‘At Least You’re Young Enough to Start Again’: What Not to Say to a Friend Getting Divorced at Thirty
Anxiety? Awkwardness? Asexuality? Tales of a Twenty-Six-Year-Old Virgin
I have a confession to make. Well, more of a truth to share. I am over the age of twenty-five and still a virgin. Comically, my middle name is Mary, like the Virgin. Why you may ask, does a relatively attractive woman have a problem getting someone in the bedroom?
‘The Lines Between When You Do and Don’t Have Consent Have Blurred’: How Hookup Culture Has Normalised Sexual Assault
One night, I was speaking to a few friends who also lived on campus. Our discussion topic was our current sex lives. Each time one of us got into the nitty-gritty, I became increasingly aware of how many things our partners had done that just didn’t seem right yet were normal and common among us…
‘Growing Up, Female Masturbation Was Unheard Of’: Yes, It Exists, and Yes, It’s Normal (And Actually Good For You)
Masturbating can create a more positive body image and improve self-worth, boosting overall self-esteem through exploring your body and finding your unique sexual pleasures. Not only that, but the act of masturbation releases several mood-lifting hormones. Which, in simpler terms, means that masturbating makes you happier and reduces stress levels…
A Look into the World of Online Sex Work and Why it’s Time to Start Destigmatising It
Operating via a now deleted account on Twitter, I spent some time getting to know this community and became part of it myself as a Financial Dominatrix. My profile was advertised towards submissives who experienced sexual gratification from giving elaborate gifts or amounts of money. My time spent using this account was brief, but the insight it gave me was immense…
From Cocaine and Cock to Coffee and Courting: How Sobriety Changed My Love Life
I have a litany of these tales. Weekends that were fueled by cocaine, cheap red wine, and strangers. Someone once said to me: “your first dates are so exciting. Mine are always so dull.” At the time, I was proud of that statement. Yes. Check me out. Exciting as fuck. On the outside, I was Samantha Jones; on the inside, I was suicidal.
Missing the Dating-and-Sex-Train: My Life as an Asexual
One by one, I saw my friends board the dating-and-sex-train that I somehow always seemed to miss. People told me that I needed to let go of the idea of finding ‘the one’, but I knew how dating and sex worked. I just really, really couldn’t see it working for me.
You Don’t Have to Suffer in Silence: Endometriosis, Sex, and Me
In the private sphere of the bedroom, women like myself who suffer from endometriosis find this a tough subject to broach, even though sex with their partners might be an ordeal that rarely bestows enjoyment on both parties. I became accustomed to my painful reality to such a degree that the split between my pain-free partner and me turned into an insurmountable gap, taking all the pleasure of the sexual encounter away.