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Project HARP

Project HARP, short for High Altitude Research Project, was a joint venture of the United States Department of Defense and Canada's Department of National Defence created with the goal of studying ballistics of re-entry vehicles and collecting upper atmospheric data for research. Unlike conventional space launching methods that rely on rockets, HARP instead used very large guns to fire projectiles into the atmosphere at extremely high speeds.

A 16 in HARP gun operated by the U.S. Army's Ballistic Research Laboratory (now called the U.S. Army Research Laboratory) at Yuma Proving Ground currently holds the world record for the highest altitude, 180 km, that a gun-fired projectile has achieved.

Preparations
Project HARP originated as the brainchild of Gerald Bull, a renowned but controversial ballistic engineer specializing in high-velocity guns and gun propulsion systems. In the mid-1950s, Bull was working on Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) and Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) research at the Canadian Armaments and Research Development Establishment (CARDE) when he formulated the idea to launch satellites into orbit using an enormous cannon. Bull believed that a large supergun would be significantly more cost-effective at sending objects into space than a conventional rocket. Bull argued it would not need expensive rocket motors, firing a large gun wouldn't require the missile to throw away multiple rocket stages to break through the Earth's atmosphere to reach orbit. In theory, a sabot would protect the payload during firing and later fall away as the satellite inside emerges.

During the late 1950s, Bull conducted preliminary launch experiments at the CARDE (now known as Defence Research and Development Canada – Valcartier, or DRDC Valcartier) using guns as small as 76mm. These experiments soon caught the attention of the U.S. Army's Ballistic Research Laboratory and the U.S. Army's Chief of Army Research and Development, Lieutenant general Arthur Trudeau. At the time, aircraft engineers needed more information on the atmosphere's upper regions to design better jet planes. However, launching rockets into the air to collect data was generally considered costly and inefficient. The U.S. military, in particular, was especially in need of a low-cost launch system that could cover altitudes that conventional aircraft and weather balloons couldn't reach to support the development of new supersonic aircraft and missile systems. By late 1960, CARDE and the Ballistic Research Laboratory (BRL) conducted several feasibility studies surrounding small gun-launched probes' structural integrity. Around the same time, BRL developed a smooth-bore, 5-inch gun system at Aberdeen Proving Ground that successfully launched a probe to altitudes exceeding 220,000 feet.

In 1961, Bull resigned from CARDE and McGill University hired him as a professor. Working together with Donald Mordell, the university's Dean of Engineering, Bull moved forward with his space gun project and requested funding from various sources. He received a $200,000 loan from McGill University's board of governors. He was given a verbal promise for a $500,000 grant from the Canadian Department of Defence Production (CDDP), which was later reportedly denied due to bureaucratic opposition. In October 1961, Bull met with Charles Murphy, the head of the Ballistic Research Laboratory, to pitch his project for a supergun and was met with overwhelming support. The U.S. Army provided Bull with substantial financial backing and two 16-inch naval gun barrels complete with a land mount and surplus powder charges, a heavy-duty crane, and a $750,000 radar tracking system. Bull and Mordell officially announced the HARP project as a program under McGill University's Space Research Institute at a press conference in March 1962. HARP was presented as a research initiative dedicated to "developing low-orbital capacity for geodetic and atmospheric objectives". However, the project's long-term goal was to place satellites into orbit economically.

Construction
In 1962, Bull and Mordell established a McGill University research station on Barbados (then still a British colony and part of the West Indies Federation) as HARP's main base of operations for its 16-inch super gun. The site location was first suggested by Mordell, who believed that a launch site closer to the equator would allow the projectile to procure extra velocity from the Earth's rotation to reach higher altitudes. In addition, the site's close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean made for the safe impact of re-entry projectiles. As a result of McGill University's close connections with the island's Democratic Labour Party, Bull met with the Barbados Prime Minister Errol Barrow to arrange the construction of a firing site at Foul Bay, St. Philip. HARP reportedly received enthusiastic support from the Barbados government due to expectations that the island nation would become heavily involved in space exploration research.

The installation of the 16-inch gun began at the newly established High Altitude Research Facility in April 1962. A gun pit was dug into the island's coral base, and a concrete emplacement was built on a plateau so that the gun barrel could stand vertically. The 16-inch naval gun barrels provided by the U.S. Army served as the barrels of the HARP gun. They had to be transported to the site on the U.S. Army landing ship, the Lieutenant Colonel John D. Page, with the U.S. Army Transportation Corps assistance, the U.S. Army Research Office, and the Office of the Chief of Research and Development. Hundreds of people from Barbados were employed to transport the two 140-ton gun tubes from the coast to the designated emplacement 2$1/2$ miles from the beach using a temporary purpose-built railway. By late 1962, the HARP 16-inch gun was set up, and construction on workshops, storage buildings, radar installations, and other facilities neared completion. Around this time, the U.S. Army Research Office increased its financial support of the project to $250,000 per year. The first test shot from the 16-inch gun on Barbados was fired on January 20, 1963, marking the first time that a gun of this caliber was fired at a near-vertical angle. The 315 kg test slug reached an altitude of 3000 meters with a flight time of about 58 seconds at a launch velocity of 1,000 m/s before coming down a kilometer off-shore.

Operations
The projectiles fired by the 16-inch HARP gun on Barbados belonged to a family of cylindrical, finned missiles called Martlets, named after the martin bird that appeared on the McGill University crest. Inside the gun barrel, the Martlet was surrounded by a sabot. This machined wooden casing protected the projectile as it traveled through the barrel by absorbing the combustive energy and then splitting apart in the air after the Martlet exited the barrel. The Martlets also carried payloads of metallic chaff, chemical smoke, or meteorological balloons to gather atmospheric data as well as telemetry antennas for tracking the missile's flight. The Harry Diamond Laboratories designed several telemetry systems used in the HARP program. The firing of these Martlet missiles was always accompanied by a huge explosion that shook the houses within close proximity, leading to cracks in several areas. Since the Barbados government refused to recognize householders' damage claims, HARP fell into ill favor by much of the Barbados population.

From late January to early February 1963, the 16-inch gun on Barbados conducted its first test series using the Martlet 1, the first of which flew for 145 seconds and reached an altitude of 26 km. It was the first Martlet flight to feature a radio transmitter beacon that tracked the vehicle's flight. The second test series was conducted in April 1963 with the new Martlet 2 missiles, which set the world's new gun-launched altitude record of 92 km. Around the same time, development for the Martlet 3A began in the spring, with test launches commencing in September. By the end of 1963, approximately 20 Martlet 2 missiles were launched and regularly reached altitudes of 80 km. From these tests, researchers obtained a significant amount of atmospheric data as well as the internal ballistics of the 16-inch gun and the flight performance of the Martlet 2, 3A, and 3B. Impressed with the HARP program's initial results, the U.S. Army agreed to provide $250,000 per year in funding.

In 1964, the HARP gun on Barbados continued to primarily launch Martlet 2 missiles that carried a wide variety of payloads. Part of the reason was its low cost, since the firing of the Martlet 2 cost from $2500 to $3000 and took only half an hour to load. The new results from HARP convinced the U.S. Army to increase the annual funding of the project from $250,000 to $1.5 million per year. By March 1964, Canada's Department of Defence Production (DDP) agreed to provide joint funding for the HARP program for a total of $3 million per year. However, HARP funding reportedly faced several obstacles in the form of bureaucratic sabotage due to opposition in the Canadian government. The funding promised by the DDP for July 1, 1964, to June 30, 1965, did not arrive until May 1965. During this period, McGill University covered the funds to the best of its ability, although changes had to be made to the original plan. For each subsequent funding periods, the DDP repeatedly delayed HARP funding late into the fiscal year.

The first attempts to improve the performance of the 16-inch gun at Barbados were made in 1964, primarily by increasing the barrel's length. In 1962, the Ballistic Research Laboratory increased the barrel length of a 5-inch gun system by welding a second section of barrel to the first barrel's muzzle, lengthening the barrel to 8.9 meters. The resulting gun system demonstrated a higher muzzle velocity at the muzzle exit. The longer barrel allowed the propellant gases to push on the projectile for a longer period of time. In September 1964, a ten-calibers extension was added to the 16-inch gun based on BRL's experiment with the 5-inch gun. However, while increased velocity and altitude was recorded for test flights, the extension failed in December after the eleventh shot was fired. In 1965, a successful extension of the 16-inch gun was established after enlarging the gun pit to accommodate the equipment's large size. The extension almost doubled the length of the gun to 120 feet and weighed nearly 200 tons, making the 16-inch Barbados gun the largest operational artillery piece in the world at the time.

By the end of 1965, Project HARP had fired more than one hundred missiles at heights over 80 km high into the ionosphere. At this point, the project starting planning the launch of the Martlet 4, a projectile that used rocket jets that would ignite mid-flight to send the missile into orbit. For this endeavor, BRL designed the telemetry system that utilized Sun sensors to determine the projectile's altitude. This telemetry system would serve as an early precursor to the U.S. Army's Aeroballistic Dynamic Fuze (DFuze).

By 1966, the HARP program had established several different launch sites around the United States and Canada, including a second 16-inch HARP gun at the Highwater Range in Quebec and a third 16-inch HARP gun at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona.

