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sexual health

Boots has always sold lubricants, pregnancy tests and condoms at the end of the family planning aisle, but that was about as exciting as it ever got. Zero steam, zero playtime, zero fun. Until now…

The brand has now launched an online "sexual pleasure and wellbeing" category, and the selection is pure FIRE. 

From bullet vibrators, wand vibrators and vibrating cock rings to G-spot vibes and Lovehoney frisky rabbits; there's something for every horny person on the website.


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The post on their website reads; 

"Say yes… yes…YES to our lust-worthy collection of adult toys to create a buzz in your sex life. Durex’s pleasure rings intensify the sexperience for you both.

"Or why not try So Divine’s discreet vibrating eggs or bullet vibrators? Smile Makers have given wand vibrators a makeover and we’re sure you’ll love their chic, pastel designs. There’s something for everyone, whether you’re going solo or having fun with your partner!"


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Research conducted by Boots has discovered that people dedicate 86 percent less time and 60 percent of our money and effort into our wellbeing, compared to any other aspect of our wellness lifestyles.

Sex and masturbation has dozens of known emotional and physical health benefits, so why not invest some time into your pleasure?

In Boot's survey, 45 percent of people said they're comfortable with buying/receiving gifts such as sex toys for or from their partner. These toys will be available in selected stores and you can order them online in discreet packaging.

Lovehoney's rabbit vibrator is a great toy for beginners, seeing as it's not too big and intimidating.

The 'ears' target vibrations to your clitoris while the shaft is designed to stimulate your G-spot at the same time. It's also waterproof so you can use it in the shower, if that's your thing.

Smile Makers The Fireman
Boots, €50

Smile Makers are renowned for their body-safe, phthalate-free sex toys, and creative flair.

The Fireman Personal Massager is described as a "uniquely-shaped clitoral vibrator for an extended stimulation of the whole vulva." Hot damn.

"The house may be burning but this helmeted stud isn't afraid of an intense situation," the description reads. It's quiet, waterproof and has four speeds and two pulsation modes. GET IT

The So Divine Magic Wand is a powerful, dual-motor vibrator that adds to your passion with three speed options and seven pulsating patterns.

It's described as the strong but quiet type that's easy to charge up, and is discreet too. It's water-resistant, latex and phthalate-free, made of premium silky soft silicone and powerful, why not give it a go?

The So Divine Vibrating Rabbit is infamous for its clitoral stimulator and gently contoured shaft.

"The vibrating silicone rabbit has both your clitoral and G-spot orgasm needs covered for an intense blended orgasm," the website description reads.

"Both the stimulator and shaft can be operated separately and with three speeds and seven pulsating patterns, you'll be reaching new highs in no time." Yes, please.

Kiss Kiss also has a heat function, warming up to a body temperature of 37-38 degrees for a lifelike feel that will leave you with a warm, happy glow. Don't forget that dual motor, and it's latex-free.

The stretchy, snug-fitting Lovehoney ring is designed to prolong your fun, offering constriction, climactic textures and relentless single-speed vibrations for two.

"Lovingly crafted from velvety silicone, this petite treat offers mutual arousal in a pocket-sized, travel-friendly package." It's waterproof too, for showertime fun.

It's high time you treated yourself (and others) to some sex toy fun. Get out of your comfort zone and broaden those sexual horizons.

It's not just penetrative sex that gives pleasure, gals and guys. Shop the entire Boots sex toy collection here.

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Feature image: Instagram/@smilemakerscollection





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Still feelin' horny? We certainly don't.


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Feature image: Instagram/@iambiancaharris 


The long-held absurd belief that men have massive libidos and women are pretty indifferent when it comes to sex is still a prominent myth in our society, and new research proves this point.

A new study commissioned by the End Violence Against Women Coalition has shown that almost half of people still reckon that men have stronger sex drives than women.

3,922 British adults were quizzed on heterosexual relationships, and one-third of people (32 percent) think men need sex more than women (WOW) compared to only one percent who said the opposite.

45 percent of the study's participants said that they think a man is more likely to initiate sex, compared with three percent who believe the opposite. 

