Let's dive into the awesome advantages of getting a sex therapy certification. We're talking about leveling up your career, grabbing fantastic professional opportunities, and making a positive impact on sexual health. Investing in this certification isn't just about personal growth—it's a game-changer for your professional life!
There is a wealth of contraceptive methods available, but the only ones that protect against both STIs and pregnancy are condoms. When used correctly, the “male” condom (or, more precisely, the variety of condoms made to be used on a penis) has a 98% effective rate and thereby remains one of the most commonly used barrier methods during sex.
Buying condoms can be an intimidating experience for a range of reasons. When you're faced with such a range of options, it can be hard to know what you want or need—but trust us when we tell you that there’s a condom for everyone. No more believing Brad, or Chad, or Josh when he says that all condoms are “uncomfortable” and “desensitizing.” Instead, sit him down and take him through our guide to condomology: the art and science of finding your true condom.
Today—Sunday, July 16th—is National Corn Fritter Day. It’s also Artifiial Intelligence Appreciation Day, International Fresh Spinach Day, and World Snake Day. Sure, artificial intelligence is kinda suspicious these days, but corn fritters, snakes, and spinach are all super cool. Even with these delightful occasions on the calendar for today, though, I’d have to recommend directing your attention elsewhere. Sure, much on some spinach, snack on some fritters, pet a snake—but you know what you should really focus on doing on today? You should celebrate a drag queen—or king, or alien or monster or performer of any sort. Why? The answer is simple: because today is International Drag Day!
The rising presence of non-binary persons (which might seem especially apparent online) has brought up questions regarding the “newness” of their existence. Comments pushing against non-binary identities—like “it is just a trend” and “Gen-Z made it up it to push their wokeness into gender roles”—are all over the internet. Reading these always makes me wonder: how is it possible for only a little more than a generation of people to feel these instant and important feelings of not identifying with binary gender roles and values? I mean, is there something in the air that has changed people’s binary notions of gender recently—or could it be instead that we should maybe consider the actual history of non-binary persons?
The field of sexuality offers a wealth of opportunities for individuals passionate about promoting sexual health and well-being. If you are looking to turn your passion into a successful business venture, it's essential to have a strategic plan in place. In this blog, we will provide you with valuable insights and practical steps on how to create a business in the sexuality field.
In the ever-evolving field of sexual health and wellness, professionals strive to provide the best care and support to their clients. One way to enhance your expertise and attract more clients is by obtaining a sex therapy certification. This certification not only signifies your specialized knowledge and training but also serves as a powerful tool to increase leads and grow your practice. In this blog, we will explore the benefits of pursuing a sex therapy certification and how it can elevate your professional journey.
Today is International Non-Binary Peoples’ Day, an occasion observed every July 14th since the day was first called for by author Katje van Loon in 2012. This particular date was chosen because it marks the half-way point between International Women’s Day (observed on March 8th) and International Men’s Day (observed on November 19th). While the day itself marks the important practice of centering and celebrating the vast range of non-binary identities and the persons who claim them, the symbolism behind the decision to situate the day as a midpoint between already existing celebrations of women and men is, unfortunately…unfortunate.
Speaking of 2012, though: that’s the first year I really identified myself with the idea of being non-binary—that is, of existing without regard for the myth of the so-called “gender binary.” I wouldn’t have described it that way at the time, however, as my understanding of non-binary identity was heavily informed by decades of growing up surrounded by social and cultural signals that gender categories—all two of them—were exclusive, exhaustive, strict, and inviolable.
Few areas of the body are as mystified and misunderstood as the vagina, and as a result, many of those with vaginas experience shame around their bodies and its functioning. Whether it’s the fault of misinformation online, misogyny, or the less than sufficient sex education we receive, misconceptions about the vagina are commonplace in our society. So, join us today as we debunk these fallacies and venture towards the future of vaginal veracity.
Non-Binary Awareness Week is upon us, and what better way to celebrate than by reflecting on its significance for this particular part of the queer community? While July 14th, 2023 will be International Non-Binary People’s Day, the week that surrounds this particular Friday of Gender F-ckery—July 10th through July 16th—is Non-Binary Awareness Week. These days are dedicated to commemorating, remembering, and raising awareness of our genderqueer, genderfluid, agender, bigender, and gender non-conforming friends around the world.
What does it mean to be non-binary? Well, one could argue that there are as many variations and definitions of what being non-binary is as there are non-binary people on the planet. Generally, though, identifying as non-binary means identifying in a way that does not conform to the traditional gender binary, which assumes that all people are one of two genders: female or male, woman or man.
Mononormative relationships come in complete packages. First, you lock eyes with that special someone in the park where you both find each other reading the same chapter of the same novel. Second, you go on a few dates and then become exclusive partners. Third, one of you suggests moving in, and the other one feels it’s too soon but you find a place anyways. Next comes the Disneyland proposal, followed by the overpriced cliffside marriage, and soon you overwhelmingly welcome three kids. In the end, you are told to sink into that Happily-Ever-After™—as that’s what the step-by-step package offered by the monogamy-hailing society entails.
Buying your first (or tenth) s-x toy can be stressful and overwhelming. There are literally millions of online and in-store options, and since the topic of s-x toys is still slightly taboo, you might go your whole life without anyone guiding you. We, the Sexual Health Alliance, therefore, present you now with a roadmap to buying a s-x toy.
