Deciphering the sex scenes in Spain’s medieval churches

Experts meet to discuss the meaning of highly explicit sculptures made 1,000 years ago By Manuel Morales Why is that man showing off his enormous phallus, which seems to be pointing straight at us? What about that other bearded fellow who is apparently masturbating? And what is the meaning of that woman who is exhibiting …

Turns out the best sex actually doesn’t come from hot-blooded passion

By Leah Fessler Spontaneous sex—clandestine encounters, afternoon delights, and one-night stands—is fantastic. But more often than not, the mind-boggling orgasms of this kind of sex are a myth you read about in magazines. The alternative, planned sex, doesn’t sound particularly exciting. Sending a calendar invite for sex is about as sexy as sending a calendar …

I’m a young gay man. Here’s how sex-ed class failed to represent students like me

Sex ed taught me little about LGBT relationships, so I went searching on my own By Nathan Sing “Don’t have sex, because you will get pregnant and die.” Before today, this exclamation by the pedophiliac health teacher Coach Carr in the iconic film Mean Girls formed the bulk of my understanding of sex-ed class. But …

Do You Have Sexual Side Effects From Antidepressants You Stopped Taking?

From low libido to erectile dysfunction, some people report suffering from enduring sexual problems. By Michael O. Schroeder Antidepressants are widely prescribed, commonly used for depression and recommended to treat a range of other issues, from anxiety disorders to pain. But the medications aren’t without risk – and some potentially serious side effects start, or …

Trying to figure out where you fit on the sexuality spectrum?

Dabbling in these tests might help. Human sexuality spans too wide a scope to possibly be covered by a single test. By Sara Chodosh Alfred Kinsey’s spectrum of human sexuality shocked the world when he published it in 1948. His book, Sexual Behavior in the Human Male featured extensive interviews with 5300 people—almost exclusively white …

Want to figure out the rules of sexual consent? Ask sex workers.

by Jessie Patella-Rey [T]he #MeToo movement has pushed issues of consent to the foreground of our cultural zeitgeist. Confoundingly, though, some of the movement’s most vocal champions seem to be the worst at respecting the very conventions they are espousing. Shortly after now-former New York attorney general Eric Schneiderman filed a lawsuit against Hollywood producer …

Can You Get An STI From Anal Sex?

That itch in your butt? It may not just be a harmless rash. By Isadora Baum [W]hen you think of sexually transmitted infections, symptoms like vaginal itching and pelvic pain probably come to mind. But the same STIs that threaten your health down below can infect other body areas. They’re typically transmitted through oral sex or anal sex, but some can be picked …

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 …

This Female Filmmaker Is Changing the Porn Industry—One Perfectly Lit Sex Scene at a Time

Catching up with Erika Lust. By:Lindsay Brown</a [S]ince we last spoke to Erika Lust, her star has continued to rise. She was recently honored with the Maguey Award at the Guadalajara International Film Festival—a prize that celebrates “the career and achievements of a person who, through her work, has transformed sexual diversity, breaking down barriers …