43 percent said that both sexes were equally responsible for starting sex. One-in-10 of respondents claimed that a woman decides when the intimate act has finished, compared with 36 percent for men and 38 percent who said both.

"Although it's good to find that three-quarters of adults believe men and women are both likely to enjoy sex, what we clearly also have are persistent, widely held views about who sex is primarily 'for', who 'needs' it and whose pleasure matters,” said Sarah Green, director of the organisation.

"This is a cornerstone of equality as much as equal pay and shared parenting, but 'the orgasm gap' is perhaps not as widely discussed as some other key equality issues."

Interestingly, pensioners are more likely than 18-24-year-olds to believe both partners enjoy sex. People aged 65 and older felt both a man and woman would equally enjoy sex.

Among 18-24-year-olds, just 25 percent believe having sex is a mutual decision, while 50 percent think it is up to the man to decide. Just 10 percent believe it’s up to women to choose whether they have sex.

7 percent think women are more likely to "go along with sex to keep their partner happy", compared with only 2 percent who thought the same of men.

Dr Fiona Vera Gray, research fellow at Durham Law School and expert on sexual harassment and pornography, said: "This report shows how far we've got to go in changing outdated ideas about women as sexual gatekeepers."

Research has recently proven that men and women are equally aroused by sexual images, showing that sex makes no difference to the response to sexual visual stimuli.

The Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics in Tübingen, Germany published the news in the scientific journal PNAS last month, saying; "Erotic pictures and videos are widely assumed to induce differential response due to sexual duality," the researchers stated.






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A thousand people took part in the sexy survey.













Happy humping!


Kissing is fun, everybody knows that. But who would have known that the act of smooching can actually give you HEALTH BENEFITS? 

Does it heal your broken heart, clear your skin and boost your immune system? You're about to find out.

Strap yourselves in ladies, here are each and every glorious health benefit of puckering up. You should probably find someone to practice on…you know, for the sake of your body. It's a temple, isn't it?

Just don't do it like this:

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According to a 2009 scientific study, when we kiss somebody, our bodies release hormones which can actually ease stress. In the case of men, it increases bonding too. We love a good bromance alert.

Oral healthcare, anyone?

Now, we're not saying that you shouldn't brush your teeth or use mouthwash, but allegedly, a good kiss marathon is great news for your teeth and gums. How? Listen up:

Andréa Demirjian, author of Kissing: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about One of Life’s Sweetest Pleasures, explains:

“When you’re kissing, you’re secreting more saliva in your mouth. That’s the mechanism that washes away the plaque on your teeth that leads to cavities.” A shift a day keeps the dental plaque away, girlos.

allison janney kiss GIF by The Late Show With Stephen Colbert

It acts as a painkiller (Seriously)

Your achy, break-y heart deserves some attention. Especially when you've got some form of cramps, like your time of the month.

Apparently, some lip action actually helps to reduce the effects of chronic pain. Some savvy scientists at Current Pharmaceutical Design conducted some research into smooching, learned that the “cuddle hormone” oxytocin is packed full of analgesic painkilling properties.

Oxytocin s released whenever you kiss and hug your partner, so do it as much as possible, we say. Blood vessel dilation after a good kissing sesh is great for reducing aches and pains, so when you're on your period, pucker up. You NEED it, right?

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Hayfever or Bae-fever?

Anyone who suffers from allergies can rejoice at this news; apparently kissing eases itchy eyes and snotty noses (ew).

Researchers at Satou Hospital in Japan investigated the protective effect of kissing against allergies, and claim that locking lips for only 30 minutes can do wonders for the immune system.

It decreases the release of histamine (the chemical which is produced in response to allergens) as it relaxes you, and also can work miracles for eczema sufferers. Is there anything a great shift can't do?

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No pressure, honeys

So apparently, kissing can even reduce your blood pressure? We've all felt butterflies in our stomachs and a weakening of the ol' knees, as well as a quickening heartbeat, and now we've figured out that kissing passionately does even more:

Demirjian explains: “It gets your heartbeat revved in a healthy way that lowers your blood pressure. It dilates the blood vessels, allowing blood to flow more freely, taking pressure off your organs, especially your heart and brain.”

