Talking sex with your doctor isn’t always easy. Whether you are afraid she or he will judge you,  you just don’t feel comfortable sharing the intimate details of your life between the sheets, or you can’t think straight with a speculum between your legs, many people get tight lipped in the doctor’s office. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have questions.

After so many of you wrote in to ask Dr. Lissa Rankin questions during CollegeCandy’s STD Awareness Day, we thought we’d bring her back more regularly. So, every Thursday she will be answering your questions. The ones you couldn’t ask your doctor in person and didn’t really trust the Yahoo community to answer for you. Just leave your questions in the comments, or send em over to us. (We’ll keep it all anonymous for you.) Dr. Lissa will answer anything – really, anything – about sex and other lady things. Don’t be shy; she’s waiting for ya!

Q: I feel very uncomfortable with all things sex. I am not very experienced and get really nervous when the opportunity arises. How can I fix that?

A: To answer your question completely, I would want to know more about you. Why are you uncomfortable with all things sex?  Is it because you’re young and inexperienced, or have you had past experiences, such as rape or sexual molestation, that rock your foundations and understandably lead to uncomfortable feelings regarding sex?  And how is your relationship with your sexual partner?  Many people are uncomfortable with sexual activity when they don’t know or trust their partner well.  Are you uncomfortable because you don’t really understand your body? Or are you having pain?  There are many reasons why someone might feel uncomfortable with sex.  Sometimes, those feelings arise to protect you and are worth honoring. But sometimes, they get in the way of sexual bliss and can cause problems. Read More »

In Sex Ed, we had to take “Name that STD” tests. In college, our RA’s handed out “Safe Sex” kits filled with condoms and pamphlets on HPV, the most common sexually transmitted infection. About 20 million Americans are currently infected with HPV, with about 6.2 new infections popping up each year. Over 50% of sexually active men and women acquire a genital HPV infection during their lives, and on college campus, the numbers are even higher. If those numbers aren’t enough to encourage you to get the new HPV vaccine, check out the story of Dede, an Indonesian fisherman who just got diagnosed with some pretty serious HPV.

1% of sexually active people break out in genital warts. You might think that number seems low, but are you really willing to play Russian roulette with your vagine? Getting back to Dede, the 35-year-old man has been labeled the “Tree Man,” due to some mysterious lesions on his skin, and root-like growths stemming from his hands and feet. For years, his condition went undiagnosed, until an American doctor discovered that Dede has an HPV infection. Unfortunately for the fisherman, he also has an uncommon immune system defect, so while most people can hide their downstairs bumps, Dede grew severe warts all over his body, causing him to lose his job, his wife, and his self esteem. Read More »

The Big O. Possibly one of the most popular topics of discussion for women of all ages, but especially college age girls. Did you have one? How many times? How long did it last? How good was it? etc, etc. I’m sure that at one point or another, all of us have either been the one dispensing the questions or the one taking them on the other end.

Still, it remains a relatively touchy subject for those who are not able to experience it and figure the only way is through plain old sex. Well, a new book called, The Science of Orgasm, explores all of the research currently known about this phenomenon.

One of the book’s main authors and leading researchers, Beverly Whipple, was interviewed by Wired.com on the topic, and I have a feeling that what she says will surprise and excite you as well. (Fun fact about Whipple: she believes sex is actually good for you and those who have more sex are healthier)

Anyways, back to the Big O discussion…

Did you know orgasms are possible in many forms?

“We have documented in our laboratory that women can have orgasms from imagery alone without touching their body. The point is that women can experience orgasms and sexual pleasure from many forms of stimuli. It does have not have to be through genital stimulation.” Read More »

Why is it such a breaking discovery that college girls know how to party?

I just read an article today entitled, “Females as fond of drinking games as males.” Wow. Thank you, Mr. Scientist for enlightening me. Honestly, what is the obsession with studying what we do in college. It’s like we’re a separate species.

Yes, I’m a girl and I like to do keg stands, drink out of funnels, play beer bong, asshole, kings, shoulders … I am I that fascinating?

According to the article, drinking games have been known as a predominantly male activity. And now girls’ participation in these activities is increasing. Oh boy, that must mean trouble. “In the women playing drinking games was related to more severe negative alcohol-related problems (i.e. missing class, driving under the influence, engaging in unplanned or unprotected sexual activity, etc.) …”

As far as I’m concerned, drinking games are fun and college girls will always play them. Missing class and unplanned hook-ups are part of the whole experience. You just have to know your limit.

Read the full story here.

Do you think college girls are out of control when it comes to drinking?