A very, very beginner’s guide to understanding BDSM

By Mary Grace Garis Even as BDSM comes to popular light via media portrayals and increased openness about intimate habits and preferences, much about the sexual practice remains misunderstood and incorrectly presumed to be negative and abusive—especially in those media portrayals. This is perhaps most recently depicted in that degrading scene in Hulu’s Normal People, …

The Tech Innovator Fighting to Give Women Better Orgasms:

‘It’s About Helping People Understand Themselves’ By Aurora Snow Lora DiCarlo won the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Robotics Innovation Award for Osé, the company’s premiere product—“a robotic massager for hands-free blended orgasms.” A few months later, CES parent company Consumer Technology Association took the award back, calling it a mistake due to the nature …

If I Don’t Talk to My Patients About Consent, Who Will?

Here’s why I bring it up with all my patients. By Natasha Bhuyan, M.D. As a primary care physician, a significant part of my job is helping patients better understand and deal with the public health issues that affect our society—whether it’s the dangers of smoking tobacco or the importance of getting a flu shot …

What Monogamous Couples Can Learn From Polyamorous Relationships

By Samantha Cooney Polyamory — having more than one consensual sexual or emotional relationship at once — has in recent years emerged on television, mainstream dating sites like OkCupid and even in research. And experts who have studied these kinds of consensual non-monogomous relationships, say they have unique strengths that anyone can learn from. Consensual …

Yes, we can.

And we can also change the way we talk about disability and sex By Henrietta Bollinger  There are major barriers for disabled people who want to pursue sex and relationships. They are real and deeply felt. Yet the stigmatising tone of public conversation makes me wary, writes Henrietta Bollinger “Um … advice? From me? Yes, …

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 …

Breaking taboos

Talking about sexual health with international students   [M]any people find some discomfort in detailing anything to do with their sex lives. Our bodies, sexual health and sex lives are generally seen as private matters. In many Western countries, including Belgium, the Netherlands and Australia, students are brought up to be a little more relaxed …