Hot Diggedy Damn, we're 100 percent HERE for this science.

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Let's talk about sex, baby, let's talk about you + me

Your sex life gets some HELLA drastic improvements from kissing; the two go together like Grace & Frankie, like women and vibrators, like Netflix and chill. You get the idea.

Kissing is also WAY more likely to increase your chances of having an orgasm. Lord knows we could use some of those…

As Carol Queen, the staff sexologist at Good Vibrations, explains;

“Kissing is a powerful type of foreplay… it helps increase the chances that both partners will have a good and pleasurable erotic experience.”

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Face the Facts

So BASICALLY, kissing involves more than 30 facial muscles, which can be given a major workout from a good kiss.

According to Demirjian, tongue wrestling can strengthen your neck and jawline – very good news, as these are particularly tricky spots to exercise on a daily basis.

“Your mouth has a number of facial muscles,” she says. “When those are engaged in kissing, you can tighten and tone them.”

Tighten and tone, you say? Sign us up.

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2019 Mood

A perfectly-timed kiss can be the ideal mood booster. If scientists are saying it, then it must be true, right?

Puckering up can give your body a big-time release of happiness hormones, such as serotonin, oxytocin and dopamine. Ooh la la.

Those hormonal bad boys can help you relax, restore and revitalise your system. What more could you need?

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NOW do you believe us about scientific research? 

Grab that lad or lassie and get your smooch on, it's for your own benefit, and theirs too.

Your doctor has officially given you one prescription to visit the LOVE shack *winks* 

Get it, gurrrlllll…


Unrealistic beauty standards don't seem to give up easily when it comes to women's bodies. *Sigh*

The latest monstrosity is a vagina spa, which has boomed in New York for the last two years and is now landing in London. The VSPOT Medi Spa is expanding, founder Cindy Barshop tells Refinery 29

They're ready to inject, buff and pluck your painfully normal private parts into something magical, and will then charge you a small fortune.


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Both the general public as well as medical professionals have an array of questions for the spa, which was probably inspired by Gwyneth Paltrow's…questionable…Goop vaginal steaming recommendation.

Her suggestion was mocked by gynaecologists on both sides of the Atlantic.

The treatment involves lying on a bed while “steam infused with therapeutic herbs is targeted towards your nether regions” and is an absolute bargain!! Just €112!! Wow!!

Dr Vanessa Mackay, spokesperson for Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), debunks the myth that your vagina needs extensive cleaning, seeing as it cleans itself.

“The vagina contains good bacteria, which are there to protect it. If these bacteria are disturbed it can lead to infection, such as bacterial vaginosis or thrush, and inflammation,” she told HuffPost UK.

“Steaming the vagina could affect this healthy balance of bacteria and pH levels and cause irritation, infection (such as bacterial vaginosis or thrush) and inflammation. It could also burn the delicate skin around the vagina (the vulva).”

Dr Mackay adds that, to keep yourself feelin' fresh to death, just wash the vulva externally each day with water and UN-perfumed soap. Emphasis on the 'UN'.

Image: Instagram/@vspotmedispa

The  24K Gold Vajacial is a treatment for your vulva, which involved having wax infused with 24K gold smeared over your pubes…*pause for laughter*.

The wax is whipped off and your bikini area blasted with LED lights, designed to “fight ingrown hairs and smooth out the skin tone”.

The price is mysteriously absent from their website (never a good sign) but the 24K Gold Vajacial claims; “gold is a natural anti-inflammatory agent which also helps brighten the skin”.

God help these people.

The O-Shot involves having your own blood platelets injected into your vaginal tissue, which apparently “stimulates vaginal and clitoral rejuvenation”. Translation: They claim it gives you orgasms.

No price is listed, once again, so that's shady shit. 

Dr Naomi Crouch, another RCOG spokesperson, says there's; “no proven evidence or research studies to suggest that injecting a woman’s blood into her clitoris would improve her chances of having an orgasm”.