On November 18, 1966, the HARP gun operated by BRL at Yuma Proving Ground launched an 84-kg Martlet 2 missile at 2,100 m/s, sending it briefly into space and setting a world altitude record of 179 km. This feat has remained the world altitude record for any fired projectile.

Closure
Throughout 1966, the HARP program experienced a series of funding delays caused by immense opposition from critics in the Canadian government and growing bureaucratic pressures. Upon the end of the Canadian government's participation in June 1967, the Canadian government had contributed $4.3 million and the US Army $3.7 million. On the American side, growing political and financial pressure caused by the Vietnam War and NASA's focus on large-scale traditional rockets strained funding for the project as well, exacerbating the program's problems even further. In November 1966, the Canadian government announced that it would pull all Project HARP funding after June 30, 1967. Despite Bull's attempts to resuscitate the program, the Canadian government withdrew its support in 1967. This decision promptly caused the U.S. Army to withdraw its funding as well, leading to the program's complete termination. Both the HARP guns at Barbados and at Highwater Range were shut down, though the HARP guns under the jurisdiction of the U.S. military remained operational. Project HARP's assets were transferred to Bull, who started a Space Research Corporation commercial operation to salvage his project. After HARP was cancelled, the 16-inch gun on Barbados remained on its emplacement, where it remains to this day, gradually rusting away.

Testing
The guns used for Project HARP consisted of smooth-bore 5 inch, 7-inch, and 16-inch guns, all of which were designed to launch sub-caliber saboted projectiles into the upper atmosphere. In addition to the High Altitude Research Laboratory at Barbados, a 16-inch HARP gun was constructed at the Highwater Range in Quebec and at Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona. Smooth-bore 5-inch and 7-inch guns were set up at several different test sites, including Fort Greely, Alaska, Wallops Island, Virginia, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, and White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. The data collected from the projectiles fired from these gun systems were measured by radar chaff, aluminized balloons, trimethylaluminum trails, and sensors ranging from sun sensors to magnetometers.

5-inch gun systems
The 5-inch HARP guns were based on a modified 120 mm T123 service gun and used by the Ballistic Research Laboratory before the HARP program in order to fulfill the needs of the U.S. military's Meteorological Rocket Network, a program dedicated to collecting atmospheric wind and temperature data. They were designed to carry a 0.9 kg payload to an altitude of 65 km, which consisted of radar reflective chaff to collect wind data and small radiosondes that returned radio telemetry of information like temperature and humidity as they drifted back down under large parachutes. This initial design for the 5-inch HARP gun reached an altitude of 130,000 ft when tested in 1961. The 5-inch L70 smoothbore guns was the first vertical firing gun system developed under Project HARP. In 1962, a 10-ft extension was implemented for the 5-inch HARP gun by welding a second barrel section to the first, allowing it to launch projectiles at muzzle velocities of 1554 m/s (5,100 ft/sec) to altitudes of 73,100 m (240,000 ft). Throughout HARP, further modifications were made to the 5-inch gun, such as adding three sets of stiffening wires to maintain barrel alignment. Due to their small size, they were easily transported from their initial site at Aberdeen Proving Ground to different launch sites across North America and the Caribbean. One of the 5-inch HARP guns was acquired by the Atmospheric Sciences Laboratory (which consolidated into the U.S. Army Research Laboratory in 1992) to measure the stratosphere's winds. The 5-inch gun was deemed successful as a low-cost launch system, costing only around $300 to $500 per launch. By May 1966, a total of the HARP program's 5-inch guns launched 162 flights at Wallops Island, 47 flights at White Sands Missile Range, 30 flights at Barbados, and 24 flights at Fort Greeley.

7-inch gun systems
The 7-inch HARP guns functioned as scaled-up versions of the 5-inch HARP guns that could carry three times the payload with an altitude capacity of 350,000 ft. The 7-inch gun system was constructed from a 175 mm M113 gun whose barrel was smooth-bored and extended by 26 ft. In general, its projectiles were 1.6 m long and weighed 27 kg. However, it was also capable of firing 5 kg slugs at a muzzle velocity of 2,880 m/s. The 7-inch HARP gun also incorporated the use of gun-boosted rockets to increase payload and altitude capacity. Unlike the 5-inch HARP guns, all vertical high-performance flights for the 7-inch HARP guns were conducted at NASA's Wallops Island facility, where 34 vehicles were launched by May 1966.

High Altitude Research Facility
The 16-inch HARP gun in Barbados held the largest gun record globally, with a barrel length of 119 ft (36$1/4$ m) and weighing 200 tons. It consisted of two 16-inch U.S. Navy gun barrels welded together and smooth-bored to 16.4-inch diameter. It was capable of firing at a muzzle velocity of 2,164 m/s (7,100 ft/s) with a maximum acceleration at launch of 15,000 g. It launched a 181-kg shot with an 84-kg payload that could reach an altitude of 181 km (595,000 ft). For propellants, the 16-inch gun used either the solvent type WM/M.225 or the solventless M8M.225, both manufactured by Canadian Arsenals Limited. During testing, a camera station set up on the islands of Barbados, Saint Vincent, and Grenada were used to photograph the trimethylaluminium trails released from the projectile during launch, which provided data on upper atmosphere wind velocities for different altitudes.

Highwater Range
The 16-inch HARP gun at Highwater Range was established in 1964 near McGill University to conduct flight tests and other general research on the HARP guns without traveling all the way to the launch site at Barbados. Although the Highwater 16-inch gun was only capable of horizontal test flights and could not be elevated higher than 10 degrees, it was frequently used to test new and experimental launch vehicles and gun systems under each gun loads and in free flight. The Highwater 16-inch gun was primarily used for missile-sabot structural integrity tests, charge development, rocket grain tests, and for testing vehicle performance inside the gun and during the critical muzzle exit. In 1965, the barrel of the Highwater 16-inch gun was extended to a length of 176 ft, holding the record for the longest big-bore artillery piece in the world.

Yuma Proving Ground
The 16-inch HARP gun at Yuma Proving Ground was constructed in 1966 in order to establish a functional 16-inch gun on American soil and holds the record for achieving the highest projectile launched. It was almost identical to the 16-inch gun on Barbados, being 119 ft long, but was limited by a 35-mile range restriction. However, unlike the Barbados gun, its projectiles could be recovered since they were not lost in the ocean upon their journey back down. The Yuma 16-inch gun was primarily used for flight tests, such as those testing altitude control and telemetry components. In 1966, the 16-inch Yuma gun underwent three firing series using wooden slugs, Martlet 2C's, and a Low Altitude High-Velocity cone.

Martlet projectiles
Several models of test projectiles were fired or designed during Project HARP: These projectiles were fired on the island of Barbados and some were fired by the US Army's Ballistic Research Lab. The tube's slender design, which contained the rocket's payload, was very narrow and long, limiting what objects could be inserted into the tube. This limitation on size was extremely inconvenient when considering the future proposed payloads of Martlet rockets, including satellites and space probes. The cannon-like design also eliminated the capacity for crewed space travel as well as the launching of satellites carrying extremely sensitive scientific instruments and payloads due to the extreme acceleration placed on the projectile during firing.

Martlet 1
The Martlet 1 was the first test projectile of the HARP program. Designed in 1962, it was a 16-inch (406 mm) gun bore that weighed 450 lb (200 kg), was 6.6 inches (170 mm) in diameter and 70 inches (1,800 mm) long. Only four were manufactured, two of which were fired during the January and June 1963 test series.

Martlet 2A, 2B, 2C family
The Martlet 2A, 2B, and 2C represented the earliest of the Martlet 2 16-inch (406 mm) test projectiles. Martlet 2A was designed simultaneously with the Martlet 1 with a range of interest being 70 to 200 kilometers. Most carried multi-type research payloads studying the upper atmosphere and near-space conditions. Due to their low cost per missile launch, they were used to test out single payloads. Despite similarities in missile airframe, the Martlet 2A, 2B, and 2C featured differences in their structural materials and mechanical details. For the Martlet 2A, the liquid payload was loaded into an aluminum, tapered liner inside the missile body. But by the development of the Martlet 2C series, the aluminum insert was abandoned altogether to allow the liquid payload to be housed in contact with the steel body, increasing the quantity of the liquid payload that could be carried.

Martlet 2G and 2G-1
The Martlet 2G was an advanced test projectile with nearly all of its total 350 lb (160 kg) weight in the projectile. It was tested successfully with the Highwater gun and the Barbados gun but never proceeded beyond the engineering flight testing stage. The Martlet 2G-1 was a proposed space launch vehicle variant of Martlet 2G, which had a solid rocket motor in the projectile. The follow-on 2G-2 proposal was to have had a second rocket motor to place the second stage in orbit, though with little or no payload. After development, it underwent horizontal development firings from the Highwater gun in 1966 but failed to be properly tested in time.

Martlet 3
The Martlet 3 series consisted of advanced rocket-propelled projectiles. They were built and tested for the HARP project but were ultimately not successful due to restrictions in funding and a severe lack of technical information regarding large rocket grains' behaviour under high acceleration loading. When testing these projectiles, the danger of in-bore detonation was considered a severe potential problem.

