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 …

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 …

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 …

9 reasons having sex is good for you, according to science

By Alexandra Thompson [S]cience reveals nine ways having sex benefits your health. According to California-based obstetrician-gynaecologist Dr Sherry Ross, few things in life are better for people’s hearts, bodies and souls than getting intimate between the sheets. From burning calories to boosting the immune system and even fighting the signs of ageing, numerous studies reveal …

Need more meaning in your life? A new study suggests more sex might do the trick

by Scotty Hendricks [T]he search for meaning in our lives is one of the great driving forces of human history. Viktor Frankl based his psychology on that search. Existentialism is based mainly on the need for meaning.  As anybody who has had an existential crisis or three knows, not having meaning in your life can …

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 …

Why do half of women have fantasies about being raped?

By Ellen Scott [T]here’s a wide range of sexual fantasies people have, ranging from entirely unrealistic to applicable to real life, sex with Superman through to banging on a plane. But the fantasy of being raped, also known as nonconsent and forced sex fantasies, is common. Sexual fantasies let you explore your sexuality, they’re what …

Why society should talk about forced sex in intimate relationships, too

By Shervin Assari [I]n the wake of the deluge of news about sexual harassment and alleged assaults by several high-profile and powerful men, it is important to look at the causes and consequences of forced sex in the workplace – but also in intimate relationships. Although forced sex by a boss and by an intimate …

Lessons In Love For Generation Snapchat

By Tovia Smith Along with explicit sexual education classes, some schools are beginning to offer more G-rated lessons on love. Experts say the so-called “iGen” is woefully unprepared to have healthy, caring romantic relationships and young people need more guidance. So schools are adding classes that are less about the “plumbing” of relationships, and more …

Pain and power

by Liana Wang [W]hen #MeToo suddenly flooded social media with testimonials about sexual harassment, assault and violence, I applauded those who spoke out. Yet, even as I was overwhelmed with a need to support and fiercely affirm those around me, I was confronted with a certain uneasiness that extended beyond my reservations about the mentality …