Let's Talk Health (Page 3)

Amber Brooks

By: Amber Brooks

Editor: Lillian Castro

Posted:

Here at the intersection of dating and health, our experts offer sound advice for dating with a deeper awareness and care for your mind and body. Join in our health-related conversations for support as you navigate the dating scene.

We tackle a wide range of topics related to both mental and physical health, from STD prevention to general anxiety. Learn about hormone health, sexual wellness, and reproductive healthcare, among other well-being subsets.

And don’t worry. You’re getting accurate and vetted resources from real doctors and health professionals in the field. Our experts are knowledgeable about everything from emotional well-being to sexual health. Read about our strategies for managing health challenges while dating so they can no longer encroach on your relationships or self-esteem.

No need to feel overwhelmed – we’re all about empowerment here. Our stigma-free guidance is geared toward helping you navigate health concerns while being sexually active. Take care of yourself and your partner by knowing what healthy signs or unhealthy symptoms to look for.

239 Results

What Our Experts Say:

61.
The National Vulvodynia Association (NVA) Helps Women Experiencing Chronic Vulvar Pain to Find Treatment & Navigate Relationships
Amber Brooks

Amber Brooks

The Short Version: Nearly 16% of women will experience a chronic and unexplained pain around the vulva at some point in their lives. The condition is called vulvodynia, and it has no known cause or cure. If you or a loved one suffers from vulvodynia, you can turn to the National Vulvodynia Association for resources to help you manage the disorder and relieve the pain. Since 1994, the nonprofit has provided a support...

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62.
The Center for Couples & Family Research at Clark University: How Regular Checkups & Counseling Can Improve Overall Relationship Health
Amber Brooks

Amber Brooks

The Short Version: Taking good care of yourself often feels like a long and dull checklist. You need to get your car checked, get your teeth checked, get your eyes checked, and get your internet checked just to keep everything working properly. With all that going on, it can be easy to forget to check your romantic relationship and make sure everything there is running smoothly. According to research from the Center...

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63.
Quackwatch℠ Explains How Health Misinformation Can Affect Your Life & Relationships
Amber Brooks

Amber Brooks

The Short Version: If you don't have a medical education, it can be hard to discern what medicines, vitamins, and treatments are legit. There's so much conflicting advice and information on the web, and it's easy for patients to fall for phony remedies and quack medicines. That's why Quackwatch monitors the health marketplace and challenges misleading information. Its informative articles help average individuals and...

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64.
Psychologist Nicole McCance Helps Singles & Couples Address Unmet Needs & Reach a Healthy State of Mind
Amber Brooks

Amber Brooks

The Short Version: From a young age, Nicole McCance felt curious about what made people tick. She got her master's degree in counseling psychology because she wanted to understand how brain chemistry affects behavior and how patterns of behaviors affect personal relationships. After years of study, she established a private psychology practice based in Toronto where she treats high-functioning individuals...

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65.
Professional Counselling: Therapist Elly Prior Explains How Mental Health Issues Impact Relationships
Amber Brooks

Amber Brooks

The Short Version: On ProfessionalCounselling.com, Elly Prior writes authoritative relationship advice based on decades of counseling experience. She offers deep insights into how anxiety disorders, nervous breakdowns, depression, and other mental issues can impact your personal life. Her blog's positive tone and proactive solutions give committed partners a path to overcoming mental troubles, from going through a...

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66.
Naturally Savvy™: Organic Recipes & Health Challenges Support Couples in the Journey to All-Natural Living
Amber Brooks

Amber Brooks

The Short Version: All-natural living is a choice anyone can make, but many don't know where to begin. On Naturally Savvy, you can learn how to take control of your health by maintaining a satisfying and nutritious diet for you and your family. The website's podcasts, books, recipes, and challenges motivate readers to make instrumental changes in how they purchase, prepare, and consume food. Nutritionist Andrea...

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67.
8 Best Free Positive Dating Sites (2024) – HIV, Herpes, STDs
Amber Brooks

Amber Brooks

Positive dating sites help singles who have a sexually transmitted disease and want to continue dating -- without hiding their past from their partners. Many online daters with sensitive health conditions have a tough time deciding when to disclose that information to a potential match. Should it be on your dating profile? Should you mention it before meeting in person? Is it a conversation you should have on the...

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68.
The David Lynch Foundation: How Transcendental Meditation Helps You Recover From Heartache & Trauma
Hayley Matthews

Hayley Matthews

The Short Version: Established in 2005, the David Lynch Foundation is on a mission to spread the word about the curative powers of Transcendental Meditation (aka TM). Anyone can meditate -- it takes only a few hours a day over a few days to learn from a specially trained teacher, and then your practice it a few minutes twice a day on your own. By meditating, you can reduce your stress levels and reach a more peaceful...

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69.
A Dating Expert’s Advice: 10 Ways to Maintain a Healthy Body Image
Hayley Matthews

Hayley Matthews

Dating is difficult enough when we are focused on finding a partner, but when we are more zeroed in on our own shortcomings, it can be nearly impossible. Having a negative body image can derail our thoughts and even our relationships. It's a problem many in the dating world share, as approximately 91% of women and 80% of men are unhappy with their bodies. If you are out on a first date, chances are whoever you are...

