Can I Have Sex When I Have a Yeast Infection?
If I have a yeast infection, can I still have sex? Or should I avoid it until the infection clears up? A: It’s best to avoid having vaginal sex, receiving oral sex or putting anything in your vagina...
View ArticleHow to Be a Better Gift Giver Well Beyond the Holidays
It seems like some people just have a knack for giving awesome gifts. They know what recipients want, or they know how to read them well enough to figure out what they might like. If you’re a gifting...
View ArticleHas the Pandemic Caused More Breakups?
We’ve been stuck together for a loooooong time. At this point, you either love it or you’re seconds away from booking a cabin so you can go scream in the woods alone. That’s the thing about the...
View ArticleSummer Lovin’: How to Steer Clear of STDs
It’s been a long, long year of COVID-19-imposed restrictions, including sheltering in place and continued social distancing — and for many people, no in-person socializing has meant no dating and no...
View ArticleHaunted: The Trend Toward Ghosting
With the coronavirus pandemic receding and many people vaccinated, all the single ladies (and others!) may be ready to fire up those dating apps or head out to their favorite club for some actual...
View ArticleI Have a Cold Sore — Did I Get It From Someone with Herpes?
Q: I have a cold sore. Did I get it from someone with herpes? A. Yes, although it might not be what you think. First, make sure that what you see is definitely a cold sore. A cold sore looks and feels...
View ArticleHow To Tell Someone That You Have an STD or STI
We never know how things will go when we’re not engaging in small talk about our weekends or the weather. With more serious subjects, our emotions can run high and we might not always receive what the...
View ArticleHow Do You Know You’re In a One-Sided Relationship?
In a perfect world, friendships and romantic relationships have a natural give-and-take. One week, you might call someone and make plans to meet up, while the following week, they’ll reach out to you...
View ArticleCold Sores and Dating: What You Need to Know
Dating is stressful enough without having to worry about an outbreak of cold sores on your mouth. Besides being painful and unsightly, the blisters commonly caused by the herpes simplex virus 1...
View ArticleHow You Can Help Your Partner During Fertility Treatments
It’s an exciting time when you decide to start a family. But things can shift into disappointment and worry if pregnancy doesn’t happen right away. Some couples will eventually decide to try fertility...
View ArticleWhat Does “Sex Positive” Mean?
Historically, our culture has been filled with negative references about sex and sexual identity. But the idea of being “sex positive” — an attitude about sexuality that is free from judgments — has...
View ArticleDoes HPV Go Away on Its Own?
If you have human papillomavirus (HPV), you might wonder if it goes away on its own or if you need to seek treatment ASAP. In this Q&A, Ob/Gyn Oluwatosin Goje, MD, explains what you need to know...
View ArticleDo Aphrodisiacs Really Work?
Can spicing things up in the kitchen help you do the same in the bedroom? Foods like oysters and dark chocolate have long been touted as natural aphrodisiacs, with the ability to pep up your sex...
View Article10 Signs You’re in a Codependent Relationship, and What To Do About It
Navigating relationships can be difficult — after all, there are so many different types of relationships and kinds of love — and what works for one couple may not work for another. Ideally,...
View ArticleThe Psychology of Love
Like hunger, thirst, sleep and sex, love is essential for human survival. It can often feel so primal and mysterious that it may be hard for some of us to define. For thousands of years, we’ve tried...
View ArticleWhat Is the Honeymoon Phase and How Long Does It Last?
At last, your love has come along. Every day is filled with discovery and excitement as you get more and more entangled with your partner and in each other’s lives. Your heart races when you’re...
View ArticleHow To Break up With Someone You Love
When you first met, things were fun. You laughed at each other’s jokes, finished each other’s sentences and ate pasta “Lady and the Tramp” style at every Italian restaurant in town. But the...
View ArticleIs Anal Sex Safe?
If you’re considering anal sex for the first time, you’re not alone. Though it may have once been taboo, it’s become more widely accepted over the last few decades. And if you think anal sex only...
View ArticleUnderstanding Gender Identity
There’s so much diversity in how we identify ourselves and the way we express love for one another. Just as there are different kinds of love, we can become sexually and romantically attracted to our...
View ArticleWhat Is Sexual Orientation?
Like gender identity, discovering your sexual orientation begins with an internal awareness of attraction. How you find comfort in expressing or acting on your sexual orientation varies based on your...
View ArticleHow Sex Changes After Menopause
When you hear about menopause, what do you think of? Maybe you’re focused on fending off hot flashes. Maybe you’re worried about weight gain. Maybe you’re kind of excited not to have your period...
View Article5 Benefits of a Healthy Sex Life
We often think of sex as only for pleasure, but it also offers physical, emotional and psychological benefits. Sex may burn calories, increase your heart health, help with pain and ease stress. So,...
View ArticleWhat Does It Mean To Be Asexual?
Within the spectrums of sexual orientations and gender identities, there exists a wide, wonderful world of identities to discover. Knowing who you are and how you identify can come easily for some....
View ArticleWhat Is Gaslighting?
If you’re unfamiliar with the term “gaslighting” or you’re confused on exactly what it is, you’re not alone. Calling gaslighting out as it’s happening can be hard, especially because it’s not always...
View ArticleWhat Are Poppers?
Poppers, or amyl nitrite, are a liquid chemical substance that produce vapors. When those vapors are inhaled, poppers provide a sense of euphoria and heightened sexual pleasure up to just a couple of...