Martlet 3A
The Martlet 3A was an 18 cm diameter, gun-fired rocket projectile that theoretically could reach 500 km altitude. As HARP's first attempt at a low-cost sabotted rocket system, the projectile was built with fiberglass or aluminum bodies. A standard 6-inch rocket was bonded to an aluminum case. The rocket nozzle was supported by a pusher plate, which would impart the missile's acceleration through the aluminum wall casing. Fiberglass limited acceleration to 3600 g (corresponding to a velocity of 3800 ft/s at rocket ignition). The Martlet 3A's original objective was to carry a 40-lbs payload to an altitude of 500 km, which theoretically was feasible if the system could be launched at full gun pressures. The rocket motors' solid propellant deformed during firing and the design was never successful, despite several test firings.

Marlet 3B
The Martlet 3B was similar to the Martlet 3A but using steel casings and attempting to solve some of the 3A model's other problems. The casings survived 5100 ft/s, but the propellant failed at 3400 ft/s. This was solved for later rockets by filling the propellant cavity with liquid, but only after developing the 3B model had ended.

Martlet 3D
The Martlet 3D model was planned as a suborbital test rocket, using the first stage of the Martlet 4 solid rocket version. As the Martlet 4 was never built, no Martlet 3Ds were produced either.

Martlet 3E
The Martlet 3E was a solid suborbital rocket designed to be fired from a smaller, 7-inch (180 mm) cannon used in the HARP project. Its basic concept revolved around packaging the rocket grain in a case with elastic properties to transmit the lateral strain to the gun tube. The 3E model utilized a new rocket grain construction technique that consisted of laminating sheet double-base propellant grain under hydraulic pressure.

Martlet 4
By July 1964, the Marlet 4 program pursued developing an orbit capable multi-stage rocket system to be launched from the 16" Barbados gun. Two versions of full-scale orbital launch vehicle projectiles were proposed in the Martlet 4 series. The first was to have used three solid rocket motor stages and was planned to orbit approximately 50 pounds of payload. The second used liquid rocket motors and was planned to have orbited 200 pounds of payload. Both were about 28 ft long and 16 in in diameter, weighing about 2900 lb at launch. However, no Martlet 4 vehicles were built; the project was halted before the design was completed.

Martlet 4 Control Systems
A guidance and control system were developed for the orbital mission by Aviation Electric Limited of Montreal under the direction of McGill-BRL-Harry Diamond Laboratory group. Infrared horizon sensors and sun sensors were included in calculating vehicle attitude. Information for on-board sensors was to be processed by the logic module, which provided commands to a cold gas thruster system which in turn adjusted the vehicle's orientation. The components of the guidance and control assembly were integrated into a 6.25-inch diameter test projectile. Sun sensors, horizon sensors, telemetry packs, receiving/transmitting antenna, hydraulic systems, logic modules, and gas thruster attitude control systems were all test-fired to approximately 10,000 g's.

title: Project HARP


text:
Talk:Vaginismus/Archive 1

Note
took in text from CDC public domain document at http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/drh/Africa_pdf/Chap_10.pdf

Recent edit
I reverted this edit because it had POV language in it (such as "Anyone trying to make money or offering unique fast solutions to this problem should be sued".) However, much of the edit seemed to be well intentioned, so if the anon who added it would like to discuss changes we could make to the edit, I'd like to welcome you here, and let you know that your contributions are welcome as long as they can conform to Wikipedia standards, and I invite you to join in the discussion here. (I'm leaving the message here instead of on the talk page, because the change is from an anon with one edit.) --Arcadian 15:41, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

Edits by User:62.31.184.124
Twice User:62.31.184.124 has reverted my edit to the Treatment section of this article. As I put much effort into the edit, I request that the user explain the reasoning behind their reversion. In the meantime, I have re-reverted the article so that it contains my edit. Joie de Vivre 16:01, 16 November 2006 (UTC)

I also put much effort into writing the original article which you have basically wiped out completely. A lot of the things you have written are false - women with vaginismus are no more likely to have problems with sexual arousal than any other woman and yet you make out like they are. It is also not true that arousal is the "key" to painfree penetration - I suppose we should all take a vibrator into the gyno's office next time we go see him shall we? Women with vaginismus do not JUST want to be able to have sex, they want to be able to use tampons and have gyno exams, using arousal as a key to success undermines this as clearly you shouldn't have to be aroused to do those things.

"Despite popular belief, orgasm need not be the goal of masturbation. The reason may be to simply increase comfort with the genital area, to explore various sensations through genital and clitoral touch, and to become aware of those sensations which are relaxing and pleasurable. Sexual arousal causes changes in the shape and color of the vulva, as well as in the vaginal lubrication produced. As a woman becomes more aware of her individual sexual response, she can learn which sensations are best for bringing her to a state of arousal. She will then be better equipped to teach her partner(s) which sensations feel best for her."

That has nothing to do with vaginismus. There is no evidence to suggest that women with vaginismus masturbate any more or less than any other woman. Just because they can not be penetrated, does not mean that they can not masturbate. They don't need to be taught about these things as if they are sexually immature or inexperienced. You focus far too much on intercourse and sexual arousal - for many women with vaginismus, the reason they have it is because they live in a society which is already obsessed with anything to do with sex.

You do not emphasise enough the right of the woman to choose whether or not she treats vaginismus.

You use long words, where before there were none and they are simply not needed -"rapid resolution of the condition."

It appears that you just want to sex the article up with a load of wishy washy rubbish about masturbation sexual arousal. This is NOT what vaginismus is about. It deters from the actual problem which we are trying to portray and only makes vaginismic women feel more inadequate as they are faced with something full of sex this and sex that. We should be trying to empower these women to make their own choices when it comes to vaginismus and sex not forcing a load of tosh down their necks about the importance of sexual arousal and masturbation.

"most women who do not have vaginismus usually do experience pain or discomfort if they insert objects into their vagina without prior sexual arousal." - This is also false. Why on earth would we use tampons if this was the case? This sentence will probably just put fear into women with vaginismus who believe RIGHTLY that inserting objects into their vagina should NOT be painful and does not have to be whether they are aroused or not.

I hope this clarifies things for you.

 * First, I want to thank you for joining me in the discussion. I am glad that you are interested in making this article more accurate.  Let's discuss your concerns.  It seems like your major concern has to do with the content about how women with vaginismus experience and express their sexuality.

 * I agree with you that sexual arousal is not appropriate or necessary for the insertion of tampons, or during internal gynecological exams. However, attempting sexual penetration prior to or without achieving a state of sexual arousal is generally painful for women, perhaps because a penis, dildo or fist is much larger and more difficult to insert vaginally than a tampon or speculum.  Sexual penetration is the type of penetration to which I was referring in the sentence about the importance of arousal, but the difference between sexual and non-sexual penetration (and the appropriateness of arousal) is not clearly addressed in this section.  Rather than throw out this content, I have now included it in a section titled Sexuality.  It is clear that the kind of penetration mentioned in that section is specifically sexual, and not related to that of tampons or gynecological exams.  As you mentioned, I also included a sentence stating that some vaginismic women may choose to not seek treatment.

 * I ask that you not revert the existing edition back to your prior version, because much of the work I did in the rest of the article was to edit for encyclopedic tone, as well as to remove the heteronormative references. Not all vaginismic women engage in sex with men, and the previous version was slanted towards heterosexual women.  Most instances of the phrase "sexual intercourse" have been changed to read "penetrative sex" because this phrasing makes no assumptions about the gender of the woman's sex partner.  You are free to edit the article.  Joie de Vivre 18:51, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

External link
There is a lot of very helpful information about vaginismus (symptoms, causes, treatment, etc.) on the vaginismus.com website that is free. I do not think the link should have been removed. Yes, the website offers commercial products, but it is definitely a website with the most detailed information on the subject and would be of great interest to anyone looking for more information and help with the vaginismus condition. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 24.64.120.185 (talk • contribs).

 * Can you demonstrate what is available for free on the site? There must be significant content available for free in order for it not to be considered mainly commercial.  Joie de Vivre 19:13, 24 May 2007 (UTC)

 * Here are some examples:

 * Symptoms
 * Causes
 * Diagnosis
 * Treatment
 * A good size list of FAQs
 * Community: This section of the website contains a huge list of resources (books, links, etc. related to the condition and treatment)

 * There is a considerable amount of valuable content on the vaginismus.com website, even more content than the other website that you left on this page. I can provide more examples if you are still unsure. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 24.64.120.185 (talk • contribs).

 * Please sign your comments with four tildes i.e. " ~ " so that we can know who is speaking. Thanks.  Anyway, that link is commercial.  The "free content" consists of vague information about vaginismus.  The relevant content seems to be at the for-pay forums, and in my opinion the site exists primarily to sell a book, a DVD, and a dilator kit (or all three together for $100).  This site is already the #1 hit on Google for "vaginismus" so I am sure sales won't suffer for it not being listed here.  Joie de Vivre 23:19, 24 May 2007 (UTC)

 * P.S. In case you are not convinced, the site is set up with links from section to section, with the "stuff for sale" and the "pay forums" as the last two. the so-called "news section" features a review of their book at the top.  the "books" section also features their book at the top with a "buy now" link and "find on amazon" links for the others.  the site is cleverly set up but it is still commercial.  Joie de Vivre 23:25, 24 May 2007 (UTC)

 * Hi Joie, thank you for your thoughts. The vaginismus.com site has much more information on the topics of diagnosis, causes, etc. (previous links as discussed above) than is available in wikipedia. Although yes, there is a commercial aspect, the nature of vaginismus requires commercial products (such as dilators) for effective treatment and keeping the link off is preventing women from getting more information and resources on the subject than what is here - which serves nobody. The ultimate goal of wikipedia should be to help people... especially with problems like vaginismus —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 209.89.217.154 (talk • contribs).

