Sex, Love and Blue Balls

Hairy nipples, droopy boobs, lopsided balls- everyone has insecurities. And then there's what and who you find sexy... But chances are you share most of your concerns with other people - who are also too shy to discuss it - and have some unique quirks. That's as normal as it gets.

You risk pregnancy every time you have sex, so have protected sex every time unless you want a baby: sperm can survive in the body for several days and it takes one to get someone pregnant. Only the condom or female condom also protect against Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) so use one of those methods - possibly with another form of contraceptive - unless you're both STI-free and in a monogamous relationship.

Pressuring someone to have sex before they are ready is not loving, and having sex does not 'prove' love. Everyone feels ready at their own time (a few people never feel ready at all) so take it at your own pace.

While you can't get pregnant from oral sex, it can still spread STIs including gonorrhoea, herpes and chlamydia - and orally transmitted STIs are currently on the increase. For safer oral, use flavoured condoms on a man and dental dams (latex squares) to cover a woman: both are easily available online. If you get cold sores, don't give oral while you have one as they are a form of herpes and can spread.

Lack of sex can't harm men or women. You might feel frustrated, tense or horny but even though the ache can feel real, it does no damage. Masturbation helps relieve the frustration so let your fingers do the walking...