Sexual Health Alliance

What Makes People Trust S//xual Health Information? 🔎

S//xual health information is everywhere. But when people are looking for answers about something personal, sensitive, or medical, simply having information available isn’t enough.

Research suggests people pay attention to whether information is understandable, where it comes from, and whether the source feels credible. In one study of an online s//xual health resource, perceived trustworthiness and understanding were both strongly associated with whether people were willing to return to the resource and recommend it to others.

Other research shows people may actively cross-check sources, look for signs of credibility, and distinguish factual information from opinion, especially when seeking medical s//xual health information.

And there’s good reason to be selective. One study evaluating 177 s//xual health websites encountered by young people found that the overall quality of the information was below average, with more complex and controversial topics more likely to contain inaccuracies.

For professionals, that matters. Being comfortable talking about s//xuality is valuable, but trust also depends on being able to offer information that is accurate, understandable, and grounded in professional knowledge.

If s//xual health is part of the work you do, or the work you want to do, take our 30-second QUIZ to find the SHA Certification that fits your professional goals.

1 Out Of 12 Watches Explicit Media On Mute 🔇

We tend to think of explicit media as something we watch. But what we hear may be an important part of the experience, too.

In a 2024 experiment, participants watched the same explicit material either with or without sound. The silent versions were rated as less s//xually aro//sing, suggesting that audio isn't simply background noise; it can become part of the erot/c stimulus itself.

Sound may also provide information that visuals can't fully communicate. Vocalizations, rhythm, and tone can offer cues about pleasure, intensity, and interaction, potentially shaping not only aro//sal but how a scene is interpreted.

Still, some people choose silence. Recent viewing data found that 8.5% watched explicit media on mute, but the data didn't tell us why. Privacy, personal preference, environment, or something else entirely could play a role.

It's another reminder that s//xual aro//sal is rarely about one stimulus alone. What we see, hear, feel, notice, and interpret can all become part of the experience.

Want to deepen your understanding of human s//xuality? Take our 30-second QUIZ to discover which SHA Certification path fits your interests.

Which Generation Is Having The Best S//x? 👀

According to a 2026 s//x census, the answer might surprise you: Baby Boomers reported the most satisfying s//x lives among the generations surveyed.

And that satisfaction didn’t necessarily mean s//x was physically easier. Many Boomers also reported age-related changes to s//xual performance, erectile function, and health.

So what might “good s//x” look like as we get older?

The survey described Boomers as particularly pleasure-led, while also finding that they were more likely to connect s//x with expressing love, feeling close to a partner, and deepening intimacy.

It’s a useful reminder that s//xual satisfaction isn’t necessarily about keeping our bodies or s//x lives exactly the same throughout adulthood. Desire, pleasure, intimacy, relationships, health, and s//xual functioning can all change over time, and what feels satisfying may evolve alongside them.

There’s another side to the findings, too. Many Boomers surveyed reported never using protection or having an STI screening, while Australian surveillance data showed rising chlamydia notification rates among adults over 50.

S//xuality doesn’t have an expiration date. Neither does the need for s//xual health education.

Ready to deepen your understanding of human s//xuality across the lifespan? Take our FREE 30-second QUIZ to discover which SHA Certification fits your professional goals.

That Uniform Looks So Hot… 🔥

There may be more behind the attraction than the uniform itself.

Uniform fet//shes can involve attraction or aro//sal connected to specific uniforms or the people wearing them. But uniforms also communicate something before a person ever says a word: authority, expertise, discipline, service, strength, status, or belonging.

That symbolism can make uniforms especially powerful in fantasy and roleplay. A costume can quickly establish a character, a hierarchy, or a dynamic, and for some people, temporarily stepping into that role is part of the appeal.

For others, it really is about the clothing. The material, texture, fit, restriction, appearance, or the way a garment emphasizes the body can all become part of what makes it erot//c.

But when a fantasy involves authority, commands, restraint, discipline, or other power dynamics, putting on a uniform doesn’t create real authority. The power within the fantasy still has to be negotiated.

The costume may establish the role. Consent establishes its limits.

Before stepping into character, knowing everyone’s YES, NO, and MAYBE can make those conversations clearer.

Download the FREE “CHECK” guide to explore your Yes / No / Maybe boundaries and start the conversation.

Who’s Supposed To Bring Up S//x First? 💬

For many patients, talking about s//xual health can already feel difficult. But when healthcare providers don’t ask, important conversations may never happen.

