Women don’t need to ‘switch off’ to climax, orgasm study shows

By Helen Thomson [T]he most detailed study yet of orgasm brain activity has discovered why climaxing makes women feel less pain and shown that ‘switching off’ isn’t necessary. It’s not easy to study the brain during orgasm. “A brain scanner like fMRI is the least sexy place in the world,” says Nan Wise at Rutgers …

Here’s what happens when you get an STI test — and if it comes back positive

By Erin Van Der Meer [I]f you’ve never had an STI test, you’re probably imagining it’s a horrendously awkward experience where a mean, judgmental doctor pokes around your nether regions. But like getting a needle or going to your first workout in a while, it’s one of those things that seems much worse in your …

Feminism and Sexual Submission Aren’t Mutually Exclusive

A meme showed up on my Facebook newsfeed one afternoon a few weeks back. by Savannah Stewart It was shared by some fuckboy I worked with for about five minutes before he was never seen again, except when sliding into his female former colleagues’ DM’s—which should have been reason enough to keep scrolling past, yet …

Inside the Koreatown Dojo Dedicated to the Art of Japanese Rope Bondage

Mention anything bondage-related and Zetsu Nawa reflexively geeks out. By Lila Seidman [A] casual reference to a dotted gag in one of his thousands of drawings and photos of bound women launches him into a mini-lecture about its “humiliation factor” in modern Japan. It’s just a dishtowel, he explains. “It’s like he grabbed the thing …

GQ Suggests ‘Having Sex with Men Doesn’t Make You Gay’

By David Artavia [I]n 2017, it’s weird to think that straight men are still asking the question, “Does having sex with a man make me gay?” Our friends at GQ recently investigated a bit deeper into the subject. GQ interviewed a few guys who identify as straight who’ve all had same-sex sex with other men …

How many times do women need to explain that penetration isn’t everything before everyone gets it?

By Ellen Scott [T]his week, sex therapist Dr Janet Hall advised MamaMia of a catchy new term for sex that doesn’t just involve placing a penis inside a vagina and wriggling it about. ‘Introducing outercourse’, said MamaMia, explaining that ‘outercourse’ counts ‘kissing, massaging, using vibrators, touching erogenous zones, clitoral stimulation, oral sex or toe-sucking. Basically, …

‘Why won’t you have sex with me?’ A real look at disability and relationships

Louise Bruton’s Dublin Fringe Festival show examines our ignorance and prejudices, and takes a real look at disability, sex and relationships Louise Bruton is on her way to buy Buckfast ahead of a visit to a friend’s festival on Inishturk island. Standard. Bruton is a writer and journalist who rose to prominence with her website …

In college, sexual empowerment is more important than ever

By Kelsey Thompson Of the many anxieties incoming college students face, like heart attack-inducing syllabi or annoying roommates, one is particularly dreadful: hook-up culture. The transition from high school to college is marked by increased independence and exposure to new people and experiences. So things get especially complicated when relationships and sex come into play. …