Category: Sex and Relationships

For All Your Sex Ed Questions, Call the Babes: A new column from Barrier Babes and Catcall

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By Katie Harbinson and Maddie Womack

So here’s the deal. We’re really big fans of sex. 

Sex education to be exact. 

We’re Maddie and Katie, the faces behind Barrier Babes. Barrier Babes is an organization passionate about bringing unapologetic, inclusive, and comprehensive sex education across the midwest. You might have seen us at Kansas City abortion rallies or Women’s Marches. You might’ve even seen our condoms at venues around town. In our spare time, we enjoy drinking iced coffee and running across the Kansas City metro area to distribute free condoms. Simply put, we try to make risky behavior less risky. We’re proud to be longtime readers of Catcall and are beyond excited to officially partner with our favorite digital magazine!

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Catcall-Approved Sex Toys

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By Nicole Mitchell, Kelcie McKenney, Sophie Oswald, and Emily Park

Let’s talk about sex, baby. More specifically, what we use to get off. Let’s be honest with ourselves, sometimes our fingers (or our partner’s fingers) aren’t enough to get off, and that’s okay. That’s when these rockstar toys come to play. Whether you’re an experienced viber or new to the scene, we’ve picked out a selection of sex toys made to please everyone. There’s sure to be one you’ll love. Plus we made sure to include some of our favorite LGBT+ and women-owned stores in the mix, so you can get off knowing that you’re supporting an ethical business too. Need a guide? This list goes from hot to SUPER HOT.

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How The Kink Educator began her path to sex education

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Bad Ass Babe Emerson Karsh

By Nicole Mitchell

Emerson Karsh (she/her) is a sex and kink educator and creator of the Instagram account @thekinkeducator. She often shares information on the world of kink on her Instagram account, such as aftercare conversations that need to be had or discussing sexual stereotypes. She’s also written a few articles for Rachel Wright, an online sexual health blog, including Your Guide to Ghosting: Why it Happens & How to Recover and 12 Important Facts About Orgasms That Are All Based In Science. Sex is all about feeling comfortable and connected, as well as having fun. Today, Karsh talks about how she got started in sex education and where she’s planning on going next.

Tell me about your background. What did you do before you taught sex education? 

Before I became a sex and kink educator I was actually in sexual assault prevention and education actually! I would present to fraternities, sororities, and other college organizations on topics surrounding sexual assault prevention like consent 101, bystander intervention, alcohol and consent, and healthy relationships. I loved this work but as a survivor myself, it was draining. At this time I also realized I wanted to put my personal love for kink and my sexual assault prevention education background together as one of my assaults occurred within a D/s dynamic I was in when I was young and didn’t have the right tools to understand the importance of vetting, safewords, negotiation, and aftercare. I have also worked as a personal assistant in a few different fields to make money.

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A smutty book guide for first-time erotica readers to seasoned spice fans

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By Kelcie McKenney
Photos by Travis Young

I love a good book that makes me curl up under a blanket, spend the afternoon in, and… reach for my vibrator. We’re talking smut, babes, so buckle up. Bodice rippers, erotica, chick lit, spicy books, naughty fanfiction—whatever you’re reading, erotic literature has a long history of giving women a safe space to explore their sexuality and get off.

The thing about fiction is it allows us to escape into fantasy, and fantasy is a great place to explore our sexuality. In mainstream media—movies, male-written books, porn—women are more often than not depicted with a lack of agency over their bodies and own sexuality.

“In the media, representations of sexuality are still mostly white, cisgendered, and heterosexual,” said Chelsea Reynolds, an assistant professor at California State University Fullerton studying sex in media told Mashable in 2018. “For many, fanfiction represents an important site of resistance, sexual exploration, and identity transformation.” (Humble brag, Reynolds was a mentor to my student magazine in college and she seriously rocks. Hi Chelsea!!)

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I can’t come. What have my antidepressants done to me?

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By Nicole Mitchell
Illustrations by Kelcie McKenney

I have chronic “white coat” anxiety—I am terrified of doctors and medical offices. Pair that with the somatic symptoms that come with my anxiety, my heart disease, and other illnesses I’ve had to deal with, it’s been quite a ride—especially when the pandemic hit.

After months of suffering with chronic stress hives, panic attacks, severe cleaning routines for my body and apartment, refusing to go outside, and absolutely avoiding everyone, I decided it was time to try antidepressants.

The good news? They worked! I’ve been taking them since October 2020, and I’ve only had one panic attack since then. And those stress hives? Disappeared. 

The bad news? Once I was on those meds, I couldn’t come. And I lost my sex drive, which changed the whole dynamic between my boyfriend and me.

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