Puberty is starting earlier for many children

– sex education must catch up with this new reality By Celia Roberts The British government is consulting on a new curriculum for sex and relationship education in English schools. This change provides a timely opportunity to update how, when and what children are taught about puberty. Astonishingly, the Department for Education (DfE) guidance on …

Here’s The Real Truth About Polyamory In The Black Community

“I don’t believe in rules. Rules are about trying to wall off an insecurity.” by Damona Hoffman [F]irst, let’s get a few ground rules straight. The polyamorists I spoke with do not want to be seen as sex hungry monsters who swing from partner to partner. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the definition of polyamory …

What a leather convention can teach everyone about sex and consent

By Garrett Schlichte “Hotel is closed for private event” read the signs affixed to the front of the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill last weekend. A steady stream of people, mostly men, many in leather harnesses, some in collars and on leashes, and some simply in jeans and sweaters, walked in and out in an …

For Some With Intellectual Disabilities, Ending Abuse Starts With Sex Ed

by Joseph Shapiro [I]n the sex education class for adults with intellectual disabilities, the material is not watered down. The dozen women and men in a large room full of windows and light in Casco, Maine, take on complex issues, such as how to break up or how you know you’re in an abusive relationship. …

Japanese macaques grinding on deer can teach us to be more open-minded about sex

by Lux Alptraum [I]f you grew up in America, there’s a good chance that you learned that sex is, first and foremost, a reproductive act. Sure, it feels good, but that’s just a way for our bodies to trick us into breeding. Many church doctrines will inform you that any sexual experience that doesn’t stand …

Our shame over sexual health makes us avoid the doctor. These apps might help.

By Stephanie Auteri [W]e’re taught to feel shame around our sexuality from a young age, as our bodies develop and start to function in ways we’re unfamiliar with, as we begin to realize our body’s potential for pleasure. Later on, women especially are taught to feel ashamed if we want “too much” sex, or if we want it …

People who practice polyamory say the lifestyle can be rewarding

By Anna Orso [A]ntoinette and Kevin Patterson thought they’d stop dating other people once their relationship got really serious. They didn’t. Maybe, they said, after they got married. When that didn’t happen, they assumed after they had kids. Not then, either. Today, Antoinette, 35, and Kevin, 38, still date other people. The parents of two …

STI symptom checker: Do I have gonorrhoea, chlamydia or syphilis? Signs of sex infections

STIs – or sexually transmitted infections – can be passed on via unprotected sex. These are the symptoms of gonorrhoea – commonly misspelt gonorrhea – chlamydia and syphilis to look out for. By Lauren Clark [S]TIs – the common abbreviation for sexually transmitted infections – can be passed on via unprotected sex. Common STIs include …