Tag: sexual shame

Header image for book review of How Do I Sexy? by Mx Nillin Lore

[Book Review] How Do I Sexy? By Mx Nillin Lore

Published on by Amy

I’ve known Mx. Nillin Lore (they/them) a little bit through the online sex writing community for some time, and have long admired their views, writing style, and queer, trans-centric approach to sex education and advocacy. So when they told me they were writing a new book titled How Do I Sexy? A Guide for Trans and Nonbinary Queers and invited me to review it, of course I was going to say yes.

How Do I Sexy? A Guide for Trans and Nonbinary Queers by Mx. Nillin Lore is both a practical guidebook for queer, trans and non-binary sexuality and a kind of manifesto for how sex, intimacy, and the concept of “sexy” could be if we all looked beyond the cisheteropatriarchal norms we’ve been fed from birth.

Nillin asks, “what even is ‘sexy’ and how do you do it?” This book is their attempt at answering that question. The book also includes a forward by Sophie Labelle, best known for her webcomic Assigned Male. Sophie also designed the book’s playful, inviting cover.

What How Do I Sexy? by Nillin Lore Covers

You’ll find both theoretical and practical content in How Do I Sexy?

The first chapter explores the “Ventura Effect,” or how the transphobia in the 1994 movie Ace Ventura: Pet Detective played a role in keeping Nillin in the closet until they were in their mid 20s – and, more broadly, the role that transphobia and queerphobia in popular media plays in shaping queer youngsters’ views of themselves and a cultural landscape that often includes bullying, harassment, discrimination, dehumanisation, violence, and even murder.

Chapter 2 unpacks the idea of “sexy”. What is it? Why is it so limited by mainstream beauty norms? And what are just some of the myriad things people can find sexy? It also covers self-image, embracing oneself as a sexy and sexual being, finding what makes you personally feel sexy, and unpacking all the different kinds of attraction that exist.

Chapters 3 and 4 start to delve more deeply into practical and actionable advice. Chapter 3 deals with the fear, shame, guilt and insecurity that many of us struggle with around our sex lives, desires, genders, and sexualities. It offers both validation and practical strategies on how to start tackling your critical inner voice and the internalised beliefs that aren’t serving you. Chapter 4 invites you to come up with personal mantras that summarise your core values around sex and sexuality. These will serve as guiding lights for how you want to live your best sexy life.

Chapter 5 covers traditional gender roles and society’s toxic ideals, from passing pressure for trans people to the relationship escalator. It offers insights into the negative ways these realities impact queer and trans people. There’s also advice and encouragement on overcoming and consciously rejecting them.

Chapter 6 covers outward presentation and the different ways people might dress and present to feel sexy and affirmed. You’ll find information on affirming prosthetics, underwear and lingerie for trans folks, using makeup for self-expression, and detailed advice on measuring yourself for well-fitting clothing as well as just some of the archetypes and variations of LGBTQ+ self-presentation that are available to pick and choose from. It’s definitely given me some inspiration and ideas for new looks and styles I might like to try.

Chapter 7 covers the nuances of dating, flirting, and finding community. These things can be wildly different when you’re queer or trans (or kinky or non-monogamous). As such, a lot of the typical mainstream dating advice doesn’t really apply. From navigating dating apps and staying safe when meeting people to bigoted “preferences”, flirting tips, and handling rejection.

Chapter 7 is all about queer-affirming sex and how to have it. You’ll learn what it means to be queer and trans-affirming in your sex life and relationships. You will also hear about just some of the many, many sexual and intimate activities that many queer and trans folks enjoy. This includes kink and BDSM dynamics as well as different ways to explore intimacy without necessarily involving sex. You’ll learn about some of the countless terms for body parts and how to find the best ones for you. Finally, Nillin talks about finding – and making – queer and trans porn and erotic content.

How Do I Sexy? concludes with a short roundup of 8 important takeaways.

Style & Accessibility

Nillin’s writing is vulnerable and honest. They don’t shy away from sharing their own experiences and the struggles they’ve faced through systemic transphobia, queerphobia, fatphobia, erasure, and more. They share personal stories from their own lived experience and relate them seamlessly to their wider narrative and overarching points. And they unflinchingly own up to mistakes they’ve made and things they’re not proud of, acknowledging how those things played a role in the story of who they are now.

Reading Nillin’s writing is like talking to that wise, slightly more experienced friend that I wish all queer people had when they first come out. The writing is engaging and accessible, occasionally funny, occasionally raw, and always tender and caring. Compassion is central at every stage, and the advice feels like invitation rather than instruction.

Nillin also includes other queer and trans folks’ voices and perspectives. In chapter 2, for example, they ask various friends and industry colleagues about what sexiness means to them and how they relate to it. They also include images from the Crash Pad Series of queer+ erotic films to illustrate various sections of the book.

The book does assume some basic grounding in LGBTQ+ terminology. There’s a handy glossary at the back for any terms you don’t understand, though. And, of course, you can always just look them up online as you read.

Verdict & Where to Get Your Copy

How Do I Sexy? isn’t just a good book, it’s a vital and sorely needed one. LGBTQ+ young people are still rarely represented in mainstream sex education. Many of us make it to adulthood with very little knowledge of our bodies, our sexualities, and how to engage intimately with others. This book is like a warm, comforting hug that says “hey, you’re lovable – and sexy – exactly as you are!”. It’s both a celebration and an invitation.

No matter where you are in your queer, trans or non-binary journey, there will be something in here for you. I’ve been writing, reading, learning and teaching in this space for years and I’ve still learned tonnes from Nillin’s words. Read it from cover to cover for the full experience, or dip into the bits that feel most relevant to where you are now.

How Do I Sexy? by Mx. Nillin Lore will be published by Thornapple Press one month today – 23rd August 2024 – and you can pre-order your copy now. If you order through my Bookshop.org links, I will make a small commission at no additional cost to you. You can also ask your local indie bookseller or LGBTQ+ bookstore to stock it (fuck Amazon amirite?) (But if you’re going to use Amazon, please use Thornapple’s affiliate links. This will send a little more money back to an indie press and its authors.)

Thanks to Mx. Nillin Lore and their publisher for sending me an advance review copy of How Do I Sexy? All views are, as always, my own.

Header image for Tracy's Dog mindful masturbation sponsored post featuring a vibrator, handcuffs and anal beads in a drawer

What is Mindful Masturbation and How Can It Benefit Your Sex Life?

Published on by Amy

It’s no secret that I am a big fan of masturbation in all its forms. I believe it should be promoted, celebrated, taught as part of sex education, and totally destigmatised. There are countless ways to have solo sex, and none of them are better or worse than any others. Are you having fun without harming yourself or anyone else? Congratulations, you’re doing it right. Today I wanted to introduce you to one possible self-pleasure tool you may not be aware of. Let’s talk mindful masturbation and explore how mindfulness can benefit both your solo and partnered sex life.

What is Mindfulness?

To understand mindful masturbation, we first have to understand mindfulness. In short, mindfulness is all about being present and in the moment.

Many people practice mindfulness meditations, but these don’t work for everyone (they don’t work for me at all, which I think is because I have ADHD.) You can also incorporate it into your day to day life. One of my favourite forms of “meditation” is actually doing something with my hands, such as knitting, colouring, or putting something together and paying attention to how it feels. Simply taking a moment to notice your body, its sensations, your surroundings, and your reaction to those surroundings is a mindfulness practice.

The potential benefits of mindfulness can include stress reduction, improved focus, enhanced self-awareness, and better emotional regulation. It’s not the magic pill some have made it out to be, of course, but it’s a great addition to your mental health and self-care toolbox.