Research suggests there’s a real disconnect. In one study of 917 people who had discussed plans to conceive with a provider, nearly 70% had never discussed their s//x lives at all. Among those who had, more than half had to initiate the conversation themselves.

Another study found s//xual concerns came up in just 4.2% of observed general-practice consultations, and nearly three-quarters of those conversations were initiated by patients.

Yet that doesn’t necessarily mean patients prefer to take the lead. Separate research found 70% wanted their doctor to ask about s//xual concerns, while only 26% preferred that their doctor wait for them to bring it up.

So why the silence?

Training may be part of the gap. In one study, 61.5% of general practitioners felt they had received insufficient education about s//xual dysfunction, while nearly 75% said the topic was seldom addressed during their training.

Starting these conversations requires more than simply being willing to talk about s//x. Professionals need the knowledge and confidence to know when to ask, how to ask without assumptions, and how to respond when a patient answers.

Whether you’re a healthcare provider, therapist, counselor, educator, or other s//xuality professional, take our 30-second “QUIZ” to find the SHA certification that fits your professional goals.

Once A Cheater, Always A Cheater? 🔁

It’s one of those relationship sayings that sounds absolute. The research is more complicated.

Researchers followed 484 adults across more than one romantic relationship and found that people who reported cheating in one relationship were about three times more likely to report cheating in their next one.

But “more likely” is not the same as “always.”

The study also found continuity on the other side of infidelity. People who had been cheated on were more likely to report experiencing infidelity again, while those who suspected a previous partner of cheating were more likely to report similar suspicions in a later relationship.

That doesn’t mean anyone causes or attracts a partner’s infidelity. It suggests that relationship experiences and patterns can carry forward in complex ways.

A new partner doesn’t automatically mean new habits, expectations, coping strategies, boundaries, or relationship skills. That’s why someone’s history can provide useful information, but what they’ve done with that history matters, too.

Can they take responsibility? Talk openly about what happened? Recognize what contributed to their behavior? Communicate boundaries and expectations differently?

Past infidelity can predict greater risk of future infidelity, but probability isn’t inevitability. Some patterns repeat. Others change.

Infidelity can raise complex questions about relationships and s//xuality. Explore SHA’s Couples & S//x Therapy Dual Certification and take our free 30-second “QUIZ” to discover if it’s the right path for you.

Bless And Release 💜

Sometimes the kindest thing you can do in dating is give someone a clear answer.

“Bless and release” is a dating approach built around a simple idea: when you know someone isn’t the romantic match you’re looking for, communicate that clearly, wish them well, and move on.

Unlike ghosting or slowly fading away, it gives the other person information instead of leaving them guessing. But it also asks you to turn the question inward.

Instead of only wondering, “Do they want me?” ask: “Do I want this?”

Someone can be kind, attractive, interested, and perfectly nice—and still not be the right fit for you. Compatibility isn’t a morality test, and you don’t need to find something wrong with someone to decide that a connection isn’t right.

That’s where boundaries come in. Knowing your “no” can mean recognizing what you want, what you have capacity for, and what you’re willing to continue. Communicating that decision clearly can ultimately be more respectful than staying because you feel guilty about disappointing someone.

Being clear with someone else starts with understanding what you actually want for yourself.

Explore your desires, boundaries, limits, and possibilities with our free “CHECKLIST” and build clearer, judgment-free conversations around them.

Why Are Doctors Saying Bye To Fallopian Tubes?

For decades, permanent contraception for people with uteruses often meant “tying” the fallopian tubes: cutting, sealing, or blocking them so pregnancy could no longer occur.

But updated guidance from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) now prefers a different approach for people seeking permanent contraception: removing both fallopian tubes completely, a procedure called bilateral salpingectomy.

Why? Because the tubes may matter for more than fertility.

Evidence increasingly suggests that many of the most common and aggressive ovarian cancers may actually begin in the fallopian tubes. And because ovarian cancer can be difficult to detect early, removing the tubes may also remove tissue where some of these cancers originate.

According to ACOG, bilateral salpingectomy may reduce ovarian cancer risk by as much as 78%. It can also be considered during certain other abdominal or pelvic surgeries when appropriate, a practice known as opportunistic salpingectomy.

But there’s one critical distinction: this is permanent contraception. Removing both tubes eliminates the natural pathway for an egg to reach the uterus, which is why informed consent, reproductive autonomy, and shared decision-making remain essential.

S//xual health isn’t only about what happens in the bedroom. Contraception, fertility, cancer prevention, and reproductive decision-making are part of it, too.

Take our 30-second “QUIZ” to discover which SHA Certification path fits your interests.