 * Please sign your comments by typing four tildes " ~ " at the end of what you have written. Do not go back and add four tildes to your old comments because they will be timestamped incorrectly.

 * Since we disagree about this I have asked for a third opinion at WP:3O. As I said, the website is the #1 Google hit for "vaginismus" so the suggestion that there is some injustice being done by keeping it off Wikipedia is ludicrous.  If a person knows how to look something up on Wikipedia they know how to look something up on Google.

 * Wikipedia's primary purpose is to provide encyclopedic information, not to serve as a directory. I would like to point out that we should not bend the rules to "help people".  I believe the primary parties being "helped" by adding this link to Wikipedia are Mark and Lisa Carter, with their "Vaginismus Treatment Kit" on the site, priced at $109.90 ($115.89 outside the US).  Joie de Vivre 22:51, 25 May 2007 (UTC)

3rd Opinion
I think we don't need this link per arguments above. There is a dmoz entry for Vaginismus so I would suggest adding and  to the external links sections. I would also recommend adding more inline citations to the article to conform to a higher standard of quality.TheRingess (talk) 00:18, 26 May 2007 (UTC)

 * Added the templates. Agree that more citations are needed, so added moresources template.Joie de Vivre 00:27, 26 May 2007 (UTC)

Possible
Is it possible to know why the non-profit Vaginismus Awareness Network has been removed after being given permission to be listed among the external links (See Talk Page 1) ?

Thank you. — Preceding unsigned comment added by !babininja (talk • contribs)

External link
Hi,

Can we add the following link: http://www.vaginismus-awareness-network.org/?

This is a non profit website which offers information to women, their partners and gynecologists. It is all free and there is nothing at all commercial about the site.

Thanks

 * Yeah, I've looked it over now, and I don't see why not. That other link was commercial, this one adds lots of useful information that the article does not have.  OK.  Joie de Vivre 22:59, 9 June 2007 (UTC)

Masturbation
there is an inordinate percentage of this article devoted to masturbation, which many would argue has nothing to do with vaginismus, yet for some reason has its own paragraph and heading. this compromises the objective, purely informative purpose of the article - no printed encyclopedia would devote so much attention in an article on vaginismus to masturbation. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.215.104.180 (talk) 05:28, 23 January 2008 (UTC)
 * I just checked the 13 Jan 2008 version of the article and I disagree that there is an "inordinate percentage" at that time, and there's even less now. The section does, however, read a bit too much like a "How to" rather than an encyclopedic entry on potential treatment/avoidance.  It needs to be rewritten and sourced, but if the length stays the same, or even grows a little, I certainly see no problem. - 142.167.65.139 (talk) 04:34, 26 November 2009 (UTC) (User:BalthCat)

Experience of vaginismus doesn't cite any sources
I don't know the tag for a section that doesn't cite sources, so I can't tag it, though. nhinchey (talk) 12:12, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

Childbirth
This article does not talk about how it affects women with the condition during childbirth, if it does at all. This seems like a topical issue for the article. (If it's obvious that it isn't an issue, and I'm just ignorant of the physiology, I'm assuming that others would also make the same mistake.) - 142.167.65.139 (talk) 04:34, 26 November 2009 (UTC) (User:BalthCat)

Vegetables?
Medical dilators may be obtained online, or tapered vegetables can be used at home instead, with the same effect.? Really? I'm a little uncertain as to whether this is serious or not... Spock of Vulcan (talk) 19:38, 13 November 2010 (UTC)

Emotional Response
The Emotional Response section uses informal language and filler words. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.27.78.190 (talk) 07:43, 15 June 2011 (UTC)

Agree. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.75.62.218 (talk) 17:52, 9 September 2011 (UTC)

 * I worked on that some during my comprehensive edit of the article today. It's still unsourced and hugely subjective, but I didn't want to just delete it all. For now, it can serve as a placeholder until — ideally — someone can find, paraphrase and properly cite a reputable source documenting sufferers' actual experiences. IMO leaving that paragraph or two there in the meantime is preferable to having nothing there at all. —GrammarFascist (talk) 05:22, 14 November 2011 (UTC)

Botox treatment (Are you kidding me?!)
I don't have access to the journal article referenced for this section, and the wording of the procedure description that had been in the article sounded... odd. I can see why sedation or general anesthesia might be necessary in order for a vaginismus sufferer to be able to receive intra-vaginal or even peri-vaginal injection. But the idea that a dilator — much less a "large" one! — would routinely be inserted into a patient drugged unconscious when the point of using a paralytic agent such as Botox would be to prevent the reflex from occurring with patient-controlled penetration seems, frankly, more like something to be found in pornographic fiction than in a procedure likely to meet the relevant standard of care. It would be fantastic if actual reconstructive surgeons, or even others with access to the article, could check up on what's actually in the cited article, and correct the section of the article here as appropriate... —GrammarFascist (talk) 05:22, 14 November 2011 (UTC)

Treatment
What does this mean? "Alternative treatment requires only patient intervention using a discreet 'Vaginal Acceptance Trainer'."

There are no citations. When I google "Vaginal Acceptance Trainer" I get a commercial website for a trademarked "Vaginal Acceptance Trainer" here: http://www.vagi-wave.co.uk/.

I personally suffer from this condition and I am leery of commercial products without seeing some medical backing. Also the device is £59 for a plastic wand, so they're clearly for-profit. I feel the same way about vaginismus.com. You can buy dilators for much less, around $12 is what I typically pay. It saddens me that in the void of good medical advice, these profiteers appear. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Fejoa rock (talk • contribs) 18:28, 27 January 2013
 * You are correct that there was nothing on this. It just sounds like another type of dilator. I deleted it and stated that a secondary source citation was needed that it actually didn't stretch the tissue.Simoni217 (talk) 14:33, 17 April 2014 (UTC)

Hi, there were a few more references to the "vaginal acceptance trainer" that I changed to "dilator"Celesteroyce (talk) 14:38, 27 April 2014 (UTC)

Broad Additions Made
Hello all, As part of a class assignment, I researched and wrote a paper on this subject, and then had to edit the article according to my research. Below I summarized my changes, and they address a number of concerns expressed above. My major issue was that I could not get multiple citations of the same website to show up as one reference, and I apologize for that. Otherwise, please read, review, and reply! Thank you!

Changes Summary
 * Added second to last paragraph under Primary vaginismus because Lamont Classification is for use in GYN exams, and not necessarily applicable at home.
 * Made minor grammatical edit to beginning of last paragraph
 * Added list under Secondary Vaginismus
 * Added last paragraph under Prevalence
 * Added Cycle of Pain under Treatment (could not upload graphic because of copywrite)
 * Moved last paragraph of Treatment to second to last paragraph of Physical because it made more sense there categorically
 * Added last paragraph of Psychological because the article did not mention Sensate Focusing at all
 * Added last paragraph to Physical
 * Added middle paragraph to Neuromodulators because women should be warned of the risks of surgical so-called solutions to sexual dysfunctions
 * Added references to General (i.e. emotional experience) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Lufia16 (talk • contribs) 19:15, 29 April 2014 (UTC)

Suggested external link.
I see that you have no External links section in this article. Is that by design? If so, why? If not, I suggest the following Sharecare page, "Q. What are vaginal panic attacks?" Sharecare has many articles and videos on health-related topics that are presented in an easily understood way. Dr. Mehmet Oz is the presenter in this video as it's a segment from his show. I see nowhere on the page or site where they are selling anything. This segment on vaginismus is not an in-depth article with a lot of new technical information, but the video is very valuable for people who have difficulty visualizing the material.

The condition is briefly described as are some of the causes, a fly-through "Visible Woman" model type illustration of the pelvic organs is quickly shown, then the use of biofeedback in treating the condition is described and demonstrated on a fully clothed woman utilizing her forearm muscles. The video diffuses both the audience's nervous tittering and, I imagine, reduces stress in fearful sufferers who are seeking information. http://www.sharecare.com/health/gynecology/what-are-vaginal-panic-attacks Thank you, Wordreader (talk) 19:43, 19 November 2014 (UTC)

Causes
Wow, the Causes section of this article has surprisingly few footnotes. Did anyone research this, or was it just guesswork? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Oulipal (talk • contribs) 17:56, 9 June 2016 (UTC)

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Gender-neutral language
As seen with this edit, Doc James reverted Kdingcong's use of gender-neutral language. Deddish reverted Doc James, and I reverted Deddish. Yes, trans men and non-binary people exist, but "vaginismus" is not about everyone. Stating "vaginismus, sometimes called vaginism, is a condition that affects a woman's ability to engage in vaginal penetration" is far less confusing for readers than "vaginismus, sometimes called vaginism, is a condition that affects a person's ability to engage in vaginal penetration." After all, who are we referring to when we state "person's"? Readers could take that to mean either partner, so that if it's a cisgender heterosexual couple, then it could mean that it's the man who has vaginismus. But that's not the case. The original wording is not confusing at all.