View ArticleHow To Set Healthy Boundaries in Relationships
You may have heard of people establishing healthy boundaries, but what does that even look like? Well, for starters, a healthy boundary can look like a lot of things. If a friend wants you to stay out...
View ArticleWhen Venting Turns Toxic: What Is Trauma Dumping?
So, you’ve had a bad day. Your first instinct is probably to call a friend or turn to your coworker in the next cubicle for a quick venting session. While venting can be a natural part of working...
View ArticleWhat You Should Know About Postpartum Sex
When a newborn enters your life, your bedroom thoughts are certainly not what they used to be. The bedroom was likely your place of quiet rest, peace and often, where you might have expressed your...
View ArticleThe 4 Attachment Styles and How They Impact You
We’re all born as helpless little creatures who depend on our caregivers for everything. Human infants are vulnerable beings who rely on others to keep them fed, safe, comforted … everything really....
View Article8 Strategies for Dating During Cuffing Season
‘Tis the season to curl up next to a fire with a good book or — if you’re into cuffing season — curl up with your crush. But should you really start a relationship right before the holidays? Or should...
View ArticleCommon Questions About Condoms
Condoms are often part of safe sex and contraception discussions because, when used correctly, they’re effective for birth control and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention. But there’s...
View ArticleWhat Happens If a Woman Takes Viagra?
In movies, TV shows and romance novels, people seem to be “ready to go” anytime, anyplace. But in reality, we know that sex can be much more complicated and nuanced. There’s the chemistry that...
View Article‘Blue Balls’: Facts and Fiction
Maybe you’ve felt it. Maybe you’ve heard of it. Maybe you’re wondering if it’s real. The “it”? The oh-so-descriptive condition we call “blue balls,” and what medical professionals call “epididymal...
View ArticleCondom Size Chart: Does Size Matter?
You may already know that condoms are your best way to reduce the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs, also called sexually transmitted diseases or STDs). And if you didn’t already know...
View ArticleWhen Sparks Fly: How To Navigate Falling in Love at First Sight
You’re standing alone in a crowded room and then BAM: You lock eyes with an attractive individual. For a moment, time slows down and the whole world stops spinning. You feel those ever-familiar...
View ArticleDon’t Let the ‘Seven-Year Itch’ Sabotage Your Relationship
If you’ve ever heard that year seven is the make-it-or-break-it year for marriages, you may start to get nervous as that anniversary approaches. The seven-year itch, as it’s called, is a term that...
View ArticleLubricant Alternatives: What To Use and What To Avoid
There are a few reasons you might want a little more slip in your slide, down there. Perhaps you’re nearing menopause, and things are more parched than they used to be. Or maybe you just want to try...
View ArticleSigns of Relationship OCD and How To Cope
It happens to everybody from time to time. You’re dating somebody and you’re suddenly struck with the thought that they’re cheating on you. Maybe you find yourself questioning whether or not you...
View ArticleWhat You Should Do if a Condom Breaks
Nothing ruins the post-sex glow like realizing the condom broke. Now what? “You’re probably anxious about what to do next. It’s natural to jump to worst-case scenarios,” says sexual health specialist...
View Article7 Ways To Improve Your Active Listening Skills
Have you ever tried to have a serious conversation with somebody who obviously isn’t paying attention to you? Chances are we’ve all been on both sides of that equation. Listening isn’t always easy. In...
View Article12 Signs You’re in a Healthy Relationship
Some people say that when you’re in a healthy relationship, everything just comes easy. Others will say that’s not exactly true — the best long-term relationships require a lot of hard work,...
View ArticleFriend or Faux: Are Parasocial Relationships Healthy?
Have you ever spent an entire paycheck on a Harry Styles concert? Did you break down in tears when you heard that Prince passed away? Do you go on a social media rampage whenever you see a negative...
View Article6 Signs You Have ‘Good Girl Syndrome’
Being a woman in the modern world is many things, but it’s never easy. You’re supposed to be cute but not infantile, sexy but not sleazy, conventionally attractive but never basic. Be smart, but don’t...
View ArticleSituationships: What They Are and 5 Signs You’re in One
Friendship. Courtship. Partnership. Kinship. Companionship. The word “relationship” has never really been enough for us, has it? We need a whole fleet of “ships” to understand our associations with...
View ArticleA ‘Sleep Divorce’ Might Be Exactly What Your Relationship Needs
If you’ve ever seen an episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show or I Love Lucy, you probably noticed that the characters’ bedrooms looked different from what we see on TV today. Thanks to censorship rules...
View ArticleHow To Identify and Address Breadcrumbing
Every once in a while, a pop culture term does such a good job describing a problematic human behavior that it becomes part of our collective vocabulary. It happened with ghosting. It happened with...
View Article4 Signs of Enabling and How To Stop
When someone you love is struggling, it’s natural to want to help. Selflessness is a virtue, after all, isn’t it? But when “helping” crosses the line to enabling your loved one’s problematic...
View ArticleSigns You’re a People-Pleaser — and How To Stop
As humans, we have needs. We have desires. We have preferences, likes and dislikes. But we don’t always express them. Sometimes, we choose to put others’ needs first. Maybe you agree to a lunch spot...
View ArticleHow To Come Out Safely
Being human is a multifaceted experience. The more we learn to embrace our identities as individuals, the more comfortable we can be in our bodies and the more at home we can feel in our lives. And...
View ArticleLow Libido? Ways for Women To Increase Their Sex Drive
We all have different ideas of what an active and fulfilling sex life looks like. Think of your sex life like driving to your favorite tunes: Some people drive around with their music full blast,...
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