People are “gobsmacked” at an advert that alludes to a woman masturbating

– but why? By Catriona Harvey-Jenner When a Body Shop advert for self-love hit screens this week, the response said a lot about the way society views women. “Go and grab the most phallic object you can find!” yelled the Maid of Honour on my laptop screen. It was the first lockdown, I was on …

Pride 2021

Happy Gay Pride Month! It’s time, once again, to post my annual pride posting. In my lifetime I’ve witnessed a most remarkable change in societal attitudes toward those of us on the sexual fringe. One only needs to go back 50 years in time. I was 17 years old then and I knew I was …

How the pandemic has changed our sex lives

The pandemic has taken a major toll on our sex lives. Why are our intimate relationships flagging – and could the damage be long lasting? By Jessica Klein Before the pandemic, many couples lived like “two ships passing in the night”, says Houston, Texas-based sex therapist Emily Jamea. Previously overscheduled with out-of-home commitments, some partners …

How sex surrogates are helping injured Israeli soldiers

In many countries surrogate sex therapy – in which a person is hired to act as a patient’s sexual partner – is controversial, and not widely practised. In Israel, however, it is available at government expense for soldiers who have been badly injured and need sexual rehabilitation. By Yolande Knell and Phil Marzouk The Tel …

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 …

How I Have Sex

— “I Can End Up Feeling Nothing Even When All the Right ‘Spots’ Are Touched” By The Swaddle Team The first time I remember thinking about sex was at the age of 15, when I started dating my first boyfriend. As teenagers, we were curious about this and started thinking about it more when there …