Pivot to Pleasure

Hey sex fans! It’s Product Review Friday once again. This week we have another wonderful product from our good friends over at We-Vibe. As you probably know, they have been part of this review effort since 2008 when we reviewed our first product of their line. Since then we’ve happily reviewed plenty of their other …

Finding power through play: How BDSM can fuel confidence

By Emerald Bensadoun [M]arianne LeBreton is suspended in mid-air, tied in an upside-down futumomo, legs bound together. The ropes cascade in intricate patterns, beginning at her ankles and working their way all the way around her wrists. The ropes arch her body backward. Her breathing steadies. Serenity washes through her. The slight discomfort of certain …

A new study quantifies straight women’s “orgasm gap”—and explains how to overcome it

by Leah Fessler [E]ver faked an orgasm? Or just had orgasm-less sex? If you’re a woman—especially if you’re straight—your answer is probably “Ugh.” Followed by “Yes.” Not reaching orgasm during sex is, obviously, a real bummer. Not only does it make the sex itself unfulfilling, but can lead to envy, annoyance, and regret. Thoughts like …

Sex education at the push of a button: the apps changing lives worldwide

From dealing with harassment to frank advice about STIs, these female app developers are providing vital, candid knowledge By Abby Young-Powell [A]ccurate information about sex and healthy relationships leads to greater gender equality worldwide, a report by the UN’s world heritage body Unesco found. It also leads to better sexual health, as well as less …

Consensual sex is key to happiness and good health, science says

  By Shervin Assari [I]t’s not just that sex is fun – it’s also good for your physical and mental health. Some of my research is focused on how men and women differ in the links between sexuality, mental and physical health, and relationship quality. In this article, I write from my findings and that …

How to close the female orgasm gap

Studies show sexual pleasure, self-esteem and satisfaction profoundly impacts our wellbeing. That’s why increasing our ‘sexual IQ’ matters By Shannon Bledsoe [I]n this moment of brave truth telling and female empowerment, it’s time to address one topic that’s been missing far too long from our conversations around sex: female pleasure. Study after study show that …

7 condom myths everyone needs to stop believing, according to a doctor

By Sara Hendricks [W]hen it comes to condoms, chances are pretty good that you think you know everything there is know on the matter. Like, you’ve been learning about safe sex since eighth grade health class. You’re good. But where, exactly, does most of your current-day condom knowledge stem from? If it’s sourced from a …

For Queer Women, What Counts as Losing Your Virginity?

I wanted, desperately, to know if the sex I was having “counted.” [A]fter I hooked up with someone, I snuck out of bed and into the darkness of my balcony, alone. A nervous wreck, I texted my friend, practically hyperventilating because of something I’d never expected to worry about at all. Hoping for an answer, …

What’s the difference between sexual abuse, sexual assault, sexual harassment and rape?

By Sarah L. Cook, Lilia M. Cortina & Mary P. Koss [T]he terms “sexual abuse,” “sexual assault,” “sexual harassment” – and even “rape” – crop up daily in the news. We are likely to see these terms more as the #MeToo movement continues. Many people want to understand these behaviors and work to prevent them. …

The Sex Toy Shops That Switched On a Feminist Revolution

By PEGGY ORENSTEIN BUZZ The Stimulating History of the Sex Toy By Hallie Lieberman Illustrated. 359 pp. Pegasus Books. $26.95. VIBRATOR NATION How Feminist Sex-Toy Stores Changed the Business of Pleasure By Lynn Comella 278 pp. Duke University Press. $25.95. [T]hink back, for a moment, to the year 1968. Martin Luther King Jr. and Bobby …

Vaginismus: a major psychological reason women experience pain during sex

If you have never heard of vaginismus, it’s time to get it on your radar. By Rosy Edwards [A]ly Dilks, sexual health expert and clinical director at The Women’s Health Clinic, says: ‘It is the term used to describe recurrent or persistent involuntary tightening of muscles around the vagina whenever penetration is attempted,’ According to …