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 …

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 …

How to Design Sex Toys for People with Disabilities

People with disabilities, and disabled women in particular, find that their needs are rarely considered when it comes to sex toy design. By Lux Alptraum [O]ver the decades, vibrators have gone from a dirty little secret to a device regularly acknowledged as a woman’s best friend, with everyone from Cosmo to Oprah touting the benefits …

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 …

Consent doesn’t end with dating – husbands have to ask their wives for sex too

Many of the female survivors I’ve worked with said that having sex with their husbands felt like rape. They would be shocked when I told them that their experiences had, in fact, been rape By Hera Hussain [T]hanks to the #MeToo movement the topic of consent is now on the agenda. The conversation is centred …

Everything you need for a beginner’s kink-friendly Valentine’s Day

By Colette Bennett If vanilla sex doesn’t really do it for you, imagine the bounty that Valentine’s Day could be if you decided to celebrate it the BDSM-friendly way – with all the necessary kink toys. Whether you’ve always looked at handcuffs with a glint in your eye or got interested in kink thanks to …