Vulvas
Dear Em & Lo
Terrified of Going to the Gyno? 8 Ways to Relax Enough to Make Your Appointment

Hey Em and Lo, I know how important it is to see a gyno, but honestly, I am terrified to go.  I’ve actually made several appointments since I lost my virginity about nine months ago, but every time the date approaches, I find myself canceling last minute.  I’ve tried positive thinking, ignoring thoughts of the […]

How To
Vagina vs. Vulva — There’s a Difference, People

A while back we here at EMandLO.com conducted a poll called “Vulva or Vagina?” Readers had two options to choose from (natch): Vulva – If we’re talking about female external genitalia, this is the anatomically correct & accurate term. (Plus, it sounds nicer.) Vagina – That’s what EVERYONE calls it. It’s common practice, common knowledge. Nobody calls it […]

Advice
The Unbearable Lightness of Blowjobs

Miranda Levy is a major in Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies at Elon University where she pens a sex column for its student-run lifestyle magazine, The Edge.  “Popping her cherry” “Swiping my V-card” “Going all the way” All of these phrases — and countless more — connote one single, sexual act: intercourse. Given its reproductive implications, our […]

Dear Em & Lo
10 Reasons Your “Ugly Vagina” Is Normal and Gorgeous

There’s no such thing as an “ugly vagina.” Here’s why… Dear Em & Lo, A male acquaintance recently started a conversation about “ugly” vaginas with my friends and me. He said that some vaginas resemble “kebabs” and that a lot of guys are really put off sex when they get a hot girl naked and […]

Personal Essays
Confession: I Was Allergic to Sex

I started having intercourse at 15. Besides the perpetual awkwardness of budding teenage sexuality and the occasional urinary tract infection (UTI), my first few casual sex experiences in high school were fun, comfortable and safe — what I would call “healthy.”  Sophomore year, I entered a long distance relationship, and soon noticed that after my […]

What's Up Doc?
Dr. Kate, I Lost My Virginity and Now Tampons HURT!

Dr. Kate is an OB/GYN at one of the largest teaching hospitals in Boston who lectures nationally on women’s health issues and conducts research on reproductive health.  She regularly (and generously!) answers your health questions here on EMandLO.com. To ask her your own, click here. Dear Dr. Kate, About 2 months ago my boyfriend and I had sex for the first […]

What's Up Doc?
Dr. Kate: What Should I Do About a Vaginal Tear from Rough Sex?

Dr. Kate is an OB/GYN at one of the largest teaching hospitals in Boston who lectures nationally on women’s health issues and conducts research on reproductive health.  She regularly (and generously!) answers your health questions here on EMandLO.com. To ask her your own, click here. Dr. Kate, Hi, I recently had sex with a friend (with benefits) and he was going a […]

What's Up Doc?
Dr. Kate, Did Masturbation Cause My Labia to Look Like This?

Dr. Kate is an OB/GYN at one of the largest teaching hospitals in Boston who lectures nationally on women’s health issues and conducts research on reproductive health.  She regularly (and generously!) answers your medical questions here on EMandLO.com. To ask her your own, click here. Dr. Kate, My inner labia protrudes out a bit and is a bit large but […]

How To
How to (TRY TO) Female Ejaculate

Okay, before we tell you how to ejaculate, we have to set a couple things straight: First, yes, women can ejaculate. Next: no, not all women ejaculate. So if it doesn’t happen for you, please don’t stress about it or feel like your parts aren’t working properly. The last thing we mean to do is […]

What's Up Doc?
Dr. Kate, Sex Is Suddenly a Tight Squeeze — and It Hurts!

Dr. Kate is an OB/GYN at one of the largest teaching hospitals in Boston who lectures nationally on women’s health issues and conducts research on reproductive health.  She regularly (and generously!) answers your medical questions here on EMandLO.com. To ask her your own, click here. Dr. Kate, I have been having sex for about four years and for the past […]

What's Up Doc?
Dear Dr. Kate, I Keep Getting Bacterial Vaginosis (BV)!

Dr. Kate is an OB/GYN at one of the largest teaching hospitals in Boston who lectures nationally on women’s health issues and conducts research on reproductive health.  She regularly (and generously!) answers your medical questions here on EMandLO.com. To ask her your own, click here. Dr. Kate, I suffer from Bacterial Vaginosis and it happens when I have unprotected sex. […]

Dear Em & Lo
I Hate My Big Vulva/Vagina — What Can I Do?

Dear Em & Lo, I am always self-conscious when it comes to wearing jeans and tight dresses and it’s all because of my big vulva/vagina. This really affects my self-esteem really bad and I think that I am not normal. My vulva/vagina looks big and when I push in too if it, I can already […]

How To
For a Healthy Vulva, Wear This (NOT That)!

by Rebecca Jane Stokes for YourTango Get to your dresser and start throwing out your short-shorts ASAP. During the summer months, we all do our bests to look good. For me, looking good comes second to keeping my vagina nice and cool. That’s right, I said it. Hot vagina is a problem. If I don’t want to scare away […]

What's Up Doc?
Dear Dr. Kate: How Can I Make Sex Less Painful?

Dr. Kate is an OB/GYN at one of the largest teaching hospitals in Boston who lectures nationally on women’s health issues and conducts research on reproductive health.  She regularly (and generously!) answers your medical questions here on EMandLO.com. To ask her your own, click here. Dr. Kate, Since I started having sex (4 years ago, I’m 20 now) I’ve never […]

Advice
Use It Or Lose It: 7 Ways a Sex Drought Can Negatively Affect Your Vagina

Aly Walansky for YourTango [Editors’ note: “Sex” here means many things, including, but not limited to, intercourse, oral sex, manual sex, masturbation…]   SEX IS GOOD FOR OUR BODY in ways we can’t even imagine. From better sleep, to a stronger immune system, to burning calories and boosting our mood, getting some is good in many ways. Of […]

Research
12 Fascinating Facts About the Vagina (At Least 1 of Which Will Give You Nightmares)

by Emily Blackwood for YourTango   1. The word vagina comes from the Latin root meaning “sheath for a sword.” Not surprisingly, the word “gladius,” meaning “sword,” was a common term for the penis. WeHeartIt 2. In 2014, a doctor removed a potato that started sprouting vines inside patient’s vagina. The patient’s mother had told her it would prevent pregnancy. 3. It’s impossible […]