Reproductive Health
Essays
We asked Dr. Joshua Gonzalez, sexual medicine specialist and regular The Sex Ed contributor; to break down what happens to our bodies during perimenopause and menopause and lay out some of the safe treatment options that can help make these years fulfilling and juicy!
Abortion is as old as pregnancy itself. The world before safe, legal abortions was a dark and bloody place and has much to teach us about why abortion was legalised in the first place. One of the earliest descriptions of abortion can be found in the ancient Ebers Papyrus (1550 B.C.), which recommends using a plant-fibre tampon coated with a compound of honey and crushed dates to terminate a pregnancy.
Although we typically associate sex with pleasure, connection, and good feelings, for some with vaginas, intercourse can feel exactly the opposite-- painful, frustrating even isolating. This is a condition known as Vaginismus, one of the most common types of Dyspareunia, or what doctors refer to as “painful sex”.
This essay by Courtney Avery guides you through ideas, considerations and physical movements to use when practicing yoga during pregnancy and after childbirth...and provides some great poses to safely try on your own!
Crimson tide, moon time, shark week. Whatever you call it, many of us have a love/hate relationship with our periods. Sometimes it is painful, sometimes you don’t even see it coming, and sometimes it is a relief! For some, it can be a celebration that you don’t get your period anymore and other times, for those that are trying to have a baby, it’s a reminder of how badly you want to conceive.
The Sex Ed believes it is important to appreciate the anatomical and bodily systems that are crucial to our overall wellness and reproductive health. The more we understand about how our bodies work, the more we’re able to enhance and explore our sexual experiences!
Periods are as unique as the people who have them. You may feel aroused or crave certain foods—and the surge in hormones may cause you to throw your partner against the wall and rip their clothes off. Here are a few quick tips for optimum period sex.
Mythology around menstruation integrates sacred rites spanning centuries and cultures. Egyptian pharaohs were believed to become divine by drinking the blood of Isis, while Celtic kings sought immortality by drinking the “red mead” of Mab, the fairy queen— both of which were thought to be menstrual blood.
Podcast
This week’s podcast guest is Dr. Rachael Ross, sexologist, family physician, mother and founder of the Dr. Rachael Institute where she certifies other sexologists. Dr. Rachael and Liz chat about the importance of age appropriate sex education, giving kids ownership over their bodies, getting back to the pleasure potential of sex, and how labels can confine us. Dr. Rachael also answered some questions submitted by our Sex Ed community!
Our guest this week is Dr. Linda Mona, a highly honored clinical psychologist specializing in patients with chronic health conditions and disabilities. Dr. Mona works as a consultant to healthcare service providers, in addition to her private practice, where she focuses on the importance of sexual health as a means of improving overall quality of life. Dr. Mona and Liz talk about digital dating with a disability; her favorite sex toy recommendations and how a disability can in fact make you MORE creative in the bedroom.
This week’s guest is Imani Gandy, lawyer, senior legal analyst for Rewire Dot News and co-host of their Boom! Lawyered podcast. Imani is a self-described recovering attorney who founded and writes the award-winning blog Angry Black Lady Chronicles. Imani and Liz discuss the capitalistic history of abortion laws in the United States going back to the 1850s; the nuances of how our government can and does legislate abortion, and actionable ways we can support others as reproductive justice becomes increasingly restrictive.
Our guest for this episode is Sahar Pirzada, a social worker, organizer and educator. In this episode, Sahar and Liz talk about their own experiences of Islamophobia in the reproductive health care system; how to meet people where they’re at with sex education needs; and why faith and sexuality are not mutually exclusive.
Erica Chidi is a doula, author and co-founder of LOOM— a center in Los Angeles that provides empowered education from periods to parenting. She has guided thousands of people in their transition from pregnancy to parenthood in her practice and through her book, Nurture: A Modern Guide to Pregnancy, Birth and Early Motherhood. Erica and Liz discuss doula care for patients through birth and abortion, how pregnancy effects sex drive and why there’s no such thing as the “best way” to give birth.
Carrie Wambach, M.D. is a board certified OB GYN with a speciality in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. At her private practice in Los Angeles, Dr. Wambach helps patients with fertility plans, egg freezing and hormone imbalances, as well as treating recurrent miscarriage and premature ovarian failure. In this episode Dr. Wambach and Liz discuss infertility, surrogacy and why there is such overwhelming cultural pressure to conceive.
Joel is a hilarious and talented comedian, and writer that has been on Conan, Netflix, and Comedy Central. In this episode, Liz and Joel talk about sexual stereotypes; growing up in an Evangelical household; his thoughts on the fertility industry as an adopted child; his leaked nudes; and the Jane Austen anal sex joke that he has tattooed on his body.
Liz spoke to Dr. Joycelyn Elders, former US Surgeon General about being the Condom Queen of Washington, DC; entering the White House shortly after the Anita Hill trial; growing up in Dust Bowl-era Arkansas; the potential benefits to passing out vibrators in nursing homes; and why she’s optimistic about the future of sex education.
Books
How do we make social justice the most pleasurable human experience? How can we awaken within ourselves desires that make it impossible to settle for anything less than a fulfilling life? Adrienne Maree Brown finds the answer in something she calls "pleasure activism," a politics of healing and happiness that explodes the dour myth that changing the world is just another form of work.
