With all the talk of eroding family values and news of severed celebrity marriages, you may find it hard to believe that the U.S. divorce rate has actually been declining since its peak in 1981. That’s right – the national rate of divorce is now at its lowest level since 1970, the same year “The Partridge Family” debuted on TV and “Let It Be” topped the pop charts (and about the same time The Beatles cited their own irreconcilable differences). Behind this trend is the fact that more...

A hickey is a bruise caused by someone sucking or nibbling on the skin of another person. Bruises usually appear when skin is injured by a fall, a bump, or an overzealous romantic partner. Skin discoloration occurs as a result of broken blood vessels and blood leaking into the tissues just below the skin. Women are more prone to bruising than men. During the healing phase, which may take 2 weeks or more, hickies and bruises create a rainbow of colors, including blue, purple, red, and...

Even better than curing STDs is preventing them in the first place. Protect yourself and your partner by talking about STDs before you have sex, getting tested and protecting yourself through the consistent and correct use of condoms. Keep in mind that even sex with a condom is not risk-free. Only through abstinence or mutually monogamous sex with an uninfected partner can you lower your risk to around zero.

But what of their deeper origins? Each STD, be it a virus, bacteria or protozoan, has taken a different evolutionary path to its present day existence. Many were likely present in other animals first, later mutating to survive in humans. Once the trans-species leap was made, the proliferation of each disease became tied to a complex array of factors including the movement of people – facilitated by ships, roads, airplanes, urbanization and globalization – and the sexual practices they brought...

While you are safe from last semester’s chlamydia scare let’s talk about some basic vibrator care tips. It’s only smart to clean your machine between uses. While there are specially marketed products for cleaning, soap and water will do the trick perfectly well. You can also use baby wipes, rubbing alcohol, or hydrogen peroxide. If your vibrator is porous (latex rubber or silicone) adding a bit of bleach to the soap and water mixture will help destroy germs in tiny, hard to reach surface areas.

Menstrual fluid itself is not harmful. Having sex with a healthy, un-infected woman during her “period” is not dangerous. The key word is “healthy” and by that we mean uninfected with HIV or other sexually transmissible infections. We know that blood can carry infections such as hepatitis, HIV and other diseases. If a woman doesn’t have any blood-borne infections, then having sex during menstruation is not dangerous – it’s simply a personal choice. Menstruation is the natural function of a...

Early ejaculation is normal, and very common, among men of all ages, particularly younger men. Premature ejaculation occurs when a guy “cums” earlier than either partner desires. There is no required or perfect timetable for ejaculation – it depends on the partners and on the particular situation. Sometimes it’s advantageous to have sex quickly – for example, when a roommate is expected home soon, or time is limited for other reasons. When a man masturbates and has limited privacy, speed can...

By having a health care provider examine your mole, you have already taken one of the most important steps in protecting your health. Your gynecologist will be able to let you know if there is any cause for concern, and can refer you to a dermatologist if things don’t look right. Moles on or around the g******s are common in both men and women, but are usually harmless and require no treatment. As you mention, size, color and shape all play a part in identifying moles that might pose a...

But since you are asking about facts and not just how things appear on the surface, you may be surprised to hear that the numbers tell a different story. According to the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) National Youth Risk Behavior Survey from 1991 to 2005, the percentage of teens who had ever had sexual intercourse actually decreased over the past fifteen years. Huh? That’s right, recent trend data shows that there are fewer teens having sex, not the other way around. What’s more, the...

A. What you describe is a condition called galactorrhea (pronounced “guh-lak-tuh-ree-uh”), and is characterized by a spontaneous flow of breast milk in the absence of childbirth or a nursing child. Though uncommon, galactorrhea is most likely seen in women, but can also show up in men in rare instances. Possible causes of galactorrhea are many and may include: • Starting a new medication • Taking herbs such as nettle, fennel, thistle, anise or others • Drug use, particularly marijuana and...

Good question; however, there is not a “one size fits all” answer because female sexual health involves many factors. Some of the factors include age, past and current health issues, number of sexual partners, method of birth control, and any history of sexually transmitted disease and pregnancy. Most medical providers (and health organizations) recommend that young women have a health exam by a gynecologist or nurse practitioner every year, particularly between the ages of 18-30...

The chance of pregnancy from the situation you describe is highly unlikely – but not impossible. To put this in perspective, let’s first describe the ideal situation for getting pregnant. Conception is best achieved when the penis is positioned inside the vagina during ejaculation, and when the woman is at the most fertile stage of her menstrual cycle (the days shortly before, during, or shortly after ovulation). While finger sex has a very low risk of pregnancy, you can make sexual...

Building a healthy relationship is probably one of life’s biggest challenges, but the rewards are both defining and enduring. Clearly, there is no one way to make a relationship work, but they do share some common elements. We’ve all heard that trust and communication are essential, but the real key is finding everyday ways to establish and reinforce these connections with your partner. Think about how you convey your appreciation for each other in small acts – you may be surprised by how...

Among women who use oral contraceptives (OCs) correctly and consistently (not missing any pills and following instructions perfectly) only about 3 in 1000 (0.3%) are expected to become pregnant within the first year of use. The failure rates among “typical” users in the real world (read: not perfect) are estimated to be 8 in 100 becoming pregnant (8%). Clearly, there is a big difference between perfect use and typical use. There are many highly effective brands of OCs with varying...

Intercourse, whether through vaginal or anal penetration, is just one form of sexual intimacy. The options, as you suggest, need not be limited to these alone. Whether gay, straight, lesbian, or bisexual, many couples enjoy kissing, massage, foreplay, fantasy, frottage (the French word for body rubbing), mutual masturbation, or talking as other ways to enjoy one another and arouse the senses. While lower risk than anal sex, oral stimulation can be another satisfying option, but keep in mind...

Given your encyclopedic knowledge of sex, do you happen to be a faithful reader of this column? If so, you already know about STIs, the Pill, premature ejaculation, menstruation, discussing sex with your partner, Gardasil, the life of sperm, where to get tested, sexual health stats on UA students and the fact that the Campus Health Pharmacy sells 100 condoms for $12.99. You may have even discovered that every SexTalk written since 2001 is archived online at www.health.arizona.edu.

A. often think of alcohol as an aphrodisiac, a sure method of arousing desire in ourselves or a partner. The truth is that alcohol is It depends on how much alcohol we’re talking about. People neither an aphrodisiac nor stimulant for sex. Having a drink or two will relax you, but getting way too relaxed may result in things not working the way you want them to. Remember that sex takes coordination even when sober, so getting intoxicated can negatively impact performance. Both males and...