Sexual Assault

— How to Help Your Loved One Each year, millions of men and women in the United States are affected by sexual violence. It is distressing to find out that someone you love has been a victim of sexual assault, but there are steps you can take to offer support. By Natalie Evenson, MSN, BSN, …

How To Reclaim Your Sexuality After Sexual Assault

— According to Trauma-Informed Sex Educators Who Are Also Survivors By Erica Sloan If you think of the body like a circuit system, “sexual trauma has a way of rewiring things,” says trauma-informed sex educator Jimanekia Eborn, founder of Tending the Garden, a support organization for marginalized sexual-assault survivors that offers a quarterly subscription care …

For cancer survivors, sexual intimacy can pose unexpected issues

— ‘I feel as if my body has betrayed me,’ one survivor says By Netana H. Markovitz Brenna Gatimu, 34, of Casper, Wyo., was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer in 2020. She quickly had chemoradiation, and both her breasts and ovaries were removed. She now takes a medication that suppresses any remaining estrogen in …

Sex after menopause doesn’t need to hurt

— Comprehensive review offers roadmap for doctors to evaluate, treat overlooked condition Between 13% and 84% of postmenopausal women experience vaginal pain during sex Causes of pain other than vaginal dryness are often undiagnosed and untreated Pain during sex can harm relationships, self-esteem and contribute to depression, anxiety Safe, effective therapies exist but condition is …

Researchers find comprehensive sex education reduces homophobia, transphobia

by Dfusion Can a school-based sexual health education program that effectively reduces the risk of unintended pregnancy and STIs also decrease homophobia and transphobia? That question drove a collaborative effort by researchers conducting a randomized controlled trial of an inclusive comprehensive sex education program—High School FLASH. The study evaluated not just the impact on students’ …

Sexologist Chantelle Otten on the complexities of sex in both her work and her personal life

— Let’s talk about sex. By Alley Pascoe As a renowned sexologist, Chantelle Otten is privy to people’s deepest desires, fears and insecurities. Here, she’s honest about her own. I’m in bed with Chantelle Otten and she’s taking photos of her feet. It’s not as kinky as it sounds. We’re speaking over Zoom ahead of …

A Female Porn Director Shares Her Best Sex Tips

— Anna Richards is the founder of ethical porn platform FrolicMe, which portrays sex in a positive, female-focused light. Believing we’re all capable of having great sex, she says the secret is losing your inhibitions and getting comfortable with what turns you on. From the importance of switching up your stimuli to why dropping expectations …

Epilepsy and Sex

— How Epilepsy Can Affect Sexual Health By Serenity Mirabito RN, OCN Attention to sexual health in people with epilepsy is often lacking. Sexual dysfunction, however, is a side effect of epilepsy and the medications that treat it. Although not fully understood, epilepsy can also cause endocrine disorders that negatively impact the reproductive system, leading …

‘I’m a Sex Therapist and These Are the Most-Common Questions Couples Ask Me’

By Helen Carefoot Sex is an important part of most romantic relationships, yet it can be confusing, emotionally charged, and not necessarily easy to navigate as a couple—two peoples’ questions, conundrums, and hangups can make for uncomfortable bed fellows. But this is where getting advice from a sex therapist can be beneficial. And suffice it …

Is Seasonal Affective Disorder impacting your sex life?

— Here’s how to cope. Sex and SAD needn’t be enemies. By Eleanor Noyce Winter can be a bleak period. The crisp brown leaves have fallen from the trees; the flowers have wilted; everything is freezing – especially amidst a cost-of-living crisis – and there’s little to no sunshine. Joy can be sparse, and amidst …