There are a lot of things we won't change on Wikipedia when it comes to anatomical matters. This is per our WP:Due weight policy. But as seen at Talk:Human penis/Archive 1, I and others did consider not beginning the Human penis article with the statement that it's something that male humans have. The article now simply begins by describing the organ as male, and this is because the literature does. We can't state that it's simply something that some people have and not specify it as a male reproductive system organ. And for the Vaginismus article, "people with vaginas" would not be an improvement either. Flyer22 Reborn (talk) 20:37, 21 February 2018 (UTC)
 * Agree this is about biological sex, not about gender.  Doc James  (talk · contribs · email) 23:59, 21 February 2018 (UTC)
 * The name, combined with the wording, pretty clearly implies to me that it's a problem with the patient's vagina, but I see how it could briefly confuse others. Besides that however, there are several other edits in Kdingkong's version that I can't imagine would confuse anyone: "A woman/individual with vaginismus... women/people with vaginismus..." etc. If it's established early on that vaginismus is something that affects the patient's vagina, "woman" (or likewise "person with vagina" or whatever else) doesn't really need repeating; it doesn't add clarity or new information; and making it neutral doesn't detract anything but gendering.
 * I would propose rewording the sentence in the first paragraph to "Vaginismus... is a gynecological condition where the vagina is difficult to penetrate, which can impede (activities such as) sexual intercourse..."
 * Of the other reverts, the only one that looks like it might be awkward by most peoples' standards (although I could be wrong about that) is, "It is commonly discovered in teenage girls and women in their early twenties, as this is when..." vs "teenagers and those in their early twenties..." In place of that, I think "Patients commonly discover(/are commonly diagnosed with) the condition in their teens or early twenties, when..." is quite sufficient. Deddish (talk) 07:19, 22 February 2018 (UTC)
 * Deddish, I considered the title being "Vaginismus" making it clear that it's about one who has a vagina, but I've seen readers confused about things despite the title. In this case, going by an example I gave above, readers could easily think that it applies to people who don't have vaginas as well. As for not needing to consistently state "woman" or "girl" if we make it clear early on that we mean "people with vaginas," I agree. But I object to stating "people with vaginas." As for your suggested wording for the lead sentence, I could go along with that. How about you, Doc? As for "patients," we commonly avoid "patients" and "victims" per Manual of Style/Medicine-related articles, but I personally don't have an issue with using those terms on Wikipedia and I don't see the guideline currently suggesting to avoid "patients" except for when it comes to "One third of XYZ patients" not always being the same as "One third of people with XYZ." Flyer22 Reborn (talk) 21:50, 22 February 2018 (UTC)

Regarding this, BallenaBlanca was correct to revert Bluejorts. And so was I. This is per above. Again, we follow the literature with WP:Due weight. We also go by WP:STICKTOTHESOURCES. We've already reworded the lead sentence so that it doesn't unnecessarily state "woman." It now states, "Vaginismus is a condition in which involuntary muscle spasm prevents vaginal penetration." And there is no other part of the lead that is unnecessarily gendered either. But something like "about 0.5% of women are affected" should be gendered. There is no sign that the source includes trans men, non-binary people, or intersex people. We absolutely should not be replacing "women" with "people with vaginas." If one wants trans men or non-binary people specifically acknowledged in the article, the way to do that is to find WP:MEDRS-compliant sources that talk about vaginismus among trans men or non-binary people...and then include the information.

Pinging Doc James in case he didn't see the latest matter concerning removing "women" and "girls." Flyer22 Reborn (talk) 08:35, 17 February 2019 (UTC)

As seen with this edit, I reworded some material so that "woman," "women" and "people" are not needed. "Woman" and "women" are needed for other parts, such as when the source is talking about teenage girls and women in their early twenties. Other recent edits by me are seen here and here. Flyer22 Reborn (talk) 09:22, 17 February 2019 (UTC)

Also, regarding trans women, the vagina and neovagina are different. But, anyway, if anyone has WP:Reliable sources (preferably academic ones rather than media ones) about vaginismus among trans women, feel free to include material on trans women. Media-sourced material would go in a "Society and culture" section. See WP:MEDSECTIONS. For the other sections in the article, WP:MEDRS-compliant sources should be used. Flyer22 Reborn (talk) 09:48, 17 February 2019 (UTC) Flyer22 Reborn (talk) 09:59, 17 February 2019 (UTC)
 * Using "women" in the biological sense is appropriate when it is used in that manner such as in this case. I do not support moving to "people with vaginas" Doc James  (talk · contribs · email) 15:46, 17 February 2019 (UTC)

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Talk:Vaginismus/Archive 1


text:
Talk:The Real Thing (Faith No More album)

Legacy section
3 Korn quotes??? Places undue emphasis on one band that was influenced, would benefit from a diversity of perspectives. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 107.220.144.149 (talk) 19:01, 28 September 2022 (UTC)

Comment
Ack! How could I have forgotten the play? I read that; it was funny stuff. Koyaanis Qatsi 22:49, 8 Aug 2003 (UTC)

Dead external links to Allmusic website – January 2011
Since Allmusic have changed the syntax of their URLs, 1 link(s) used in the article do not work anymore and can't be migrated automatically. Please use the search option on http://www.allmusic.com to find the new location of the linked Allmusic article(s) and fix the link(s) accordingly, prefereably by using the Allmusic template. If a new location cannot be found, the link(s) should be removed. This applies to the following external links: --CactusBot (talk) 10:30, 2 January 2011 (UTC)
 * http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=Arq60tr89klkx

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Genre summarization
These two edits, by two different IPs, are demonstrable of a failure to understand how Wikipedia articles should be curated: 12:21, December 24, 2022–21:32, December 24, 2022 and 03:29, December 25, 2022–06:17, December 25, 2022. The lead section and infobox serve as summaries of the article content, and if the IPs took the time to read the article as it stood before the aforementioned edits with deference to WP:DUEWEIGHT and WP:SUMMARY, they might appreciate that the infobox stated properly only those genres most good sources agree upon, where those sources' claims are covered in the article content, and the lead was doing the same. Genres less commonly mentioned by sources may be mentioned in the article content (which they were), with due weight, but not featured as a summary of the genre of the album in the lead or infobox. This is common knowledge for any editor who knows what they're doing, and constantly reverting work to fix the failure to follow these guidelines is practically vandalism, not in small part since the recent edit summaries clearly outline these guidelines as applicable. It may also be prudent for the IPs to read the sources more carefully too. 08:46, 25 December 2022 (UTC)

This issue has turned shamefully into an unreasonable edit war and as such I have reported it at Wikipedia:Administrators' noticeboard/Edit warring  21:41, 26 December 2022 (UTC)


text:
Ritu (season)

Ritu (ऋतु) means "season" in different ancient Indian calendars used in India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. There are six ritus (also transliterated ritu) or seasons. Seasons are different times of the year and there are 12 months in the year. Every month has its own special season. The word is derived from the Vedic Sanskrit word Ṛtú, a fixed or appointed time, especially the proper time for sacrifice (yajna) or ritual in Vedic religion; this in turn comes from the word Ṛta (ऋत), as used in Vedic Sanskrit literally means the "order or course of things". This word is used in nearly all Indian languages.

Indian calendars
Nepal and India observes six ecological seasons.

East Indian calendars
East Indian calendars (Bengali, Assamese, Odia and Mithila) start their new year on Mesh Sankranti. The season names corresponds to the Sanskrit Vasanta, Grishma, Varsha, Sharada, Hemanta, Shishira order. The Bengali Calendar is similar to the Sanskrit calendar above, but differs in start and end times which moves certain dates/days around (i.e., Vasant Panchami occurs here in Vasant ritu but in the calendar above, it occurs in Shishir as that is the Magha Shukla Panchami). The East Indian Calendar has the following seasons or ritus:

Assamese Calendar
Seasons in the Assamese Calendar:

Bengali Calendar
Seasons in the Bengali Calendar:

Maithili Calendar
Seasons in the Maithili Calendar:

Odia Calendar
Seasons in the Odia calendar:

Malayalam Kannada Calendar
The Malayalam calendar or Kollam Era, a solar and sidereal Hindu calendar used in Kerala, and in Karnataka they follows a pattern of six seasons slightly different from North Indian Calendars.

Tamil calendar
The Tamil Calendar follows a similar pattern of six seasons as described in the Hindu calendar.

In culture
The seasons are described in literature such as the Sanskrit poem Ṛtusaṃhāra written by the legendary Sanskrit poet Kālidāsa.

Names of the ritu are commonly used for persons: typically, Vasant, Sharad, Hemant, Shishir and Varsh are "male" names; "female" names include Vasanti, Sharada, Hemanti, Grishma and Varsha.

Similar naming conventions are also used in Tamil: For female Ilavenil. For male Kar(Vannan).

title: Ritu (season)


text:
Anorgasmia

Anorgasmia is a type of sexual dysfunction in which a person cannot achieve orgasm despite adequate sexual stimulation. Anorgasmia is far more common in females (4.6 percent) than in males and is especially rare in younger men. The problem is greater in women who are post-menopausal. In males, it is most closely associated with delayed ejaculation. Anorgasmia can often cause sexual frustration.

