Promiscuity is the act of engaging in sexual relationships with numerous people or of being indiscriminate about who you have sexual relationships with. A person who participates in promiscuity is known as promiscuous or behaving promiscuously. In recent years, promiscuity has come to be used as a word to describe a person who fits a … Read more
Infidelity—also referred to as cheating or adultery—describes the act of engaging in emotional or sexual intimacy with someone outside the agreed-upon boundaries of your marriage or relationship. Infidelity may or may not involve sexual encounters, and can happen in person or online.1 Infidelity is, unfortunately, common. Rates of infidelity in relationships vary from about 20% to 50%. … Read more
Sexual intimacy involves engaging in sexual actions with someone with whom you feel connected. It is possible to have one but not the other (sex but not emotional intimacy or vice versa), but sexual intimacy typically involves feeling both. Learn how to be more sexually intimate—with your partner (and yourself!) through strategies such as scheduling … Read more
Generally speaking, the term “consent” means to agree to something. Lately however, the term has become an important part of social and political discourse and it usually refers to consent in a sexual context. Giving one’s sexual consent means clearly and freely agreeing to participate in a sexual activity, making it consensual.1 It’s important for every … Read more
Sexual aftercare is the practice of caring for your partner(s) after sex. It can involve anything from showering together to cuddling and talking; it’s all about what makes everyone feel cared for and nurtured after engaging in sexual intimacy. In the past, society has primarily been focused on the before and during of sex: Think foreplay and … Read more
Sex positivity means embodying a liberating attitude towards gender, body types, sexuality, and all of its nuances free of shame or judgment. In the past, due to puritanical societal norms influenced by religion, sex and sexuality were generally viewed as hushed or forbidden topics enveloped in secrecy and shame. No one talked about sex, and doing so was … Read more
It’s a type of paraphilia, which is experiencing sexual arousal to atypical objects, situations, behaviors, or fantasies that fall outside societal norms. There are hundreds of different paraphilias that have been recorded and eight different paraphilias listed in the DSM-5-TR, e.g., exhibitionism, voyeurism, and fetishism.1 Plushophilia can be considered a fetish. There aren’t any statistics available on … Read more
Sex can be a fulfilling, pleasurable experience for many people. But sometimes, even when you’ve enjoyed sex, you may have negative feelings in the immediate aftermath. People who experience emotions like sadness, anxiety, or irritability after consensual sexual intercourse, activity, or orgasm may be experiencing a condition called postcoital dysphoria.1 Postcoital dysphoria is sometimes referred to as … Read more
Friends with benefits is a relationship dynamic in which people who are friends or friendly with each other agree to be physically or sexually intimate, without the commitment or expectations typically associated with a traditional romantic relationship.1 It is a type of casual arrangement that exists somewhere between a friendship and a romantic relationship. People in these … Read more
We tend to think of physical touch as one of the five love languages, and perhaps something that isn’t a priority for everyone. But whether you consider yourself a physically affectionate person or not, nonsexual touch plays an important role in all of our lives. A lack of touch is called touch starvation or skin hunger. And even … Read more