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 …

6 sexually transmitted infections you should know about and how to treat them

“Sex is great, but safe sex is better“ By Dr Seth Rankin [S]exual Health Week upon us, which means it’s time to have that awkward STI chat. You might be in a loving relationship or think you’re a few decades past your sexual prime, but the STI talk isn’t just for teenagers. According to research …

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, …

What do men really think about sex? This is why we need better education

We asked men how they learned about sex, and found that puerility and pornography have always trumped the facts. Mandatory sex education is most welcome [I]t was announced this month that sex and relationship education is to become mandatory in schools for children aged four to 15. About time too. It’s never been easy for …

Vaginismus: solutions to a painful sexual taboo

Many women use terms such as ‘failure’ or ‘freak’ to describe themselves By Teresa Bergin [V]aginismus is a very common but rarely discussed problem. Most women I see with this difficulty will not have discussed it with anyone else, not even female members of their own family or girlfriends. The silence that surrounds the issue …

The Real Reason Men Lose Their Erection When Using A Condom

by Raffaello Manacorda That Awkward Moment When… If you’re a man, you’ve probably experienced this. Everything is perfect, the foreplay is going great, and the stage is set for a throbbing, mind-blowing, heart-shattering lovemaking. Your erection is strong and powerful, and feeling it turns you on even more. And then, that moment comes. Your lover looks …

Shaming Men Doesn’t Build Healthy Sexuality

By David J Ley Ph.D Male sexuality is intensely under attack, in the increasingly vitriolic social dialogue related to pornography. Though women watch and make pornography, most of the current debates focus on aspects of masculine sexual behaviors. These behaviors include masturbation, use of pornography, prostitutes or sexual entertainment like strip clubs. Promiscuity, sex without commitment, and use …

Jessica Drake Wants Us All To Have Happier, Healthier Sex Lives

By: Phoenix Tso At her sex ed workshops, Jessica Drake passes around a box with the words “live, laugh, love” printed on it. Inside are index cards of sex questions that people have written to Jessica under the cover of anonymity. During the workshop, she reads them out loud, and then answers them with compassion …