Why isn’t it necessary to have a monthly period when taking hormonal birth control?
Knowing how your body works on hormonal birth control will help you understand why you can have fewer periods. When you’re taking any hormonal birth control – whether it’s a pill, shot, or patch – the period you get every month isn’t a real menstrual period. The hormones prevent you from ovulating. As a result, your uterine lining doesn’t build up, and you don’t need to shed it. The light, short bleeding that you experience is due to the withdrawal of hormones. Pill users have this withdrawal bleed or “pill period” when they take their placebo pills.
The bottom line – you don’t have to have a monthly period when you’re on hormonal birth control. Not only is it safe to do, but with fewer periods comes the added benefit of eliminating PMS symptoms each month.

Will taking hormonal birth control like the pill affects my chances of getting pregnant in the future?
One of the Pill’s greatest areas of misconception is conception. Research has shown that the Pill does not negatively affect a woman’s ability to conceive once she stops taking it.
- Once you stop taking the Pill, you should start ovulating again.
- There may be some delay in getting pregnant after taking any birth control pill. This is especially true if your periods were irregular before using a birth control pill.
- Extending the time between your periods or the number of years you’re on the Pill has no bearing on your ability to become pregnant in the future.

I’m dating a new guy who is great except for one thing: He always pulls away after sex. He tells me he needs to cool off for a while. He moves away or even leaves the room and tells me not to touch or talk to him for at least 20 minutes. It makes me feel bad. Plus, I like to cuddle afterward! Is this normal? And what can I do about it?
Ifs totally understandable why his “Ew, get away!” act is making you feel so badly. All you want to do is cuddle, and he’s acting like you have cooties. First off, let me reassure you that his behavior is actually quite common and definitely not anything to take personally. So why is he so standoffish after sex? I talked to a shrink who offered a possible explanation for this behavior: On a purely physical level, some guys become totally depleted after an orgasm. Endorphins that get released in his brain act like natural painkillers and zonk him out. As a result, he may just want to chill. And for many men, that doesn’t mean a 30-minute session of spooning and back tickling.
Another theory: When men have sex, we tend to let our guard down. But afterward, some of us wind up feeling embarrassed about exposing our emotions. To protect ourselves, we quickly put a wall back up in order to be less vulnerable. This could be the case with your guy.
The best thing you can do is talk to him about it. Say something like “I noticed that you don’t really want to cuddle after sex, which I can understand, but I need at least a little bit of affection from you. Is there something I can do to make you feel more comfortable with it?” Don’t tell him that he’s being a rude, emotionally closed jerk; don’t tell him what you think he’s feeling; don’t tell him you feel badly for him that he needs to shut down after sex. Instead, give him the chance to explain the reason he pulls back. Once you discuss where you both stand and come up with some solutions – like, say, just 10 minutes of snuggle time – you should be able to find a post carnal middle ground.

I’ve been faking orgasms with my guy for months now. I kept thinking that I’d eventually have one, but it hasn’t happened yet and now I’m just getting frustrated. The worst part is, my beau keeps doing the same things over and over, and using tricks he thinks actually work on me. I want to show him how to please me, but I don’t know how to tell him without revealing the truth. How do I talk to him without crushing his ego?
Here’s something I’ve just never understood about women: Why they’re so afraid to give guys a little direction. Believe me, we appreciate the tips. How else are we supposed to learn the right way to pleasure you – by watching porn? You’d hate that.
And now, you’ve gone months with this guy, and he has yet to give you an orgasm. As much as you want to get off though, I think you’re right to tread lightly. If after all this time you tell him the moaning was just an act, you’re not only going to destroy his self-esteem, but he may never trust you in bed again.
Instead, I would just try and start with a clean slate. The next time you’re getting it on, tell your guy that you want him to try something different, and show him exactly what you like. Once he picks up on all the right moves, be sure to let him know how much you like it. If he reverts back to his old ways, gently suggest, “You know, I love what you did the other night – can we try that again?” With some turn-you-on training, your formerly so-so stud will become a rock star in the sack.

