Carol Queen’s latest book (written with Shar Rednour) is The Sex & Pleasure Book: Good Vibrations Guide to Great Sex for Everyone Vibrators changed my life, and maybe yours, too. I’ve been promoting vibe-induced pleasure for roughly half my life (and that’s just in public. I also had nice things to say about them way before vibrators basically became my day job). But not everyone feels the same way. And I’m not even talking here about those “but that’s not natural!” vibe abstainers who want to...

 “I could never be gay because I think my own vagina is fucking disgusting.” That’s what I used to say, with a laugh, before I fully understood the complexities of gender and queer attraction, and their complete separation from genitalia. And when I came out as pansexual a few years later, I discovered that not all vulvas were disgusting. Some, in fact, could be rather lovely. Just not mine. In summer, shorts exposed me if I sat down. My favorite panties could not contain me. I didn’t...

In the break room at work, my friend Wesley and I sit across from each other on our phones. I’m texting Max, a guy I met on Hinge (a dating app that directs you to “like” things on peoples’ profiles to show interest, rather than swiping right or left) and have been out on a few dates with. Wesley is texting Aubrey, someone he just matched with yesterday on Tinder. “How am I supposed to respond to this?” Wesley asks, handing me his phone. The...

For many expectant mothers, pregnancy can be a stressful experience. From lists of baby names to birthing plans to stacks of pregnancy handbooks, there is a lot to plan for, both during and after pregnancy. But for Black women, there is far more at stake.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Black women are three to four times more likely to experience a pregnancy-related death than white women.” Pregnancy-related illnesses or emergencies that have become increasingly treatable, such as preeclampsia, are still...

Many of us would agree that going to the gyno is probably one of the more uncomfortable doctor’s visits we have to make. From awkward conversations about going on the pill, to rapidly stripping down to a paper gown, to cold metal contraptions going up our you-know-whats, the gynecologist’s office tends to be an intimidating space (and it honestly doesn’t seem to get any easier with age). In a now-viral tweet from this past Sunday, Indianapolis-based urogynecologist Ryan Stewart took to the Twitter-sphere to get...

Researchers have found that the “once in a lifetime” physical and psychological impact of the pandemic has had an effect on many women’s menstrual cycles and sex drives. Earlier this year, some women feared that COVID-19 vaccinations may be affecting their menstrual cycles due to heavier and belated periods. However, research proved this theory to be wrong. Nevertheless, the majority of women’s cycles have been altered during the pandemic, although not due to the vaccine. Researchers from Trinity College Dublin, say that there’s been a “significant...

“Sexual fluidity” can mean a lot of things, but even if your orientation is carved in stone, you might experience some changes in libido over the course of your lifespan. As you begin to see your 40s on the horizon, it’s possible that your experience of desire will begin to change, and if it does, a number of things might play into that. Let’s consider some of them, shall we? First, let’s just acknowledge that we have lived through an era that could try any libido....

“Happy ending” massages that include being stimulated to orgasm are not usually associated with female clientele. But there are indeed women seeking out this type of service from male masseurs, and their rules of engagement might surprise you. It was 2003, and Vance Black, a masseur in his early 20s, was working on a 40-something client’s hip while she lay face down on the table. It was his first day on the job at a posh resort in Palm Beach, Florida, and he was anxious, having...

ALL VULVAS ARE unique, but in media—whether it’s porn or even a biology textbook—we’re often shown one image of the “perfect” vulva, which many also believe to be “normal.” As a result, a surprising number of people are undergoing a cosmetic surgical procedure called labiaplasty to reshape or reduce the size of their labia minora for aesthetic purposes. There has been a steady increase in demand for labiaplasty over the past decade—in 2019 alone, more than 150,000 people worldwide underwent the procedure. Queer, nonbinary illustrator Hilde...

  Sexual violence comes in various forms, and for many across the globe, knowledge of what does and does not count as sexual consent remains unclear. Before watching Michaela Coel’s TV series, I May Destroy You, I hadn’t known that non-consensual removal of condoms is classed as sexual assault.  In a sensual scene, Arabella (Coel) has sex with fellow writer Zain (Karan Gill) who secretly removes his condom after coercing her into engaging in the infamous doggy position. Moments before having sexual intercourse, Arabella ensures that Zain...