Since the earliest of cave paintings, humans have used the creative technologies available to us to depict erotic acts, turn one another on and document this part of our lives.

Yet we are the first humans to be living in a culture with easy, 24/7 access to porn of all kinds, for free, with just a few clicks away. How does this abundant, easy access to visual stimulation and fantasy impact our everyday erotic lives? That story is still being written!

Porn can be a fun, stimulating, creative part of our erotic lives. Or, it can be a draining distraction or compulsive form of self-harm. How do we navigate towards a pleasurable, healthy relationship with porn?

Here are a few resources to explore. If you have questions, join our newsletter so we can be in direct email touch and then let us know what is on your mind. Cheers

• Episode 299: How To Enjoy Ethical Porn
• Episode #131: Anti-Porn Vs. Sex Positive Feminism: A Tribute To Candida Royalle

Jiz Lee‘s book: Ethical Porn Starts When We Pay For It

Bellesa.com – our HIGHEST recommendation for a membership that unlocks beautiful, intelligent, joyful videos and more (affiliate link)

Crash Pad Series – queer, reverent, inclusive indie porn

SQUIRM magazine is the campus magazine Chris (founder of PleasureMechanics.com) started with friends and lovers their freshman year at Vassar in 1999.

Squirm was Chris’ primary project for four years and became more than a publication – it became a communal experiment in culture making. A year-round calendar of events and fundraisers funded the first editions of the magazine and established the group as a fully funded campus organization. As a group of students from across campus cultures, we asked ourselves: how could we co-create a realm where we were all free to express, to grow, to explore?

Squirm received national media attention in the early years, especially when Harvard students announced a new magazine, H-Bomb, based on the SQUIRM model. SQUIRM went on to inspire magazines at dozens of other colleges, and now 20 years later Vassar students continue to generate a more pleasure-positive campus through community, events and publications.

Here is a collection of Squirm memorabilia from Chris’ archives:

My first week of college I enjoyed my first dose of smut. The source? Squirm: The Art of Campus Sex, Vassar’s erotic magazine, which is replete with salacious prose, poetry, and photography created by and for the student body.

Squirm started four years ago when a group of Vassar students decided to create “a project that would start dialogue [and] act as a forum for queer/sex-positive ideas,” says editor Chrys Fawley. In These Times article about Squirm Magazine

• Yale Daily News article

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Bored of masturbation? Stuck in a rut? Uninspired? Here’s how to uplevel your solo sex life and become a better lover for yourself! This episode explores everything from unpacking your attitudes and beliefs about masturbation to getting out of childhood patterns, from exploring new positions and toys to how to bring more intention and emotion to your solo sex life.

For more on solo sex and getting more creative with your masturbation, check out our curated resources here: PleasureMechanics.com/masturbation

Get equipped with all the pleasure tools and toys you need from our friends at SheVibe (affiliate link)

Explore Mindful Solo Sex, including erotic breathwork, by joining our Mindful Sex online course (discount included, email for further financial support if needed!)

The term “orgasm gap” refers to the reported differences in orgasms during recent sexual encounters when sorted by sexual orientation.

One large study, for example, revealed the following percentages of folks reporting an orgasm during their most recent partnered sexual experience:

Straight men (95 percent), gay men (89 percent), bisexual men (88 percent), lesbian women (86 percent), bisexual women (66 percent), and, least orgasmically served, straight women (65 percent)

Our hunch is these numbers are inflated, and many more people are experiencing less-than-satisfying sex. But what these studies do reveal it is that it is the script, not our bodies, holding us back from more pleasure. All of our bodies are capable of pleasure, joy and connection. Orgasm isn’t even always a desired outcome of a sexual encounter. So what’s possible? How do we get past the “orgasm gap” and head towards Pleasure Equity For All!

Here at Pleasure Mechanics, we explore the knowledge, know-how and how-to of pleasure. Explore our resources at your own pace and enroll in our FREE online course when you are ready to dive deeper.

The main research driving this term is here: Frederick, D.A., John, H.K.S., Garcia, J.R. et al. Differences in Orgasm Frequency Among Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Heterosexual Men and Women in a U.S. National Sample. Arch Sex Behav 47, 273–288 (2018).

We are honored to be inducted into the SheVibe Superhero Squad and honored to be amongst so many friends and honored peers, united in our efforts to create a more equitable, pleasurable and orgasmic world for us all.

Here is our official trading card, front and back!

Join #TeamPleasure with our brand new official Pleasure Mechanics Gear, and join us and our friends at SheVibe in raising funds for the superheroes at the frontlines of social change.

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ALL PROCEEDS from the SheVibe Superhero design will support the true superheroes on the frontlines of social change at a range of organizations. Learn more about our guiding values and the organizations we support here, and join us in practicing generosity.