Semen is male essence of course; A female's sexual essence is her menstrual blood ‚ which is very scary to men ‚ it along with vaginal secretions and lubricants during sex are the stuff of elaborate prohibitions and avoidances for men ‚ but menstrual blood is also an indication of the sexual and reproductive power of women (in ways H. also details in your reading, an opposition between women and men based in part on fears of one anothers sexual substances cuts all the way through the...

"Respondents were asked whether they experienced nonconsensual sexual contact (fondling, kissing; attempted vaginal penetration with a penis; penetration with an object; and vaginal, oral, or anal penetration with a penis) since age 14 due to sexual coercion (43%), incapacitation (58%), and force (32%)" (pp. 9-10).