Causes
The condition is sometimes classified as a psychiatric disorder. However, it can also be caused by physiological problems such as diabetic neuropathy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, genital mutilation on any gender, complications from genital surgery, pelvic trauma (such as from a straddle injury caused by falling on the bars of a climbing frame, bicycle or gymnastics beam), hormonal imbalances, total hysterectomy, spinal cord injury, cauda equina syndrome, uterine embolisation, childbirth trauma (vaginal tearing naturally or through the use of forceps or suction or a large or unclosed episiotomy), vulvodynia and cardiovascular disease.

Drugs-induced
A common cause of anorgasmia, in both women and men, is the use of antidepressants, particularly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Though reporting of anorgasmia as a side effect of SSRIs is not precise, studies have found that 17–41% of users of such medications are affected by some form of sexual dysfunction.

Another cause of anorgasmia is cocaine use and opiate addiction, particularly to heroin.

Primary anorgasmia
Primary anorgasmia is a condition where one has never experienced an orgasm. This is significantly more common in women, although it can occur in men who lack the gladipudendal (bulbocavernosus) reflex. Women with this condition can sometimes achieve a relatively low level of sexual excitement. Frustration, restlessness, and pelvic pain or a heavy pelvic sensation may occur because of vascular engorgement. On occasion, there may be no obvious reason why orgasm is unobtainable. In such cases, women report that they are unable to orgasm even if they have a caring, skilled partner, adequate time and privacy, and an absence of medical issues which would affect sexual satisfaction.

About 15% of women report difficulties with orgasm, and 10% of women in the United States have never climaxed. 29% of women always have orgasms with their partner.

Some social theorists believe that inability to orgasm may be related to residual psychosocial perceptions that female sexual desire is somehow 'wrong', and that this stems from the age of Victorian repression. It is argued that this view may impede some women – perhaps those raised in a more repressed environment – from being able to experience natural and healthy sexual feeling.

Secondary anorgasmia
Secondary anorgasmia is the loss of the ability to have orgasms (as opposed to primary anorgasmia which indicates a person who has never had an orgasm) or loss of the ability to reach orgasm of past intensity. The cause may be alcoholism, depression, grief, pelvic surgery (such as total hysterectomy) or injuries, certain medications, death-grip, illness, estrogen deprivation associated with menopause, or rape.

Prostatectomy
Secondary anorgasmia is close to 50% among males undergoing prostatectomy; 80% among radical prostatectomies. This is generally caused by damage to the primary nerves serving the penile area, which pass near the prostate gland. Removal of the prostate frequently damages or even completely removes these nerves, making sexual response unreasonably difficult. Radical prostatectomies are usually given to younger males who are expected to live more than 10 years. At more advanced ages, the prostate is less likely to grow during that person's remaining lifetime.

Situational anorgasmia
People who are orgasmic in some situations may not be in others. A person may have an orgasm from one type of stimulation but not from another, achieve orgasm with one partner but not another, or have an orgasm only under certain conditions or only with a certain type or amount of foreplay. These common variations are within the range of normal sexual expression and should not be considered problematic.

A person who is troubled by experiencing situational anorgasmia should be encouraged to explore alone and with their partner those factors that may affect whether or not they are orgasmic, such as fatigue, emotional concerns, feeling pressured to have sex when they are not interested, or a partner's sexual dysfunction. In the relatively common case of female situational anorgasmia during penile-vaginal intercourse, some sex therapists recommend that couples incorporate manual or vibrator stimulation during intercourse, or using the female-above position as it may allow for greater stimulation of the clitoris by the penis or pubic symphysis or both, and it allows the woman better control of movement.

Diagnosis
Effective treatment for anorgasmia depends on the cause. In the case of women with psychological sexual trauma or inhibition, psychosexual counselling might be advisable and could be obtained through general practitioner (GP) referral.

Women with anorgasmia with no obvious psychological cause would need to be examined by their GP to check for absence of disease. Blood tests would also need to be done (full blood count, liver function, oestradiol/estradiol, total testosterone, SHBG, FSH/LH, prolactin, thyroid function, lipids and fasting blood sugar) to check for other conditions such as diabetes, lack of ovulation, low thyroid function or hormone imbalances. The normal thresholds for these tests and timing in a woman's menstrual cycle is detailed in Berman et al., 2005.

They would then need to be referred to a specialist in sexual medicine. The specialist would check the patient's blood results for hormonal levels, thyroid function and diabetes, evaluate genital blood flow and genital sensation, as well as giving a neurological work-up to determine the degree (if any) of nerve damage.

Recently, it has been proposed to add a subtype of female orgasmic disorder (FOD), called reduced orgasmic intensity, and field trials are underway to assess the suitability of this proposal.

Treatment
Just as with erectile dysfunction in men, lack of sexual function in women may be treated with hormonal patches or tablets to correct hormonal imbalances, clitoral vacuum pump devices and medication to improve blood flow, sexual sensation and arousal.

Many practitioners today treat both men and women who have SSRI-induced anorgasmia with sildenafil, more commonly known as Viagra. While this approach is known to work well in men with sexual dysfunction, it is only recently that the effectiveness of sildenafil in women with sexual dysfunction is coming to light. A 1999 study by H. G. Nurnberg et al. showed a complete or very significant reversal of their sexual dysfunction upon taking sildenafil one hour prior to sexual activity. In this study, eight out of the nine women required 50 mg of sildenafil while the 9th woman required 100 mg of sildenafil.

Another option for women who have SSRI-induced anorgasmia is the use of vardenafil. Vardenafil is a type 5 phosphodiesterase (PDE5) inhibitor that facilitates muscle relaxation and improves penile erection in men. However, there is controversy about the efficiency of the drug used in the reversal of female sexual dysfunction. Vardenafil is similar to sildenafil, but vardenafil is less expensive and may be covered under some insurance plans. A study by A.K. Ashton M.D. has shown that in the case of one particular woman, the effects of vardenafil as opposed to sildenafil have not only been comparable in the effectiveness, but that vardenafil is cheaper and reversal of sexual dysfunction requires a smaller dose. So far, vardenafil has been approved by the Food and Drug administration only for use in men.

The NIH states that yohimbine hydrochloride has been shown in human studies to be possibly effective in the treatment of male impotence resulting from erectile dysfunction or SSRI usage (e.g., anorgasmia). Published reports have shown it to be effective in the treatment of orgasmic dysfunction in men.

Cabergoline, an agonist of dopamine D2 receptors which inhibits prolactin production, was found in a small study to fully restore orgasm in one third of anorgasmic subjects, and partially restore orgasm in another third. Limited data has shown that the drug amantadine may help to relieve SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction. Cyproheptadine, buspirone, stimulants such as amphetamines (including the antidepressant bupropion), nefazodone and yohimbine have been used to treat SSRI-induced anorgasmia. Reducing the SSRI dosage may also resolve anorgasmia problems.

title: Anorgasmia


text:
Aprus (Thrace)

Aprus or Apros (Ἄπρος), also Apri or Aproi (Ἄπροι), was a town of ancient Thrace and, later, a Roman city established in the Roman province of Europa.

History
Stephanus of Byzantium collects a quote of Theopompus that mentions Aprus. Pliny the Elder notes that Aprus is situated in the interior of Thrace, 22 M.P. from Resisto (likely the same as Bisanthe), 50 Roman miles from Bizya and 180 Roman miles from Philippi.

The city was re-founded as Colonia Claudia Aprensis in the mid-1st century AD, probably in connection with the emperor Claudius's annexation of Thracia, and was intended for retired members of the Roman military. It was situated on the Via Egnatia that ran from the Adriatic coast in the province of Illyricum to Byzantium, the city that was to become Constantinople.

In the 4th century, Aprus was the principal city of the region southwest of Heraclea, the capital of the province.

The city was called Theodosiopolis (Greek: Θεοδοσιούπολις) in documents of the 6th century, in honour of Theodosius II, emperor from 401 to 450, or of Theodosius I (347–395).

After the capture of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade (1204), the Henry of Flanders, brother of Baldwin I, attacked the city and killed many of the citizens. The Latin Empire made Theodore Branas (called Li Vernas by Geoffroi de Villehardouin) lord of Aprus. In 1206, Tsar Kaloyan of Bulgaria destroyed the city, but Branas rebuilt it.

In the Battle of Apros of July 1305, the Catalan Company annihilated the Byzantine imperial army under Michael IX Palaiologos.

Site
Its location is near the modern Turkish village of Kermeyan.

Name
In Armenian the town is known as Garin, In Greek Karenitis and in Arabic as Kalikelah. The Romans named the town Colonia Claudia Aprensis, and the Byzantines called it Apros and latter Theodosiopolis.

Ecclesiastical history
The former archbishopric was a double Catholic titular archbishopric - under the name Theodosiopolis ante Apri it was the only Bulgarian Catholic titular see, but has been suppressed as such, yet it remains a Latin titular see as Aprus.

