Female sex tech pioneers are turning pleasure into empowerment

Women are founding startups to design sex toys and wearables that appeal to female sensuality and increase representation in the tech industry By Kirstie Brewer [T]he percentage of female leaders working in technology is notoriously low and the sex tech industry fares no better. But there has been a surge in the number of sex …

Gender Glossary: Understanding ‘Intersex’ Beyond the Binary

By Harish Iyer [8] November is designated as the day where we show solidarity and ensure that we educate ourselves about the intersex community. 8 November is the birthday of Herculin Barbin a french intersex person, who was brought up as a girl, but in adulthood discovered that she has a vagina but also a …

With midlife comes sexual wisdom

Research shows women’s sexuality adapts with aging by Madison Brunner [W]hile women experience changes with the menopausal transition that can negatively affect their sex lives, they often adapt behaviorally and psychologically to these changes, according to a qualitative study by University of Pittsburgh researchers. The results of the study, which included individual and focus group …

Why having the sex talk early and often with your kids is good for them

By Veronica I. Johnson and Guy Ray Backlund [P]arents may be uncomfortable initiating “the sex talk,” but whether they want to or not, parents teach their kids about sex and sexuality. Kids learn early what a sexual relationship looks like. Broaching the topic of sex can be awkward. Parents may not know how to approach …

One third of young people consider themselves gay or bisexual: study

By Andrea Downey A third of young people describe themselves as gay or bisexual, a new survey has revealed. Whereas just seven percent of baby boomers are equally attracted to both sexes or “mostly” attracted to the opposite sex — marking a stark generational shift. About 14 percent of those aged 16 to 22 say …

Bugs, Boners and BDSM: A Day in the Life of a Dominatrix

Because quirks can be quirky. By Andre Shakti “We’ve got a live one, ladies!” Svetlana called out from the office. The scantily clad women seated around the kitchen table barely flinched. Tuesdays were notoriously slow, with our phone lines typically dominated by time wasters. We called them “wankers,” the men who contacted us under the …

Adolescents with autism need access to better sex education

by Steven Stagg [I]ntimacy is part of being human. There are well-documented benefits to positive relationships, from emotional security to good mental health1. Those who want relationships and can’t develop them face low self-esteem, depression, loneliness and isolation from the wider society2. For adolescents, learning how to navigate sex and sexuality can be a minefield. …

Sex Education Based on Abstinence? There’s a Real Absence of Evidence

By Aaron E. Carroll [S]ex education has long occupied an ideological fault line in American life. Religious conservatives worry that teaching teenagers about birth control will encourage premarital sex. Liberals argue that failing to teach about it ensures more unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. So it was a welcome development when, a few years …

Personal Inventory

By Susan Deitz [R]elax your body before you start this questionnaire. It’s important you start this with shoulders loose and mind clear. Don’t rush through the following questions, because chances are they’ll lead to still more probing. (For now, jot down those additional questions on a separate sheet of paper for future reference.) The best …

Marijuana And Sex: How Much Weed Is Too Much?

If you don’t know about the ‘bidirectional effect.’ you need to read this. By: Terry Hacienda [I]t’s not a secret that medical cannabis has been proved beneficial to those seeking pain management, alleviating chronic ailments and improving appetite. And for millennia it has been reported that marijuana and sex go together, too. A new study …