Sex Talk

Everyone has an STI status and it's important for you to know yours. It's a huge piece of being a sexually healthy and responsible adult. Getting tested on a regular basis will help you avoid any long-term health risks by helping you to address any problems quickly and before they cause any serious damage. It also helps you keep your sexual partner(s) safe as well by reducing the risks they have of contracting anything...

Vaginal sex is what most people think of when they talk about sex. It is often primarily thought of as a penis entering a vulva and into the vagina but that is only one part of vaginal sex. It is actually the penetration of something into the vagina. The penetration could be from fingers, a penis, or a toy of some kind. All of these things count as vaginal sex...

Is it really necessary to practice safer oral sex? A lot of people would argue that it really ruins the experience. It's also a fairly common perception that there is no need for safer sex methods when engaging in oral sex. Since there is no risk of anyone getting pregnant when having oral sex, most people think that using protection isn't important. There are more reasons than just potential pregnancies for using protection when engaging in oral sex. Unprotected sex of any kind still leaves you open to potential risks...

Doug Ford is already sparking some controversy since being elected into office by vowing the repeal Ontario's sex education program from schools. He says he intends to replace the Liberals' updates to the curriculum. There have been no official reasons given as to what's wrong with the currently more comprehensive program. Ford only says that the new curriculum didn't consult parents enough and is not in line with their best interests. Prior to the new curriculum being introduced, there was a fairly substantial group of parents consulted. The new curriculum also received input from mental health organizations, parent groups, police, as well as child development professionals...

Sexual assault can take many forms. The legal definition will change a bit from place to place but it is generally defined as any action that is sexual in nature and violates the sexual integrity of the victim. It is an unwanted and non-consenting action performed by one person on another. In many cases, sexual assault is defined by its lack of freely given consent. It is used as more of an umbrella term that includes a wide variety of unwanted actions...

BDSM stands for Bondage, Discipline/Dominant, Sadism/Submissive, and Masochism. It often refers to a collection of activities that are considered kinky. BDSM can be used to add some spice to sexual activities. Many scenarios use informed consent to exchanges in power and can include a variety of toys or objects. Sometimes people incorporate pain elements into their play time but that is not always an objective or requirement. It's a very personal choice...

In the wake of a series of allegations that have been coming forward, Kamloops schools are looking at updating their policies and education around consent issues. There are been two young women who have come forward to report instances of being groped, kissed, or struck by boys at their school. After these events, parents are wondering what is being done.

When is it ok for consent to be withdrawn in a given situation? Is there a point of no return where a person must simply follow through? No matter who you speak to, everyone will have a different opinion about this aspect of consent. There are a lot of different opinions based on people's experiences and their upbringing but the truth is that most people haven't really learned about consent. Most people have not taken the time to learn about and explore the topic. They feel they have a good understanding just because they have a basic understanding. Research actually shows that most people aren't able to correctly identify the finer points of consent. This is why it's important we continue to have the discussions exploring the different aspects of consent. So when can consent be withdrawn?

We still live in a world where we still need to fight for equality. Many of the old prejudices and injustices still exist in the world. In some areas of the world, it's much more obvious than others but it's still extremely present in all societies. It's merely a question of how obvious and outright it is. Women still face a lot of discrimination. This still comes out in our society in a whole variety of ways. One more recent example is the lack of respect shown to women who have achieved a high level of expertise and education...

Have you heard about the #droptheb controversy? The LGBTQ2SA* community has for years used a variation of this acronym. Each letter represents a different aspect of gender or sexual orientation. The community is meant to be inclusive and a safe space for those who have faced discrimination due to their identity and preferences. Recently, there has been some argument for dropping the "B", which stands for Bisexuality, from the acronym. This has caused a lot of heated arguments for both sides...