Q: I just heard about kegels for the first time and am super confused. Apparently they are vagina exercises … Excuse me what?! Am I supposed to be doing these? My friend says they help make you come and keep your vagina tight. Is that even true? I’m not a big gym-goer, I don’t really want to do any type of exercise unless there’s a good health reason behind it.
Q: I suck at taking my pill every day. I’ve actually forgotten all about it a few times and had to take Plan B. Now I’m thinking the pill probably isn’t the best choice for me. I wanna get something I don’t have to think about for a while. A friend told me about birth control you implant into your arm and it protects you for years, is that for real? It seems like some sci fi experiment to me. Can people, like, SEE it wherever they put it? And is it actually safe?
Q: I’m a full-grown woman, but I’m embarrassed to say that I still don’t really understand how to maintain vaginal cleanliness. How often do I have to clean down there, and with what? Are there things I shouldn’t be doing or using? Sometimes I feel like when I’ve gotten a yeast infection, the culprit is some product I’m using, or maybe some way I’m washing, but I’ve honestly never looked into it. Tell me how to keep my vagina clean, please!
Q: I’m coming off a really bad experience with hormonal birth control (serious mood swings, weight gain, the works) and am looking into non-hormonal birth control options. I don’t love condoms, particularly right now because my boyfriend and I are all set with STD tests and really like the feeling of skin against skin. It looks like my alternatives are pretty limited to copper IUDs, but then my mom mentioned the diaphragm … apparently she used one in the ’80s? She said it’s a good option, but it sounds kinda weird and I can’t wrap my head around how it works, or how you even put it on. How safe is it, and how effective?
Q: I’m dating my first guy who has expressed that he is interested in checking out anal sex. This is pretty exciting for me, because I’m always down to try new things, but I’m at a bit of a loss for how to actually go about pegging him. I looked online a bit and there are so many dildo options, I’m experiencing choice overload! And then, once I have my “cock,” how do I, um, use it? I assume there’s a learning curve, but I definitely don’t want to be a bad lover! Are there things that can go wrong or be dangerous? I’m not into anal myself so I don’t even have my own body experiences to go off of here. Help!
Q: I recently started seeing this new guy who I’m really excited about. He’s poly, which is new for me, but I’m digging the freedom it’s giving me to explore multiple lovers at once without feeling guilty. But my question is, when you’re sleeping with more than one person, how do you stay safe? I’m on the pill, and in the past I’ve stopped using condoms with people once I develop strong feelings for them and we both get tested, but when you’re dealing with multiple people it seems absurdly complicated. I really like condom-free sex with people I love, is this something I can’t have if I’m not monogamous?
Q: I got my first sex toy a few weeks ago and I’ve been having so much fun with it! But I’ve noticed that I’ve been feeling less balanced down there since I started using it … is there something I’m doing wrong or not doing? I’m worried I’m doing something incorrectly and am giving myself a yeast infection.
Q: I’ve been a smoker since high school. I’ve tried to quit a few times but so far it’s been tough. I know all about the risk of lung cancer (believe me, my parents tell me all the time), but someone just mentioned in passing that smoking has some negative side effects for women, particularly in regards to reproductive health. Is this true? What am I looking at future-wise? Now I’m freaking out that I can’t have kids!
Q: I have such a heavy flow that I can’t even sleep with a super plus tampon without leaking. I’d like to know more about alternatives that might catch my flow better, so I don’t ruin my sheets monthly. I’ve heard about sea sponges and also Beppy sponges from Europe, but I’ve never known anyone to have tried them, and I’m sure there are other options out there I don’t even know about. I’m wondering if I can leave one of these in longer with better results.
Q: I just started seeing this guy a few weeks ago, and last time I saw him he had what seemed very much like what I can only assume is a cold sore on his lip. It’s weird that he didn’t tell me he had it, maybe it’s because he doesn’t think it’s a big deal? But if he kisses me, I can get it too, right? What about sharing drinks? And what if he goes down on me? If I already caught oral herpes from him does that mean I can get herpes on my vagina? If I get it, what will it be like for me?