What is Mindful Masturbation and How Do You Do It?

Mindful masturbation, then, is all about being present in your body while you touch yourself. Stay curious and exploratory – it can help to imagine that you’re touching yourself as you’d touch a new lover when you don’t know their body super well yet. You’d experiment, try things out, and stay open to feedback. Do the same thing for yourself and let yourself be surprised.

Mindfulness is also about encouraging your thoughts to stay in the moment. Each time you find your mind wandering, kindly but firmly guide it back. Breathe deeply, ask yourself how you feel, and observe your body and mind’s responses without judgement.

Finally, try to take the focus away from orgasm. If you cum during your session, great! If you don’t, that’s fine, too! The point is to move away from goal-centered masturbation into a more exploratory and pleasure-centric frame of mind.

Whether you choose to use your hands, sex toys, or a mixture of the two is completely your choice. I’m personally an advocate for using both as they can allow you to experience a wide array of different sensations. Why not pick up a new sex toy? For long, slow, luxurious masturbation sessions, I love clit suction toys such as the Flowliper, a new and beginner-friendly clitoral toy with a unique “dynamic pulse” function from Tracy’s Dog.

How Can Mindful Masturbation Benefit Your Sex Life?

No matter your gender, orientation, or relationship status, touching yourself mindfully can help you to tune into your body, get to know your desires, and improve your sex life. Here are just a few of the ways it can benefit you.

Practice Mindfulness During Masturbation to Learn More About How You Experience Pleasure

Mindful masturbation isn’t about getting off and getting on with your day as quickly as possible. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that type of masturbation! I’m a big fan, in fact, at times. But that’s not what we’re doing here.) Since you’re chasing pleasure without necessarily having the explicit goal of orgasm in mind, you can take your time to try things out and touch your body in different ways. You might be surprised what you learn!

Mindful Masturbation as a Stress Reduction Technique

Mindfulness has been shown to reduce stress for many people. Guess what? So has masturbation! So combining the two has the potential to give you a powerful stress-buster. Take the time to touch yourself mindfully even just a few times a week, and you might start feeling calmer and more centered throughout the day.

Mindfulness Can Help You to Reach Better and More Frequent Orgasms During Masturbation and Sex

I know I just said that orgasm wasn’t the goal here – and it doesn’t have to be. But if you do want to get off, practicing mindful masturbation can help you to have more frequent, stronger, and easier to reach orgasms. This is because you’re more present in your pleasure and turning away from distractions, and because you’re likely learning new ways to enjoy your body.

Paradoxically, taking the focus off orgasm—particularly if you ever struggle to come—can be one of the best ways to help you get there.

New Skills to Bring Back to Partnered Sex

Masturbation is wonderful regardless of whether you’re in a relationship. And, of course, not everyone who masturbates has (or wants to have) partnered sex. But if partnered sex is a part of your life, mindful self-pleasure can teach you all kinds of new skills and tricks to bring back to your partner(s.) This can include new ways you like to be touched, but also skills such as staying present in the moment and waving away distracting thoughts that get in the way of your pleasure.

Self-Pleasure as Self-Care

Unfortunately and despite the fact that almost everyone does it at least occasionally, masturbation is still heavily stigmatised, especially for women. However, I firmly believe that masturbation is a form of self-care. It feels great, has no negative repercussions, and doesn’t require much beyond a little time and privacy to explore. If you ever struggle with shame around masturbation, or even if you don’t but have treated it in a perfunctory way until now, then mindfully masturbating can be a great way to shift it towards more of a holistic self-love and self-care practice.

Thanks to Tracy’s Dog for sponsoring this post! All views, as always, are mine.

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The Polyamory Community Has a Huge Slut-Shaming Problem

Published on by Amy

When I started practicing consensual non-monogamy and polyamory, I expected to get hit with slut-shaming and sex-shaming from monogamous friends, family, and wider society. And predictably, I did. (“So she’ll just open her legs for anyone like a 24-hour supermarket?” was one memorably horrible quote said by an old childhood friend about me.) What I never expected, though, was to encounter slut-shaming from within the non-monogamous community.

But this has happened to me multiple times over the 15 years or so I’ve been poly, as well as to many of my friends and lovers. And I have come to realise what a significant and pervasive problem it actually is.

Before I dive in, I want to shout out the other polyamory writers, thinkers, and educators who have spoken on this issue, especially Leanne Yau of PolyPhilia, Mainely Mandy, Eldiandevil, and Ramona Quaxli. Their perspectives and insights are tremendously valuable and have informed, validated, and helped to shape my own.

What is Slut-Shaming?

Planned Parenthood defines slut-shaming as “accusing someone — usually girls and women — of being “too sexual,” and using that as an excuse to humiliate, bully, or harass them.”

Slut-shaming and sex shaming can take the form of calling someone derogatory and sexual names (such as “slut”, “whore”, or “slag.”) But it can also take forms such as:

  • Criticising a person for wearing sexualised or revealing clothing
  • Blaming the victim or saying they “asked for it” in cases of rape, sexual violence, revenge porn, sexual harrassment, and so on
  • Gossiping, making assumptions, or spreading rumours about someone’s sex life or sexual behaviour (such as the slut-shaming I’ve experienced for my polyamory)
  • Criticising or shaming a partner for their sexual history prior to your relationship (or during it, in the case of consensually non-monogamous relationships)
  • Acting entitled to someone’s body because of their actual or perceived sexual behaviour (e.g. “if she puts out for other guys why not me?”)
  • Accusing someone of being a “sex addict” for their level of desire, number of partners, kinks and fetishes, or other actual or perceived sexual behaviour

In short, it’s anything that is designed to put a person down or make them feel guilty or ashamed of the ways that they express their sexuality.

But How Can There Be Slut-Shaming in Non-Monogamy!?

When people enter the non-monogamous community, they often come in with certain expectations. One of those expectations is that polyamory is going to be a free love utopia, apart from and unaffected by any of cisheteromononormative society’s hangups about sex. I mean, our unofficial community Bible is literally called The Ethical Slut. We’re all totally enlightened and sex-positive over here in non-mono-land, right?

If only.

I’m not going to sugar-coat it: I’ve been guilty of perpetuating this, in the past, just as I have been a victim of it. But the polyamory and consensual non-monogamy (CNM) community has a huge, enormous, glaring, and under-addressed slut-shaming problem.

Let’s look at a few of the ways it manifests and why they’re problematic.

“Polyamory is Not All About the Sex!”

Polyamory Weekly, which ran from 2005 until 2022, is by far the longest-running and best-known polyamory podcast. When I first started listening way back in around 2009, I didn’t think much of the goofy little tagline at the end of the show: “and remember, it’s not all about the sex!” On the rare occasions that I dip back into the PW back catalogue these days, I cringe a little every time I hear it.

The purpose of this section is not to call out PW specifically or exclusively. It’s a great resource. I’m glad it existed for 17 years and I’m glad its 600+ episodes live on for new polyamorous folks to find. But I do think this tagline is an example of a wider narrative within the polyamorous community.

Sex is Allowed to Be Important to You

I understand the purpose of catchphrases like “it’s not all about the sex.” Mainstream society aggressively sexualises non-monogamy and casts aspersions on our collective character as a result (itself a form of slut-shaming). In much the same way that LGBTQ+ identities had to fight to be seen as more than sexual fetishes, non-monogamists are now fighting a similar battle. But, in striving for this more nuanced recognition of our identities, we must be careful not to shame those for whom sex does play an important role in their polyamory.

