The Latest in Sex | Psychology Today

Essential Reads

A Battle of the Sexes in the Bedroom?

By Katherine Sharkey MD, Ph.D. on December 31, 2017 in Feeling the Rhythm

How much do you know about the physiologic differences in sleep and circadian rhythms between women and men?

What Four Challenges Do Couples Face in 2018?

By Marty Klein Ph.D. on December 30, 2017 in Sexual Intelligence

What 4 challenges do couples face this year about love, sex, & intimacy? What do therapists need to understand about them?

Douglas T. Kenrick, own drawing, used with permission

Can You Predict Whether a Partner Will Cheat?

By Douglas T. Kenrick Ph.D. on December 28, 2017 in Sex, Murder, and the Meaning of Life

Research suggests that most people fantasize about cheating, yet simultaneously find infidelity unforgivable. What predicts who is most likely to actually cheat?

Transgender, Genderqueer, and Mental Health

By Ritch C Savin-Williams Ph.D. on December 25, 2017 in Sex, Sexuality, and Romance

We need to better understand what is most important—gender or sex—if we are to reduce the mental health problems of transgender youth.

The Pros and Cons of Polygamy

By Neel Burton M.D. on January 04, 2018 in Hide and Seek

Is there a link between polygamy and social unrest?

What We Can Learn from the Sexual Harassment Reckoning

By Tasha Eurich Ph.D. on January 04, 2018 in The Power of Insight

How the bad behavior of a few can help inspire a more self-aware world—if we listen.

Roya Ann Miller, StockSnap IO, Creative Commons CC0

Research Shows Higher Hostile Sexism among Trump Supporters

By Grant Hilary Brenner M.D. on January 04, 2018 in ExperiMentations

Research shows that hostile sexism won the day in the 2016 election. Will we continue to permit our society to be governed by bias, leading to avoidable suffering and inequality?

Ronan Farrow: Man on a Mission

By Joan Ullman M.A. on January 03, 2018 in Uncharted Customs

What drives a relentless avenger of sexual indignities?

The Seeds of Cultural Change

By Alexandra Katehakis Ph.D., MFT on January 03, 2018 in Sex, Lies & Trauma

What can we learn about masculinity from the sexual harassment scandals dominating the media world?

What Does Makeup Say About You?

By Robert Burriss Ph.D. on January 03, 2018 in Attraction, Evolved

What do we assume about a woman wearing makeup? And do our preconceptions have any basis in fact?

Seven Ways a Cheating Man Will Break Your Heart (Again)

By Robert Weiss LCSW, CSAT-S on January 02, 2018 in Love and Sex in the Digital Age

Learning about infidelity might be only the beginning of your pain.

Iceland "Cures" Down Syndrome: Should America Do the Same?

By Stephen Camarata Ph.D. on January 02, 2018 in The Intuitive Parent

When--and how--should society decide who should--and should not be born"

If Someone Takes “Forever” to Reach Orgasm

By Michael Castleman M.A. on January 01, 2018 in All About Sex

Do you or your lover have difficulty working up to orgasm? In both genders, orgasm difficulties are fairly common—and almost always curable

Power, Sex, and What Else is New?

By Andrea F. Polard Psy.D. on December 29, 2017 in A Unified Theory of Happiness

Apparently we've reached a tipping point at which enough women have enough power to speak up against sexual assault. But things are far from perfect. Here's what I wish for 2018...

Genitals, Beer Kegs, and the Need For Basic Scientific Study

By Marc Bekoff Ph.D. on December 28, 2017 in Animal Emotions

Two popular essays and a research paper raise key questions about sex, science, and the importance of recognizing basic research as "a valid and valuable use of public funds."

When Sex Drives Clash

By Stephanie A. Sarkis Ph.D. on December 28, 2017 in Here, There, and Everywhere

Do you and your partner have different sex drives? Is it causing conflict in your relationship? Here are some ways to improve your sex life.

Consent Violations in Consensual Non-Monogamy

By Elisabeth A. Sheff Ph.D., CASA, CSE on December 27, 2017 in The Polyamorists Next Door

Why are consent violations inevitable in CNM relationships, and what can people in those relationships do about them?

