Search

Talk, images & representations of men and sex are EVERYWHERE in culture and society. One recurring and dominant theme in our understanding of male sexual behaviour is the idea of the male “need” for sex. The common narrative for this concept of men’s needs is one based on some sort of biological imperative, be that a study about some fundamental wiring in a male brain (or genitals) that requires men to regularly engage in sexual intercourse to maintain physical well-being, intimate relationships and a healthy sense of self. Or perhaps it is some essential part of the male brain, left over from our ancient forefathers - for whom constant procreation ensured the survival of the familial line, if not the entire species. What strikes me again and again is the frequency with which cultural understandings of sexuality are reinforced and legitimised through this language of science.

Congratulations on starting college and on your great new relationship with a guy who means a lot and treats you well! This is an exciting time in many ways, and I’m glad to hear that you’re interested in waiting on getting sexual until you both feel ready for it. It sounds like you just started…

As anyone who works in sex education or sexuality can tell you, when it comes to the questions people ask us, variations on the theme of “Am I normal?” reign supreme. I just spent a half hour going through our advice question queue, doing a search on each page for the word “normal.” At the moment…

Your boyfriend sounds awesome. And how quickly he ejaculates right now really doesn’t have to present any problems if neither of you treat it like a problem. Just so you know, a lot of sex educators and therapists have big problems with the term and concept of “premature ejaculation” (PE) as it’s…

prince_12’s question continued Really I am very ignorant that this is how the girl masturbate. I chatted with several guys two days ago, and now i am very worried about my body. Until this moment, I still feel jelly like and watery from down inside for no reason. I am not chatting for two days and I…

There aren’t any “shoulds” here. Not all people with vaginas bleed with first-time intercourse or other kinds of vaginal entry: in fact, most don’t. Why some people do – and for how long they do – and some don’t also varies. As to how many people with vaginas do and don’t bleed after first…

This morning I had class at 7:45 am, which is brutal since A) I live way off campus which means that I have to get up more than 15 minutes before I need to be there, and B) I left campus last night around 10 pm. Also, I had not had any coffee (devastating, in my case), so as a result, during the break I ran over to the nearest cafe to grab some. While I was in line, a (white) person that I had never before seen in my life walked up to me and asked me if I was Chinese.

Brook is the only national voluntary sector provider of free and confidential sexual health advice and services specifically for young people under 25. Brook is a registered charity, and has 40 years’ experience of providing professional advice through specially trained doctors, nurses, counsellors…

(Porte’s question continued) I’m ashamed of my body. I’m scared of showing him. All my life I’ve been made fun of for being ‘fat’ my whole life basically. I don’t care what people say about me anymore (usually) and I like myself. Kinda. I don’t think of myself as like…this huge chick who stuffs…

It’s absolutely normal to feel unsafe with someone who has demonstrated that you are not safe with them. After all, if I told you I didn’t feel safe having someone over for dinner who mugged me last week, you’d hardly be surprised. It’s also absolutely normal not to feel sexual with someone who hasn…

Looking for an alternative to tampons or pads? A user asks about menstrual cups, and we give her – and you – the scoop.

Usually sexual anatomy is taught through the lens of reproduction, so it’s only about penises and vaginas, testes and uteri. Seen through the lens of of pleasure, sexual anatomy looks different.

I know it’s only so much consolation to you right now, but the older I get, the more I notice how much easier having a positive body image becomes. I know that’s clearly not the case for all older women: after all, plenty of women my age and older are getting sliced, diced and Botoxed to within an…

One of the first things you generally want to think about in terms of any problems during or after sex such as you’re having with irritation, is when was the last time you were in to see your gynecologist? I can see from your question that you’ve been to a doctor about the UTIs, and that’s good. But…

Our sexuality is about so much more than our genitals. Our genitals are actually one of the smallest parts of our whole sexuality and our sexual response and experience, believe it or not. Without our brains (and everything that goes on in them), our neurological, cardiovascular and endocrinological…

I’ve wondered, with a lot of women’s sexual issues, why am I so passionate about it?

Originally written for The Guardian , condensed version can be seen there. In 2008, over 5,000 UK women under the age of 20 had an abortion that was not their first. As was made clear by the alarmist headlines following the publication of those numbers, this is a big concern for the public. A woman…

The mythical status of the hymen has caused far too much harm for far too long.

Placing a child for adoption as a birth mother makes “do you have any children?” hard to answer sometimes.

The holidays are here and you know what that means! Well, if you’re a person of color in an interracial relationship, it may mean having to sit through yet another uncomfortable, racially-charged conversation with your significant other’s fam. I know I have, and December’s barely here.

I get the impression that some, if not many of of our users think that condom failure rates are the same as condom breakage/slippage rates. In other words, think that when we explain that in typical use, condoms are 85% effective, that means that 15% of condoms break. It doesn’t: that is NOT what those rates mean. I hate for anyone to be presuming it is and to panic about a potential pregnancy via condom use because of that misunderstanding.

Sex leads to pregnancy leads to childbirth. This, of course, is a huge oversimplification.

The LGBT National Help Center is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization that is dedicated to meeting the needs of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community and those questioning their sexual orientation and gender identity. We are an outgrowth of the Gay & Lesbian National Hotline, which…

I don’t think that how we feel emotionally is ever about a matter of rights. We cannot control what we feel, after all: we can only control how we process, hold, express and manage our feelings. You feel upset: whether or not you or anyone else thinks you have a right to have those feelings, there…

You’ve probably heard or thought some things about condom use that might be keeping you or others from using them or from using them consistently, and I’m willing to bet you haven’t heard everything I’m about to say. Even if you’re already using condoms and using them every single time properly, I bet you know someone – a sibling, a friend, a sexual partner – who could stand to hear ten great reasons to use condoms.