Are you getting any closer? A pocket-sized primer on female sexuality

By Clarissa Fortin Stay curious between the sheets, friends. Closer: Notes from the Orgasmic Frontier of Female Sexuality by Sarah Barmak (Coach House Books, 2016; $14.95) If it weren’t for Sarah Barmak’s Closer: Notes from the Orgasmic Frontier of Female Sexuality I might have gone for years of my life without ever finding out what my …

Two-Spirit: Gender as an Expression of Spirit

by SlickLion Two-Spirit: Gender as an Expression of Spirit While gender identities are pretty widespread at this point, there are a few culturally distinct gender identities that pertain only to certain ethnic groups. One of these is known as Two Spirit. It’s only for indigenous Native American peoples, and it pertains to a very specific …

You Should Get Naked More Often. It’s Good for You

By Joni Sweet When Nelly encouraged overheated people worldwide to get naked in 2002, he was unknowingly advocating much more than just a sexy, sweaty dance party. Sunbathing, sleeping, working out, and lounging around in the buff actually provide legitimate health benefits. While you shouldn’t ALWAYS seek out St. Louis-area rappers for your medical advice, …

Sleeping with other people: how gay men are making open relationships work

A new study says non-monogamous couples can actually be closer, even as critics of open relationships argue humans are unable to separate love and sex By Spencer Macnaughton Hugh McIntyre, a 26-year-old music writer, and Toph Allen, a 28-year-old epidemiologist, are in love and have an “amazing” relationship of two and a half years. One …

Doctors urged to advise patients about risks of abstinence-centric sex education

American Academy of Pediatricians’ new report is the clearest denouncement of the failures of not talking about STIs and pregnancy prevention By Molly Redden The country’s largest organization of pediatricians entered fraught political territory on Monday, with a call for doctors to use their time with patients to combat the potential health consequences of abstinence-centric …