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70.
10 Effects of Depression on Relationships (Plus 5 Ways to Deal)
Rachel Dack

Rachel Dack

Your mental health impacts the quality of your life and relationships. Specifically, depression can make it difficult to connect with others and feel hopeful about your love life. It can also have potentially damaging effects on romantic relationships. Depression is a mental illness that negatively impacts your thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and behaviors. Depression affects how you feel about yourself and others as...

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71.
New Studies Provide Hope for HIV Patients
Shelby Davidson

Shelby Davidson

Researchers and scientists around the world have constantly struggled to find an effective vaccine for HIV. Discovering methods for anti-HIV strategies once a patient is infected has been far from easy as well. However, recent research on the disease shows that a solution is coming soon. Journals mBio and PLOS Pathogens have published a few studies published that are providing hope. Study: Alternative Approach to...

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72.
A Comprehensive Guide to Couples Counseling
Rachel Dack

Rachel Dack

Relationships and marriage bring enjoyment, companionship, and contentment to our lives, but they also take hard work and dedication. While all couples naturally endure inevitable challenges, and all relationships require attention and nurture, sometimes relationships go off course, creating detachment, anger, and hurt over time. Conflict can be constructive if you are able to move toward resolution together, but...

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73.
A Positive Place for Romance: The Hope™ Dating Platform Supports Singles With STDs
Amber Brooks

Amber Brooks

The Short Version: Getting a date may seem daunting to singles who have tested positive for a sexually transmitted disease, but there's hope for their love lives. Specifically, a dating site named Hope™ was built just for singles with STDs. This free dating platform welcomes a network of 40,000+ people looking for love and support. The dating site and app facilitate easy searching and instant connection with men and...

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74.
PositiveSingles: A Community Where People With STIs Can Find Dates & Support
Hayley Matthews

Hayley Matthews

The Short Version: The path to finding a date or partner -- often full of trip-hazards and pitfalls -- can be difficult to navigate under the best of circumstances. But for those with a sexually transmitted infection (STI), the experience can come with a lot of anxiety. Many people dealing with an STI diagnosis -- and the associated stigma -- often feel like they're alone with their illness. Luckily, PositiveSingles...

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75.
Dating Someone With Depression (5 Things to Know & 7 Things to Do)
Rachel Dack

Rachel Dack

Chances are you have dated, will date, or are dating somebody suffering from depression — or perhaps you are familiar with depression yourself. According to a 2014 study by the National Institute of Mental Health, 1 in 15 Americans have had at least one major depressive episode in a 12-month period. Depression, like other life challenges, may interfere with your relationship, but it doesn’t have to be a...

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76.
5 Tips for Getting Fit That Will Also Improve Your Dating Life
Amber Brooks

Amber Brooks

For singles, getting fit means more than general health — it can help you attract a date for Friday night. When you look good and feel good, people take notice. In terms of attractiveness, Psychology Today says self-care is what truly matters. Researchers found that people who look like they're healthy are considered more attractive overall. You don't have to be ripped with zero percent body fat; you just have to...

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77.
Researchers One Step Closer to Vaginal Ring for HIV Prevention In Women
Shelby Davidson

Shelby Davidson

In sub-Saharan Africa, HIV proves to be one of the most common and lethal infections, especially among women. The idea of HIV prevention has always circled the medical field, but in a first for these efforts within the female population, international researchers are doing a study to examine a potential option to stop the disease. This team of scientists recently finished Phase III of their study known as ASPIRE (A...

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78.
Study: Exposure to Recent Drought Events Raises HIV Risk in Africa
Shelby Davidson

Shelby Davidson

Unfortunately in the villages of sub-Saharan Africa, economic blows often come in the form of droughts. A new study presented in the Economic Journal is breaking ground in confirming the correlation between financial hardships and the spread of HIV. Researchers from UC Berkeley, Middlebury College and the International Food Policy Research Institute showed that preventing people from having shocks to their bank...

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79.
Sexual Ambiguity In Non-Heterosexual Women May Lead To Hazardous Behaviors
Shelby Davidson

Shelby Davidson

For women who are trapped in the limbo of sexuality, there may be a greater tendency to rely on destructive coping mechanisms to distract from negativity, a new study by the American Sociological Association suggests. These women lack the clear connection between who they are attracted to and how they identify themselves, which creates a conflict because according to cognitive dissonance theory, humans like to be...

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80.
A Joint Issue: Cannabis Use In Certain HIV-Positive Patients Leads To Lower Quality Of Life
Shelby Davidson

Shelby Davidson

Turns out good ol' Mary Jane might not be as beneficial as we thought for specific medicinal purposes. According to a new study, recent cannabis use in certain HIV-positive patients points to poorer quality of life socially, mentally and economically. The cross-sectional study, published in the June 1 2015 edition of the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, suggests the recent use of cannabis among...

