HPV and Relationships—Answers to Your Questions
After a diagnosis, it’s normal to have questions about HPV and relationships: What does this mean for our health? Did someone cheat? Should we stop having sex?
Whether we’re attracted to the opposite gender, the same gender or both, the truth is: We learn how to experience sexual pleasure for pleasure’s sake by understanding our own sexual desires and responses.
Our enjoyment of specific sexual behaviors and practices varies from one individual to another. No matter what stimulates our individual sexual desires or which sexual practices we use to satisfy them, we are all sexual beings. How we choose to behave as sexual beings is up to us.
Sex has been shown to promote better sleep habits, less stress, more happiness, etc. Sex is a healthy bodily function. Our bodies thrive on the chemicals released during orgasm, so a healthy sex life is indeed part of a healthy body.
There isn’t a “right way” to experience sexual pleasure. Start with that rich fantasy life you’ve written in your head. If you have a partner, he/she might enjoy it as much as you do! Talk about it with your partner. Understand that sexual pleasure is a matter of mutual interest.
Remember that consenting adults can be as sexually adventurous as they please. And don’t forget that your partner is likely to have an entirely different set of favorite stimuli.
Successful, long-term relationships are based on communication. Feeling safe from disease and trusting our partner is the foundation for comfortable, relaxed healthy sex. Safety, comfort and trust allow us to freely discuss our sexual needs and limitations with a partner. Be direct! Speak up!
Open, frank communication with a partner is mandatory to giving and receiving sexual pleasure.
Everyone doesn’t have a partner. Not everyone wants a partner. Some people are between partners. The reality is: You don’t need a partner to enjoy great sex.
It’s okay–even healthy–to masturbate regularly. Orgasm not only relieves stress; it also boosts the immune system and burns calories! Indulge in whichever solitary sexual behaviors bring the most pleasure. It’s up to you to choose how or if you reach orgasm. There are no rules, no “right ways” to achieve sexual pleasure as long as there’s no danger to you or anyone else.
A satisfying sex life begins with an understanding of our own sexual needs and responsibilities. Ultimately, we are responsible for our own sexual pleasure. Then, we can acknowledge the needs and responsibilities of our partners.
In 2019 the World Association of Sexual Health held their 24th World Congress where they published the Declaration on Sexual Pleasure. You can read more about that here.
After a diagnosis, it’s normal to have questions about HPV and relationships: What does this mean for our health? Did someone cheat? Should we stop having sex?
Many people confuse love, commitment, and sex, or assume the three always go hand-in-hand. There are many ways to express love, and you don’t need to have sex with someone to show them you love them.
Explore ways to make sex safer and communicate with your sexual partners about your expectations and boundaries.
Why are STI rates so high among young people? For insight we chatted with Dr. J. Dennis Fortenberry, a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the Indiana University School of Medicine.
This essay from Dr. Pepper Schwartz, featured in ASHA’s book Creating a Sexually Healthy Nation, gives the scoop on Baby Boomers and navigating the sexual landscape as they age.
Anal sex may have once been thought of more taboo than other sexual behaviors, but today we know it’s a perfectly normal way to find sexual pleasure.
It’s time to celebrate the start of summer! June is filled with national observances to help you start the summer off right. We’re here to help make June the start of a #safesexysummer.
Does your child feel it’s okay to talk with you about sex and sexual health? If not, have you thought about who will answer your child’s questions? Only you can tell your child that it’s okay to ask you questions. You want to become askable!
ASHA believes that all people have the right to the information and services that will help them to have optimum sexual health. We envision a time when stigma is no longer associated with sexual health and our nation is united in its belief that sexuality is a normal, healthy, and positive aspect of human life.
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