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.

Female orgasms tend to come in more varieties than male orgasms. Because of that, women’s orgasms have been an issue of contention ever since the days of Sigmund Freud in the early 1900s. Women have reported experiencing the following types of orgasms: Clitoral orgasms: These orgasms are triggered by stimulation of the clitoris, either before, during, or after intercourse.

Understanding women's sexual (or reproductive) organs such as the vagina, uterus, and vulva is as integral to sex as understanding the penis. Demystifying female anatomy is key to good sexual functioning, whether you're a mature, experienced adult or looking to learn about women's sexual organs for the first time.

One of the biggest questions for teens isn’t “Should I have sex?” but “How far should I go?” While one’s own comfort level and that of the partner should be the top priority in this decision, other factors play a role — especially if teenagers are considering that amorphous concept of “third base.” “Third base” probably sounds outdated to today’s teenagers.

Knowing how a penis functions can provide useful insight into sex and the human body — whether you want to understand the penis and male anatomy better or learning about it for the first time. Basically, a penis is composed of three structures, which are made of a spongelike material that can fill with blood: The two corpus cavernosa contain the central arteries and lie on the top half of the penis.

If you’ve heard of only one STD, it's probably AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), which is linked to infections by HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). Why is so much more attention given to HIV/AIDS than to any other sexually transmitted disease? Because AIDS is deadly, and it has no cure and no vaccine.

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.

What is sex, exactly? In other words, what "counts" as having sex? And when do you stop being a virgin? Sexual relations cover activities beyond intercourse: They also include outercourse, oral sex, and anal sex. So what are the differences and how do they impact virginity? One thing that all forms of sex (outercourse, oral sex, anal sex, and intercourse) have in common is that they involve two people giving each other the pleasure that comes from having an orgasm.