What I Need My Daughter To Know About Consent, Even Though It’s Difficult To Talk About

By Candace Ganger The job of raising children entails a comprehensive, albeit exhausting, list of responsibilities. The duty is a privilege but the pressure to “get it right” weighs heavily on me, particularly when it comes to sex. Considering my own salty experiences, consent isn’t just an important topic, it’s the most important topic — …

New resource to inform staff and aged care residents’ families on sexuality

By Contributor Sex remains important for many people living in aged care, but a challenge for staff and residents’ family members, writes Michael Bauer, who introduces a new guide to assist. Sexuality is linked to wellbeing and quality of life and the need for affection, looking and feeling attractive, as well as intimacy, and sex …

Gay couples more likely to have a happy sex life in long-term relationships compared to straight couples

Same-sex couples are more likely to work on their sex lives by Joe Morgan Same-sex couples are more likely to have a happy sex life in long-term relationships compared to straight couples. And not only are gay people more likely to work on and try new things in their sex life, they are also less …

Where Do You Stand On The Human Sexuality Spectrum?

By Prachi Gangwani We are accustomed to thinking of human sexuality as definitive. For a long time, heterosexuality was the only acceptable form of sexual preference. Even up until the 1970s, homosexuality was considered abnormal. In the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Health, ascribed by the American Psychiatry Association, it was listed as a …

Monogamy or Bust: Why Are Many Gay Men Opposed to Open Relationships?

By Zachary Zane As assimilation into more mainstream culture increases, many gay men are shifting their attitudes on non-traditional relationships—becoming less accepting of them. [F]ull disclosure: I’m polyamorous. After being in a year-long, tumultuous monogamous relationship, I fell into polyamory by accident. After giving it a shot, I realized that I am better equipped to …

What does YOUR sex fantasy say about you?

From threesomes to dreaming of sleeping with someone else, your raunchy dreams unravelled By Tracey Cox [G]ood news if you enjoy having erotic daydreams. Research done by an Israeli psychologist has just found having sexual fantasies about people other than your partner doesn’t significantly harm your relationship. So let’s skip to the second most popular …

This is the secret to great sex in a long term relationship, study suggests

Science may have discovered a way to keep the spark alive long after the initial fireworks have faded By Liz Connor How do you rekindle the passion and improve your sex life in a marriage or long term relationship after the honeymoon period is over? While magazine articles might advise candles, hot baths and music, …

Girls Gone Wild: Why Straight Girls Engage In Same-Gender Sexual Experiences

By Jamie Budnick “Straight girls kissing” has become something of a curious and controversial cultural phenomenon over the last 15 years. Madonna and Britney Spears famously locked lips in front of millions during the 2003 Video Music Awards, with Scarlett Johansson and Sandra Bullock following suit seven years later at the MTV Movie Awards. In …

What BDSM might teach us about affirmative consent

Study finds subculture has lower levels of rape-supportive beliefs By  Tom Parisi [A] new study by Northern Illinois University psychologists suggests that evidence for the effectiveness of the “Yes Means Yes” affirmative-consent movement, which has taken hold on many college campuses nationwide, might be found in an unlikely subculture—the BDSM community. While some critics of …

Sexual pain after cancer treatment an unspoken affliction for many women, UC Davis oncologist says

By Claudia Buck [S]exual pain is a common, but unspoken, aftermath of women’s cancer treatment. Doctors can be reluctant and patients too embarrassed to discuss it. But it’s an all-too-real aspect of cancer treatment for women, according to Dr. Vanessa Kennedy, a gynecological oncologist for the UC Davis Health System. “Some patients are two to …

A graphic history of sex: ‘There is no gene that drives sexuality. All sexuality is learned’

Changes in sexuality over time have made the modern family what it is. What next? Homa Khaleeli asks the authors of a groundbreaking graphic guide, The Story of Sex By Homa Khaleeli [P]hilip Larkin famously announced that sexual intercourse began in 1963 (“Between the end of the ‘Chatterley’ ban / And the Beatles’ first LP”). …

Why Can’t I Orgasm During Sex? Chronic Pain And 5 Other Factors That Affect Ability To Climax

By Lizette Borreli Imagine this: You and your partner are getting hot and heavy in between the sheets. You’re feeling sexually aroused — but you’re unable to climax. In frustration you ask yourself: “Why can’t I orgasm during sex?” The Kinsey Institute indicates 20 to 30 percent of women don’t have orgasms during intercourse, compared to only …

Dating experts explain polyamory and open relationships

By VALERIYA SAFRONOVA [T]o start, they are not the same thing as polygamy (that’s when you have more than one spouse). They are also not maintaining secret relationships while dating a person who believes he or she is your one and only (that’s just cheating). Polyamorous open relationships, or consensual non-monogamy, are an umbrella category. …

A BDSM Game That Lets Me Explore A New Type Of Sexual Experience

By Heather Alexandra Ladykiller in a Bind is a visual novel by Christine Love. It’s about affection, sex, consent, manipulation, and expression. Video games can often be a vector for experimentation and escapism. Playing Ladykiller in a Bind has taught me a surprising amount about myself. The core conceit of Ladykiller can feel a bit …