Earlier this year, BUST investigated claims that the COVID-19 vaccine may be having an impact on people’s menstrual cycles. Today, more research has been carried out regarding COVID vaccines and menstruation. On August 30th, the NIH announced that it has awarded $1.67 billion worth of one-year supplemental grants to conduct these studies on the correlation between vaccines and menstruation. We have taken a look at how this research has been updated and encourage you to still get vaccinated. In recent weeks, some people across the US...

I was raped in my first year at university. I was a virgin, so my attitude towards men and relationships changed to one where sex is only enjoyable for men. At an age where I’d previously felt ready to have sex, I was now terrified of the prospect. For nearly 2 years, I remained untouched; I’d freak out and cry during near-sexual experiences, or when a guy held my body in a certain way or got aroused when we were on a date. I began...

Shan Boodram is not shy when it comes to sex. A certified sex educator, dating coach, relationship expert, and best-selling author, Boodram believes that knowing what you want out of dating, love, and sex, is a powerful part of self-discovery. Known as “Shan Boody” to her over 600k dedicated Youtube followers, the sexpert, wife, and new mommy is known for having open and honest dialogue about intimacy in today’s day and age. Now Boodram is making her mark in the dating show space as the...

SEX ON TV isn’t only getting hotter—it’s getting better. In recent years, we’ve seen more nuanced depictions of intimacy, pleasure, and consent, with interactions that actually look real. A lot of this improvement is thanks to Ita O’Brien, a British intimacy coordinator and the author of a set of “Intimacy On Set Guidelines” that were widely adopted by producers and directors in 2017. O’Brien, who has worked on acclaimed shows including I May Destroy You, Sex Education, and Normal People, describes her professional journey as...

Natalie Rivera is the creator and host of the podcast How I F*ck, where she and her guests explore the variance of human sexuality and sexual health. How I F*ck was born from Rivera’s natural curiosity and desire to give folks a space to tell their own stories. Rivera sat down with me to chat about the importance of sexual pleasure and the need for increased sexual representation across media platforms.  Hi Natalie, I am so excited to talk. How did How I F*ck come to...

I RUN MY FINGERTIPS over the smooth cotton covers, then flop onto the bed, a huge grin on my face. I’d forgotten I could feel like this: belly all aflutter, heart pounding. How long has it been? Years? Half a lifetime? Freshly showered, I’m naked and a shiver races through me as the air conditioning touches my skin. Lying exposed feels daring, naughty, and I giggle like a teenager, exhilarated by the prospect of a night of mind-blowing sex. I squirm, the fluttering in my...

Recently, someone asked me about a possible connection between ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and sexuality. “Sex can be challenging sometimes,” they wrote, “and I’m wondering if it’s linked to my ADHD.” The answer here is that sex can be challenging, and one reason for that is that it’s not a stand-alone bodily function. Like other physical systems, it links up with all the other elements of our well-being, from circulatory to socioemotional. So yes, it is certainly possible that ADHD could connect with your...

I first glimpsed non-monogamy in the real world as a record-store cashier. My co-worker, Mel, was the essence of cool: lanky and laid-back, she had a pinup bombshell of a girlfriend. They checked other girls out from behind the counter together, and talked about their separate affairs. Mixing romantic partnership with sex gossip (and music nerdery!) seemed like the apex of relationship bliss. If only I’d been born without jealousy, I thought. I never imagined that years later, without a lick of resentment, I’d be...

The hashtag #KinkTok currently has more than 3.5 billion views on TikTok. Some #KinkToks are harmless reflections of a sex-positive world in which individuals are free to share their unorthodox sexual desires without shame: Dudes dressed up as French maids! Harry Styles licking his lips! A girl listening to “WAP” while eating a breakfast sandwich for some reason! But many others are more sinister in nature, entering a violent territory that may be dangerous for young people coming to terms with their sexuality. The result,...

I’m exhausted. He’s up there sleeping, and I’ve escaped to the living room couch for refuge. His loud breathing is really getting to me. I love him dearly, but holy macaroni, I need sleep. Over the past decade, I have laid awake and annoyed on hundreds of nights, listening to his breathing for an hour before slipping out to sleep on our daughter’s extra bunk, even on blankets in the hall, anything to escape the noise. Now, I risk the loud stairs to rest, maybe...