Blog Posts by EMandLO.com

Tootsie/Dustin HoffmanWhat would you do if you were the opposite sex for a day? What if you were the opposite sex for a month? For a year?

Leave your response in the comments section below (feel free to share your age, sex, relationship status, etc., if it's relevant to your answer). And check out what some of the Em & Lo readers have said in response to the question here .

MORE FROM EM & LO:
-- Phrase of the Week: Sex Nerd
-- Can Any Woman Ejaculate?

cherriesA female friend of ours, a recent college grad who wishes to remain anonymous, has a confession to make:

When I got to college, I was still carrying around my V card in my back pocket. By then, I had read erotica, watched porn, masturbated, made out furiously with high school boyfriends, even experienced cunnilingus - it just didn't make sense to me (and, I feared, to everyone else at school) that I hadn't had intercourse yet. I figured, with some annoyance, that my intact hymen was going to be a major speed-bump on the road to on-campus sexual satisfaction.

My virginity had to go! It didn't matter

cuddlingAdvice from three of EMandLO.com's guy friends. This week they answer the following: "What do men really think about cuddling?" To ask the guys your own question, click here.

Straight Single Guy (Adam): It's hard to make a declaration on behalf of all straight single guys as to what they think of cuddling. However, would you like to guess who likes cuddling, is in touch enough with his feelings to admit it, and has two thumbs? This guy! I personally enjoy cuddling, I really really do, if it's A) with the right girl and B) not being done while watching any movie starring Sarah Jessica Parker (except Space Camp, because who doesn't love that flick?). In fact, I've found that my desire level for cuddling can be a good barometer for how much I'm actually into a girl. If it's low, that usually means something isn't right with the relationship. If it's high, it means I'm probably going to regret the day I eventually screw it up.

Straight Married Guy (David Jacobs): Cuddling's okay when it's

Dear Dr. Joe,Droopy Dog

My er*ction isn't at as high an angle as it once was (it's a little droopier). Is there anything I can do to get that standing-at-attention look back?

- Droopy Dog

Dear D.D.,

The firmness of your er*ction is based upon a number of factors -- nerve stimulation, blood supply, and psychological attitude. Depending upon your age, deficiencies in any, or all, of these components can lead to weaker er*ctions. This decrease in turgor will cause your er*ction to appear a bit "droopier." Let's get one thing straight, though. As men age, er*ctions weaken a bit - that's just an unfortunate fact. While a healthy man should be able to attain er*ctions adequate for love-making for his entire life, the strength of that er*ction is unlikely to be the same at 50 as it was at 18. So don't be too critical with yourself.

First off, have you had any recent trauma, especially to the lower back or the groin area? Have you been diagnosed with any medical problems,

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Advice from three of EMandLO.com's guy friends. This week they answer the following: "What are the top 3 no-no's for a woman to do on a first date?" To ask the guys your own question, click here.

Committed Gay Guy (Dwayne):
1. talking about ex boyfriends
2. planning the wedding
3. crying

Married Straight Guy (Jake): This is the kind of thinking that we need to break away from. There are no three top things, three best things, three worst things that will make your first date the best. Checklists that other people create for you can cause neurosis, unnecessary worrying and sweaty palms. This is a battered and bruised cliché, but seriously, just be yourself. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by acting, talking, eating and laughing naturally. Anything else is a waste of time.

Single Straight Guy (Megan): My most recent first date turned into four dates in the same day with the same woman. She broke quite a few rules from my style manual. She made fun of my cardigan. (I still

light bulbIn the movie Manhattan, Diane Keaton says to Woody Allen that he's the kind of man she could see herself have kids with - naturally, he tells her to hit the lights. It's common in movies for the dimming of the lights to be a signal for getting it on (I suppose it helps them steer clear of NC-17 ratings). Like most movie sex, I tend to disagree. I'm not saying you need to see each other under the unappealing cast of florescent lighting - just use a dimmer switch or light some candles. Here are five reasons why:

1. Sex is considered very much a physical activity - let's get physical, Olivia Newton John sang. Touching each other makes us feel good. However, I think humans are more complicated than that: visuals can make us feel good too. Let's get visual!
2. Seeing your partner and having your partner see you brings a new level of intimacy to the experience.
3. Not only does it allow you to better get to know your partner, but you'll also know where you're going. Going down on

Bunny maskAdvice from three of EMandLO.com's guy friends. This week they answer the following: "Do guys ever have elaborate fantasies (Riding a white horse to a naked maiden? Being captured as a porn star's slave?), or do their fantasies tend to be more prosaic?" To ask the guys your own question, click here.

Straight Engaged Guy (Mark Luczak): Guys' fantasies probably tend to be less Fabio-covered romance novel-esque, but that doesn't mean they necessarily lack in poetic beauty (yes, I had to double-check the definition of "prosaic" - I thought it was an antidepressant). Since we're stereotypically more strictly visual and to-the-point, our fantasies can run the wide range from "hot co-worker spontaneously jumping our bones" to "hot neighbor spontaneously jumping our bones" to "hot girl walking down the street spontaneously jumping our bones." If we really want to get elaborate, we'll mix in a porn star, or two.

Gay Single Guy (Daniel): I think guys can have very elaborate fantasies, but that

flowers in a meadowEvery few weeks, Dr. Vanessa Cullins , a board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist and vice president for medical affairs at Planned Parenthood , answers your questions on EMandLO.com . To ask her your own question, click here .

Dear Dr. Vanessa,

What should I be doing (or not doing) to have the healthiest vulva/vagina? (Foods, cleaning, etc.)

- Spring Cleaning

Dear S.C.,

Treating your lady parts to a little TLC by backing off the multitude of vulvar and vaginal cosmetics that stack drugstore shelves is a great place to start. A lot of women don't understand what is best for the good health of their vulvas and vaginas. They get all kinds of conflicting ideas from friends and relatives. Many women, for example, douche. Douching can cause vaginitis, so the first rule is: don't douche unless your doctor or nurse advises you to do so.

Nobody wants a stinky bottom. Wipe well, always from front to back, after urination and bowel movements. Always make sure that you