By changing what they do, people move societies in new directions and themselves change. Big, simple solutions are tempting but full of risks. For most outsiders, most of the time, the soundest and best way forward is through innumerable small steps and tiny pushes . . . The Annotated Bibliography summarizes various references on behavior change theories and practices. Women engage in these practices for many reasons, not always directly related to sexual intercourse.
Sex workers aim to please their clients with dry sex.
Cultural Beliefs Cultural beliefs about the vagina and reproductive health play a role in dry sex practices. Within the Shona culture, for example, female vaginal fluids are considered unclean, and their removal often is seen as important to creating a clean environment for fertilization. In addition to drying out the vagina for sexual, hygienic, or artistic reasons, agents may be used to specifically prevent and treat sexually transmitted diseases and vaginal infections, itching, and discharge. In some places, men also use aphrodisiacs in the form of similar herbs and commercial products. Workers at a rape counseling center reported seeing 40 girls over the course of a year who were brought in by their parents after they failed their virginity test.