Bodies

This edition of Pelvic Problems covers one of the most common problems that pelvic health physical therapists encounter: the non-relaxing pelvic floor (NRPF). This can cause a variety of symptoms, ranging from constipation and difficulty peeing to pain with sex and sitting. Fortunately, there’s a lot that can be done to help people with non-relaxing pelvic floors!

With her book Curvy Girl Sex: 101 Body-Positive Positions to Empower Your Sex Life (Fair Winds Press, 2017) Elle Chase gave us a guide for methods, positions and sex hacks for fat lovers with a range of different body types, centering all kinds of people who have long had their sexuality marginalized, denied or erased. In a conversation with Scarleteen, Chase talks about the book, how the media is changing its portrayal of fat people, the relevance of the word “plus size,” and her personal experiences with her own body acceptance and sexual journey.

If we have the idea that puberty or pregnancy are the only big body changes we'll experience in life, and we come to perimenopause or menopause not understanding that they, too, are another big phase with some big change, it can be a real shock. However and whenever you might get to menopause or the menopausal transition, knowing about it in advance will always make the experience better. Whether you want to find out about it way in advance, you're in or approaching some form of it now -- like POI or with hysterectomy -- or you want to know more to support someone in it in your life, here's a place to start.

When you gain weight and want to talk about it -- whatever your feelings about it are -- with partners or others you're in intimate relationships with, how can you do that, especially in a world where so few people are equipped with the skills to talk about weight in healthy, sensitive, supportive ways?

What's harm reduction? What are some basic harm reduction principles? What are some basics ways to minimize or reduce harm with sex, recreational drug use and the pandemic? Here's a place to get started.

Good news! You're not the only person who's experienced this - pubic hairs are definitely more stubborn than other hairs on our bodies! The hair that grows in the pubic area is thicker than other types of body hair or head hair, not to mention, the skin around the vulva and the scrotum are really...

Hi there! It sounds like you're describing a build-up of smegma* - that's dead skin cells mixed with oils and fluids produced by your genitals. The good news is that this is totally normal! Vulvas and penises alike can produce it. Regular, gentle washing should be enough to manage it. The clitoral...

It really sucks that during something that can make us feel lonelier than ever, the most dangerous thing is being close to other people. It is still safest to limit our up-close-and-personal contact, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still safely seek out and experience intimacy with new people, nor that there aren’t things you can do to make it safer if you do decide to get physically close to someone. Here are some basics to get you started.

Jdusjsisnn asks: So I have a girlfriend and we have tried to have sex a few times, and at the beginning of it- when we work into from kissing/ touching I’m erect and when I receive oral sex I’m usually also erect but once we’re about to begin vaginal sex I tend to get flaccid enough to where I can’t...

Hi Ghost, It sounds like pleasure is a bit tricky to figure out - both by yourself and with a partner. Fortunately, there are solutions! You’ve touched on something important by mentioning that you don’t experience much pleasure not only in your genitals, but also in most of your skin. It might help...