Some people are non-monogamous, in part, to have more sex and to experience more sexual variety. As long as those people are honest with their lovers and taking reasonable steps to be safe and considerate partners? I do not think there’s a damn thing wrong with that.

Other versions of this trope include “just because I’m polyamorous doesn’t mean I’m a slut!” and “I might be polyamorous but I still have standards!”

“But Amour Means Love”

The equally insidious sister to the above is something I see all the time in the polyamory groups, forums, and other online spaces: “it’s polyAMORY, not polyFUCKERY. The amour means love!” This one comes out when a person talks about having a lot of casual sex. However, it also comes out when a person is struggling with sexual difficulties, sexual incompatibility, or sexlessness in one of their relationships. Its purpose is clear: to slut-shame the individual because sex matters to them.

If you’ve ever uttered this sentence, you might not like what I’m going to say next: for many of us, sex is part of how we love. For some people, this connects to physical touch as a love language. Sex with someone you love, whether in polyamory or monogamy, can be tremendously bonding and connective. It can help you to feel closer and more intimate, both emotionally and physically, with your partner(s.) Sex can make you feel desired, allow you to express love and care through touch and the giving of pleasure, and give you an opportunity to be exploratory and playful together.

In addition, in a newer relationship, sex can help you to bond, deepen and strengthen your connection, and feel out whether you’re compatible for a long-term relationship.

“Many Loves” Can Look Lots of Different Ways

Polyamory educator Leanne Yau says, “I can have sex without love, but I cannot have love without sex.” I’m not sure I’d go that far for myself, but I know I would really, really struggle in a sexless romantic relationship. It is only recently that I’ve stopped feeling shame around that fact.

So yes, sure, “polyamory” means “many/multiple loves.” But love can take many forms and, if sexual compatibility matters to you or if sex is an intrinsic part of how you express romantic love, that’s not only valid but super normal and common. Those “many/multiple loves,” by the way, can also include friends with benefits, comet partners, and other forms of connection that don’t look like traditional romantic relationships, if you like.

Phrases like “it’s polyAMORY, not polyFUCKERY” place non-sexual love as inherently higher, more pure, or more real than sexual love. And I think that’s bullshit.

“Sounds Like You’re Just a Swinger.”

People outside the CNM community conflate swinging and polyamory all the time. However, while it’s certainly possible to be both, the crossover is probably significantly smaller than you think it is and they are quite different cultures. In fact, it has sadly been my experience that a lot of swingers do not like or trust polyamorous people very much, and that this feeling is very mutual. I believe this has less to do with any inherent differences or incompatibilities, and more to do with misconceptions, snap judgements, and in-group/out-group politics.

In many polyamorous spaces, there is a huge amount of policing of other people’s non-monogamies. This includes predictable cry of “that’s not polyam, it sounds like you’re just a swinger!” in situations involving casual sex, group sex, or promiscuity.

I think it’s telling, in itself, that so many polyamorous people see “swinger” as an insult. What gives us the right to place one version of non-monogamy on a pedastal and look down on others? Sure, the mainstream hetero swinging community has its fair share of problems. However, so does the polyamorous one. When we set ourselves apart and cast judgement on swingers, all we are doing is perpetuating the same slut-shaming, sex-negative rhetoric that the mononormative world perpetuates against us. And that harms all of us.

Polyamorists and Swingers: We Should Be on the Same Side

As polyamorous people, most of us also have sex with multiple people. Do you think that cisheteronormative, mononormative, sex-negative society will spare us its judgement if the sex we have is for Twue Wuv Only while we loudly shun the swingers for their casual shenanigans? Because I promise you it won’t. But it would love for the different schools of consensual non-monogamy to distract ourselves tearing each other apart rather than banding together to tear down the sociocultural structures that harm us.

Whether you are polyamorous, a swinger, both, neither, or somewhere else entirely on the spectrum, I believe that all of us under the consensual non-monogamy umbrella should be allies and need to stick together. We’re on the same damn team.

The One Penis Policy

The infamous one penis policy, or OPP, in polyamory is when a cis man tells his (usually cis women) partners that they can date or have sex with other people with vulvas, but nobody else with a penis. It’s highly problematic in a bunch of ways, from cissexism and trans erasure through to simply being a bad way to handle jealousy and insecurity. I’m going to write an entire piece about it soon.

Increasingly, I believe it also connects to slut shaming.

At the root of the one penis policy, very often, is the belief that sex is only “real” when it involves a penis. Men who enact the OPP often believe (even if on an unconscious level) that there is something inherently bad or wrong about their female partners having a lot of sex or multiple sexual partners, but convince themselves that it only really counts if those sexual partners have a penis. This allows them to keep seeing those partners as “pure,” as long as they only have sex with fellow vulva-owners.

Many polyamorous men explicitly or implicitly devalue their female partners when or if they have sex with multiple penis-owning partners. You’d be amazed at how often, in online polyamorous spaces, I see variations on this theme: “my wife just had sex with her boyfriend for the first time and now I can’t help but see her as tainted.” Which is a pretty fucking rough deal for straight or bi+ polyamorous women.

This is By No Means a Comprehensive List

This piece is not intended to provide a comprehensive list of all the ways that slut-shaming and sex-shaming shows up in polyamory and CNM. Like all systems of oppression, it is insidious and multi-faceted and not always easy to spot. It takes many forms and harms people in many different ways.

There is, however, one consistent truth that sits at the heart of this phenomenon:

Polyamory and Sex Shaming: It’s Misogyny, Isn’t It?

Purity culture is deeply and inherently tied to misogyny. Purity culture “encompasses the way society and popular culture reinforces the idea of sexual purity as a measure of a person’s worth” (John Loeppky for VeryWellMind) and is used to control, police, shame, and curtail women’s sexuality and sexual agency.

Just like mainstream purity culture, slut-shaming and sex-negativity within the polyamory and CNM communities are intimately tied to misogyny. A person of any gender can be slut-shamed. However, in reality, it is always going to mostly weaponised against, and have a far greater impact on, women, femmes, AFAB folks, and anyone socialised as female.

When we begin to unpack sex-negative and slut-shaming beliefs, misogyny – including internalised misogyny on the part of women and other marginalised genders – is almost inevitably at the core of it. To dismantle slut-shaming requires us to take a close and critical look at all the things our society and upbringing have told us about gender, sex, and sexuality, and to consider the ways in which those narratives are doing a disservice to ourselves, our loved ones, and our wider community.

Towards an Expansive, Inclusive, and Sex-Positive Version of Polyamory

None of this is to say that your polyamory or consensual non-monogamy must include casual sex, or must include sex at all. It is entirely possible to have no interest in sex whatsoever and to never slut-shame anyone else. I do believe, however, that everyone in these communities has a responsibility to intentionally cultivate a sex-positive attitude.

As a reminder, my working definition of sex positivity is as follows:

“Supporting the right of all consenting adults to have sex, or not, in whatever ways work best for them, free from stigma or shame.”

The point of sex-positivity isn’t that more sex is better. The point is that we all have a right to choose how much and what forms of sex we have, and that all consensual and freely made choices are of equal moral value.

We must recognise that the CNM world is not a sex-positive utopia, much as we might wish it was. The first step to addressing our sex-negativity and slut-shaming problem is to identify it, talk about it, call it out when we see it, and stop pretending it doesn’t exist or isn’t an issue.

We All Have a Moral Imperative to Try to Do Better

We all carry toxic beliefs from our upbringing or our society, and it is our job to address and unlearn them. This is hard, long-term, potentially lifelong work. Fighting the tide of cultural norms isn’t easy, and I am not trying to downplay or simplify it. But, if we want to build truly radical and inclusive communities, it is absolutely necessary.

