‘She would pop up in my sexual fantasies’: what happens when you fancy your therapist?

They’re often compassionate good listeners who focus on their clients’ needs – so is it any wonder many patients find themselves with a crush? A writer, who is in exactly this position, talks to people on both sides of the couch

Criminals exploit ‘stigma and embarrassment’ to sell fake erectile dysfunction drugs

Authorities have seized almost 20m fake pills since 2021, many containing incorrect doses or toxic ingredients

My patient’s near-death experience in hospital left me with worry and guilt. This is how vicarious trauma starts

Afterwards, my team and I kept going without ever discussing the event. But something felt heavy. And because I couldn’t name it, I didn’t know how to deal with it

Heather contracted HIV on an overseas holiday. Women like her are more likely to be overlooked by doctors in Australia

Although early HIV diagnosis is crucial for longevity, women are more likely to be diagnosed late because they are not considered a high-risk group

Threesomes, rough towels and ‘lesbian bed death’: 23 of the best Sexual Healing columns

The Guardian’s sex advice column is coming to an end after 20 years. Here are some of the most memorable questions and answers

Prosecutions for strangulation in England and Wales increase sixfold in three years

CPS says new law marked ‘significant shift in recognising serious nature’ of offence, often linked to domestic abuse and sexual assault

New antibiotics hailed as ‘turning point’ in treating drug-resistant gonorrhoea

First new treatments for sexually transmitted disease in decades approved by US Food and Drug Administration as number of cases worldwide surge to 82m

Victoria could become first Australian state to ban unnecessary surgery on intersex children

Exclusive: Legislation would prohibit deferrable, irreversible procedures until child can give informed consent, bringing state in line with ACT

Reciting the names of the dead: how Australia’s response to HIV/Aids was emotionally – and politically – powerful

Researchers now describe it as both historical phenomenon and public health model. Its success was remarkable

Failure to diagnose treatable male infertility leading to unnecessary IVF, experts say

Men represent 50% of all infertility cases but poor understanding among GPs means it is often untreated

Wednesday briefing: Why strangulation during sex has become so common among teenagers

In today’s newsletter: Despite the risks, many young people now see choking during intimacy as acceptable or even expected, which experts put down to the proliferation of increasingly violent online pornography

‘I knew I was starting to have a seizure’: women describe lasting effects of being ‘choked’ during sex

Three women tell of blacking out, feeling dazed and dizzy, and of ongoing memory issues and fatigue

Nearly half of sexually active young people in UK have experienced strangulation, study shows

Survey reveals crisis of distress, consent issues and physical harm caused by strangulation during sex

Stephen Dawson obituary

Other lives: Doctor who established an integrated sexual health service in Slough

NHS makes morning-after pill available for free across pharmacies in England

Those in need of free emergency contraception no longer have to see their GP or attend a sexual health clinic