“Difficulty having an orgasm can be caused by a number of physical or psychological issues including not being stimulated sufficiently, worrying about sexual performance, mood disorders such as depression, problems with physical health, a lack of knowledge or fear of sex, a previous traumatic sexual experience, problems in the relationship or the menopause,” she tells HuffPost.

If you’re unable to have an orgasm, you should see your GP or go to a genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinic, she says.

“They will be able to check for any physical reasons that may be causing the problem, and may refer the woman for psychosexual counselling if there are no obvious physical issues.”

Basically…Don't give up your hard-earned cash for a place like VSPOT, who just take advantage of society's bizarre beauty standards and women's insecurities to take overly rich people's money.


Condoms have been around for decades, and now you can even buy all types of styles- ribbed, flavoured, heated, extra-thin etc.

It can slip everyone's mind that they help prevent unwanted STIs and pregnancy, particularly when you're about to get frisky with someone and they decline the condom offer.

We've heard the excuses before; "I'm too big to wear a condom", "It doesn't feel good", "It just falls off", "I can't orgasm while wearing one".

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Blah, blah blah; the contraceptives available for women can cause long-term health issues, changes their entire hormonal system, often induces anxiety, migraine, dizziness or causes spotted bleeding.

The list of side effects goes on, but men often say no to a simple condom. The excuses often aren't valid, so tell your boy to wrap it up stat. Luckily for him, we've got a hack to help ease any discomfort.

Cosmopolitan's sex researcher Maureen Miller, PhD, offered some advice;

“Add a few drops of water-based lube to the inside of your condom before you put it on. Men report being amazed at how much better it feels.” SO SIMPLE.

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Many condoms come with lubrication on the outside, adding just one or two drops into the tip of the condom before putting it on and rolling it down can make the world of difference for a guy's comfort.

If lube feels unreal for you, we're fairly sure it'll feel great for him too. You only need to add a little bit of lube, however. Too much will make the condom more susceptible to falling off.

Anti-baby note to remember: Oil-based lube can break the condom or thin the walls, so if you're not on any other contraceptive, make sure it's water-based lubricant. We recommend the YES brand.


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“Condoms are mighty hard to break, although not impossible. The number one reason for condom breakage is that the condom was not put on properly," Miller says. 

"The tip must be squeezed as the condom is being rolled down the penis so that there is room for ejaculate. Otherwise, the condom can burst," she adds. Remember: Safe sex is hot as f*ck.

There are plenty of ways to make putting on condoms super sexy; “Using your mouth, tongue, and hands, make the project of putting on a condom really erotic." Damn, we need to try this.





Concern’s team leader for health and HIV Breda Gahan said:






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Female masturbation has long faced stigma, yet male masturbation is socially accepted as normal, and even healthy. Yet the advantages and benefits of self-pleasure for women can be easily overlooked.

A new study by TENGA took a dive into the world of self-lovin', and highlighted the impacts it has on everyone around the globe. 

The sex toy company surveyed 10,000 people from nine different countries worldwide to investigate how much masturbation has impacted their lives. The result? It's pretty damn important to people.

According to the results, 91 percent of people in the United Kingdom indulge in masturbation, or have at one point or another. That's around 60 million people, which is impressive.

Unfortunately the survey didn't use Irish people as participants, but we reckon the UK is close enough of an indicator.

When the surveyed population were asked why they masturbate, they responded with three dominant reasons; to satisfy their horniness, to achieve sexual pleasure or to relax/relieve stress.

Other reasons were boredom, to help them sleep, to give them body confidence, to become a better sexual partner or because their partner didn't want to have sex with them at the time.

Other research showed that British men and LGBTQ+ are more likely than other group to masturbate, and men and younger generations tend to start younger – around the age of 13.

93 percent of men said that they had masturbated before, while 88 percent of women claimed to have indulged themselves in self-pleasure before. Women tended to start at the later age of 15.

The stereotype is that women don't masturbate as much as men, but science has disproved this on multiple occasions. Girls love self-love, face the pleasurable facts.

