Sperm Wars

Blurb

Sperm Wars is a primarily nonfiction book by evolutionary biologist Robin Baker. Originally published in English in 1996, it has since appeared in 25 languages and in 2006 a 10th anniversary edition was published in the United States. Through a series of short fictional stories and discussion following them, Baker proposes evolutionary functions for sexual habits, mostly on the principle of competition between sperm of different men for a prized egg. The "sperm wars" include both literal battles between sperm inside a woman's reproductive tract, as well as figurative battles between men competing for the chance to mate. The book is controversial, both because of its explanations of homosexuality, rape, and prostitution, and because some critics have claimed that several of the hypotheses in the book are not supported by scientific research.
Oral sex is explained as an opportunity for partners to judge each other's reproductive health, and for mates to detect recent infidelity. The shape of the penis and the thrusting during intercourse serve to remove other men's semen.