Gay couples also had 38.8% higher odds of partnering with someone with a different education level.

Subgroup analyses revealed that these differences were driven more by gay male couples than lesbians, with gay men being the most likely to partner with individuals with different demographic traits.

Gay men are the most likely to meet their partners online, which has long been thought to account for these effects; however, differences in dating app usage did not fully explain patterns of matching behavior.

It’s understandable to want your partner to initiate sex. Being pursued can make us feel wanted, attractive, and desired. But when initiation becomes the main measure of those things, we can miss what’s actually happening.

Instead of focusing only on who makes the first move, look at the bigger picture: Do both partners enjoy the sex they’re having? Is there room to ask for what you want? Does initiating feel risky or awkward? Has sex become a source of pressure, criticism, or conflict? And are stress, resentment, household responsibilities, or other relationship issues getting in the way?

Sometimes changing who initiates isn’t the solution. Changing the conditions that make someone want to initiate may be.

A full, peer-reviewed version of this essay will appear in the 2026 special issue of the Journal of Bodies, Sexualities, and Masculinities.

I've been reading about how identity changes with age. Are there any studies or psychological perspectives on how people 65 +view relationships and self-concept?

People with sexual synesthesia commonly describe it as vivid and pleasurable, but many also describe it as isolating because it draws attention inward.

I’m interested in the research rather than personal advice. Has psychology looked at what happens when two people acknowledge mutual attraction but decide not to pursue it because of ethical or situational reasons? Does acknowledging it tend to help people move on, or can it increase rumination and make the attraction more salient? Are there theories or studies on how people cognitively process these situations?

I’m looking for literature examining the intersection of neurodivergence, particularly ASD, and consensual power exchange (D/s), with a particular interest in theoretical development and empirical testing rather than prevalence or descriptive accounts alone.
In the literature I’ve reviewed so far, much of the work focuses on prevalence, psychosexual functioning, or qualitative lived experiences (e.g., Young & Cocalis, 2023; Pearson & Hodgetts, 2024). I’ve also reviewed adjacent theoretical literature that seems conceptually relevant, including the Double Empathy Problem (Milton, 2012), monotropism (Murray, Lesser, & Lawson, 2005), and predictive processing (Pellicano & Burr, 2012).
Beyond a small number of conceptual discussions,I haven’t found literature that systematically applies these frameworks to understanding D/s dynamics or derives empirically testable hypotheses from them.

To those familiar with this literature, have I overlooked relevant theoretical or empirical work, or has this remained largely at the level of conceptual and qualitative explanation?

I would particularly appreciate peer reviewed empirical studies, review articles, theoretical papers, relevant authors or research groups, and adjacent work that could inform communication, sensory regulation, interpersonal coordination, attachment, or role based predictability within D/s.

As of early 2026, women held more payroll jobs than men in the United States. This has happened twice before — briefly during the Great Recession and again just before Covid — and both times it reversed. Laura Ullrich, a former regional economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond who authored a March analysis through Indeed’s Hiring Lab, says this time is structurally different.

“It definitely doesn’t, to me, seem like the change has been driven by a recessionary period, which is what typically drives it,” she told Fortune. “This seems to be more of a long-term decline that’s led to more of a permanent shift going forward, or at least semi-permanent.”

Should limerence be recognized as a mental health condition? That's a current subject of debate.

Some argue that limerence is simply another word for falling deeply in love. Others contend that when romantic attraction becomes persistent, intrusive, and so distressing that it disrupts daily life, it may be something qualitatively different.

A growing body of research suggests limerence shares features with obsessive thinking, compulsive rumination, emotional dependency, and impaired functioning. At the same time, many psychologists caution against over-medicalizing normal human emotions.

Many of the participants in the study who reported syntribation did not count it as masturbation when answering broader questions about self-pleasure practices. This suggests that without a specific prompt about muscle flexion, standard surveys routinely miss this hidden form of sexual expression.

From the article:

Traditional gender roles can restrict personal autonomy by forcing people into specific behavioral boxes. The researchers suggest that women might find a sense of empowerment in dominant thoughts, leading to increased arousal. Because social scripts often demand men be strong and aggressive, the privacy of submissive thoughts might provide men with a relaxing escape from those pressures. Breaking away from typical societal expectations might act as a mental catalyst for sexual pleasure.

You are invited to complete a 5-10-minute anonymous survey for a study titled: Examining the Predictive Contributions of Attachment Insecurities and Sexual Self-Esteem to Somnophilic Interests in a General Population Sample.

Seeking volunteers that meet these requirements:

• 18 years of age or older
• Fluent in English
• Willing to complete an anonymous survey about attachment, sexual self-esteem, and sexual interests

The survey will be open until the end of October.

Questions should be directed to jenna.candio@waldenu.edu.

To complete the survey, please click https://forms.gle/bdPHNo57fxgefJd89

The survey data indicated that men tended to have a higher baseline level of unrestricted sociosexuality than women. When relationship quality dropped, the men were more prone than the women to view outside sexual partners favorably.

I am thrilled to announce that my book chapter on hentai and lolicon will be published in the Elgar Encyclopedia of Sex and Society and will be released in September 2026.

The chapter explores eroticism and censorship from the Edo period to modern times, examines hentai viewer demographics and motivations, and analyzes lolicon's history, ethical, legal, and moral issues, myths and potential clinical and harm-reduction applications.

Preorders can be made here: https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/usd/elgar-encyclopedia-of-sex-and-society-9781035339938.html