Will Lookism Ever End?

By Jeremy E Sherman Ph.D. on December 27, 2017 in Ambigamy

Caring about how we look is a huge and cruel distraction, here's a way we might end up working through it.

Sex Work and Therapy

By David J Ley Ph.D. on December 27, 2017 in Women Who Stray

Therapists often assume that a person involved in sexwork is "damaged." That assumption prevents many therapists from being able to actually help.

Rape by Deception

By Berit Brogaard D.M.Sci., Ph.D on December 26, 2017 in The Mysteries of Love

Deceiving another person in order to have sex with them is morally wrong when it prevents the other person from giving fully informed consent to the act.

Wavebreakimaging; used with permission. Awkward sex moments

7 Snafus During Sex: What to Do When Things Go Wrong

By Laurie J Watson LMFT, LPC on December 26, 2017 in Married and Still Doing It

Let’s face it: Two bodies can make a lot of sounds and smells that are anything but sexy. Here are some embarrassing difficulties you might encounter – and how to handle them.

Four Effortless Relationship Hacks

By Madeleine A Fugère Ph.D. on December 23, 2017 in Dating and Mating

These evidence-based relationships hacks can help to improve your romantic relationship, no extra time or effort necessary. Try them today!

Filipe Almeida, StockSnap IO, Creative Commons CC0

5 Ways for Couples to Have Great Sex This Holiday Season

By Grant Hilary Brenner M.D. on December 23, 2017 in ExperiMentations

The holidays can bring us closer or drive us apart. Which do you prefer? Here are some helpful tips.

New Year's Relationship Evaluation

By Barton Goldsmith Ph.D. on December 22, 2017 in Emotional Fitness

These self-evaluations are one of the most powerful tools you can use to boost your enjoyment of both your life and relationship.

#MeToo: Man-Slammed on Facebook

By Eliezer Sobel on December 21, 2017 in The 99th Monkey

Being clueless, I came up with what seemed a brilliant caption.

Daniel Frank, StockSnap IO, Creative Commons CC0

"Sexual Self-Concept" and Attachment in Couples and Singles

By Grant Hilary Brenner M.D. on December 20, 2017 in ExperiMentations

Sexual self-concept helps us understand how our attachment style affects satisfaction whether we are single or partnered.

Sex Is Neither Right nor Wrong

By Ari Tuckman PsyD, MBA on December 19, 2017 in Sex Matters

Sexual desires are subjective, so why do so many people believe that some acts are objectively superior to others — and some are just wrong?

bst2012/iStockphoto, used with permission, Keep Sex Hot!

The Real Secret to Keeping Sex Hot

By Laurie J Watson LMFT, LPC on December 17, 2017 in Married and Still Doing It

In the early years of a relationship, sex is hot, hot, hot! But can married couples keep sexual passion alive over the long haul? Long-term desire is rooted in something deeper.

Let's Talk About Sex—After 60

By Christina Pierpaoli Parker on December 17, 2017 in Eng(aging)

Sex after 60 remains shrouded in secrecy, stemming from a cocktail of stigma, enigma, and clinical avoidance. Aging aficionado Christina Pierpaoli Parker discusses why.

Sexual Communication: The Bedrock to Make Your Bed Rock

By Laurie Mintz Ph.D. on December 17, 2017 in Stress and Sex

The vast majority of women need clitoral stimulation to orgasm, yet feel awkward telling partners this. Here you'll find a science-based pep-talk and tips for sexual communication.

The Thinking Processes of Sexual Predators

By Stanton E. Samenow Ph.D. on December 15, 2017 in Inside the Criminal Mind

Thought patterns that result in predatory sexual behavior have long resided within the individual. His status and environment provide opportunity to express them.

A Sexual Manifesto for Women

By Ruth C. White Ph.D. on December 15, 2017 in Culture in Mind

No longer should women feel the need to tolerate and moderate the sexual indiscretions of others. It is time for us to be explicit about our expectations and our boundaries.