What does it mean to be heterosexual?

Being exclusively attracted to people of the opposite sex is a surprisingly recent phenomenon. By Annie Hayes While heterosexual sex is certainly nothing new, heterosexuality – the quality of being sexually attracted exclusively to people of the opposite sex – is a surprisingly recent phenomenon. In 1901, Dorland’s Medical Dictionary defined heterosexuality as an ‘abnormal …

Aftercare Conversations Might Be the BDSM Practice You Need to Try

It’s a game changer (even if you’re vanilla). By Patia Braithwaite If you’re familiar with BDSM, you probably know that communication is a major through line. There’s a reason for this. As SELF previously reported, BDSM, which stands for bondage/discipline, dominance/submission, and sadism/masochism, is a term that describes a wide swath of sexual behaviors that …

Sex Flush

— How to Embrace Your Body’s Natural Arousal Glow by Gabrielle Smith Remember mood rings? Sex flush is kind of like that. Except it’s your body changing color because of a very specific mood: Arousal. Sex flush is a normal part of the arousal cycle. It can happen during solo or partnered sexy times to …

Meet the Couple Fighting Porn’s Race Problem

By Sandra Song Whether we’re talking about its reliance on fetishization, the overt pay discrepancies or the fact that it’s always been a predominantly white space, it’s no secret that porn has a race problem. But after 20 years of shared experience as performers, educators and master fetish trainers, Jet-Setting Jasmine and King Noire are …

What to Do When You and Your Partner Have Wildly Different Sex Drives

For starters, know that this is a couple problem… not a you problem. By Steph Auteri My husband’s idea of a fantastic evening is to “Netflix and chill.” My idea of a fantastic evening is to pull on palazzo-style lounge pants, crawl into bed by 9 p.m., and read until I pass out. I could …