Ask a Sexologist: Our new resident sexpert answers all your questions

If you’ve always wondered exactly what a sexologist does, meet Pink Advocate’s new resident sexpert Richelle Menzies.

People often ask what on earth sexology is.

Put simply, it is the scientific study of sex, with sexologists either providing education and counselling or engaging in research.

People may see sexologists for any issues regarding sex.

These can be a variety of things related to identity, lifestyle, or relationships, or more directly sexual matters like arousal, function, and desire.

A good sexologist has qualifications and is non-judgemental, respectful, and ethical.

Sexologists look at a variety of things that may be impacting you sexually, because sexual issues can have many causes:

• Biological (physical) issues like illness, accident, medications, or other organic causes

• Psychological (mental) causes due to emotions and thoughts, mental illness, or stress

• Social (environmental) factors such as relationships, knowledge, experience, culture, faith, and other external influences.

Sexual issues can fall into various categories:

• Desire (thinking of or wanting to have sex)

• Arousal (erectile dysfunction or arousal disorders)

• Function (including orgasm disorders and early or delayed ejaculation).

Treatment for sexual issues may require tests to ascertain any biological causes.

Counselling with a sexologist can explore changes in medications, relationships, messages about sex that you may have taken on board, levels of sexuality education and sex knowledge, the impact of values and morals, and the thoughts and emotions you holds about sex and the issues you are experiencing.

Sessions may provide sexological education, because (let’s admit it) we often did not get very much education when we were younger, and we often don’t know what we don’t know.

Issues with sexual or gender identity (LGBTIQ+), relationship styles (such as monogamy or polyamory), or lifestyles (such as kink and BDSM) may require counselling, education, and linking with other like-minded people.

Pink Advocate’s new Ask a Sexologist column is here to answer all your questions about sex, gender, and relationships.

If you have an issue or something you want to know more about, please contact us through social media or email sex@pinkadvocate.com.

We’ll keep all your details anonymous and answer your questions in the new column.