First off, we need to think about what it is you want so that we can narrow down our search a bit. Ask: what are we stimulating? This may involve thinking about what genitals you want to stimulate with this toy as well as what part(s) of the g-nitals you wish to stimulate. It could also involve other body parts and sensations, for instance, when shopping for n-pple clamps or different types of restraints.
When it comes to keeping up with her s-xy bits, Kim Kardashian swears by pineapple juice. And while limited evidence supports drinking pineapple juice as fruitful, the market for s-xual enhancement is ever-expanding, with a vast array of new remedies to try.
To nobody’s surprise, the highest demand in this market comes from those seeking to cure s-xual dysfunction—which again, unfortunately, can’t be solved by pineapple juice. Other plant-based remedies, however, may be worth exploring. Viagra might be the “it girl” right now, but historically, ancient cultures looked toward aphrodisiacs to get it up. From yohimbine and the mandrake plant to even the rhinoceros horn, naturally occurring consumables have been used to enhance sexual desire and performance.
S-xual surrogacy—officially called surrogate partner therapy (SPT)—is a topic that you may not understand well, if you’ve heard of it at all. This can make realizing that you might benefit from SPT, as well as finding a skilled surrogate partner, challenging. Many people have found this type of therapy to be beneficial, however, and you’ll soon understand why.
Surrogate partner therapy was first suggested by s-x researchers William Masters and Virginia Johnson (the team behind the four-stage s-xual response cycle model), so it is still relatively new but isn’t a brand-new idea. The duo focused on men’s s-xual dysfunction, including erection problems. Initially, male clients were paired with female surrogate partners, but SPT has come a long way since its advent.
During my year abroad in France, I not only learned French but also about French culture and French sexism. One particular subset of cyber-sexism strikingly common in France, Belgium, Italy and Turkey—yet unfamiliar to me before I attended a conference organized by my host university—was “Fisha” accounts. Although hearing about yet another gender-based threat presented by the internet is never something pleasant, the courage and determination of those who spoke made me feel a little less like that one excavator digging out the massive ship that was stuck in the Suez Canal. The excellent panel was comprised of members of the organization Stop Fisha, as well as members of the European, Belgian and French Parliament.
Growing up as queer, femme-presenting, white person in Spain, I have experienced difficulties and complexities in navigating sexual development and exploration. Homophobia and misogyny are still part of Spanish culture, and anti-LGBTQIA+ violence is experienced regularly—as seen in 2021, when Samuel Luiz died following a homophobic attack outside nightclub. People often disregard your sexuality through seeing it as a “phase” and calling your partner(s) your “special friend,” or they hyperfocus on it, hypersexualize you and your partner(s), call you slurs, … the list goes on. As with my previous piece, ”Honoring Pulse Night of Remembrance",“ I feel it is important to remember that the fight for equality is not over, and that Pride—although a celebration—is also a protest.
It’s June 5th, 1981, and you’ve just picked up the latest edition of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, produced by the Center for Disease Control. In this report, you find out that five once-healthy and thriving gay men have been infected with a rare type of lung infection by the name of Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia. A bit after this report is produced, however, what you had come to know as Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia will take on a new name, and the five men will have sadly passed. June 5th, 1981 marks the first-ever reporting of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, otherwise known as AIDS.
I can’t even begin to count the number of stigmas surrounding STIs—that is, s-xually transmitted infections. Remember when people refused to shake hands with others who had HIV/AIDS? Yeah, people thought they would get AIDS from simply touching someone infected. Princess Dianna went from being an iconic princess to an iconic queen that fabled day, because she decided to back scientific findings on HIV/AIDS and shake infected patients’ hands. Or remember when people wouldn’t share bathrooms with others with STIs? All kinds of unfounded stigmas like this exist, especially toward one STI in particular: herpes!
I cannot count how often I’ve heard straight women say, “I wish I were gay; it would be so much easier,” or “I know sexuality isn't a choice because if it were, no woman would be straight,” whenever queerness comes up in conversation. These statements are often said in a lighthearted, half-joking tone, but this is the problematic heterofatalism speaking.
Heterofatalism is the all too common confession by often straight women (but also straight men) that heterosexuality is embarrassing, hopeless and imprisoning. This is coupled with the performative disaffiliation with heterosexuality and straight culture.
June is Pride Month, a time to rejoice in and celebrate queer voices, and to highlight ways in which one can explore, transform, and experience queerness and community. One of these ways is through poetry. For me, Gloria Anzaldúa was the perfect place to start exploring what queerness and community look like in poetry, and furthermore is useful to rejoice and reflect on what this might look like for you.
Gloria E. Anzaldúa was a queer Chicana poet, writer, and feminist theorist who wrote ground-breaking cultural, feminist, and queer theories in her multiple books and essays, the most famous being Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza (1987).
“To deny autistic people the opportunity to embrace our s-xuality is to deny us part of the human experience” - Amy Gravino
S-xual expression and education have too often been taught in an inaccessible way for autistic and other neurodivergent people. If we do receive education, it is often designed for allistic minds, making it difficult for neurodivergent people to truly understand safe s-x and relationships. Neurodivergent people can still experience and engage in m-sturbation, penetrative s-x, oral s-x, use of p-rnography, fantasies, and k-nk equally!
