The orgasm gap

— Picking up where the sexual revolution left off By Laurie Mintz At the core of the 1960s sexual revolution was “female sexual empowerment.” It fell short of this goal. Specifically, while the revolution made women having intercourse before marriage acceptable, it didn’t lead women to have equally pleasurable sexual experiences. This assertion comes from my vantage point as a sex researcher and…

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My husband said he’d found a cure for his terminal illness.

— A year later he was gone Julie and Nigel in their early years together By Julie Casson ‘Life-limiting’. ‘No cure’. These were the words the doctor used to explain that my husband, Nigel, had three to five years to live, and I felt numb. Moments like this are not at all what you imagine. There’s no darkening sky, no rumble of thunder. Your heart doesn’t miss a beat and the world doesn’t hold its…

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11 Podcasts About Sex

— To Help You Explore Your Sexuality & Get a Little Kinky BY Brianne Hogan Maybe you want to learn more about sex. Maybe you’re nervous talking about sex, so you want to listen to other people talk about sex. Maybe you’re looking for sex tips, relatable stories, or just something entertaining and spicy to listen to in your downtime. Whatever the reason, tuning into a podcast about sex is a great…

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Preparing for the Unthinkable

— A Brief Guide to Digital Legacy Planning By Adam Engst The sudden death of our friend and Take Control author Charles Edge emphasized how terrible things can happen to anyone at any time (see “Take Control Author Charles Edge Dies,” 22 April 2024). Those later on in life are usually more aware of their mortality and plan for it, but for younger people, it’s hard to contemplate the possibility…

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Sexless relationships aren't uncommon—here's what to do if you're in one

— Here’s what to do if you’re in one It doesn’t necessarily mean your relationship’s over By Gabrielle Kassel You know how many of your pals are proudly posting about their Stanley cups, favourite books, and hot girl walks? Well, odds are, even more of your friends are silently suffering through a sex drought. So, if you’re currently craving more coitus than your partner wants to, can, or is…

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Hospice care for those with dementia falls far short of meeting people’s needs at the end of life

— An end-of-life care specialist reflects on how Medicare’s regulations for enrolling in hospice exclude many dementia patients who need it the most by Maria Silveira, M.D., M.P.H., FAAHPM Jimmy Carter, who chose to forgo aggressive medical care for complications of cancer and frailty in February 2023, recently reached his one-year anniversary since enrolling in hospice care. During this time,…

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Can psychedelics improve sexual functioning and satisfaction?

By Dr. Chinta Sidharthan In a recent study published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers explored the influence of psychedelics on sexual functioning using a large, naturalistic study and a controlled clinical trial that compared the impacts of psilocybin and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) on various facets of sexual functioning in patients with major depressive…

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On Sex Ed

— “Our Side” Is Finally Fighting Back The new group EducateUS is creating a counter-movement to the conservative groups stoking a culture war over sexuality education. By Joan Walsh When the nation began to emerge from our collective Covid lockdowns two to three years ago, some public education advocates noticed that parents were developing strange new fears about what was going on in their…

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Disabled People Use Sex Toys, Too

— So Why Aren’t They More Accessible? By Maggie Zhou Sex is considered one of our baseline human needs. In Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, some experts place it right at the base of the pyramid with other physiological necessities like breathing, food, water and sleep. Other people consider it a social need, akin to friendships, community and intimacy. For many allosexual people, sexual pleasure is…

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Understanding Palliative Care

— And when it may help By Dr. Rachel L. Ombres AHN Caring for people with serious illnesses or chronic conditions is one of health care’s most complicated — and important — challenges. While medicine continues to improve the way we treat diseases such as cancer or heart failure, it doesn’t always do a great job of caring for the things that matter most to patients and their families, such as…

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Everything you’ve ever wondered about polycules in polyamory, explained

— Plus, how to be in one that works, according to relationship therapists. By Jillian Angelini< Recently, polyamory has become seemingly popular in mainstream media. It’s likely you’ve seen the word tossed around during your late-night Instagram scrolls, or via a TikTok video of someone sharing what their ethically non-monogamous relationships look like. It’s also possible you’ve heard the term…

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New study untangles the links between pornography genres and sexual wellbeing in young adults

By Eric W. Dolan Recent research published in The Journal of Sex Research has uncovered intriguing findings about how different types of pornographic content are related to sexual satisfaction and function among young adults. The findings indicate that while pornography themed around passion and romance is linked to higher sexual satisfaction, content focusing on power, control, and rough sex…

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New online tool helps people with dementia document future care decisions

By Eric Galatas The number of U.S. residents aged 65 or older living with Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, is expected to double from nearly 7 million to 14 million by 2050, according to a new report. Dementia is a progressive disease which gets worse over time, eventually making it impossible to communicate or make decisions. Jessica Empeño, national director of clinical…

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Your Complete and Queer Guide to Outercourse

— From heavy petting to mutual masturbation to oral sex, outercourse opens up infinite avenues for pleasure.   Gay couple cuddling in bed By Sara Youngblood Gregory Between the sorry state of sex education in the United States and a comparative lack of widely accessible LGBTQ+ sexual health resources, it takes a while for most queer and trans folks to learn — and name — the type of sex they want…

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How to use lube during both partnered and solo play for next-level (!) sex

— Let’s get wet ‘n wild. By Korin Miller and Addison Aloian When you’re moving from foreplay to the penetration portion of sex, a little bit of friction is a welcome addition. But too much of it can easily turn ‘ooh’ into ‘ouch,’ leaving that area dry and irritated, to say the least. That’s where lube comes in clutch. However, no one ~really~ teaches you how to use it, and it’s not always a…

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Male infertility is more common than you may think.

— Here are five ways to protect your sperm By Karin Hammarberg Infertility is often thought of as a female problem, but one in three IVF cycles in Australia involve male infertility. We recently published a review of the literature on whether men diagnosed with male factor infertility experience greater psychological distress than fertile men or men with an infertile partner. We found…

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Can a Sexless Marriage Be a Happy One?

— Experts and couples are challenging the conventional wisdom that sex is essential to relationships. By Amanda Montei Will and Rose met online 10 years ago. His screen name was professorparsley, and he looked the part — tall and thin, with glasses, features that Rose found attractive. On their first date, Rose learned that Will was a college student living with his mother, and his handle came…

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