When I hear the word “endometriosis,” the first thing that pops into my mind is “pain”—scorching, stabbing, debilitating pain. However, endometriosis (endo) is a condition that is often described and medically treated as a fertility issue [1]. While it’s true that endo can affect fertility, this label can overshadow the significant pain and discomfort that many individuals with endo experience. It’s like calling a hurricane a “wind problem”—it doesn’t quite capture the full impact, does it? But there’s more to this story…the pain caused by endo can lead to disability, affecting a person’s abil ..read more

When thinking about the clitoris, most people think about sex, specifically, sexual pleasure. It is, after all, the most sexually sensitive part of genital anatomy in people with vulvas; the clitoris contains more than 10,000 nerve fibers that convey sensation to the brain when stimulated (Uloko et al., 2023). Indeed, the clitoris plays a critical role in sexual arousal and orgasm in individuals with vulvas (Pauls, 2015). The clitoris, though, is chronically understudied – its anatomy was only recently thoroughly investigated (Pauls, 2015). The newly discovered anatomy of the clitoris lends a ..read more

#NNN, #StayStrong, #FallenSoldier, #3weeksleft. These are all hashtags that gain serious amounts of traction every year during the month of November. November might be a month of pumpkin spice lattes and jumping in piles of leaves for some, but for others, participating in the “No Nut November (NNN)” challenge, November is a month of discomfort, distress, shame - or potentially empowerment. No Nut November is a mainstream Internet challenge that originated back in 2011 and has since gained popularity on Reddit and Twitter (Manavis, 2018). Those who take the challenge vow to try to go the entir ..read more

Reality television has always been a popular category of entertainment. What better way to pass time than to get extremely invested in a complete stranger’s love life? With an influx of dating shows being produced, audiences only have to log onto their streaming service of choice before being bombarded with options. One show that has skyrocketed to popularity is Netflix’s Too Hot to Handle (THTH; Gibson, 2020). The first season of THTH was released in 2020, becoming the #1 show on Canadian charts after its release (O’Brien, 2020). More than just an eye-catching title, THTH introduced an eye-wi ..read more

The most frequent and simple method of protection during all types of sexual activity is the use of a condom, which is available in two varieties: the internal condom (for bodily openings that are penetrated) and the more commonly known external condom (for body parts that penetrate). Despite the existence of other contraceptive methods, condoms remain the only method of birth control that also helps to decrease sexually transmitted infection (STI) transmission. Although latex condoms are the most common type purchased (Orrell, 2021), alternative materials are also available for allergy and su ..read more

Have you ever wondered why Leonardo DiCaprio only dates women under 25? Or what Sir Mix-a-Lot and his many fans like? (It’s big butts and he cannot lie.) Or how people on the Netflix show Love Is Blind can feel attracted to a person to the point of pursuing a marriage, before ever seeing one another’s physical appearances? These examples simply scratch the surface of the many potential partner characteristics (in this case; age, physical appearance, and emotional connection) that may be deemed sexually arousing, yet the list does not end here. Sexual arousal is a complex physiological and psyc ..read more

Social media has become the cornerstone of connection to others and to information for many people. Some people and organizations invest a lot of time building their social media “brand” to provide followers with consistency and familiarity as well as to set themselves apart in unique ways from other accounts. It can be quite inconvenient, and perhaps in some cases, devastating, for an organization or person to have their account hacked. That is exactly what happened to our original Instagram account (@sexlab.ca) in May 2022. As a sexual health research lab, we use social media to share infor ..read more

So, we all understand what people mean when they say that they are feeling sexually aroused, right? It means they are feeling “turned on”, “horny”, “hot”, and so on. It means that they feel ready to engage sexually, whether or not sexual behaviour by themselves or with others (consensually, of course) is imminent. Some people hold on to these feelings without behaving sexually, called “simmering” by some sexual health experts (Castleman, 2018), and others may use these feelings as a signal to engage sexually. There are infinite variations of how people experience and manifest their sexual arou ..read more

You probably won’t find audio pornography on the front page of Pornhub, but for many consumers of sexual media, audio is a refreshing (and perhaps needed) way to get turned on! Engaging with audio in a sexual way can come in many forms, from listening to a recorded erotic story, to tuning in to ASMR, or to enjoying the backing audio of conventional visual porn. Perhaps its versatility is one of the reasons why, according to numerous news outlets (Vice, The Guardian), audio porn is becoming a booming business, and its popularity is only increasing. Although sexual audios have existed in the pas ..read more

“Blue balls” is a term used to describe scrotal pain (pain in “the balls”) following heightened sexual arousal that did not result in ejaculation (Challet et al., 2000). But what is “blue balls” really? Many would be surprised to learn that there has been next to no research surrounding the prevalence or cause of this condition. The first and only case report published to date about a patient with “blue balls” was by Dr. Jonathan Chalett in 2000, in which a 14-year-old boy reported sharp scrotal pain following engagement in sexual activity without ejaculation; the patient had no other symptoms ..read more