What Is Shibari?

– Shibari Rope and Shibari Bondage by Explica .co Allow me to introduce you to BDSM’s sort-of-similar cousin shibari. You may know it as Japanese rope bondage or by the term “kinbaku,” but it’s a contemporary form of rope bondage that originated in Japan, says sexologist Midori, author of Seductive Art of Japanese Bondage. (The …

Mutual masturbation can bring you closer to your partner, even over FaceTime

May is National Masturbation Month, and we’re celebrating with Feeling Yourself, a series exploring the finer points of self-pleasure. By Anna Iovine While hot vaxxed summer is rapidly approaching, that doesn’t mean everyone will suddenly drop their virtual connections for IRL experiences. More than half of Hinge users, for example, said they are still likely …

Keeping sex sexy when you’re trying to conceive

By a class=”byline-link byline-author-name” href=”https://www.insider.com/author/anna-medaris-miller” data-e2e-name=”byline-author-name”>Anna Medaris Miller Sex with the sole goal of getting pregnant can take the fun and connection out of the experience. Find ways to feel sexy without intercourse, sex therapist Ian Kerner said on the Pregnantish podcast.  Seeking sexual moments between ovulation windows can also lead to more relationship fulfillment …

Sex Is Different When You’re a Highly Sensitive Person

— Here’s How by Sarah Lempa For starters, even feather-light touch hits differently when you’re a highly sensitive person (HSP). Powerful physical sensations, plus a need for deep concentration and actual connection, are often hallmarks of intimacy for HSPs. Here’s the deal: An HSP’s nervous system processes external stimuli much deeper than others. Scientifically named …

The Forgotten History of the World’s First Trans Clinic

The Institute for Sexual Research in Berlin would be a century old if it hadn’t fallen victim to Nazi ideology By Brandy Schillace The first gender affirmation surgeries took place in 1920s, at a facility which employed transgender technicians and nurses, and which was headed by a gay Jewish man. The forgotten history of the …

Parents, for your ‘quaranteenager’s’ sexual health, talk to them about taking risks

By Jen Gilbert For the past year, the pandemic has shaped how young people have been forced to consider risk. Masks, social distancing, hand washing, staying home — these are new norms of safety for life as what’s popularly been dubbed a “quaranteenager.” And yet, as the weather warms, and we take tentative steps outside, …

Why It’s Just a Myth That Longer Sex Equals Better Sex

By Mary Grace Garis Sexual stamina is something that’s long been held in high regard—after all, nobody writes R&B songs about making love for the duration of the Parks and Recreation theme song. With that in mind, the goal of sex is, apparently, doing it all night long. But for many vulva-owners, the constant in-out, …