Archbishopric
In a Notitia Episcopatuum of about 640, the bishopric appears as an autocephalous archdiocese and as the 22nd in order of precedence among 34 sees dependent upon the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Perhaps due to error, it is missing from the next such document, composed at the start of the 10th century, but reappears in the middle of the same century. In the 15th century it was dropped from the official lists of the dioceses dependent on the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

No longer a residential diocese, it has been listed by the Catholic Church as a double titular see, but remains only Latin

Latin titular see
No later than 1848, the diocese was nominally restored as a Latin Episcopal as Titular bishopric under the names of Theodosiopolis (Latin) / Teodosiopoli (Curiate Italian) / Apri / Apros / Aprus.

It was repeatedly renamed : in 1926 as Titular Episcopal See of Theodosiopolis (Latin) / Teodosiopoli d’Europa (Italian) / Apri / Apros / Aprus; in 1929 as Titular Episcopal See of Theodosiopolis (Latin) / Teodosiopoli di Frigia (Italian) and in 1930 as Titular Episcopal See of Theodosiopolis (Latin) / Teodosiopoli d’Europa (Italian) / Apri / Apros / Aprus.

In 1931 it was suppressed, having had the following incumbents, ''however none of the then fitting Episcopal (lowest) rank, all of the higher (and present) Archiepiscopal (intermediary) rank :
 * Antonius Merciai, Dominican Order (O.P.) (?Italian?) (1848.12.11 – death 1850.10.22), no prelature
 * Giovanni Tommaso Neuschel (1852.09.17 – death 1863.12.10) (born Italy) as emeritate and promoted for the former Titular Bishop of Troas (1828 – 1828.09.30), Bishop of Guastalla (Italy) (1828.09.30 – 1836.11.21), Bishop of Borgo San Donnino (Italy) (1836.11.21 – 1843.01.27), Bishop of Parma (Italy) (1843.01.27 – retired 1852.09.17)
 * Henri-Marie Amanton, O.P. (born France) (1865.03.11 – death 1869.10.12) as emeritate and promotion for the papal diplomat, former Titular Bishop of Arcadiopolis (1857.03.10 – 1865.03.11) as Apostolic Delegate to Mesopotamia, Kurdistan and Lesser Armenia (1857.03.10 – 1865.03.27)
 * Josyf Sembratovyc (1882.12.22 – death 1900.10.23) as emeritate, previously Titular Archbishop of Nazianzus (1865.03.24 – 1870.06.27) as Apostolic Administrator of Przemyśl of the Ukrainians (Poland) (1867.10.01 – 1870.06.27), Metropolitan of Lviv of the Ukrainians (Ukraine) (1870.06.27 – 1882.11.11)
 * Pietro Maglione (1900.12.17 – death 1903.04.13) (born Italy), as emeritate and promotion, previously Bishop of Cariati (Italy) (1874.06.15 – 1876.12.18), Bishop of Capaccio–Vallo (Italy) (1876.12.18 – 1900.12.17)
 * Nicola Marconi, Friars Minor O.F.M. (1911.01.21 – death 1930.04.11) (born Italy) as emeritate and promotion for the former Bishop of Pult (Albania) (1890.12.23 – 1911.01.21).

In 1933 however, it was restored, renamed and promoted as Titular archbishopric of Aprus (Latin) / Apro (Italian) / Apren(sis) (Latin adjective).

It has been vacant for several decades, having had the following incumbents, so far of the now fitting Archiepiscopal (intermediary) rank;
 * Giuseppe Lojacono (1939.06.01 – death 1945.03.13) (born Italy) as emeritate and promotion for the former Bishop of Ariano (Italy) (1918.11.04 – 1939.06.01)
 * Ercolano Marini (1945.10.03 – 1945.10.27) (born Italy) as emeritate, previously Titular Bishop of Archelaïs (1904.06.29 – 1905.12.11) as Auxiliary Bishop of Spoleto (Italy) (1904.06.29 – 1905.12.11), Bishop of Roman Catholic Diocese of Norcia (Italy) (1905.12.11 – 1915.06.02), Archbishop of Amalfi (Italy) (1915.06.02 – 1945.10.27); however quickly 'transferred' Titular Archbishop of Adana (1945.10.27 – 1950.11.16)
 * Arthur Hughes, White Fathers (M. Afr.) (born England, UK) (1947.08.23 – death 1949.07.12) as papal diplomat : Apostolic Internuncio to Egypt (1947.08.23 – 1949.07.12); previously (honorary) Titular Bishop of Hieropolis (1945.03.03 – 1947.08.23)
 * Philip Francis Pocock (1951.08.06 – 1952.01.14) (born Canada) as Coadjutor Archbishop of Winnipeg (Canada) (1951.08.06 – 1952.01.14); later succeeding as Archbishop of Winnipeg (1952.01.14 – 1961.02.18), Titular Archbishop of Isauropolis (1961.02.18 – 1971.03.30) as Coadjutor Archbishop of Toronto (Ontario, Canada) (1961.02.18 – 1971.03.30) succeeding as Metropolitan Archbishop of Toronto (Canada) (1971.03.30 – 1978.04.29); previously Bishop of Saskatoon (Canada) (1944.04.07 – 1951.08.06)
 * Antonio Gregorio Vuccino, Assumptionists (A.A.) (?Italian?) (1952.07.06 – 1968.04.23) as emeritate, previously Bishop of Syros (insular Greece) (1937.06.09 – 1947.05.29), Metropolitan Archbishop of Corfu–Zakynthos–Kefalonia (insular Greece) (1947.05.29 – 1952.07.06).

Bulgarian Catholic titular see
No later than 1907, it was also and separately restored as the only-ever titular see of the particular Bulgarian Byzantine Catholic Church (Bulgarian Catholics of the Byzantine Rite) as Titular archbishopric of Theodosiopolis ante Apri (Latin) / Teodosiopoli (Curiate Italian).

In 1924 it was suppressed, having had a single incumbent of the fitting Archiepiscopal (intermediary) rank :
 * Michail Miroff (1907.01.08 – death 1923), no actual prelature.

title: Aprus (Thrace)


text:
Theodosiopolis

Theodosiopolis or Theodosioupolis (Θεοδοσιούπολις, "city (polis) of Theodosius") can refer to several cities of classical antiquity (re)named after emperor Theodosius:

 * In Europe
 * Panion in Thrace, modern Barbaros in Turkey
 * Aprus in Thrace, modern Kermeyan in Turkey

 * In Asia
 * Erzurum in Turkey
 * Perperene, located today near Bergama in Turkey
 * Euaza in the region of Ephesus, located today in Turkey
 * Resaina, the modern Ras al-Ayn in Syria

 * In Africa
 * Theodosiopolis in Arcadia in Lower Egypt
 * Tebtunis in Lower Egypt
 * Hebenu in Upper Egypt

title: Theodosiopolis


text:
1946 Governor General's Awards

The 1946 Governor General's Awards for Literary Merit were the eleventh rendition of the Governor General's Awards, Canada's annual national awards program which then comprised literary awards alone. The awards recognized Canadian writers for new English-language works published in Canada during 1946 and were presented in 1947. There were no cash prizes.

The 1946 awards were announced on April 19, 1947, in Toronto, Ontario. As every year from 1942 to 1948, there two awards for non-fiction, and four awards in the three established categories, which recognized English-language works only.

Winners

 * Fiction: Winifred Bambrick, Continental Revue
 * Poetry or drama: Robert Finch, Poems
 * Non-fiction: Frederick Philip Grove, In Search of Myself
 * Non-fiction: Arthur R. M. Lower, Colony to Nation

Stephen Leacock Award
The Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour, commonly called the Stephen Leacock Award, recognizes the previous year's best English-language book of humour by a Canadian writer. It was inaugurated for 1946 publications when the winner was announced along with the Governor General's Literary Awards in April 1947 although it was – and always has been – separately administered and presented. As of 2015 the Leacock Medal approximately maintains its original schedule (2015, for 2014 publications: winner announced online, May 13; Leacock ceremony, first weekend in June) Meanwhile, the ceremonial date of the Governor General's Literary Awards has advanced to November of the publication year.

 * Stephen Leacock Award: Harry L. Symons, Ojibway Melody

(That is the 1947 Leacock Award, after the year of announcement and presentation.)

title: 1946 Governor General's Awards


text:
Church of Nigeria

The Church of Nigeria is the Anglican church in Nigeria. It is the second-largest province in the Anglican Communion, as measured by baptised membership (not by attendance), after the Church of England. In 2016 it stated that its membership was “over 18 million", out of a total Nigerian population of 190 million. It is "effectively the largest province in the Communion." As measured by active membership, the Church of Nigeria has nearly 2 million active baptised members. According to a study published by Cambridge University Press in the Journal of Anglican Studies, there are between 4.94 and 11.74 million Anglicans in Nigeria.  The Church of Nigeria is the largest Anglican province on the continent of Africa, accounting for 41.7% of Anglicans in Sub-Saharan Africa, and is "probably the first [largest within the Anglican Communion] in terms of active members."

Since 2002 the Church of Nigeria has been organised into 14 ecclesiastical provinces. It has rapidly increased the number of its dioceses and bishops from 91 in 2002 to 161 as at January 2013. The administrative headquarters are located in Abuja. Archbishop Henry Ndukuba became its primate in 2020.