Finally, we must stop this in-fighting and sex negativity in the polyamory community. We need to stop shaming and attacking our own. Whether we’re polyamorous or swingers or relationship anarchists, whether we’re asexual or demisexual or hypersexual, whether we have orgies every weekend or only have sex in committed romantic relationships, we must stop throwing each other under the bus for crumbs of respectability from a culture that seeks to judge and repress all of us in exactly the same ways.

Cisheteromononormative society shames us all enough. We like to think we’re better than to also do it to each other. And right now, we’re not.

But what if we could be? How radical and awesome would that be?

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Header image for a post about dealing with masturbation shame and guilt after masturbating

How to Get Rid of Shame and Guilt After Masturbating

Published on by Amy

Did you know that May is Masturbation Month? This celebration of self pleasure started life with the first National Masturbation Day on 7 May, 1995, declared by sex shop Good Vibrations in honour of Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders (who was fired by President Bill Clinton a year earlier for suggesting that masturbation should be part of the sex education curriculum. Yes, really.) Masturbation is healthy, good for you, and no cause for shame. Unfortunately, a lot of people still experience feelings of guilt after masturbating.

It will not come as a surprise to anyone who reads my writing that I believe masturbation is a wonderful thing. Unfortunately, it’s still a highly stigmatised and under-discussed topic in society generally. This is particularly true when it comes to the subject of masturbation for women and people with vulvas, though all genders can be and are impacted.

I couldn’t find any reliable statistics on how many people feel shame and guilt after masturbating. However, based on anecdotal evidence, I am willing to bet it’s a significant number. So what can you do if you’re one of them? I don’t have any easy answers, because this stuff is complicated, but I do have a few suggestions for you. As always, take the ones that work for you and leave the ones that don’t.

Figure Out Where Your Masturbation Shame is Coming From

If you feel shame or guilt after masturbating, those feelings have come from somewhere. None of us are born with an inherent sense of shame about our bodies, our sexuality, or our masturbation habits.

Often, it’s religion. Unfortunately, repressive religious teachings about sexuality have a lot to answer for. These teachings tend to be utterly unrealistic (“never have a single sexual feeling until you get married, then have amazing sex with your spouse right out of the gate”, anyone?) They are often laced with all kinds of factual inaccuracies. They’re also wildly hypocrital, because A) as we’ll see, most people masturbate, including those who rail against it, and B) sexually repressive religion is an absolute hotbed of sexual abuse and sexual violence.

I’m a committed atheist and I’m certainly not going to tell you what your relationship with religion or God should look like. But I invite you to consider this: do you really think that, considering *gestures at the entire world being on fire in all of the ways*, God’s biggest concern is whether you enjoy some self-induced orgasms? Religious sexual shame is primarily a mechanism of control, particularly of women and women’s bodies.

Or perhaps your feelings come from a time when someone else shamed you for touching yourself. This shame might have come from parents or other adults in your life when you were young, from peers and friends, from regressive sex education, or even from sexual partners.

It’s also possible that you have had none of these experiences, and have simply internalised some societal messaging about masturbation. That happens to so many of us. It’s also possible that a collection of experiences have led you to where you are now.

Once you understand where your guilt after masturbating stems from, you can start addressing it. Whatever it was, start by hearing this: you’re not alone, and you’re not broken.

Get Educated

Ask yourself what you learned about masturbation when you were growing up, if anything. Where did those messages come from? Chances are they came from a place of stigma and misinformation, not facts. The absolute best way to combat misinformation you’ve been fed is so arm yourself with accurate info instead. That means it’s time to get educated on all things self-pleasure.

Some of the resources I recommend include the classic Sex For One by Betty Dodson, The Ultimate Guide to Solo Sex by Jenny Block, Getting Off: A Woman’s Guide to Masturbation by Jayme Waxman, Bang!: Masturbation for People of All Genders and Abilities by Vic Liu, and V: An Empowering Celebration of the Vulva and Vagina by Florence Schechter (a more general book about vaginas and vulvas that includes a section on masturbation.)

You know what? Let’s get started busting guilt and shame about masturbating right now. Here are some facts for you:

  • The vast majority of people of all genders masturbate at some point in their lives, and many do so frequently.
  • There is no “normal” amount to masturbate. Whether you do it multiple times a day, once in a while, or not at all, that’s all healthy and good as long as it is what works for you.
  • It is also normal to go through periods of masturbating more or less frequently. Hormones, physical or mental health and illness, age, disability, stress levels, pregnancy and birth, trauma, body image issues, relationships, living situations, medications, and overall happiness or life satisfaction are just a few of the factors that can impact how often a person masturbates… or if they do at all.
  • Huge numbers of people feel guilt after masturbating, but this is because of societal stigma, not because there is anything wrong with masturbation itself.
  • There is no clinical diagnosis of “masturbation addiction” and it is not recognised as addictive by the American Psychological Association. Some experts believe it can occasionally become “compulsive”, but unless your masturbation habits are seriously impacting other areas of your life, such as work, school, relationships, friends, hobbies, or health, it is highly unlikely that they are in any way problematic. By the way: “vibrator addiction” isn’t real either.
  • Masturbation is not physically harmful in any way. It will not cause you to go blind (do people still believe that one?), cause you to grow more body hair, cause your penis to shrink, or lead to infertility. If you have a vulva, masturbation will not “permanently stretch” your vagina or otherwise damage your genitals.
  • Masturbation is also not emotionally harmful in any way. (Though shame around it can be emotionally damaging. But that’s why we’re working on getting rid of that shame, not getting rid of masturbation!)
  • In fact, masturbation can have some positive health benefits! It can help you to sleep, boost your mood, relieve stress, relieve pain (especially menstrual cramps), and improve your self-esteem. For people with penises, a 2004 study showed that more frequent ejaculation correlated with a decreased risk of prostate cancer!
  • It is still okay, healthy, and perfectly fine to masturbate in a relationship. Any partner who tells you not to isn’t someone you should be with.
  • It is impossible to tell from physical genital appearance whether or not a person masturbates.

Avoid Guilt After Masturbating by Reframing Self Pleasure in Your Mind

Now that you’ve identified the source of your shame or guilt after masturbating, it’s time to start reframing the act in your mind.

Instead of viewing masturbation as something shameful or dirty, how about seeing it as an expression of self-care and self-love? For many people, it can also be tremendously empowering. Think about it: you’re enjoying your body on your terms, no-one else’s input or participation required, and you can give yourself such incredible pleasure.

You might find your mind drifting back to those thoughts of shame and guilt around masturbation. That’s totally normal. Reframing your thoughts and feelings takes time! When this happens, try to gently and non-judgementally notice the feelings and consciously guide your mind away from them.

Think about the other things you do to look after and pamper yourself. Perhaps you like to take hot baths, practice yoga, go to the spa, get a massage, eat your favourite foods, or just snuggle under a blanket in your comfiest clothes. Masturbation is no different. It’s a sensual and sensory experience that you do because it makes you feel good.

It can also help to focus on all the positive benefits you get from masturbation. Aside from the obvious – pleasure, perhaps orgasm – it might help you to feel happier and calmer, to be less stressed, or to sleep better.

In other words, this is all about teaching yourself – through repetition, affirmation, and positive reinforcement – that masturbation is normal, good, healthy, and absolutely nothing to feel guilty about.

Touch Yourself in All Kinds of Ways

When we talk about masturbation, we are typically referring to touching your own genitals for the purposes of pleasure and possibly orgasm. While this is wonderful, it can also be pleasurable and healing to touch yourself in all kinds of different ways. Why not try giving some love to your balls, labia, nipples, breasts or chest, or any other erogenous zones you have instead of going straight for your penis, clit, or vagina?

