Kinsey Confidential: The Kinsey Institute Sexuality Information Service

Many young women and men - at some time or another - wonder if they are ready to have sex. And it's not just a one-time thought! Even when two people decide to be sexual together, they may have second thoughts about whether to have sex another time. Then there's the issue of finding a new partner. Even people who have been sexually active for years often ask themselves, when dating a new person, whether this is someone they want to be sexual with, or when they want to be sexual with that person (or how).

Chlamydia is the most common bacterial sexually transmissible infection (STI) in the United States and is particularly prevalent among young women men ages 15 to 24. Quite often, women and men who are infected with chlamydia don't notice any symptoms of the infection. Fortunately, chlamydia can usually be easily cured with certain antibiotics. However, if left untreated, it can lead to problems with inflammation, scarring and infertility.

Clearly, abstaining from sexual activity such as vaginal intercourse, oral sex, anal sex or even dry humping that involves getting partners' genitals near each other is the surest way to prevent chlamydia transmission. If you do have one of these types of sex with someone, you can greatly reduce your risk of becoming infected with chlamydia (or some other STIs) by using a condom.

As you may have heard, Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi were married in Los Angeles, following a recent California ruling that allowed same-sex marriage. And now, Hallmark has announced that they are carrying same-sex wedding cards - you can read the full Associated Press (AP) article here.

I took a biology class this summer that was about pregnancy, and it covered everything from having sex to giving birth. It was really interesting, but one of the controversial subjects covered was the exact moment when the fetus becomes a living being. Many people have lots of different opinions, but Planned Parenthood puts it […]

Some questions about sexual health have fairly succint answers (e.g., questions about the effectiveness rates of contraception or whether condoms can protect against certain infections). Other questions, however, require a good deal of personal reflection. Case in point: Many women and men (of all ages) wonder at one time or another whether the relationship that they […]

If so, you’re not alone! Recently someone asked me for information on the topic; you can read my response here. We also have information about condoms and other forms of contraception here on the Kinsey Confidential web site. And finally, you might be interested in listening to one of our recent podcasts in which I responded to a listener’s question about correct use of condoms - you can find the podcast here. […]

Harvard University has made headlines in recent years due to the publication of their erotic-themed magazine, H-Bomb, as well as due to the growth of an abstinence-focused student group on campus. In a recent video, CurrentTV explores how each of these student groups are contributing to raising the sex discourse on a college campus - […]

It's a very exciting time in American right now! Election years are so much fun, and so educational. Now that we finally have our Presidential nominees, it's time for Americans to get to business and decide which nominee is best for them.

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST
Download (MP3) | More Episodes »

QUESTION: I’m not using any contraceptives, and recently my boyfriend and I had unprotected sex. The following day I took emergency contraceptives. I bought a home pregnancy test and it came out positive, but I don’t believe that I’m pregnant. What should I do?

Subscribe to the Kinsey Confidential Podcast »