How lockdown changed the sex lives of young adults – new research

By Liam Wignall & Mark McCormack Lockdown significantly affected our health (for good and bad), our work and how we socialise. These consequences have been widely discussed, but far less attention has been given to the effect on our sex lives. When lockdown came into force in the UK in March 2020, people from outside …

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 …

Think You Can’t Have Good Sex After a Chronic Illness Diagnosis?

Think Again! Your sex life shouldn’t be halted because of bad advice, embarrassed doctors, or a lack of knowledge. by Amy Mackelden Receiving an unexpected diagnosis can affect every aspect of your life, including your sex life. There are so many misconceptions when the topics of chronic illness and sex converge, making it a potentially …

Sexually Frustrated?

How To Deal, Whether You’re Single Or In A Relationship by Farrah Daniel Anyone can experience sexual frustration from time to time, but it’s important to learn how to cope with the tension when sex is inaccessible, you’re not having the kind you want, or otherwise. What is sexual frustration? “Sexual frustration is dissatisfaction with …

Sex between straight men challenges traditional sexual identities

Attractions, behaviours and identities do not always align, says UBC professor Tony Silva By Craig Takeuchi If straight men have sex with other men, that means that they’re closeted, and have internalized homophobia, right? Not necessarily, according to University of British Columbia sociology professor Tony Silva. Silva’s new book Still Straight: Sexual Flexibility Among White …

What does it mean to be intersex?

by Jayne Leonard “Intersex” is the term that a person may use when they have both male and female sex characteristics. These characteristics include genitalia, hormones, chromosomes, and reproductive organs. Being intersex is not a disease. It is a naturally occurring variation in humans. Likewise, being intersex does not affect an infant’s physical health, though …

How ‘sex addiction’ has historically been used to absolve white men

“It is often used as an excuse to pathologize misogyny.” By Kimmy Yam While authorities said Atlanta-area spa shooting suspect Robert Aaron Long, 21, told investigators he was motivated by “sexual addiction” and claimed he had no racial motivation, health specialists say the explanation falls short. Capt. Jay Baker, a spokesman for the Cherokee County …

Is the Kinsey Scale of Sexual Behavior Still Valid?

The decades-old classification system for the study of sex may still have value, but new frameworks offer more. By Sophie Putka Alfred Kinsey’s imprint on the world of sexuality has — and continues to — inspire criticism, fascination, even outrage. It’s a captivating legacy for a man who spent the first half of his career …

What to know about internalized homophobia

Internalized homophobia occurs when a person is subject to society’s negative perceptions, intolerance, and stigma toward people with same-sex attraction. They then turn those ideas inward, believing that they are true, and experience self-hatred as a result of being a socially stigmatized person. by Zawn Villines Internalized homophobia happens when a person consciously or unconsciously …

There Are at Least 8 Different Romantic Orientations

—Here’s Why Learning Yours Is Important by Mary Grace Garis Many understand sexual orientation to be the term that describes who a person is attracted to, in terms of gender and sexual identity. But, it’s possible that sexual desire and romantic desire won’t line up, which is why it’s important to understand sexual orientation and …

“For lots of us, lockdown has been a time of sexual self-discovery”

by Meena Alexander Much has been written about the global ‘sex recession’, with studies showing that – for reasons both practical and psychological – we’re having much less of it right now. It makes sense: social distancing and a very stressful year will do that to us. But there’s a flipside to this coin. The …