You can also get a lot of pleasure from touching yourself in non-sexual ways. Try stroking your own body, experimenting with different kinds of touch. Do you prefer a lighter or a firmer touch? Do certain areas feel good while other areas feel unpleasant to touch? All of this is such valuable information that you can take forward into both solo or partnered sexual adventures.

You could give yourself a massage (with or without a sexy massage oil), or experiment with solo sensation play toys and techniques such as ice, hot wax, Wartenberg wheels, vampire gloves, clips or clamps, sensory deprivation, or stroking with different textured materials.

Watch Others Masturbate

No, not in a creepy or “peeping Tom” way!

Again: the vast majority of people masturbate. Seeing other people do it, and observing the beauty and sensuality and hotness of it, can help to not only normalise masturbation and shed feelings of shame around it, but also to open up different avenues of pleasure that you may not have thought of.

The easiest way to do this, of course, is porn. If you go down this route, please seek out ethical and consensual content and pay for it. Buying directly from the performers is usually best where possible. Some people suffer from increased guilt after masturbating if they use porn. Please remember, though, that – as long as you are not watching content that is stolen or non-consensual – there’s nothing inherently wrong with it.

If porn isn’t your thing, how about a series of educational videos showcasing real masturbation techniques? I’m really into the content at Climax, particularly the videos about self-pleasure for vulvas. You can subscribe for a monthly fee to get access to the full library of content, or buy and keep the individual programmes you want. OMGYes is another hugely popular resource, though I haven’t tried it myself.

If you live in a location where such things are accessible and legal, you could even attend a hands-on masturbation class such as the world-famous Bodysex series of workshops.

Finally, if you have a partner or partners, you could experiment with masturbating in front of one another. This can be not just extremely hot, but also have that validating and normalising effect I mentioned above.

Visit a Feminist, Pleasure-Positive Sex Shop

If you’ve never visited a sex shop before, take a second to think about your idea of one. Do you envision something seedy, hidden away down a back alley and frequented by creeps? Think again! Many of today’s sex shops are erotic boutiques that are welcoming, inclusive, non-threatening, and pleasure-focused.

Visiting a good sex shop, whether to buy a toy or just to browse, can be a profoundly validating and healing experience if you deal with shame around masturbation. You’ll see a huge variety of toys, apparel, kink gear and more on display, showcasing all the different ways people like to get off and get it on (with themselves and with others.)

Some of my favourite UK-based sex shops are Sh! and Coco de Mer in London and She Said in Brighton. US-based readers have places like Good Vibrations’ nine retail outlets, Portland’s SheBop, and Babeland in Seattle and New York. In Canada, there’s Come As You Are and Good For Her in Toronto, and Venus Envy in Halifax and Ottawa. A quick online search will help you find your nearest feminist sex shop.

Can’t get to one or prefer to shop from the comfort of your couch (or bed)? My favourite online feminist sex shops include The Pleasure Garden, Good Vibes, Babeland, and SheVibe.

If You’re Still Struggling with Guilt After Masturbating, Consider Seeing a Sex-Positive Therapist

Masturbation shame is an incredibly powerful feeling, and you might be struggling to vanquish it by yourself. If you are struggling to get rid of guilt after masturbating, it’s time to see a sex-positive therapist. You might go down the route of psychosexual therapy (sometimes just called “sex therapy” for short) or seek out a regular psychotherapist who is sex-positive and experienced in supporting clients with issues surrounding sex, masturbation, and sexual shame.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with getting some professional support. These issues are complex and you don’t have to tackle them alone. Be gentle with yourself and don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it.

Have you ever suffered from shame or guilt after masturbating? How did you handle it and do you have any tips or strategies to share that may help others dealing with the same thing?

This post contains affiliate links as well as non-affiliated resource recommendations. Image by Deon at Let’sTalkSex.

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There is No Time Limit: Exploring Your Sexuality Later in Life

Published on by Amy3 Comments

I occasionally receive questions from readers who are wondering if it is “too late” for them to enjoy some aspect of sex or relationships. Some haven’t had their first sexual experience by the time they reach their 20s. Others are realising they’re queer or trans and coming out in their 40s. Some are considering trying polyamory, exploring kink, or experimenting with group sex for the first time in their 50s, 60s, or even later in life. Regardless of your reasons for exploring your sexuality later in life, I’m here to tell you this: there is no time limit.

You can have amazing sex at any age or stage of life, including if you’re a “late bloomer.”

You can find love after the age of 35. Yes, even if you want to get married. Yes, even if you want to have children.

Polyamory, kink, group sex, and all those other wonderful adventures aren’t just for youngsters. You can have your first orgasm in your 30s or 50s or 70s or 90s.

Why Exploring Your Sexuality Later Can Be Beneficial

I understand that it’s hard, and daunting to feel like you’re running late. Though it might not seem like it, exploring your sexuality later in life can give you some advantages. There are times when it can be beneficial to have a bit of life experience behind you.

It’s true that a lot of people are now finding sex positive communities and the resources they need to explore their sexuality earlier in life. In large part, this is thanks to the internet. I discovered polyamory and kink in my late teens. There was a time when I’d be the youngest person in any sex positive space I entered by at least a decade. I don’t think new adults exploring these spaces generally have the same experience today.

For a long time, I was grateful to have found these communities early and experienced so many things so young. Now, though, my relationship with that time in my life is more complicated. In some ways, I wish I’d put off exploring sex until a little later in my life.

I’m glad I’ve had my entire adult life to explore. But looking back with the wisdom and knowledge of a woman in her 30s? I can see the ways that I was tremendously vulnerable back then. I’d walk into a room, young and wide-eyed and so naive, and I might as well have had a sign over my head saying Fresh Meat. The way some of the men looked at me, when I was barely out of high school, is no longer something I recall with pride but something that makes me shudder. I spent a lot of time in those early days fending off the advances of men ten or twenty or thirty years older than me. Or not fending them off and falling into situations I was wildly ill-equipped to handle.

It was all kind of fun… until it wasn’t. I had some amazing adventures, but I also picked up a lot of new traumas. I’m saying all this to illustrate that the knowledge and wisdom that comes with being older can be a huge asset. It can help keep you safe, healthy, and boundaried when you’re exploring your sexuality later in life.

4 Tips for Exploring Sex Later in Life

Whatever your story and whatever the reason you’re exploring relationships, pleasure, identity, or sex in later life, the first thing I want this post to do is give you a sense of permission. To let you know that you’re welcome and it’s not too late for you. But I also thought some tips and suggestions might be useful. As always, pick the ones that work for you and leave the ones that don’t.

Give Yourself Permission to Be a Beginner

No matter your age or prior experiences, there’s no shame in being new to something. That includes sex, relationships, dating, queerness, kink, masturbation, pleasure… all of it. Something a lot of people find helpful is to approach whatever aspect of sexuality they’re exploring as if it were a new hobby.

You wouldn’t sit down at a piano for the first time and expect to play a flawless Beethoven sonata. You wouldn’t go to your first ever language class and expect to come out speaking fluent Italian. Sexuality is just the same. None of us are born knowing this stuff. As long as you’re breathing and curious there’s always, always, always time to learn.

Being a beginner isn’t shameful. It’s a beautiful sign that you had the courage to step out of your comfort zone and learn something new.

Get Educated About Sex, Relationships, Pleasure, and Your Body

Depending on your age and where you grew up, your sex education was likely somewhere on the spectrum from “lacking” to “non existent.” If you’re exploring sex or relationships later in life and feel like you don’t know all that much about your sexuality, your body, or what you enjoy, that’s no reflection on you. But it is something you can take control of! This might include some unlearning, letting go of old narratives, and releasing shame that isn’t serving you.

