The allure of situation-ships is strong. They provide the perfect theoretical space to have it all—sex, companionship, experimentation, and freedom. They can offset loneliness and provide fleeting validation while giving our friends something to overanalyze. But unsurprisingly, their inherent ambiguity can also feel confusing: 44 percent of people say they’re worried about getting hurt in one, according to Hinge research. Here’s the thing though: Situationships aren’t inherently good or bad, and they’re actually not the true problem for those they make spiral. Fear of rejection and anxiety over direct communication are, says relationship, sex, and mental health therapist Rachel Wright, LMFT. As usual, we’re here to make things easier on you. If you’re stuck in an undefined relationship, look to the next page for a complete texting guide to start…

A few years ago, my friends May* and Charlie* were having trouble trying to conceive. They decided to have some testing done, including an analysis of Charlie’s sperm to be conducted from the comfort of their home with a fancy frozen mail-in kit. The only problem? May was out of town for a month working and Charlie either couldn’t or wouldn’t masturbate. I didn’t really care which—I was just excited to help when I threw my hat (er, hand) into the ring. “I could totally jerk him off for you if you want,” I told May over the phone when she presented her long-distance dilemma. “I’ve always wanted to explore my medical kink in real life.” May and I are like soul sisters, and she respects that I’m a professional sex…

Aden* was different from any guy I’d ever met before. Mostly because he was the only one that could match my insatiable sex drive. From quickies on the sofa to entire weekends spent in bed, hours would pass by lost beneath the sheets and each other’s bodies. Ayden knew exactly what I wanted, what I needed, how to turn me on and how to get me off. Whether it was gentle or, when I asked him, rough; romantic or dirty; a frenzied passion or sleepy morning sex. He got me, in every physical way possible. So when we boarded a flight to France just six weeks after our first date, I knew our trip to Toulouse was going to be filled with a lot of sex. Like, a lot. I…

Beyond the binaries of gay and straight, male and female lies a broad spectrum of identities. (All are real and valid, despite what certain Supreme Court rulings or conservative talking points would have you believe.) And while people often assume that gender identity and sexual orientation are the same thing, they are, in fact, distinct, explains Shane Diamond, director of communications and advocacy at GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation). Gender is your innate sense of self, which may or may not align with your biological sex assigned at birth. Sexual orientation refers to the direction your romantic attraction takes – whether that’s towards people of the same, different or all genders. Meanwhile, no one is beholden to just one gender or sexual orientation, explains queer therapist Shae Harmon.…

For Kym Douglas—TV host, bestselling author and now podcast co-host of God’s Table Hollywood—her motto has always been clear: “It’s never too late. There is always hope. Believe in second chances.” Both hope and faith became cornerstones of Kym’s life after her 2018 diagnosis of stage 3B breast cancer. “Something powerful started to rise within me,” she tells Woman’s World. “It was my faith in God, my determination to be present.” But after her recovery, life wasn’t done testing Kym. Her husband of 37 years, The Young and the Restless star Jerry Douglas, was diagnosed with cancer and passed away 5 years later. Kym slowly found her footing again, thanks to her routine of being a busy mom to their son, Hunter, and enjoying life with her friends. “My life…

Molly’s entire dating life was set out on a spreadsheet. It was 2024 and Molly, at 29, had been dating forover a decade. ‘I made a Google Sheets document on which I would write down all the dates I was going on,’ she says. ‘I’d categorise them by date, name, how we met, the “goal” we got to [first, fifth, tenth date, meeting housemates, friends, family, etc], the activities we did, any problems there were, star sign and what they looked like.’ After a few months of tracking each of her dates and noting down why they didn’t work, Molly began to notice patterns emerging. ‘I found that the reason I didn’t want to see someone again on multiple first dates was that I didn’t think they were funny,’ she…

I have just sent a cursory, ‘Sorry I didn’t text you back,’ to a friend after once again leaving them on read. We’d been in a rapidfire back-and-forth – a rare thing to catch me in – when I suddenly stopped replying, and didn’t resurface for 12 days. My friend is, ofc, right to tell me to stop apologising if it doesn’t come with any actionable change. Am I actually sorry I didn’t text back if I continue to… not text back? Well, yes and no. During those two weeks, there wasn’t a day that went by when I didn’t think about her unread WhatsApps – hers and all the others. My own green-dotted, guilt-ridden hellscape. And yet, I didn’t do anything about it. Much has been written about people…

