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Ancient Roman fresco depicting a nude couple in an intimate pose on a bed, with faded hues on a textured background.

Sex and sexuality

idea

What rude jibes about Caesar tell us about sex in ancient Rome

‘Every woman’s man and every man’s woman’ was a slur Julius Caesar’s political opponents levied. What did it mean?

by Aven McMaster

A mannequin head with painted blue eyes and red lips, partially obscured by a blurred pink and white shape in the foreground.

Sex and sexuality

idea

The sex tech to come could offer more than ‘the real thing’

Sexbots and other artificial lovers might arouse discomfort, but their continued advances could have unexpected upsides

by Rob Brooks

Blurry photo of a dimly lit interior with a person in swimwear under red lighting.

Work and vocation

idea

In an unstable economy, I found freedom and security in sex work

Speculation about the mental health of sex workers is undermining. Focus instead on how to improve our working conditions

by Tamara MacLeod

Photo of a couple kissing at a café table with glasses of wine, seen through a window reflecting city lights.

Love

idea

Your partner’s infidelity needn’t be a relationship catastrophe

Infidelity needn’t end a relationship: many people have affairs for reasons that have nothing to do with their partner

by Dylan Selterman

A man watches a film on a monitor, showing a close-up of a scene with two people.

Addiction

idea

If you think you’ve got a porn addiction, you probably haven’t

People with addictions see relationships, health and careers fall apart. Most people who watch porn don’t meet this definition

by Joshua Grubbs

Persian miniature painting of two figures embracing with ornate garments and calligraphy on a decorative background.

Spirituality and religion

idea

From sexual union to the divine – the teachings of Ibn al-‘Arabi

The Sufi scholar Ibn al-‘Arabi was a divine lover who saw the initial act of creation mirrored in the male-female union

by Heba Yosry

Photo of a man lounging on a beach towel with a ball as a pillow a woman sits nearby with colourful umbrellas and buildings.

Sex and sexuality

idea

Human bodies change through life. So does our sexuality

Sexual identity is more than sexual orientation. It develops and changes as our bodies develop and change through our lives

by Jana Byars

A painting of a distressed woman at a bath with two men observing her from behind a wall, appearing to whisper.

Artists and art history

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What art history reveals about the rise of anti-feminist women

How can anyone favour a patriarchal system that routinely harms them? On Susanna and the Elders and anti-feminist women

by Paula Keller

Photo of a person wearing glasses viewing a blurred screen focus on glasses frame.

Sex and sexuality

idea

Does porn harm or help? Gender could matter in a surprising way

Whether porn use benefits or harms young adults’ sex lives is a contentious question. Data suggest some (nuanced) answers

by Nicolas Sommet & Jacques Berent

Photo of five people on a wooden walkway in a waterside village smiling, one pair embracing, colourful laundry in background.

Sex and sexuality

idea

The new genomics of sexuality moves us beyond ‘born this way’

The new genomics of sexuality reflects a social and political reality that has moved beyond ‘born this way’ and the ‘gay gene’

by Joanna Wuest

Photo of a casino scene with people, poker chips on a table, and a man lighting a cigar. A woman in a blue top smiles.

Work and vocation

idea

The ways Sugar Babies navigate two roles: lover and employee

‘Sugaring’ involves the commodification of romance – presenting a puzzle of love, labour and autonomy for those involved

by Brynn Valentine

Vintage painting of a man by a window with yellow flowers looking at a woman in a pink dress lying on a bed.

Stories and literature

idea

Young women were the true originators of the Grimms’ Tales

Snow White, Rapunzel, Cinderella – the old fairy tales are full of female lust and hope, and most were told by women

by Christine Lehnen