Sex and relationships

Women's sexual response - For women - Sex and relationships

Do all women have the same sexual feelings? No they don't. In actual fact, women vary enormously in their sexual drive. Some don't feel very interested in sex at all – whereas others are passionate and wild about it. But an extraord...

What could you learn from a sex class? - For women - Sex and relationships

Self-doubt can paralyse us into thinking, 'What if I try this new trick and my partner doesn’t like it?' Why are so many smart, older women attending sex classes? Don't we know it all already? No, sex educator Midori tells Laura Bond, we've...

Things your mum never told you about sex - For women - Sex and relationships

What did your Mum tell you about sex? Even today, many British women say that they never got enough sexual information from their mothers (and fathers!). So no wonder many UK females are less than satisfied with their love lives. Here are...

The G-spot - For women - Sex and relationships

If you think the G-spot equals mind-blowing orgasms, think again. With constant news headlines about this fabled female erogenous zone, our experts explain why medical opinion remains to be convinced. What is the G-spot? Some experts say a z...

Sex with someone new in mid-life - For women - Sex and relationships

Many SWOFties are seeking new partners and reigniting their love lives. If you cast your mind back to before you lost your virginity, the chances are that you were anxious about it. Getting sexually active again, after a break, can feel e...

Positions to make female orgasm easier during intercourse - For women - Sex and relationships

Most women need the clitoris to be stimulated during sex – and in many positions this simply doesn't happen. If you're a woman who finds climaxing easy and can have orgasms during intercourse with little effort – even in a position whe...

Masturbation techniques for women - For women - Sex and relationships

What is masturbation? Masturbation, like most things, takes practice. And the only way to learn about your own sexual response is to try it. To masturbate means to stimulate yourself in a sexual way. This can be done by hand, or ...

Female ejaculation - For women - Sex and relationships

Dr David Delvin explains why the phenomenon of female ejaculation causes a great deal of distress to many women and is much misunderstood by people of both sexes. What is female ejaculation? Female ejaculation is a controversial subject. ...

Sexual desire and your hormones - For couples - Sex and relationships

If you’re a woman, have you noticed that whenever you feel angry, tearful, headachy, a bit below par, or lacking in sex drive, someone – helpful or otherwise – will tell you that: 'it must be your hormones'? Most of us are...

Great sex is all in the mind - For couples - Sex and relationships

There is also evidence that regular sex – which is more likely if it's satisfying – can improve a woman's intelligence. Picture the scene: a woman goes to see a sex therapist because she finds it hard to orgasm. Although she still lov...

The vaginal contraceptive ring (NuvaRing) - - Sex and relationships

NuvaRing works rather like the Pill does. It's now possible to prevent pregnancies by placing a hormonal contraceptive ring inside the vagina. This small ring releases two female-type hormones – an oestrogen and a progestogen – con...

The mini-Pill (progestogen-only pill or POP) - - Sex and relationships

You have to remember to take it every single day of the year. The mini-Pill is 'milder' than the ordinary Pill because it contains only one hormone, instead of two. That hormone is one of the group called progestogens. Currently, there are five mi...

Sterilisation of women - - Sex and relationships

Is sterilisation popular? The NHS estimates that over 10,000 British women are sterilised under the Health Service each year. By the beginning of the 21st century, sterilisation had become one of the most popular methods of birth cont...

Questions and answers about contraception - - Sex and relationships

Only use condoms that carry the BSI Kitemark BS EN 600. A lot of the emails we receive about contraception are from people who are too embarrassed to raise their questions with their GPs. Here, I present a sample of the most common querie...

Natural family planning - - Sex and relationships

What is fertility awareness? This form of natural family planning helps identify the phases of a woman's menstrual cycle when she is most fertile as well as those phases when she is less fertile and, therefore, less likely to fall pregnan...

Morning-after pill - - Sex and relationships

What is the morning-after pill? The morning-after Pill needs to be taken as soon as possible after unprotected sex. The morning-after pill stops you from becoming pregnant, after unprotected sex. Although lots of people talk about t...

Contraceptive patch - - Sex and relationships

Each patch lasts a week, so you need to change it every seven days. Evra is an effective contraceptive introduced in the early years of this century. It's now used by about one per cent of women of child-bearing age in Britain. It's a st...

Contraceptive implants - - Sex and relationships

For quite a lot of women, the idea of having a contraceptive implanted under the skin of your arm is quite attractive. Why? Because of the fact that once it’s been implanted, with luck you can more or less forget about it. You can make l...

Contraceptive coils (IUDs) - - Sex and relationships

The IUD or 'coil' is a small plastic device, not much longer than a match, which is placed inside the womb, where it prevents you from getting pregnant. In Britain, intrauterine devices (IUDs) have remained fairly popular during the 21st ...

Contraceptive injection - - Sex and relationships

Worldwide, many millions of women use the contraceptive injection. At the moment, about 3 per cent of British women of reproductive age are on it. Currently in the UK, two brands of injections are available: Depo-Provera and Noristerat. Of these...

Contraceptive IUS - - Sex and relationships

What is the IUS? First of all, please don’t confuse it with the IUD. The IUD is the contraceptive coil, and a major problem with it is that it tends to make your periods heavier, longer and sometimes more painful. Term watch T...

Contraceptive pill - - Sex and relationships

Is the Pill popular? The Pill is a tablet containing two female hormones – an oestrogen and a progestogen. If you’re thinking of going on the Pill, you’ll be joining a band of about 100 million women worldw...

Diaphragms - - Sex and relationships

Caps and diaphragms were extremely popular methods of family planning during the 20th century. But their use has waned in recent years because new methods of contraception have become available. However, they still provide a useful option for a minor...

Coping with an unplanned pregnancy - Unplanned pregnancy - Sex and relationships

What are the signs of pregnancy? If you have a boyfriend or partner, you ought to tell him you are pregnant because you both have a responsibility for the baby. If you have had sex and your period is late, you may be pregnant....

Coping with a termination of pregnancy - Unplanned pregnancy - Sex and relationships

Many women have sad feelings that last for a long time after an abortion. In 2012, we have reached a situation where in Britain each year, about 207,000 women have abortions. Many of them subsequently regret it, and may have sad feelings that last...

Adoption - Unplanned pregnancy - Sex and relationships

Adoption – a dignified alternative If a couple want to adopt a child, the first step is to contact an adoption agency. Everyone who has adopted a child has asked themselves the question: 'Will it be possible for me to love...

Abortion - Unplanned pregnancy - Sex and relationships

What can be done about an unwanted pregnancy? Terminating a pregnancy is a major decision and an extremely difficult one to make. It is advisable that the woman discusses her concerns with someone close who she can trust. For instance, it...

Ovulation kits - The family - Sex and relationships

Ovulation is a part of a woman's reproductive cycle, where one or more eggs are released from one of the ovaries. If you're trying to get pregnant, it's useful to know when your ovulation day is. The word 'ovulation' means 'release of an ovum (an egg...

Understand your couple sexual style - The family - Sex and relationships

Knowing your sexual style and how to use it can boost your relationship in and out of the bedroom. If we have a less than perfect sex life, the advice is often to focus on our own desires – but a new approach looks at how coup...

Romance for grown-ups - You and your partner - Sex and relationships

Kick-start the romance. Can you get excited about Valentine's Day when you know who sent the card? Yes, say the experts, and here's how... Take the lead If he doesn't send you flowers, kick-start the roman...