Red-light Districts are defined as sections of urban areas designated for legal prostitution and sex-related businesses such as sex shops, strip clubs, adult theaters, and brothels. The color red has always held a relationship to sex and sexuality, and the red in red-light districts means “open for business.” While there are numerous red-light districts in the world—including Bui Vien Street in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Pigalle in Paris, France; Reeperbahn in Hamburg, Germany; and Kabukichō in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan—there is one red-light district that seems to surpass those mentioned in terms of popularity. Perhaps when you think of the term “red-light district,” a mental image of a European-style street painted in fluorescent red signs pops up. This area is known as De Wallen in Amsterdam.

Passion isn’t linear; it grows, changes, and evolves over time. What satisfies a couple’s sexual and romantic needs one day won’t necessarily satisfy them the next. While that can be difficult to keep up with at times, it’s also what makes relationships interesting and dynamic. 

The pursuit of spicing up your sex life is a worthwhile but ongoing process that requires time, attention, and input from both sides. With a bit of patience, curiosity, and communication, any consenting couple can enjoy an active sex life that’s satisfying, exciting, and stimulating, both physically and emotionally. 

Much of our daily life has been revolutionized by the introduction of the internet. I have not watched a cable television program in forever, and have opted instead for the luxury and convenience of streaming services and vlogs on YouTube as my main source of entertainment. Many other people have adopted the same mindset and have looked towards the opportunities the world wide web produces to pass time. The digitized nature of the world has opened the opportunity for new professions and jobs to emerge along with the demand for specific and targeted content. Examples of this include cam models and more recently, video game streamers, both of whom use video streaming as a way to market and promote themselves while engaging in laborious activities to achieve social and economic success. Though they seem like two distinct and separate forms of self broadcasting, a new article discusses how they’re not as different as one initially assumes.

Human sexuality is a complex part of our existence, encompassing sexual orientation, gender identity, sexual wants, and sexual activity to name just a few aspects of sexuality! It can be hard to navigate your own sexuality depending on past education, current access to resources, and the support systems you have. Unbeknownst to some, though, additional guidance and support from professionals or experts is an option for navigating sexuality. This is where the emerging field of sexuality consulting comes in. As sexuality consulting evolves, keeping track of what the field entails can be confusing. So what exactly is a sexuality consultant and what do they do? 

Sex sells and sells well. The phrase stands true: for certain people, being deemed ‘sexy’, physically attractive, or marked as a “sex icon” works wonders for their self brand. I grew up in the era of the “Kim Kardashian sex tape,” “Paris Hilton” (the person and the metaphor) and the frenzy of the popular E! Show The Girls Next Door where Hugh Hefner’s girlfriends were the subject of a camera crew for six seasons. During my pre-teen and adolescent years, these celebrities were symbolic of sex and sexiness as a career, a job, a hobby, and a leisure activity for consumers. 

Exploring our personal growth and finding our true selves is such an incredible journey! And, guess what? Attending a S-xual Attitude Reassessment session (SAR) can play an important role in this process. SAR's are an incredible experience because they provide a safe and supportive environment where we can dive deep and reevaluate our attitudes towards s-xuality. If you are currently studying with or are interested in studying with SHA, it’s important to note that in order to be able to become an AASECT member, you are required to complete a SAR that follows their specific outlines.

To really get the most out of this experience, it's all about having an open mind and a genuine desire to learn and grow. So, let me share some handy tips and tricks to help you navigate a S-xual Attitude Reassessment session like a pro!

Throughout my conversations with friends and colleagues, I’ve learned of many instances when substances and intimacy come together to create an amazing and magical experience. We’re seeing this through the use of drugs during s-x, which has become popular with the men-who-have-s-x-with-men (MSM) community. This activity is often referred to as “chems-x.” But after the effects wear off, we're left with a whole bunch of emotions, tricky communication, and the aftermath of that intense experience. In this post, I’m going to dive into all the little details of what happens after substance-enhanced intimacy and how we can deal with the challenges and make the transition from that super high to the real world.

You know that gender reveal parties are a terrible human invention when even their creator regrets ever having done one in the first place. Although highly debated and contested, there is still a large number of parents who host these sorts of “parties.” A quick search on social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest, shows hundreds of thousands of posts and content related to gender reveal parties. Gender reveal parties carry with them a set of ideologies related to a binary gender, stereotypes, and conditioning of bodies that are being reproduced every time expecting parents host another.The fact that they have become such a trend raises the question: why are we placing so much importance on the sex of an unborn child? 

I’ll be the first to admit it: I love being the little spoon. There’s just something about that feeling of being embraced in a tight, warm grip that makes me imagine this is what a nice toasty bun in the oven feels like. Unfortunately, I am always subjected to being the big spoon—and while I don’t mind it, who doesn’t like to be on the receiving end of intimate and a personal bear grip? Personally, the only form of cuddling I do is in the context of romantic interactions in which I engage in non-s-xual touch to reaffirm my feelings and connection with my partner. However, there are groups of individuals who engage in consensual, non-romantic cuddling as part of a deeper understanding of themselves in relation to desire, consent, and constraints. Called “cuddle parties,” these events aim to bring people together through the art of cuddles.

Feminism has never been “one size fits all:” there are many different interpretations of feminism and approaches to women's empowerment within feminist thought. One would think that any interpretation of feminism would be beneficial toward combating issues like gender inequality and how intersecting axes of oppression impact women in society—but this is unfortunately not the case. For example, “girl boss feminism” is a sub-type of feminist thought that favors middle-to-upper-class white women, without doing anything to dismantle patriarchal systems.

Picture a Dominatrix—what comes to mind? A leather-clad Betty Page with her iconic bangs? A strict governess brandishing a riding crop? How about an ancient Mesopotamian goddess carrying a cornucopia of flowers and fruits? Perhaps a woman in a toga adorned with black wings and a whip? The Dominatrix is a polarizing figure, inspiring fantasy, lust, excitement, fear, and ridicule. She exists on the frontier of s-xual expression today in AI companions (Part I, Part II) and augmented reality, but she has been with humanity since antiquity. What about this archetype continues to inspire both worship and revulsion? 

In the last few years, the idea of s-x positivity has really taken off as a movement that encourages a positive and open approach to s-xuality. It's not just about the physical side of things - there's also a deep connection between being s-x positive and having good mental health. We’re going to explore how pleasure, sex positivity, and overall well-being are all closely linked. We'll be looking at some helpful resources to understand just how having a positive attitude towards s-x can impact our mental health.