Sabine Walter

An anonymous writer put it this way: "Friends in your life are like pillars on your porch. Sometimes they hold you up and sometimes they lean on you. Sometimes it's just enough to know they're standing by." ©Seventyfour / Adobe StockWriter Elisabeth Foley points out that friendship doubles your joy and divides your grief, and that the most beautiful discovery that true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart.

If a couple tries to conceive but can’t seem to do it, one of the first things that doctors look for is a problem with the man’s sperm. Sperm compose about 5 to 10 percent of semen, and are the only part of the semen that can cause pregnancy. If a man is infertile, there is a problem with his sperm — often a low sperm count or low motility.

Heterosexual intercourse occurs whenever a man puts his penis into a woman’s vagina. That’s the minimal definition. But sex is about more than that simple act. As such, you may be curious, or you may want to know how to describe sex to a teenager. The information below explains what — exactly — happens during intercourse.

Impotence — meaning, the inability to have an erection when desired — frightens men, even though many have suffered from impotence at some point. Men may confuse short-term impotence with erectile dysfunction. The good news is that a couple of failures to have an erection doesn't mean there's something wrong with your penis.

If a woman finds penetration painful during intercourse, the problem is probably vaginismus — not a vagina that is too tight. Vaginismus is a medical condition in which vaginal muscles involuntarily tighten up to the point where the woman will experience vaginal pain during intercourse. Sometimes, vaginismus causes the muscles to contract so tightly that penetration is impossible.

Some couples worry about sexual intercourse during pregnancy, fearing that the thrusting of the penis can damage the baby. In most cases, sexual intercourse can’t do any damage, but certain conditions may prevent a couple from having intercourse. The most common signs that sex could cause problems for the mother or baby is spotting or pain after intercourse.

How much masturbation is too much? The social stigma against masturbation has made it a controversial question. (Some religions and cultures still say that masturbation is wrong.) At the same time, the sexual revolution has changed many attitudes. Parents may want to allow their children to explore their sexuality—but they want to know if their child is masturbating too much.

The sexual response cycle is, essentially, a clinical version of how a human body responds during sex. By examining thousands of examples, scientists are able to carefully describe the events that happen in the lead-up, actual experience, and follow-up of the sexual act. If you truly want to know what exactly is going on when two people have sex, the physical side is all explained through the sexual response cycle: Sexual Desire Phase: The Sexual Desire Phase, sometimes called the libido, precedes actual physical or psychological stimulation.

Many people have the erroneous notion that oral sex is completely safe because no one ever became pregnant through oral sex. But oral sex isn't entirely safe when it comes to sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). With more people engaging in oral sex, more people are catching STDs through oral sex. It is absolutely essential, if you want a healthy sex life, that you know how to have oral sex safely — for you and your partner.