Omnisexual, gynosexual, demisexual: What’s behind the surge in sexual identities?

by Olivia Goldhill [I]n 1976, the French philosopher Michel Foucault made the meticulously researched case that sexuality is a social construct used as a form of control. In the 40 years since, society has been busy constructing sexualities. Alongside the traditional orientations of heterosexual, homosexual, and bisexual, a myriad other options now exist in the …

Sex myths create danger and confusion

By Elizabeth Thiel [S]tigmas around discussing sexual behavior often prevent vital information from being shared accurately, if at all. With all of the rumors and myths floating around about sexual health, trusting these myths can be misleading at best, and dangerous at worst. Terms like “always” and “normal” can be particularly misleading when discussing sexual …

What’s the difference between sexual abuse, sexual assault, sexual harassment and rape?

By Sarah L. Cook, Lilia M. Cortina & Mary P. Koss [T]he terms “sexual abuse,” “sexual assault,” “sexual harassment” – and even “rape” – crop up daily in the news. We are likely to see these terms more as the #MeToo movement continues. Many people want to understand these behaviors and work to prevent them. …

The Sex Toy Shops That Switched On a Feminist Revolution

By PEGGY ORENSTEIN BUZZ The Stimulating History of the Sex Toy By Hallie Lieberman Illustrated. 359 pp. Pegasus Books. $26.95. VIBRATOR NATION How Feminist Sex-Toy Stores Changed the Business of Pleasure By Lynn Comella 278 pp. Duke University Press. $25.95. [T]hink back, for a moment, to the year 1968. Martin Luther King Jr. and Bobby …

9 reasons having sex is good for you, according to science

By Alexandra Thompson [S]cience reveals nine ways having sex benefits your health. According to California-based obstetrician-gynaecologist Dr Sherry Ross, few things in life are better for people’s hearts, bodies and souls than getting intimate between the sheets. From burning calories to boosting the immune system and even fighting the signs of ageing, numerous studies reveal …

Need more meaning in your life? A new study suggests more sex might do the trick

by Scotty Hendricks [T]he search for meaning in our lives is one of the great driving forces of human history. Viktor Frankl based his psychology on that search. Existentialism is based mainly on the need for meaning.  As anybody who has had an existential crisis or three knows, not having meaning in your life can …

Gay people are better at sex, according to science

By Ryan Butcher [G]ay people might have faced generations of persecution, harassment and social torment, but finally, science has dealt them a decent hand: they’re apparently better at sex. We’re being facetious, of course. But research published this year suggests that the above is true. A study looking at the differences in orgasm frequency among …

Here’s How Long ‘Sexual Afterglow’ Actually Lasts, According to Science

Turns out great sex makes you feel good for longer than you think. By Zeynep Yenisey [W]e already know sex is really good for you, and can basically double as medicine. I mean, it increases your immunoglobulin A levels and makes your immune system stronger, protects against certain cancers, helps you sleep better, and it relieves …

What is tantric sex, and how can it help heal sexual trauma?

By Brook Bolen [C]onversations about sexual violence and trauma have long been overdue but are finally happening. Conversations about how survivors of sexual violence endure and overcome their trauma is of equal importance — and with symptoms ranging from emotional to physical to psychological, physiological, and sexual, there are a host of repercussions. Experts estimate …

We May Have Just Identified Genetic Evidence of Male Sexual Orientation

But that still doesn’t mean there’s a ‘gay gene’. By PETER DOCKRILL [S]cientists are reporting what could amount to be the firmest evidence yet of genetic links to male sexual orientation, in the first published genome-wide association study (GWAS) examining the trait. Researchers recruited more than 2,000 men of both homosexual and heterosexual orientation and …

More than a third of Americans in relationships are sexually unsatisfied

By SWNS [O]ver a third of Americans in a relationship are not satisfied with their sex life, according to a new study. The study of 1,000 American relationships saw 34 percent of people unable to rate their sex life as either “satisfying” or “very satisfying.” One in six (16 percent) say their current spouse or …

6 sexually transmitted infections you should know about and how to treat them

“Sex is great, but safe sex is better“ By Dr Seth Rankin [S]exual Health Week upon us, which means it’s time to have that awkward STI chat. You might be in a loving relationship or think you’re a few decades past your sexual prime, but the STI talk isn’t just for teenagers. According to research …