Check out the resources section below to help you get started.

By the way: don’t forget to learn about sexual health, too. Even if pregnancy is no longer a concern for you, you’ll still need to understand how to protect yourself and your lover(s) from STIs.

Embrace the Power of “I Don’t Know Yet”

It can be daunting to be asked questions like “what do you like?” or “how do you identify?” and not know the answers. But not knowing is part of the journey, and it’s okay not to know! It’s also okay if your answers tomorrow, or a year from now, or ten years from now are not the same as they are today. Change, growth, discovery, and rediscovery are all part of this process.

Meet Your Body Where It Is

Your body may not be the same now as it was ten or thirty or fifty years ago. It’s normal to feel some complicated feelings about that, but ageing or disability needn’t be a barrier to enjoying your sexuality in its full glory. If you’re exploring sex later in life, it’s important to get to know your body as it is now.

Get curious. Learn about your responses and desires and the reality of your current body. Practice radical acceptance of your body and yourself. You might need to expand your definition of sex and pleasure (it’s not all about penetration!). Navigating sexual side effects, such as a drop in libido or anorgasmia, can also be issues for folks of any age who take some medications.

Pro tip: tools like a good lube, positioning aids, and smart sex tech can be game-changers at any age.

Resources for Exploring Sex Later in Life

Whether you’re exploring your sexuality in your 20s, your 80s, or anywhere in between, check out some of these resources to learn more.

If You’re Ready to Explore Sex in Later Life, You’re Right on Time

We all have a finite amount of time on this planet. But as long as we’re still here, there’s no time limit on learning, exploring, adventuring, experiencing.

Tomorrow is always a new day. No matter your age or your experiences so far, you can always wake up and decide that you want to do something differently. You can try something new, learn something new, chase some new dream.

Sex, relationships, love, pleasure… they’re for everyone who wants them. You don’t have to have had your first sexual experience by 20, met your life partner by 25, got married by 30, or discovered kink while you’re still young enough to attend the “Under 35” munch.

We all come to things at different stages and for different reasons. Wherever you are in your journey and whatever your reasons for exploring your sexuality later in life, those of us in the sex positive community are waiting to welcome you. You’re not too late. I promise.

Pink rabbit vibrator on white surface. Text in white inside a pink heart reads "masturbation in a relationship"

Masturbation in a Relationship: Good, Normal, and Healthy

Published on by Amy4 Comments

The subject of masturbation in a relationship is surprisingly divisive. A shocking number people still believe masturbation is cheating or that once you’re in a relationship or married, your partner has exclusive rights to you as a sexual being. Others feel guilt, shame, or worry that they’re broken or “addicted” if they still masturbate while they’re in a relationship.

Of all the myths about masturbation I wish would die, the idea that people in relationships don’t (or shouldn’t) masturbate is near the top of the list.

Masturbation is not only normal, but also healthy and good for you. This applies equally whether you’re partnered or single. Let’s look at some really good reasons to engage in some self-love regardless of your relationship status.

Your Only Lifelong Sexual Relationship Will Be With Yourself

Relationships come and go. Most of us are not constantly in a relationship from the moment we become aware of our sexual desires to the moment we die. Even if you’re in one monogamous relationship your entire adult life, there will be times when sex is off the cards whether due to illness, medication, ageing, mismatched desire, or geographical separation. Most of us will go through periods of being in relationships and periods of being single throughout our lives.

But whoever else is or isn’t in our lives (and beds,) our longest and most enduring sexual relationship will always be with ourselves.

Masturbation is one of the greatest ways to build a positive sexual relationship with yourself. It gives you the tools to satisfy yourself sexually without the need for anyone else. It contributes to positive sexual self-esteem, increased pleasure, and better mood.

Masturbation in Relationships Can Improve Your Partnered Sex

Few things are hotter than a sexual partner who knows exactly what they like and knows how to ask for it. And do you know what masturbation is amazing for? Teaching you what you like and allowing you to discover new things.

Exploring your own body gives you the tools to tell (or show) present and future partners how you like to be touched. And, since bodies change throughout our lifetimes for many reasons, this is an ongoing process of self exploration and learning.

Masturbation helps to keep your knowledge of your own body sharp. It also reduces fear of change in your body, because you already know how to roll with this change and adapt to meet your body where it’s at.

Masturbation Can Take the Pressure Off

Relying on one person to meet all of your sexual needs can be a lot of pressure for both of you. If you’re in a monogamous relationship, exploring with other people is understandably off the table. But exploring with yourself absolutely shouldn’t be.

If having sex with your partner is the only way you can get your sexual needs met, that creates an environment that is more likely to lead to coercion or pressure, even if unintentional. But if you have a rich sexual relationship with yourself, you can meet your own needs when your desire and your partner’s don’t line up.

Masturbation in a Relationship Doesn’t Mean There is Anything Wrong With Your Sex Life

“My partner shouldn’t need to masturbate, they have me!”

After more than 15 years of being sexually active, I’ve realised that the amount I masturbate has almost nothing to do with the amount (or, frankly, the quality) of partnered sex I’m having. I couldn’t find any robust data on this subject but, anecdotally at least, this appears to be a fairly typical experience.

Some people even report that they masturbate more when they’re having great sex with a partner. A satisfying sex life can give your overall level of desire a boost, creating a virtuous circle where pleasure begets desire begets pleasure.

Long story short, your partner masturbating does not mean your sex life together is somehow lacking or unsatisfactory.

Masturbation and Sex Fulfill Different Needs

Masturbation and partnered sex are different. Partnered sex can be as much about the connection, the dynamic, and the interplay between partners as about the physical sensations. Masturbation can be about anything from exploring new sensations to indulging in a fantasy world to just releasing some tension so you can go to sleep.

Partnered sex is about both (or all) the people involved. Masturbation can be just about you. And it’s okay to desire and enjoy both, in different ways and for different reasons.

Your Body Belongs to You

This is really the bottom line in the question of masturbation in a relationship. Your body is yours, and you are the only person who gets to decide what you do with it. Whatever your relationship status, you don’t need anyone’s permission to have a sexual relationship with yourself.

A relationship is a mutual and consensual exchange between two (or more) people. It does not imply ownership over the other person, their body, or their sexuality. If your partner thinks they have a right to control or limit your solo sex life, it can be a red flag for coercive control.

Resources and Further Reading

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What Happens When You Go for an STI Test in the UK

Published on by Amy

Heads-up: this post specifically discusses the STI testing process at a sexual health clinic in the UK based on my experience. Increasingly, different NHS authorities do things slightly differently, so this won’t necessarily be entirely representative. The process may also differ significantly in other countries. Despite its inherent limitations, I hope the information is still useful. Needless to say, none of this is a substitute for qualified medical advice.

This week I went to my local sexual health clinic for my quarterly screening, otherwise known as an STI (sexually transmitted infection) test. This is a routine part of my life as a non-monogamous person and something I barely think about other than remembering to schedule it. However, this wasn’t always the case. The first time I went, shortly after opening my previously-monogamous relationship at the age of 18, I was nervous because I didn’t know what to expect.

Let’s answer some common questions about the process of visiting a sexual health clinic in the UK.

How Often Should I Get Tested for STIs?

It depends on your risk profile.