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There is still a shocking lack of accurate, accessible information about pussies and many esteemed medical sources seem to contradict each other. Pussypedia solves that with extensive reviews of peer-reviewed science that address old myths, confusing inconsistencies, and the influence of gender narratives on scientific research–always in simple, joyful language.
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Sexually transmitted diseases have been hidden players in our lives for the whole of human history, with roles in everything from World War II to the growth of the Internet to The Bachelor. Ina Park, MD, has been pushing boundaries to empower and inform others about sexual health for decades. With Strange Bedfellows, she ventures far beyond the bedroom to examine the hidden role and influence of these widely misunderstood infections and share their untold stories.
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Can a person literally die of loneliness? Is there such a thing as a "cancer personality"? Drawing on scientific research and the author's decades of experience as a practicing physician, this book provides answers to these and other important questions about the effect of the mind-body link on illness and health and the role that stress and one's individual emotional makeup play in an array of common diseases.
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Millions of broken couples say sexual dissatisfaction was their number one reason for ending the relationship. Learn how to recover your passion, find the connection you crave, and boost your sexual confidence. Or gain the insights you need to embark on a new adventure without the sexual baggage and challenges of the past. No matter where you are in your sexual evolution, this intimate, practical guide will help you renew your curiosity, reclaim intimacy, and embrace your full potential for erotic freedom.
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Reproductive Justice is a first-of-its-kind primer that provides a comprehensive yet succinct description of the field. Written by two legendary scholar-activists, Reproductive Justice introduces students to an intersectional analysis of race, class, and gender politics.
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Today's feminist movement has a glaring blind spot, and paradoxically, it is women. Mainstream feminists rarely talk about meeting basic needs as a feminist issue, argues Mikki Kendall, but food insecurity, access to quality education, safe neighborhoods, a living wage, and medical care are all feminist issues.
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Killing the Black Body exposed America’s systemic abuse of Black women’s bodies. From slave masters’ economic stake in bonded women’s fertility to government programs that coerced thousands of poor Black women into being sterilized as late as the 1970s, these abuses pointed to the degradation of Black motherhood—and the exclusion of Black women’s reproductive needs in mainstream feminist and civil rights agendas.
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This is an all-encompassing, no-holds-barred exploration of CBD and sexual wellness. This sex positive book is full of helpful information on sexual health, empowering advice, and tips and tricks on using CBD in the bedroom.
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The first and only pregnancy journal created for queer individuals and families, by a queer doula. So... You're pregnant and a little (or a lot) queer? The prompts in this journal provide an opportunity for you to reflect on your pregnancy, conception story, and parenting intentions. It is intended for pregnant people to use with or without the involvement of their partner(s) (when applicable).
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HelloFlo founder Naama Bloom’s mission is to create informed, empowered young women who are unafraid to ask questions and make the best choices for themselves and their bodies. A celebration of women's bodies and all the confusing, uncomfortable, silly, transformative, and powerful changes that occur during puberty.
Ages: 10+
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A Curious History of Sex covers topics ranging from twentieth-century testicle thefts to Victorian doctors massaging the pelvises of their female patients, from smutty bread innuendos dating back to AD 79, to the new and controversial sex doll brothels. Podcast guest Kate Lister deftly debunks myths and stereotypes and gives unusual sexual practices a historical framework, as she provides valuable context for issues facing people today.
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A comprehensive and judgment-free pregnancy companion: Nurture is the only all-in-one pregnancy and birthing book for modern mothers-to-be and their partners who want a more integrative approach. Season 1 podcast guest Erica Chidi Cohen has assisted countless births and helped hundreds of families ease into their new roles through her work as a doula.
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Awakening Fertility is a loving companion to accompany you along the journey—whether your desire to become a mother burns fiercely today or is a future calling just beginning to stir. Intended for women at every stage of the preconception process, this book offers wisdom and guidance to support your body, mind, and spirit—including nearly 50 delicious recipes to nourish yourself deeply.
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The first 40 days after the birth of a child offer an essential and fleeting period of rest and recovery for the new mother. Based on author Heng Ou’s own postpartum experience with zuo yuezi, a set period of “confinement,” in which a woman remains at home focusing on healing and bonding with her baby, The First Forty Days revives the lost art of caring for the mother after birth.
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In Girls & Sex, Peggy Orenstein examines the ways in which porn and all its sexual myths have seeped into young people's lives; what it means to be the "the perfect slut" and why many girls scorn virginity; the complicated terrain of hookup culture; and the unfortunate realities surrounding assault.
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De Beauvoir's seminal identification of the manners in which patriarchy diminutives the role of women in romantic dynamics, culture, and society at large maintains strikingly disturbing relevance in today's #Timesup ideologically shifting moment.
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For decades the comprehensive exploration of female bodies, minds, and sexualities has remained a definitive source of thoughtfully culled information for women ranging in age from early adolescence to late adulthood. Updates in 2005 and 2011 shed vital contemporary light on the book's many considerations.
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A "girl's best friend" delivered as a roadmap for the twisty, turny, tumultuously unpredictable rollercoaster ride that is puberty. The mind, body, and soul's hands are held as the reader is primed on everything from periods and pregnancy, to surviving crushes and sex-for-1.