It’s time to end the taboo of sex and intimacy in care homes

By Paul Simpson [I]magine living in an aged care home. Now imagine your needs for touch and intimacy being overlooked. More than 500,000 individuals aged 65+ (double the population of Cardiff) live in care homes in Britain. Many could be missing out on needs and rights concerning intimacy and sexual activity because they appear to …

What to do when your teen tells you they have a sexually transmitted infection

By Britni de la Cretaz [B]y now, most parents likely know that not talking about sex with their teens will not stop them from doing it. And, as a parent, you might even have done some reading on how to have The Talk with your kids. Maybe you think you’ve done everything right when it …

Undoing the STIgma: Normalizing the discourse surrounding STIs

April is STD/STI Awareness Month. By Ericka Shin [L]et’s talk about sex. It’s fun, it’s natural. Now, considering that April is STD/STI Awareness Month, let’s take it one step further and talk about sexually transmitted diseases and infections, or STDs/STIs. They’re not so fun and not “natural,” per se, but they can and do happen …

Sex and parenthood for people with disabilities

By Kristin Linton Do people with disabilities have sex? Should they marry and have children? As part of a research project, Emily Hops, a graduate of CSU Channel Islands, and I interviewed eight college students with disabilities about their general experiences with intimacy and sexual health last spring. Each student expressed his or her own internal …

4 Women Get Real About How Swinging Affected Their Relationships

What really happens when you open your relationship to another couple by Ashley Papa [F]or some couples, the idea of having sex with anyone other than your significant other seems unfathomable. It can be hard to understand how “swinging” — when you swap partners with another couple and sleep with someone new — can actually …

It’s time to rethink the social construction of “virginity”

The false concept of purity can be detrimental for healthy sex lives and self-image By Sky Jordan Virginity has always been a big deal. Countless cultures have been obsessed with the concept from their beginnings. Yet, many people fail to consider the concept of virginity from different perspectives. The way we view virginity as a culture …

Childhood cancer treatment may hinder later-life sexual relationships

  by Honor Whiteman [N]eurotoxic treatment for cancer during childhood may influence sexual activity and relationships in adulthood, according to new research. Study co-author Vicky Lehmann, Ph.D., of Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Ohio State University – both in Columbus, OH – and colleagues found that adults who received high-intensity neurotoxic treatment for cancer as a …

Swinging offers sexual freedom, but you have to play by the rules

Don’t assume ‘the lifestyle’ does not come with a rulebook. Communication is important, and rules can make relationships better. [T]oronto’s Oasis Aqualounge, at Carleton and Church Sts., is a pretty open environment. The clothing-optional sex club hosts events each week for people to explore their sexual fantasies. But for such a sexually free venue, there …

Contraception influences sexual desire in committed relationships

By Liv Ragnhild Sjursen [H]ow often women in heterosexual couples desire sex depends on how committed the relationship is and what type of birth control the woman uses. Sex is quite wonderful when the goal is to have children. But sex can also serve as a “glue” in a committed relationship. Most animals have periods …

3D-printed sex organs help blind students learn about sexual health

3D-printing technology is letting blind students experience comprehensive, accessible sex ed for the first time ever. By Katie Dupere [A]dvocates and researchers collaborated to create more than 18 3D figures that model sex organs during a various states of arousal. They range from a flaccid penis to a dilated vaginal opening, allowing students to “feel” …