People who have more partners and people who have unprotected sex (including oral sex) should test more regularly. Experts recommend everyone gets tested at least once per year. Yes, committed monogamists, that includes you! Monogamous people can contract STIs if someone cheats, but also through unknown pre-existing infections (some STIs can lie dormant for months or years), treatment failure for a past infection, and incomplete or false-negative screenings. Getting tested doesn’t imply that you don’t trust your partner, or that you are not to be trusted.

If you have a single, long-term partner and/or always use barriers for every type of sex, an annual test is likely enough. If you have a lot of partners, practice unprotected sex, or do sex work, you’ll need to test much more regularly. As a polyamorous person, I personally test every three months.

Whatever your relationship style, testing before every new partner is advisible. And, of course, you should get a test if you believe you may have been exposed to an STI or a sexual partner discloses an infection. Remember to observe the testing windows after a possible infection for the most accurate results.

Where Do I Go for STI Testing in the UK?

You have two main options for STI testing in the UK: home testing or visiting a sexual health clinic. This post focuses on clinic-based testing, but do-it-yourself tests are a convenient option if you don’t have a local clinic, can’t get there, or simply prefer to test in the privact of your own home.

Some sexual health clinics offer walk-in times during which you can simply turn up and wait to be seen. These clinics tend to be very busy. Get there early, bring a book, and expect to be waiting for a while.

Some clinics also have appointments slots which you can book online or on the phone the same as any other medical appointment. Again, these services are very busy and in high demand, so you may need to schedule your test well in advance. If you have symptoms, believe you may have been exposed, or a sexual partner has been diagnosed with an STI, tell the clinic and you may be seen sooner.

Do I Have to Pay for STI Testing?

Nope! In the UK, all sexual health services including testing and contraception are available free of charge on the NHS. Free home testing kits are also available in most areas through various

I’m Under 16, Will the Clinic Tell My Parents?

No.

In the UK, as long as you’re over 13, you’re entitled to the same medical confidentiality as anyone and this includes when you visit a sexual health clinic. If your provider feels that there is a serious risk to your safety, such as suspecting that you might be experiencing sexual abuse, they may need to tell someone in order to keep you safe. However, according to NHS guidelines, “the risk would need to be serious and this would usually be discussed with you first.”

If you’re under 18, please stop reading my blog and check out Scarleteen or Bish for accurate information about sex, sexual health, relationships and your body.

Will I Have to Answer Questions About My Sex Life?

Your provider will ask you questions about your sexual practices. You don’t have to answer any questions or disclose anything you don’t want to, but it’s important to be as honest and thorough as possible. This is the best way to make sure you get the tests, advice, and other care you need.

Questions may differ slightly at each clinic, but here are some I’ve been asked or have heard about others being asked at STI testing clinics in the UK:

  • When was your most recent sexual encounter?
  • What is the sex of that partner? (They may assume the opposite binary sex unless you tell them otherwise. It’s bad practice but heteronormativity is strong.)
  • Is that partner your regular/only partner?
  • Do you use condoms or other barriers when you have sex?
  • Have you ever injected drugs or knowingly had sex with someone who injects drugs?
  • Do you have reason to believe you might have come into contact with HIV?
  • Have you been raped or sexually assaulted? (If you indicate yes, they’ll ask if you need any support or resources.)
  • Have you ever paid for, or been paid for, sex?
  • Have you had sex with someone born outside of the UK?
  • When was your last sexual health screening?
  • Are you pregnant or do you think you might be pregnant?

How is an STI Test Performed?

If you have a vulva, a swab will be taken from inside your vagina and you’ll need to provide a urine sample. If you have a penis, you’ll need to provide a urine sample. Some clinics also do swabs from just inside the urethra. If you have anal sex, you’ll need to do a rectal swab, and if you have oral sex you’ll need to do a throat swab.

Unfortunately, anal and oral swabs are not always offered as a matter of course. You may need to prompt your provider for these or advocate for yourself to get them. I strongly advise you do so, as infections can grow in these areas of the body without being present in the genitals.

Most STI testing clinics in the UK allow you to take the swabs yourself in private by going into the bathroom or stepping behind a curtain in the consulting room. If you don’t feel confident or comfortable doing this, your provider may be able to do it for you.

They’ll also take a blood sample to check for blood-borne STIs such as HIV, Syphilis and Hepatitis.

There’s usually no need for a physical examination unless you have symptoms or specific concerns.

Does STI Testing Hurt?

Not really. The swabs aren’t exactly comfortable but they also shouldn’t be painful. Some people with penises find urethral swabs (if performed) slightly painful, but most say it is manageable and over quickly.

Most people don’t find blood tests painful beyond a quick, sharp scratch, but some people can have a more intense physical reaction to them than others. Tell your provider if you’re needle-phobic or tend to feel sick or lightheaded when you get blood drawn.

Will the Staff Judge Me?

No.

Your provider’s job is to help ensure your health and safety, not to judge you. People don’t generally go into sexual medicine if they are going to judge others for being sexual.

At the time of updating this post, I’ve been getting STI tests regularly for over 16 years and have very rarely encountered anythng I could even remotely describe as judgemental. Even on the incredibly rare occasions I felt judged, it was more of the “excessive misplaced concern due to ignorance” variety than the moral variety.

How and When Will I Get My Results?

This varies between clinics and your provider will tell you what to expect.

Increasingly, many UK STI testing clinics operate a “no news is good news” policy, meaning that if you don’t hear from them within a set period of time then you can assume everything is fine. They may give you a card with a phone number or online portal to check your results if you want to be sure.

I always recommend you do check, as it is possible (but rare) for a clinic to lose your samples. This happened to one of my partners once.

Some clinics may text or email you (usually something simple like “your tests are all negative”) or, less commonly, ring you to let you know you’re in the clear.

What If I Test Positive?

If you test positive for an STI, a typical UK sexual health testing clinic will phone you to let you know and advise you on your treatment options.

For many of the most common STIs, such as gonorrhea and chlamydia, treatment is a simple course of medication. Some STIs cannot be cured, but can be managed. If you have HIV, for example, you’ll need to take medication for the rest of your life, but that life can still be completely normal and fulfilling.

STIs are not a source of shame. They’re not a death sentence and they don’t signal the end of your sex life. Contracting an STI is no more shameful than contracting the common cold, a sickness bug, or the flu. They’re things that humans sometimes contract in the course of doing normal human activities like having sex. If you do have an infection, it’s much better to know about it so that you can get the most effective treatment quickly.

Bear in mind that HSV (herpes) and HPV (human papillomavirus) are extremely common—a majority of adults carry one or both and may never even know it—and are not picked up on most standard screenings unless you have symptoms such as warts. HPV can also be picked up on cervical screenings, so make sure you’re attending these if you have a cervix.

What Other Services Can I Get at an STI Clinic?

Sexual health clinics in the UK offer a range of services along with STI testing and treatment. Each clinic is slightly different but the services commonly available can include:

  • Contraception including long-acting reversible contraceptives (such as IUDs and implants), advice and referrals for vasectomies and sterilisation, and emergency contraception.
  • Free sexual health supplies such as condoms, dams, and lube.
  • Pregnancy testing.
  • Advice, guidance and support if you’re seeking an abortion.
  • Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to help prevent HIV.
  • Ongoing care, support and monitoring for people who have HIV.
  • Vaccinations to protect against various sexually transmitted infections such as HPV and hepatitis.
  • Cervical smears.
  • Support with sexual difficulties such as erectile issues, vaginismus, and pain during sex.
  • Referrals for specialist services such as psychosexual therapy.
  • Help, support and guidance after sexual assault.
  • General advice on reducing your risk profile and having safer sex.

When did you last go for an STI test? If it’s been a while, go and book your next test now.

Affiliate links appear in this post.

