Feature image of La Muxer Diosa and Zoie Blackheart in Crash Pad Series episode 281. All of the photographs in this NSFW Sunday are from the Crash Pad. The inclusion of a visual here should not be interpreted as an assertion of the model’s gender identity or sexual orientation. If you’re a photographer or model and think your work would be a good fit for NSFW Sunday, please email carolyn at autostraddle dot com.
Welcome to NSFW Sunday!
Saskia Vogel, author of Los Angeles-based BDSM novel Permission, spoke to Richa Kaul Padte at Electric Literature on power, desire, consent and erotic exchange:
“It’s the messy quality that makes the erotic so difficult to navigate, right? On the one hand, it’s the thing that allows certain kinds of unwanted sexual attention to go unchallenged because it exists in grey areas. But on the other hand, it’s that quivering space of uncertainty and searching when mutual erotic interest sparks, and you flit between being sure and unsure of where you’re headed…all the while hoping you’re headed somewhere you both want to go. Because messiness is an inherent part of the pleasures of the erotic, it’s essential that communication is clear, honest and open. When we all feel safe, heard, respected and on the same page, that’s when the messiness flourishes. And it’s also when we can start to get a sense of what the instability or messiness [constitutes]. I think it’s unique to each instance of desire. “
Supplements won’t get rid of UTIs; only antibiotics will. In the meantime, here’s how to tell a partner that you have an STI:
“[T]he best thing is to be direct and upfront. “It’s also important to do a little bit of research first, so that you understand the STI in case your partner has any questions about it,” Lehmiller said. He also offered up a basic script to follow (feel free to copy/paste, this is a public service):
* Hi, I was recently diagnosed with [INSERT STI] and my doctor thinks it’s essential that my previous partners get tested for this, in the interest of protecting their health. It’s possible that you may not have any symptoms, but should still be tested, to be safe.”
At-home STI tests are super appealing, especially if you’re used to being marginalized by the health-care system, but shouldn’t replace relationships with doctors, writes Hannah Harris Green at Gizmodo:
“Until the U.S. medical system reforms to treat trans patients, survivors of sexual violence and other marginalized groups with specialized, professional and respectful care, healthcare will continue to be unequal for these groups. However, tools that allow patients to perform tests on themselves in the comfort of their homes could get rid of some of the inconvenience, embarrassment, and other issues that sometimes prevent people from getting tested.
The more people are able to diagnose and treat STIs, the easier it will be to contain their spread. However, as the number of remotely available healthcare services continues to grow, it’s important that patients don’t try to use them to replace ongoing relationships with their doctors.”
Stop messaging Tinder matches with “hey.”
Instagram met with artists over its nudity policy in a private forum wrapped in NDAs. One participant had her account banned for posting a topless photo outside Instagram’s office later that day.
Movie cliches about teenage dating are wrong.
Period brand Always finally figured out that “people with periods” and “women” aren’t the same thing.
Liberal feminism has a sex-work problem.
If you’re trying to be pregnant and you miscarry, you’re not alone.
Make-up sex feels intense because of all the brain chemicals, not because you’re secretly meant to be with that person and today is the start of something new.