History
Christianity came to Nigeria in the 15th century through Augustinian and Capuchin Friars from Portugal. The first mission of the Church of England was, though, only established in 1842 in Badagry by Henry Townsend. In 1964, Charles Longley, the then Archbishop of Canterbury consecrated Rev Samuel Ajayi Crowther Bishop for the Niger mission, thus becoming the first African Bishop and Bishop of the Niger Territories, which was subsequently renamed Diocese of Western Equatorial Africa with its headquarters in Onitsha. The Diocese of Western Equatorial Africa was divided into Diocese of Lagos(1919) and Diocese on the Niger(1920).

The two existing dioceses (Lagos and on the Niger) later gave birth to additional 14 dioceses. On 24 February 1979, the sixteen dioceses of Nigeria were joined in the Church of Nigeria, a newly founded province of the Anglican Communion, with Timothy O. Olufosoye, then Bishop of Ibadan, becoming its first archbishop, primate and metropolitan. Between 1980 and 1988, eight additional dioceses were created. In 1986, he was succeeded by J. Abiodun Adetiloye who became the second primate and metropolitan of Nigeria, a position he would hold until 1999.

In 1989 the Diocese of Abuja was created on the area of the new capital of Nigeria with Peter Akinola as first bishop.

The 1990s was the decade of evangelization for the Church of Nigeria, starting with the consecration of mission bishops for the mission dioceses of Minna, Kafanchan, Katsina, Sokoto, Makurdi, Yola, Maiduguri, Bauchi, Egbado and Ife. Between 1993 and 1996 the primate founded nine dioceses; Oke-Osun, Sabongidda-Ora, Okigwe North, Okigwe South, Ikale-Ilaje, Kabba, Nnewi, Egbu and Niger Delta North. In December 1996 five more mission dioceses were added in the north — Kebbi, Dutse, Damaturu, Jalingo and Otukpo — and their respective first bishops elected. In 1997 and 1998 four more dioceses were established; Wusasa, Abakaliki, Ughelli and Ibadan North. In 1999 the Church of Nigeria added 13 new dioceses; four in July (Oji River, Ideato, Ibadan South and Offa), eight in November (Lagos West, Ekiti West, Gusau, Gombe, Niger Delta West, Gwagwalada, Lafia and Bida) and Oleh in December. So within 10 years there were 27 new regular dioceses and 15 mission dioceses created. The Archbishop of Canterbury declared the Church of Nigeria to be the fastest growing church in the Anglican Communion.

In 1997 the Church of Nigeria was split into three ecclesiastical provinces (see below).

In 2000, Archbishop Peter Akinola succeeded Archbishop Adetiloye as primate of the Church of Nigeria. One of his first actions as primate was to get together 400 bishops, priests, lay members and members of the Mothers' Union to elaborate a vision for the Church of Nigeria under the chairmanship of Ernest Shonekan, a former President of Nigeria. The vision elaborated was: "The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) shall be; Bible-based, spiritually dynamic, united, disciplined, self supporting, committed to pragmatic evangelism, social welfare and a Church that epitomizes the genuine love of Christ."

The program of action included among others additional translations of the liturgy, establishing a lay fundraising team, establishing a legal support to ensure freedom of religion and worship, establishing theological colleges and universities, internet access for all dioceses, training evangelists, priests and their wives, social welfare programs, hospitals, secondary schools, literacy courses and setting up cottage industries.

In 2005, as one of the goals of the Vision of the Church of Nigeria, the church-owned Ajayi Crowther University in Oyo was granted license to operate as a private university in Nigeria on 7 January 2005.

Structure and leadership
In 1997, as a result of rapid expansion, the Church of Nigeria was split into three internal ecclesiastical provinces:
 * Province 1, consisting of the dioceses in the West, headed by Archbishop Joseph Abiodun Adetiloye, who remained Primate of All Nigeria, and metropolitan archbishop.
 * Province 2, consisting of the Eastern dioceses, headed by Benjamin Nwankiti, Bishop of Owerri as metropolitan archbishop.
 * Province 3, consisting of the Northern dioceses, headed by Peter Akinola, Bishop of Abuja, as metropolitan archbishop.

In 2002 the Church of Nigeria was again reorganised, this time into 10 ecclesiastical provinces.

The rapid expansion has continued, and as of 2012 there were 14 archbishops, heading 14 ecclesiastical provinces, with a total of 161 dioceses.

The fourteen ecclesiastical provinces are:
 * Aba - (Archbishop: Isaac Chijioke Nwaobia)
 * Abuja - (Archbishop: Henry Ndukuba)
 * Bendel - (Archbishop: Cyril Odutemu)
 * Enugu - (Archbishop: Emmanuel Chukwuma)
 * Ibadan - (Archbishop: Abiodun Olaoye)
 * Jos - (Archbishop: Markus Ibrahim)
 * Kaduna - (Archbishop: Timothy Yahaya)
 * Kwara - (Archbishop: Israel Amoo)
 * Lagos - (Archbishop: Michael Olusina Fape)
 * Lokoja - (Archbishop: Daniel Abubakar Yisa)
 * Niger - (Archbishop: Alex Ibezim)
 * Niger Delta - (Archbishop: Blessing Enyindah)
 * Ondo - (Archbishop: Simeon Borokini)
 * Owerri - (Archbishop: David Onuoha)

Primate
The fourteen archbishops each hold metropolitical authority within their respective provinces. One of them is additionally the Primate and bears the title "Primate of All Nigeria". The primates of the Church of Nigeria have been:

Anglican realignment
The Church of Nigeria has continuously opposed the liberal inclinations of the Episcopal Church of the United States and the Anglican Church of Canada, which led to the acceptance of non-celibate homosexuality and non-celibate homosexual clergy. The church has also opposed the decisions made by the Church of England to accept celibate same-sex relationships and clergy in celibate same-sex relationships, including civil unions. The former primate, Peter Akinola, become prominent as a leader of conservatives within the Anglican Communion. After the ordination of a partnered gay man, Gene Robinson, as a bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire, in the United States, he threatened that it was a measure that could split the Anglican Communion. As a first step, the church declared itself in "impaired communion" with the Episcopal Church USA on 21 November 2003. In September 2005 the Church of Nigeria reworded its constitution to redefine, from its point of view, the Anglican Communion, no longer as "Provinces in communion with the See of Canterbury" but instead "all Anglican Churches, Dioceses and Provinces that hold and maintain the ‘Historic Faith, Doctrine, Sacrament and Discipline of the one Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church'." Also in 2005, Archbishop Akinola criticised the Church of England for allowing clergy in same-sex civil partnerships saying that "[it] proposes same-sex marriage ‘in everything but name’ and that the proposal to extract a promise from gay clergy who register for civil unions to abstain from sexual relations is ‘totally unworkable’ and 'invites deception and ridicule'." In 2021, Archbishop Ndukuba reiterated the church's opposition to actions within the churches of "The Episcopal Church of the USA, Canada, [and the] UK..." and his commitment to GAFCON.

On November 12, 2005, the church entered into a "Covenant of Concordat" with the Reformed Episcopal Church and the Anglican Province of America, two conservative groups of Anglican origin but outside the Anglican Communion, which do not recognize the Episcopal Church USA. In October and December 2006, several Episcopal churches in Virginia declared themselves out of communion with the Episcopal Church USA due to their opposition to their stance on homosexuality and joined the Church of Nigeria through the Convocation of Anglicans in North America, a mission originally started by the Church of Nigeria to support Nigerian Anglicans in the United States. It now mostly consists of non-Nigerian, theologically conservative American Anglicans, and initially began under the oversight of two bishops; Bishop Martyn Minns and a suffragan bishop, David Bena, who are simultaneously bishops of the Church of Nigeria. The Church of Nigeria is currently in full communion with the Anglican Church in North America, founded in June 2009, launched as a conservative alternative to the liberal tendencies of the Episcopal Church of the United States and the Anglican Church of Canada. The first of four new American dioceses for the ACNA established by the Church of Nigeria, under the oversight of the missionary bishop of CANA, was the Missionary Diocese of the Trinity which was inaugurated on 19 August 2012 by Archbishop Nicholas Okoh. Now reconstituted as the Church of Nigeria North American Mission, CONNAM consists of two U.S. dioceses primarily composed of Nigerian immigrants. In 2022, conflict emerged between the ACNA and the Church of Nigeria as a bishop from the Church of Nigeria led a mob and reportedly attacked members of the ACNA congregation.

The Church of Nigeria took a 470 members delegation, led by Archbishop Nicholas Okoh and including several archbishops and bishops to the GAFCON II, that took place from 21 to 26 October 2013, in Nairobi, Kenya.

The Church of Nigeria was represented at GAFCON III, held in Jerusalem, on 17–22 June 2018, by a 472 members delegation, the largest from any Anglican province.

Ordination of women
The Church of Nigeria does not recognise the ordination of women to the priesthood or the episcopate. In 2010, then Archbishop Nicholas Oko permitted the ordination of women to the diaconate within limitations.

Ecumenical relations
In October 2009, the Nigerian church's leadership reacted to the Vatican's proposed creation of personal ordinariates for disaffected traditionalist Anglicans by saying that although it welcomed ecumenical dialogue and shared moral theology with the Roman Catholic Church, the current GAFCON structures already meet the spiritual and pastoral needs of conservative Anglicans in Africa.

title: Church of Nigeria