Women who currently use a sex toy were found to be more satisfied with almost every aspect of their sex lives than women who don’t – especially when it comes to quality of masturbation and frequency of orgasm.

When asked how often they masturbate, 61 percent of British participants confirmed they do it at least weekly – a greater share than in almost every other country surveyed. 

Those UK people surveyed said that they are horniest in the month of July (summer lovin'), touch themselves most between 7:30 – 11:30 p.m. and, normally take to their bedrooms to do it.

Sexual therapists and health experts agree that masturbation has many benefits, including letting go of sexual shame, better sex, improved body image and a stronger libido. It also releases stress-reducing endorphins in women. 

64 percent of Brits surveyed consider masturbation to be a form of self care or therapy, and 52 percent think it impacts wellness or state-of-mind.


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While men tend to orgasm all or most of the time, women are significantly less likely to orgasm as frequently.

Nearly 80-90 percent of people find masturbation to have a positive effect across most aspects of their lives, including their mood, health, energy and productivity levels, and their relationships.

Among the 41 percent of Brits who have regular masturbation routines, men usually watch porn but women prefer to use their imaginations. Interestingly, British fantasise about previous partners more often than their current one. Hmm…

Finally, when asked what celebrities were fantasised about, the most common answers were Jennifer Lawrence, Tom Hardy, Mia Khalifa, Christian Grey, Johnny Depp and Emma Watson.


A brand new online service is allowing people to tell their previous partners anonymously about STIs, and hopes it will encourage more people to get tested.

E4's The Sex Clinic has links with this STI testing company, which allows service users to anonymously text or email current or former partners in order to tell them about the positive result.

Patients have a secure login to the online portal, where test results can be accessed, and if anyone tests positively for an STI, they can anonymously contact them.

The person using the service can enter either an email address or mobile number for the person or people they want to notify, and select whether they want to remain anonymous or not.

After that, it's sent automatically and the weight is off your shoulders. Seems pretty easy, doesn't it? The only catch is if you don't have the person's email address or phone number…

The notice tells the receiver a “person who cares about you has recently tested positive for an STI” and explains in detail about the STI and how to get tested.

STI fact sheets, counselling and support, details on treatment and information on next steps can also be found on their website, Better2know.

Recently, a survey of 2,000 people undertaken by online pharmacy chemist-4-u.com found that a shocking 72 percent of people diagnosed with an STI chose NOT to tell their most recent sexual partners about it.

Better2know.co.uk, hopes to encourage the growth of sexual knowledge by making it easier to tell partners about STIs. 

Metro.co.uk poll showed that 92 percent of people would be worried about how they'd be perceived by a partner who they told about an STI.

The website has been hugely successful so far with patients, who praise the service and claim they never would have notified previous partners unless it was anonymous.

Mike Asher, Chairman and CEO of Better2know.co.uk stated the importance of sexual healthcare and education;

Image: Better2know.co.uk/iStock

“STIs are often initially symptomless, so people need to know their status and how to get treatment – whether that’s communicated anonymously or face-to-face.

"Too often people fail to properly communicate to sexual partners once they have had a positive result. Sometimes patients want to avoid awkwardness or it is because they are upset at the implications of the results," Asher continued.

"Other times it’s down to apprehension about how a recent or short-term partner might react or feelings of guilt. We hope the text service encourages people to inform partners that they are at risk and that as a result, more people get the testing and treatment they need."

The Bulletin of the World Health Organization have just published a study which warns of a 'silent epidemic' in terms of STIs.

According to the survey, an incredible one in 25 people globally are carrying an STI.

Better2know recommends considering the temperament of the partner or partners', and to accept that they may react negatively. Think about what emotional support the person will need, and physical healthcare.

Mike Asher says that how a person tells their partner or former lovers is a very personal choice, but anonymous services can beat the awkwardness, especially if the person barely knows their former partners.

“We are always keen that both parties are first in a place and position where they feel safe and able to process information,” he said.

Being open and honest with a partner is always best to reduce the risk of serious health complications, like infertility.






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It's imperative that checking your sexual health regularly becomes the norm.

Remember folks; if in doubt, check it out.

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