Sexual and Reproductive Health (Page 2)

A difference in sexual desire in couples is a very common difficulty in relationships. In fact research suggests that although strong sexual feelings are usually present in the first 6 months to 3 years of a relationship these can drop down to 50% after the first 3 years. Therefore, it seems that keeping a healthy sex life in long term relationships requires planning and work. Unfortunately, if our knowledge about sex is mainly from pornography and media, we might come to believe that only spontaneous desire and arousal exist. Picture this, a couple is drawn together by strong feelings and a deep uncontrollable passion andRead More…

What is menopause? Menopause is diagnosed 12 months after a woman’s last menstrual period. The transition to menopause, also known as peri-menopause, can last for a number of years and is characterised by hot flushes, insomnia, anxiety, fatigue, low sexual libido and vaginal dryness. The truth is that no one prepares us for menopause. We have to figure it all out by ourselves and it can be extremely frustrating to feel that we are being aged out of society. On the other hand, knowing how our bodies work and understanding the physical, psychological, emotional and sexual changes that can happen during this transition can beRead More…

The orgasm gap refers to the difference in frequency of orgasms between straight men and women. Although the term ‘orgasm gap’ has only been around for the last decade, gender inequality surrounding sexuality and sexual pleasure is not a recent phenomenon.  Female sexual pleasure and arousal was misunderstood in the medical field for many years and diagnosed as ‘hysteria’. In fact, some sources document that the vibrator was created as a cure to this ‘illness’ and as a way for women not to remain sexually repressed! The clitoris, which we know today is mainly responsible for female sexual pleasure, was not well-researched and given enoughRead More…

Since the beginning of October, our island has been graced with several pink billboards encouraging us to look out for signs of cancer. The campaign this year combined Pink October, which traditionally focused on breast cancer awareness and Movember which looks at men’s physical and mental health. It seems that the focus of Pink October and Movember this year were cancers that have to do with sexuality and intimacy i.e. prostate, testicular, breasts, ovarian and cervical. Why do we need to talk about sex, intimacy, and relationships when cancer is mentioned? Isn’t it enough that we survive, take the oncological treatments needed and are inRead More…

In Malta, until a couple of years ago, sex education was aimed to terrify rather than inform. The emphasis of the subject’s curriculum focused mainly on abstinence and not getting pregnant. Thankfully this is changing and moving towards a more comprehensive view of the sex education where young people are provided with knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values to make appropriate and healthy choices about their sexual health and that of their sexual partners. It is important that we teach our kids about contraception, being safe during sex, giving and receiving sexual consent and the importance of sexual pleasure.  As a sex therapist, one of theRead More…

According to the World Health Organisation, one in every four couples in developing countries are affected by infertility. This statistic is based on a biological and medical definition of infertility that looks at the inability of a heterosexual couple to conceive after a year of unprotected sex and the difficulty of a woman to carry a pregnancy to term. However, today, we are looking at a more comprehensive definition of infertility that includes queer families that are trying to have kids and single parents that would like to conceive without a partner amongst others. Infertility can affect both men and women and can be causedRead More…