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Vibrator Addiction: No, You Cannot Get Addicted to a Sex Toy

Published on by Amy1 Comment

Vibrator addiction (or sex toy addiction more generally) is the less common but equally insidious sibling of “sex addiction”, and it’s equally nonsensical if not more so. I don’t believe sex addiction exists; it’s either a convenient excuse for bad behaviour, or driven by shame (usually religious in nature.) Dr David Ley has done some fantastic work on debunking the myth of sex addiction from a clinical perspective, so do check out his writing if you’re interested in learning more.

But this post is about vibrator addiction, sex toy addiction, and the general concept that you can become “addicted” to a sex toy.

You can’t.

I’m here to clear up this myth once and for all, because I’m sick of telling people that it’s really okay if they use their sex toy every day. Yes, even if it’s the only way they can orgasm. Yes, even if they use it multiple times a day!

First: What Do We Mean By “Vibrator Addiction”

When people talk about vibrator addiction or sex toy addiction, they usually mean one of two things:

  1. They’re scared of becoming so reliant on their toys that they won’t be able to orgasm any other way
  2. They’re worried that there is something wrong with them because of how much or how often they masturbate – that they’re sex addicts, nymphomaniacs, and so on.

Neither of these things is an addiction in the clinical sense, which refers to – according to the Cleveland Clinic – “a chronic (lifelong) condition that involves compulsive seeking and taking of a substance or performing of an activity despite negative or harmful consequences.”

Using a sex toy, even using one very regularly, is not compulsive, nor is it likely to have negative or harmful consequences. Masturbation, orgasm, and sex toys are not harmful (as long as you’re using body-safe toys.) In fact, they can be tremendously beneficial. You can’t misuse or abuse a sex toy in the same way you can, for example, alcohol or drugs.

If you find that you’re regularly masturbating to avoid dealing with difficult feelings, or doing it so much that other aspects of your life (such as work, friendships, or relationships) are being negatively impacted, you might want to consider seeing a sex positive therapist. However, I still don’t believe this constitutes a “sex toy addiction.” It’s also pretty rare. It is far, far more likely that what you’re dealing with isn’t a vibrator addiction, but good old fashioned sexual shame.

Addiction is a serious medical problem with causes major issues for both the sufferer and their loved ones. Addiction can kill. No-one, to the best of my knowledge, has ever turned to crime, alienated their family and friends, lost their job, run themselves into debt, or died because their Magic Wand just felt too good and gave them too many orgasms.

Minimising the very real pain of addiction and co-opting it as a sex-shaming tactic is incredibly insensitive and harmful to anyone who has been impacted by it.

Will I Break, Stretch, or Loosen My Vagina If I Use Toys Too Much?

No.

Genitals are fucking cool, y’all. They do not break or wear out from overuse.

Case in point: Millions of people give birth every year, which puts far more strain on the vulva and vagina than even the most hardcore of sex toys, and those people’s bodies bounce back just fine. I think the myth of toys stretching out a vagina irrevocably is closely associated with the (false and misogynistic) notion that too much sex causes a “loose” vagina. It fails to neglect the medical reality that the vagina is a muscle and muscles Do Not Work That Way.

You cannot break your genitals by enjoying sex toys. You can’t permanently stretch or loosen your vagina. It won’t mold around a toy and become unable to enjoy anything else. It won’t break, get addicted to one single type of stimulation, or become unable to enjoy other types of pleasure in the future. I promise!

Can Using Vibrators Cause Permanent Desensitisation?

No.

There is also no evidence whatsoever that prolonged or repeated usage of vibrators, even really high-powered ones, causes any long-term loss of sensation in the clitoris or vulva. At most, some people report feeling desensitized for a short while after a session of using a toy. This is especially common with buzzier toys, which can cause the dreaded “numbed out clit” effect. However, these effects are short-lived (typically minutes to hours at most) and cause no long-term damage or change in sensativity.

I’ve probably had, on average, something like ten orgasms a week with a vibrator for the last decade. The slightest flick of a partner’s tongue over my clit can still make me shiver. Toys will not harm your nerves or ruin your sensitivity permanently. Really liking using your toys does not constitute a sex toy addiction, and using a vibrator cannot permanently alter your sensitivity even if you use it every day.

Tangential but related: if you experience genital pain after using a sex toy, it could be any of the following:

  • You used a toy made from a toxic material
  • You used a toy made from a material you’re sensitive to
  • You didn’t use enough (or any) lube
  • You used a lube with toxic ingredients (or ingredients you’re sensitive to)
  • You didn’t warm yourself up enough, or weren’t aroused enough before you started
  • It’s just your body’s response to a new stimulus that it’s not used to (a bit like your muscles aching the next day if you do a new form of exercise!)

Do I Have a Vibrator Addition If Using a Toy is the Only Way I Can Orgasm?

I’m going to say something truly radical now. Stay with me.

If using a vibrator is the only or the most reliable way for you to reach orgasm, follow these steps:

  1. Use the vibrator
  2. Enjoy your orgasms
  3. Don’t worry about it

Orgasms are great. We should all be having as many of them as we wish. There are countless ways to reach orgasm. Not all of them work for everyone, and all of them are equally valid. The only requirement for a “good” orgasm? That everyone inducing or experiencing it is consenting. That’s literally it.

Reaching orgasm more quickly with a vibrator is normal. Only reaching orgasm with a vibrator is normal. Using a vibrator every time you want to get off isn’t a “vibrator addiction,” it’s a physical preference.

Some people with vulvas (and their partners) spend their entire lives chasing the elusive vaginal-only orgasm. The reality, though, is that the overwhelming majority of people’s bodies don’t work that way. Many people feel slighted if they can’t get their partner off without the aid of a toy. Some will wonder if their partner’s toy usage is to blame. It’s not; people and bodies are just different.

I encourage everyone to experiment with different kinds of pleasure to find what feels good for them. This can and probably will change over time. That’s normal too. Using toys can broaden, rather than narrowing, your experience of pleasure and the ways in which you can enjoy your body.

But when people message me to ask, “Dear Amy, please help, the only way I can reliably orgasm is by doing this thing”, my answer is very likely to be “….then do that thing.”

I’m Worried My Partner’s Sex Toy Addiction Will Replace Me

A lot of people are afraid that they, or their partners, will find the stimulation they get from a toy to be so overwhelmingly amazing that they won’t have any need for partnered sex in the future.

Again, this fear is not remotely evidence-based. In fact, I’ve found that the opposite is more often true. Many people find that exploring their sexuality through toys increases their potential for erotic enjoyment and therefore improves the partnered sex they have.

A toy, however much you love it, cannot be a substitute for a partner. Companies that use terms like “battery operated boyfriend” or “the perfect lover” to describe toys have a lot to answer for. So does that stupid scene in Sex & the City. Until a toy is sentient, shows up for me emotionally, makes me laugh, snuggles me at night, watches Netflix with me, takes me on adventures and brings me coffee, it is NOT a boyfriend/lover/partner. It’s an inanimate object, a tool through which to experience pleasure.

Don’t shame your partner if they enjoy using toys. Don’t accuse them of having a vibrator addiction, and don’t try to make their toys your competition. It’s not necessary. Toys can’t replace people.

“Vibrator Addiction” is a Misogynistic Shaming Tactic and Nothing More

The false notion of sex toy addiction adds to the stigma of masturbation and sexual pleasure. It’s also rooted in misogyny, since the accusation of having a vibrator addiction is pretty much always thrown at women and people with vulvas. It has no medical, psychological, or evidence-based foundation.

Let’s stop it and allow people to have orgasms in the ways that work for them.