‘We have not had sex since the dog came into our lives’

— When pets affect human relationships From prophetic pooches to clingy cats, Guardian readers share tales of how pets have influenced their love lives, for better and worse By Doosie Morris While humans have kept domesticated animals for tens of thousands of years, there’s no evidence that anyone was ever driven out of a cave …

10 must-read books that reimagine sex and power in 2024

— Dive into diverse perspectives on sex, relationships, and reproductive rights with these 10 thought-provoking reads for a sex-positive year. By Annabel Rocha If one of your new year’s resolutions is to read more books, Reckon has you covered. Whether you’re looking for a way to introduce healthy sex discussions to your children, or learn …

The Ethical Slut has been called ‘the bible’ of non-monogamy

– But its sexual utopia is oversimplified By Andrea Waling In 2022, University of Melbourne evolutionary psychologist Dr Khandis Blake estimated that among young people, “around 4-5 per cent of people might be involved in a polyamorous relationship, and about 20 per cent have probably tried one”. Polyamory statistics in Australia are limited. But recent …

What Is a “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Relationship in Non-Monogamy?

— And can it actually work? By Gigi Engle One of the most interesting things about consensual non-monogamy (CNM) is its fluidity. These relationship structures are co-created by partners in order to establish a situation that works for them and their needs, which means that each CNM partnership functions in its own unique ways. While …

Silver daddies

— Why do young adult men like older partners? By Sachintha Wickramasinghe You’ve probably heard of “sugar daddies.” Or “the internet’s daddy,” Pedro Pascal. Stereotypes of this popular term abound, but what does it actually mean to be a “daddy”? And who is most likely to engage in age-gap relationships, and why? Daddies of a …