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In a lot of ways, people are like puzzle pieces, emotionally, intellectually and physically. Any two different pieces don’t always fit together, or fit together in the same way. Not all of our bodies and genitals are made alike. With penises, for instance, you not only have differences in size, you…

You know, partnered sex when everyone is fully present, and people start getting more and more emotionally close means that we’re going to be more exposed – emotionally speaking, as well as when it comes to our more authentic sexuality, and more vulnerable. It’s understandably intimidating, and…

It’s really important for anyone starting a new birth control method to understand WHEN it is likely to be completely effective. I’m sincerely hoping your healthcare provider explained that to you with your pill, but I have to tell you that even if he or she did not, it is really also your…

It’s generally agreed that when switching from one pill to the next, you do not have to worry about being without effective protection, so long as you didn’t take more than a one-week placebo period between the two types of pills. The douching is a larger issue. Douching – when specific douches at…

I know – boy, do I! – that there is an awful lot of propaganda out there that condoms aren’t reliable, but that really is all that it is: propaganda. There are no microscopic holes in condoms, for instance, which semen or viruses can invisible escape through. When used properly, condoms are 98%…

Gardasil, the vaccine that protects against 4 strains of HPV, is most effective when given to women before they begin sexual activity. But previously sexual activity doesn’t render the vaccine null and void. Even if she acquires HPV from previous sexual activity, the chances of her acquiring all 4…

The dosing mostly matters depending on your body composition. Estrogen is a fat-soluble hormone. Therefore if you have a significant amount and proportion of body fat, some of that estrogen will dissolve into the fatty tissue and not make it to its receptor sites in your sex organs. If you have more…

First up, I think you ought to rent a movie called ‘Real Women Have Curves.’ It stars America Ferrera, and is about a fat girl who has to deal with all the usual teen stuff: family, boyfriend and going to college. I think you’d identify with it and probably learn something from it. At the least, it…

You probably put the word cherry in quotes because you’re not exactly sure what on earth it even is. That’s understandable, since nobody really does, as it’s not something real. Usually, when people talking about “cherry-popping,” when it comes to sex, they are colloquially saying that someone…

If your partner or friend is facing a decision about an unexpected pregnancy, you are probably worried about her. You may be thinking about how the decision could affect you. As she considers parenthood, abortion, or adoption, you may be feeling scared, guilty, sad, shut out, or just plain confused…

No it is not. Let’s dissect this so that you understand why not. You don’t urinate from within your vagina, but rather from your urethra, a very small, barely visible opening on your vulva between your vaginal opening and your clitoris. To get a better idea of what I’m talking about, have a look at…

Not all people with vaginas bleed with first intercourse. Given your age at the time of your first intercourse, it would have been even less common for you to do so since by 26, it would have been more common for most of your hymen to have mostly eroded by then – simply due to basic development…

Know what? While alcohol can reduce a person’s inhibitions, another thing it often does reduce how aroused – how turned on – a person can get. It also tends to inhibit orgasm, as well as vaginal lubrication. And that’s just the minor stuff. Date rape is far more common when alcohol is involved…

What I don’t know is how strongly attracted you’ve felt to your boyfriend over the years, well before now. I bring that up because loving someone doesn’t always mean we want to have sex with that person, or that we’re sexually attracted to them. In some ways, sexual chemistry is something separate…

Sperm can be pretty hardy when they’re in hospitable environments, like the reproductive track of someone with a vagina. They can survive for days in there. However, in an inhospitable environment (on towels, clothing, sheets, the wall, bathtub, etc.), they don’t last very long at all. In those…

Before the two of you do anything sexual, I’d say it’s REALLY important that you work out the issue of him seeing sex as a way for you to prove your love. It’s not. Take a look at the bare basics from our Sex Readiness Checklist: If either of you wants to do it because you feel you must or should…

Is your period late? If it is, then by all means, take a pregnancy test, as withdrawal is one of the least effective methods of birth control in typical use. If you don’t know when to expect your period, or your periods are often irregular, then just take a test when it’s been around 14 days since…

It is okay to have a desire to explore sex with the same gender; it is okay to have a desire to explore sex with people of a different gender. We also don’t need to view any of that exploration as an “experiment,” nor is same-gender sex somehow more of an experiment than mixed-gender sex is. I mean…

If you shaved your vulva very recently before sex, then I’d say the chances are that yes: that’s the reason for the irritation. That skin is pretty delicate, and all the more so when it’s been irritated by something, and shaving certainly does that. Add a bunch of friction and body heat to an…

Elydia: I’m so sorry you’re having to go through this with so little support. Being pregnant can be scary enough for anyone, even when it’s wanted, but it’s even more overwhelming when you’re going it alone. First of all, understand that NO ONE can force you to abort, or make your reproductive…

Well, it’s important to remember that bodies are not machines and they’re not exactly the same all the time. Just like many other things in our lives, our desire for sexual activity can wax and wane over time. In other words, everybody goes through periods where they may be interested in sex (of any…

Assuming that it’s definitely not menstrual blood, whenever a person with a vagina bleeds after sex, it’s generally the result of an injury. Sometimes if there’s blood spotting and pain after sex, it’s because there’s an infection in the cervix like trichomoniasis, chlamydia or gonorrhea. Irritation…

(Eoin’s questions continued…) 1) Abstinence-until-marriage is not superior (this will also come up later with respect to “the parents” and other concerns with my girlfriend); is it such a big deal if I have sex with my girlfriend tomorrow, in a couple months, or several years from now, including…

It won’t do you harm that once, nor will using emergency contraception more than once: there isn’t any data at this time which shows single or repeat use presents health risks beyond those we see with other hormonal BC. You can take a look at this page or this one for more information on EC…

Good on you for being proactive! A huge marker of sexual readiness is sussing this stuff out before anything happens, so you two are definitely on your way there. The absolute BEST way to avoid the unpleasant consequences of sexual activity is to use a condom, correctly, every time. Condoms are easy…