year-old doctor who answers all your questions about sex
Sexuality
Ruth Westheimer, also known simply as “Dr. Ruth,” is one of those tireless people. At 92 years old, he continues to do what he has done throughout his life: educate about sex in a didactic way. The German-born doctor, a celebrity in the United States thanks to her outreach work, was for many years «The sexologist of the Ph». He hosted a pioneering radio show in the 8s, “Sexually Speaking,” in which he resolved listeners’ questions about sex. She has written a whopping 45 books on the subject, has hosted television shows, and has appeared as a guest on countless talk shows; It’s a regular at Ellen DeGeneres.
Sex for dummies
Now it comes to Spain “Sex for dummies” (Planet), an updated version of his star book in which he leaves no topic untouched. To summarize, there are guidelines and also information on, in the words of Woody Allen, “everything you always wanted to know about sex and never dared to ask.” We speak with the doctor at ABC Bienestar about some issues of sexuality; a brushstroke of Ruth Westheimer’s infinite knowledge.
Do you think that young people know less about sex than previous generations?
Although they still have a lot to learn, I believe that today’s young people are more informed than their parents were; the questions young people ask me show that they know what they are talking about. They are aware of the dangers, such as sexually transmitted diseases, or the importance of always using protection methods.
Do we have to know our body well to be able to enjoy sexual intercourse?
The more a person knows how “everything works,” the more he will enjoy it. And it is also essential to know the body of our partner, because selfish sex is never good sex.
Should we be “at peace” with our body, and with ourselves, to have satisfying sex?
A man concerned about the size of his penis, or a woman who has never explored her vagina is not going to have as satisfying an experience in relationships as those who have developed confidence in their body and its capabilities. The same thing happens as in other planes of life: anxiety and insecurity will make it harder for you to reach your best moment.
Do you think that people with stable and long-lasting relationships have better sex?
Absolutely! Yes, you can have great sex in a one-night stand, but having a stable relationship increases the intimacy between the two people and they can learn how to help each other more. Sex within a consolidated relationship has the potential to grow for the better; the couple is more willing to dedicate time and effort to achieve this improvement.
Now that dating apps reign, is it still possible to find a partner in the most traditional way?
Of course! The apps They have expanded the ways in which people flirt, but this does not mean that if two people meet, for example in a bar, they can flirt. If you meet someone online, the first step is to talk online and the second to meet in person, so if you skip the first step and go directly to the second, you have much more ground gained!
What advice do you have for older women who don’t want to give up sex?
Older women must understand that sex improves with age: there is no longer to worry about a possible pregnancy and, once the children leave home, they achieve a privacy that has always been sought to maintain relationships at the time that want. Older women can maintain wonderful relationships, yes, it is more important than ever to understand our body and that of our partner well. If a couple helps each other, they can maintain great relationships, but it is true that many older people ignore the changes that come with getting older and do not learn to adapt, which ends up negatively affecting their sex life.
A life certainly from a movie
On one of her last visits to the Ellen DeGeneres show, the host told Ruth Westheimer: “Doctor, you should win an Oscar.” DeGeneres was referring to the documentary “Ask Dr. Ruth”, released in 2019 by Hulu and in which the life of this 92-year-old German sexologist is told, who has certainly been from movie.
Ruth Westheimer was born on June 4, 1928, in the German city of Wiesenfeld. When Nazism was established in the country, her father was arrested by the authorities and she, along with the rest of her family, had to escape germany. The future doctor spent the internal war in a Swiss school for Jewish refugee girls; he never saw his family again, it is believed that they were murdered in Auschwitz.
After the war, he emigrated to Palestine. The same year that Israel declared its independence (1948), on her birthday Dr. Ruth was hit by a bomb, which left a permanent injury to one of his feet. After marrying an Israeli soldier in 1950, she moved to Paris, where she studied psychology. After five years of marriage, they divorced and in 1956 he landed for the first time in the United States, where he expanded his training. From that moment on, she made a hole in the media conglomerate of the North American country, to become “Dr. Ruth », for many years lthe most famous sexologist in the country.