After years together, my boyfriend broke up with me out of nowhere. Then two weeks later, he said that he realized I was the One and wanted to get back together. What happened during those two weeks to make him change his mind?
Sounds like your guy experienced something I like to call a mid-relationship crisis. This occasionally happens to guys in long-term situations – they wake up one morning feeling trapped. Then they begin wondering if the grass is perhaps greener on the single side. Foolishly, they suggest “taking a break” or explain that they “need their space.” Then a few short weeks later, they realize they made a terrible mistake and beg for forgiveness.
Likelihood is that he met someone else and dumped you to see what would happen with this other chick. In the time you were apart, he went on a few dates with her, only to discover she was actually a crazy bitch or a bore. Again, the grass wasn’t much greener.
In any case, it’s nice that he wants you back, but I wouldn’t let him off the hook so easily. Tell him you need some time to think things through, and break off contact for a few days or even weeks. Talk is cheap. He needs to show you how much he wants you back.
So after you’ve made him sit and suffer for a while, explain that he needs to prove his commitment to making the relationship work this time around. He should be willing to discuss the future with you as well as ways to make your bond even stronger than it was before. Think of it as a trial run: If he convinces you in those first few weeks that he’s ready to go the distance – and won’t panic and go running for the hills again – I think it’s safe to give this guy a second chance.

I worry about how I taste and smell when a new guy goes down on me. Is there anything I should do about it?
“Women often worry about how they taste and smell,” says Keesling. “Which is ironic, since many men are actually turned on by the natural aroma of their partners?”
However, even if your man thinks you smell as sweet as a rose garden, you won’t be able to enjoy his effort fully if you’re worried about offending him. But instead of reaching for a vaginal deodorant, which can irritate your vaginal tissue, your best bet is to wash your below-the-belt region with soap and water before sex. Why not take a shower or bath together as part of foreplay?
Even if you don’t suds up first, try to relax and focus on all the body-tingling sensations of your man’s mouth moves because if he voluntarily heads downtown and stays there, he’s most likely not offended by your scent. In fact, there’s a good chance he loves it.

My guy wants to have anal sex, but that’s one act I’m clueless about. Is it safe? What do I need to know?
These days, interest in backdoor booty is growing. Due to the prevalence of online pornography and the breaking down of sexual taboos, anal sex is no longer considered something only gay guys do. In fact, according to data released in a recent sex survey by the National Center for Health Statistics, one in every three women admitted to having had anal sex by the age of 24.
However, the act still isn’t exactly mainstream, so die prospect of exploring this somewhat “forbidden” area can be extremely erotic, explains Keesling, which is another reason why anal sex is becoming more popular. Not to mention the fact that die anus is loaded with nerve endings and can be a pleasure center for both men and women.
Bottom line: If the idea excites you, it’s fine to explore. But there are a few key things you should be aware of. Unlike the vagina, the anus isn’t self-lubricating or elastic. “The sphincter muscles clench upon contact, making penetration uncomfortable if you’re not relaxed,” says Keesling. So to enjoy the act, you need to take it slowly, having him insert just a little bit at a time. And be sure to use lots of water-based lube. Finally, even couples in a monogamous relationship must use a condom to prevent the spread of bacteria and be sure to replace that condom before switching to vaginal intercourse.

Sometimes when I’m having sex, my vagina makes a noise like I’m passing gas. It’s so embarrassing. What causes it and how can I prevent it?
This noisy emission, commonly referred to as a queef, is air escaping your vagina. “When you’re aroused, your vagina expands to allow room for your partner’s penis,” explains Barbara Keesling, PhD, author of Sex So Great She Can’t Get Enough. “His thrusting during intercourse pushes air into you, which fills the space in the inner part of your vagina that has expanded. A shift in body position or a deep thrust can force that air out, resulting in the fartlike sound.” It’s also possible to queef post-orgasm, when air is expelled as die vagina returns to its prearoused state.
While making a gassy sound can be mortifying, it’s actually common. But if it’s getting in the way of your pleasure, try these preventive tricks: First, “Lie on your back and gently press down on your abdomen with the palm of your hand prior to intercourse,” suggests Keesling. “This will expel air already present in your vagina.” During sex, encourage your guy to make shallow strokes, and avoid pelvis-elevated positions like doggie-style, which can increase queefing.
But it’s silly to let a little noise restrict your romp. So if you do toot, try to just laugh it off. Any guy worth sleeping with will do the same.

My GP has diagnosed my vaginal irritation as a ‘chlamidya’ infection after taking some tests. She has given me some tablets to take, but I would like to know more about this problem.
Chlamydial vaginal infections are one of the most common forms of sexually transmitted disease in both sexes.
Chlamydiae are a group of organisms that are not bacteria, but closely resemble bacteria. They act as parasites inside human cells, cause the destruction of the cell where they multiply, and then move on to infect more cells.
They cause irritation of the vagina in women, and urethra (urine tube from bladder to outside) in both men and women, so that passing urine may be uncomfortable. In rare severe cases it can sptead to the nearby lymph nodes in the groin to cause lymphogranuloma venereum.
The infection is difficult to diagnose, but swabs from affected area are sometimes positive. Blood tests can also be used to make the diagnosis with internal infections.
Once suspected, it can be successfully treated with appropriate antibiotics.