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81.
Study: HIV-Infected Transgender Women Have Poorer Disease Control
Shelby Davidson

Shelby Davidson

The transgender community has just as many discrepancies as any other group of individuals. With the emergence of Caitlyn Jenner, hopefully the community of transgender women will no longer go neglected. In a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, these differences among HIV-infected adults receiving care in the U.S. come to life in nationally representative estimates. Three years of data...

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82.
Are Hookup Apps to Blame for Recent Increase in STDs?
Shelby Davidson

Shelby Davidson

Next time you swipe right, you may want to invest in some contraception. As technology and social media continues to escalate, so do the threats to your health and safety. While one could argue apps that promote the concept of online dating allow people to find lovers and friends, new research proves the disadvantages outweigh the benefits. People are beginning to care more about doing the deed than protecting...

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83.
POZ: Reducing HIV Stigma One Story at a Time
Hayley Matthews

Hayley Matthews

The Short Version: Featuring a dating network of 150,000+ members, personal testimonies added weekly and consistently-updated news, POZ is breaking down barriers and supporting an often unfairly stigmatized community: those living with HIV. When the AIDS epidemic first overwhelmed the U.S. in the 1980s, people were shocked and scared, and people living with HIV were often shunned. POZ magazine and POZ.com serve as...

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84.
5 Essential Tips for Your First Time
loveisrespect

loveisrespect

So you’ve decided to have sex for the first time ever. Maybe you’re feeling a bit nervous. You might have a lot of questions like: What should I expect? What will it feel like? Will it be awkward? We get it. Having sex for the first time can be a little intimidating, and it’s totally normal to feel this way! While everyone’s experience will be different, we have some tips that will help make your first time...

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85.
Does Your Lesbian Girlfriend Drink Too Much?
Mary Gorham Malia

Mary Gorham Malia

Let’s admit it — we enjoy drinking. That might mean a night out at a lesbian bar, an afternoon T-dance, catching a first friday lesbian happy hour event in your city or that backyard barbecue with your posse. Drinking plays a big role in many lesbian scenes. But let’s also admit that sometimes drinking has created a problem or two or 20 in our relationships. That was my history in my last relationship. Alcohol...

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86.
4 Common Myths About Masturbation
Gloria Brame

Gloria Brame

I love orgasms, and since masturbation is the handiest way to have an orgasm, I love masturbating. I first discovered that my body could give me ecstasy when I was about five and accidentally made the intimate acquaintance of the shiny faucet of an old claw-foot bathtub as I was romping around in the bath. When cold drops of water dripped onto my labia, I was stunned. The feeling was indescribably amazing. I loved...

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87.
6 Common Sex Addiction Myths Debunked by the Experts
Hayley Matthews

Hayley Matthews

From movies like "Shame" and reality TV shows like "Bad Sex," to the Tiger Woods cheating scandal, sex addiction has been a hot topic for decades, but do we really know what sex addiction is? To answer this question and separate fact from fiction, we've gathered the top experts in the field to debunk the six most common myths about sex addiction. Myth 1: Sex addiction is about sex and only sex Dr. Joe Kort, a sex...

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88.
Lube Shopping: 4 Things Every Senior Woman Must Know
April Braswell

April Braswell

Most women over 50, whether or not they are post-menopausal, find they need a personal lubricant for sharing senior intimacy. Even if your body produced enough lubrication for your bedroom antics in your 40s, your female body changes in your 50s. What do you want to consider when selecting a lubricant for your bedroom? 1. Only buy from trusted sources  It's best to buy your lubricant at a retail store or through a...

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89.
Study: “Relationship OCD” Leads to Sexual Dissatisfaction
Hayley Matthews

Hayley Matthews

Do you continually question whether your partner truly loves you or whether you've picked the right soul mate? If so, you might be classified as having relationship obsessive-compulsive disorder. Unfortunately new research has found such sufferers also are less satisfied with their sex lives. What's behind this? The authors of the new study, conducted at the School of Psychology at the Interdisciplinary Center in...

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90.
Gay Men on Grindr 58% More Likely to Contract STDs
Hayley Matthews

Hayley Matthews

Apps like Grindr and Scruff cater to gay men looking for casual sex, but new research finds the men who utilize them are more at risk to STDs than men who meet their partners in nightclubs. The study was conducted through the Los Angeles LGBT Center and involved more than 7,000 area gay or bi-curious men, as reported by CBS News. App users were 23 percent more likely to be infected with gonorrhea and 35 percent...

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Amber Brooks

By: Amber Brooks

Editor-in-Chief

Amber Brooks is the Editor-in-Chief at DatingAdvice.com. When she was growing up, her family teased her for being "boy crazy," but she preferred to think of herself as a budding dating and relationship expert. As an English major at the University of Florida, Amber honed her communication skills to write clearly, knowledgeably, and passionately about a variety of subjects. Now with over 1,800 lifestyle articles to her name, Amber brings her tireless wit and relatable experiences to DatingAdvice.com. She has been quoted by the Washington Times, Cosmopolitan, The New York Post, and AskMen, among others.

See Amber's full bio »

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