Society has long defined women based on their “marriageability”—a set of outdated standards that determine whether a woman is worthy of being a good wife. These standards dictate everything from how she should behave, what she should wear, how much she should earn (but not more than her husband), how well she should cook, and even how she should sacrifice her own dreams for a man’s comfort. Even in the 21st century, the term "marriage material" still exists, but have we ever stopped to ask: Why is this still a thing? More importantly, how does it harm women What Does It Mean to Be ‘Marriage Material’? The term "marriage material" refers to a set of expectations placed on women to make them more desirable for marriage. These expectations can vary…

After my 11-year marriage ended, I felt like a virgin again. I hadn’t had sex in such a long time, it was almost like I’d never had it at all. And now I was a busy single mom—one who was also the proud owner of a farm house that needed some work. Anxious to get started, I hired a friend’s brother to help with odd jobs and heavy lifting. The day we met, he reached out to shake my hand, then turned it over and traced the calluses on my palm with his finger. A surge of energy pulsed through my body; my nipples hardened instantly. “Not a fan of gloves?” he asked with a little smile. Still, I wrote Aaron* off as a romantic possibility. He wasn’t really my type.…

A few years ago, when my beach lifeguard bestie suggested I come down to visit her to take my mind off a recent breakup, I jumped at the opportunity. The only salt water I’d been exposed to over the previous 24 hours came from the tears sliding down my face as I detailed the split to various friends and family members – and one unfortunate supermarket cashier. ‘Just get in the car now and come down for the weekend,’ Megan* told me over the phone. I could hear a raging party and waves crashing on the shore in the background. It didn’t seem like a bad idea. ‘There are, like, a million hot Australian men here. And you know what they say about getting under someone to get over someone…

‘Take a picture of me,’ I said, my knees nearly touching the dusty ground of the alleyway. It was June, a hot and humid summer in the south of France, and I, a writer visiting town for a conference, was kneeling in front of a French man I had met less than six hours earlier. ‘C’mon, take a picture of me,’ I smiled. He seemed surprised that I’d ask for this while unbuttoning his shorts on a dimly lit street, but I wasn’t. This level of courage with men wasn’t foreign to me, even in a foreign place. I’ve long loved the thrill of seeing a man’s expression change when he realises that I’m the one in control, even if it seems like I’m handing the power over to him.…

If you thought sex therapists spend most of their time exploring clients’ wild fantasies, you’d be wrong. They are usually consulted when things go awry, so it’s their practicality, scientific approach, logic and reassurance that are most valued. Kate, 37, one of the therapists on the BBC’s Sex on the Couch, tells us what the job really entails. What drew you to this line of work? When I was younger, I remember wondering why sex was a taboo topic that was ‘allowed’ to be talked about in some settings, but not in most. I studied psychology and became fascinated by the way people talk about it – how their behaviour and nuances change, like dropping the tone of their voice when they even say ‘sex’. I’ve also always been someone…

Hitting your 50s – and the menopause – shouldn’t mean a sad farewell to your sex life. ‘We’re living longer and staying younger at heart – 60 is definitely the new 40,’ says GP Dr Sarah Brewer. ‘Ever since the launch of Viagra, sex in later life has become more openly discussed, and those with falling libidos are more likely to seek help.’ Doctors are becoming more sex savvy, too. ‘They’re getting better at asking about the sexual side effects of medications and addressing sex after someone’s been diagnosed with cancer or a stroke,’ she adds. There are many body-boosting benefits of turning up the heat with your other half, including increasing immunity, lowering stress and blood pressure and improving heart health. It can also help turn back the clock…

Every winter, I make the pilgrimage to my favourite London-based fetish party. It’s become a ritual for me: the train into the city, the hotel check-in, the nervous, excited energy as I unzip my bag and pull out the latex in preparation. Outside in the queue, my thighs prickle under the rubber before it slowly starts to cling and warm my body. By the time I step through the doors, it’s a second skin. Inside is another universe: heat, bass, bodies gleaming under strobes. My partner and I start drifting through the playrooms, before he pulls me into one and starts to spank, tease and torment me. People pass by, some stopping for a moment to watch, but one man lingers longer than the rest. After a bit more prowling,…

