Is It Safe to Use Coconut Oil as Lube? Ob-Gyns Explain

By Isadora Baum [C]oconut oil makes for a solid cooking oil, facial moisturizer, and makeup remover. But this popular oil is earning a rep for a totally different reason: as a sexual lubricant. Coconut oil lube can supposedly enhance sensation, help couples last longer, and make sex feel more pleasurable overall. On one hand, it makes …

Queen Mother of the South: My Life as a Transgender Parent

By Evonne Kaho [T]he Southern part of the U.S. has to be one of the more conservative regions in the nation. Rooted in traditional, religious, and conventional values, it is often referred to as the “Bible Belt.” Southern traditionalists marvel at their old-fashioned ways and high moral standards. These standards are applied to every aspect …

What Your Recurring Sexuality Fantasy Really Says About You

  By Anna Medaris Miller [T]urned on by whips? Tickled by images of same-sex lovers, threesomes, and sex on public park benches—despite your straight, monogamous, and law-abiding identity? Congratulations! You’re human. Sexual fantasies are part of a healthy sex life—they’re simply thoughts and scenarios that get you going, says Laura McGuire, Ed.D., a sex educator …

If You Get Super Anxious About Sleeping With Someone New, Read This

By Emily Blackwood [F]irsts tend to come with a lot of anxiety. While there’s some expectation when it comes to driving your first car or having your first kiss, there’s nothing like the pressure and the build up of sleeping with someone new. Nerves are normal. Whether it’s a casual fling or someone you could …

A Glossary of Terms for Talking About Sex and Gender in 2018

by Suzannah Weiss [A]s our understanding of gender and sexuality is evolving, so are the words we use to describe them. There are many more sexual identities and expressions than previously acknowledged, so it’s about time we named more of them. “The binary options of gender—man or woman—and sexuality—heterosexual or gay—are way too limiting to …

What’s The Difference Between A Polyamorous And An Open Relationship?

Inquiring minds would like to know… By Kristin Canning [B]eing in an open relationship is totally the same thing as being polyamorous, right? (Asking for a friend…) Actually, while the two share some similar characteristics, they’re very different. “An open relationship is one where one or both partners have a desire for sexual relationships outside …

Medically assisted sex? How ‘intimacy coaches’ offer sexual therapy for people with disabilities

[F]or years, Spencer Williams felt he was missing something in his love life. The 26-year-old Vancouver university student and freelance writer has cerebral palsy. He says he meets lots of potential sex partners but had trouble finding what he was looking for. “I always refer to my wheelchair as it comes to dating … as …

How to Design Sex Toys for People with Disabilities

People with disabilities, and disabled women in particular, find that their needs are rarely considered when it comes to sex toy design. By Lux Alptraum [O]ver the decades, vibrators have gone from a dirty little secret to a device regularly acknowledged as a woman’s best friend, with everyone from Cosmo to Oprah touting the benefits …