Celebrating Magnus Hirschfeld, the Einstein of Sex

by Paul Masterson [D]ecades ago, wandering a ramshackle German flea market, an old book caught my eye. Emblazoned in gold on its brick red cover was the beckoning title Sexualkatastrophen. In its inevitably German way, the title (in English, obviously, Sexual Catastrophes) said it all and that alone was worth the few dollars price. Little …

If You Get Super Anxious About Sleeping With Someone New, Read This

By Emily Blackwood [F]irsts tend to come with a lot of anxiety. While there’s some expectation when it comes to driving your first car or having your first kiss, there’s nothing like the pressure and the build up of sleeping with someone new. Nerves are normal. Whether it’s a casual fling or someone you could …

A Glossary of Terms for Talking About Sex and Gender in 2018

by Suzannah Weiss [A]s our understanding of gender and sexuality is evolving, so are the words we use to describe them. There are many more sexual identities and expressions than previously acknowledged, so it’s about time we named more of them. “The binary options of gender—man or woman—and sexuality—heterosexual or gay—are way too limiting to …

Masturbating has a number of health benefits for women too, so why aren’t we talking about them?

May is National Masturbation Month By Erika Lust [T]he idea that women enjoy sex still hasn’t quite reached societal acceptance. There is no purer example of this than the taboo which surrounds a woman enjoying the pleasure of masturbating. Masturbation is widely accepted as an essential part of health and hygiene – for men. Women’s …

Older Americans Having Sex, Just Not Talking About It — to Docs

By Megan Brooks [M]ost older Americans are interested in sex, but only about half of those with a romantic partner are sexually active and many don’t talk about sex with their partner or clinician, according to a University of Michigan poll released today. “Sexual health among older adults doesn’t get much attention but is linked …

‘If We Want To End Sexual Violence, We Need To Talk About Female Desire’

“Good sex is about more than lack of violence or fear.” By Laurie Penny [I]t might seem strange to be talking about pleasure and desire when we are surrounded by stories of rape and harassment. Aren’t we getting ahead of ourselves? Shouldn’t we concentrate first on stopping those crimes before we ask for sex that …

Older people still have sex, but it’s the intimacy and affection that matters more

By Ashley Macleod and Marita McCabe Sexuality encompasses sex, gender identities and roles, sexual orientation, eroticism, pleasure, intimacy and reproduction and what we think, feel and believe about them. It has been a research focus for over a hundred years, and highlighted as an important part of the human experience. Since the first studies on …