Virginity

Virginity is a very touchy issue in just about every culture on the globe. Curiously enough, it’s almost always exclusively about female virginity. This sad double standard gives rise to emotional conflicts for both genders. But again, it is young women and girls who bear the brunt of it. Let’s begin with Katelyn who’s 18 …

For Queer Women, What Counts as Losing Your Virginity?

I wanted, desperately, to know if the sex I was having “counted.” [A]fter I hooked up with someone, I snuck out of bed and into the darkness of my balcony, alone. A nervous wreck, I texted my friend, practically hyperventilating because of something I’d never expected to worry about at all. Hoping for an answer, …

It’s time to rethink the social construction of “virginity”

The false concept of purity can be detrimental for healthy sex lives and self-image By Sky Jordan Virginity has always been a big deal. Countless cultures have been obsessed with the concept from their beginnings. Yet, many people fail to consider the concept of virginity from different perspectives. The way we view virginity as a culture …

What is ‘sex’? What is ‘gender’?

— How these terms changed and why states now want to define them By Grace Abels This year, 17 state legislatures sought to narrowly define “sex” or “gender” in state law as based solely on biological characteristics. In Utah, one became law. Although they’re sometimes used synonymously, “sex” and “gender” have different meanings to medical …

Stress of Being Outed to Parents and Caregivers

— What Are the Mental Health Consequences? ‘Policymakers should be aware of the harms that bills targeting LGBTQ+ youth have on the well-being of students and strongly argue for their right to disclose their identities on their own terms’ By Danielle Faipler In 2023, lawmakers across the U.S. introduced a record number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills. …

How to Close the ‘Orgasm Gap’ for Heterosexual Couples

— Researchers once faced death threats for asking women what gives them pleasure. Now they’re helping individuals and couples figure it out themselves. By Meghan McDonough [CLIP: Woman speaks on OMGYES: “This is, like, you know, my vagina, going up and down and kind of brushing up against it, kind of like a paintbrush.”] [CLIP: …

How Lube Helped Me Unlock A New Level Of Sexual Pleasure

By Hilary Shepherd I recently located my clitoris, which, at 33 years old, sounds way overdue. Alone, inspired by a conversation I had with a sex therapist, and apparently horny on a Saturday night, I decided to forgo my rotating collection of vibrating sex toys, which I’d always enjoyed while watching porn and wearing underwear …