Things are going okay, I tell myself. So why am I feeling a bit, well, meh? Finding the motivation to do tasks is tricky, I feel a bit groggy, and often overwhelmed. There’s nothing in particular that’s making me feel this way: no looming problems, no big crisis, and while I’ve experienced depression in the past, this isn’t like that. It’s not all bad — I still enjoy myself and go about my day. I’m not unwell, I’m not struggling, but I don’t feel as good as I’d like to. At times, it’s like going through the motions of life, without being fully present. And it’s not just me – through talking with friends, I realise lots of people I know are in the same position. They’re not feeling bad,…

Not in a creepy way! But in an open-minded, playful way. On page 38, shutterbug Bri Hammond chats about her new photo series, Object Permanence, in which she documents childhood items. She went through boxes of old kid stuff at her parents’ place and found herself playing with the objects to get the perfect shot – but also because it was fun. The experience was quite lovely and nostalgic, she tells me. The conversation reminded me of my kid stuff. Whenever I go back to my childhood home, I sit on the floor of my old bedroom and rummage through the contents of its drawers, shelves, boxes. Almost everything is where I left it. There’s the green and silver robot Poo-Chi dog, and the purple and silver Girl Tech Password…

Sexual myths (SMs) are the second category of roadblocks to a thriving sexual connection. SMs are false beliefs and attitudes that influence a couple’s sex life. They’re unquestioned, implicit ideas, and can contribute to unrealistic expectations and unnecessary pressure. If entrenched, SMs can lead to dissatisfaction or issues in the bedroom. It’s important to identify the myth you hold and work in opposition to it. We’ve outlined some SMs, and how to oppose them, here. Keep in mind many SMs exist, and this list is by no means exhaustive. “When having sex, focus on the process rather than the end result.” SPONTANEITY IS KEY This is the belief sex should always be spontaneous and unplanned. Holding this myth, however, can lead to no sex. With busy lives, it is easy…

My boyfriend, Max*, and I were home from uni for the summer. And like all 20-somethings who were used to the privilege of uninhibited banging from the comforts of our own place, being back with our parents was, um, a big change. Translation: we were itching to squeeze in as much sex as we could under our new time and space constraints. It had only been a few days since Max and I had last done it, but we were already desperately in need of some serious alone time. Don’t get me wrong, as a teenager, a sneaky shag in your basement while you can hear relatives stomping above is kinda hot. But at 24, it’s terrifying. The thrill of getting caught disappears. In fact, you mostly feel stupid, rug-burned and…

‘Limerence is fuelled by uncertainty — the question, “Do they feel the same about me?”’ You meet someone and you’re instantly hit with that delicious warmth that signals attraction. They smile at you, and the heat rises to your face, so you drop your gaze so as not to give yourself away. The more you speak to them, the more you think you might really like them. Soon, their image fills every corner of your mind, wrecking your concentration, and everything — songs, adverts, strangers’ smiles — reminds you of them. This is it, you think — I must be falling in love. But not necessarily. American psychologist Dr Dorothy Tennov coined the term in the 1970s in her book Love and Limerence: The Experience of Being in Love. Limerence,…

It’s a rainy Friday in October and I’m standing outside the University of Leeds, wondering whether to chase after the twentysomething man who’s running away from me. He’s one of many men who’ve been afraid of me today. Most of the others have glanced over, then averted their eyes, but this guy is like a spooked horse. After a split-second of contemplation, I decide it wouldn’t be wise to pursue a stranger; instead I limply shout after him, ‘But are you single?!’ It might seem bizarre to be loitering around a uni campus scaring men (okay, it is), but there is a method to this madness. I’m here with my colleague Catriona, who’s holding the sign that first attracted my runaway: ‘Single men! What do you really think of the…

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh have revealed the secret to their long and happy marriage. Asked during a joint visit to Nepal why exactly their 25-year union had been such a success, Prince Edward replied, “Because we’re best friends.” “That’s true,” agreed Sophie. When it was suggested that having a sense of humour played a part in their strong bond, Sophie, 60, said, “Oh, there’s always got to be humour, especially when you’re travelling and you’ve got no idea what’s about to happen. You’ve got to laugh.” They also have a huge respect and appreciation for each other. When Edward celebrated his 60th birthday last year, he stressed in a TV interview how important Sophie’s support had been. “She’s been an absolutely brilliant rock, and I’m incredibly lucky that…