S Nicole Lane

A recent Danish study found that oral contraceptives, when taken under six months before conception or even during pregnancy, can be linked to an increased risk of childhood leukemia.
The study tracked 1.1 million Danish children over the course of nine years and estimated 25 cases of leukemia in Denmark that could be attributed to maternal hormonal contraception. As Medscape reports, the risk of leukemia in children was found to be 78 percent higher when mothers used hormonal contraceptives ...

There are 321,500 sexual assault survivors in the United States. An estimated 50 to 90 percent of them develop PTSD. Other health effects of sexual assault that victims face include depression, high blood pressure, anxiety, kidney disease, aneurysms, and diabetes, among other illnesses.
Physical Consequences of Sexual Victimhood
A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that people with a history of sexual harassment had “higher systolic and diastolic blood press...

For over five years, I’ve been battling the human papillomavirus (HPV) and complicated procedures related to HPV.

After finding abnormal cells on my cervix, I had a colposcopy, as well as a LEEP. I remember staring upwards to the lights in the ceiling. Legs up in stirrups, my mind fueled by anger.

Being in a vulnerable position such as a colposcopy, or even a Pap test, infuriated me. The people I had dated, or were dating, were not probed and prodded.

In an intimate and collaborative photo series, Chloe Aftel turns her lens to one of the most misrepresented groups in the US.
Six years ago, photographer Chloe Aftel embarked on the project Outside & In Between – a cross-country examination of the non-binary and genderqueer community in the United States.
Aftel travelled all over the country talking to and photographing subjects, at a time when the public discourse around genderqueer issues was not as prominent as it is today. In order to fin...

Essure has been removed from the headlines—and the market—after The Bleeding Edge documentary painted a painful picture of the reality of women living with the implant. And just like that, Bayer is no longer selling the permanent contraceptive implant after 2019.
However, women still run the risk of being implanted due to loopholes and obstacles that don’t simply eradicate the device from medical offices. Furthermore, there are thousands of women living with the consequences of the implant.
E...

It’s common for women’s bodies to change, especially with age. Women may ache, develop stretch marks, become less flexible or begin to feel pain in new places.
All of these alterations are common and expected. But sometimes, common changes can indicate a deeper, underlying concern or something more malignant.
Here are 10 health symptoms that women should never ignore, especially if they are persistent and chronic.
Sudden Breast Changes
Checking breasts is a necessary exercise both at home and...

The 2018 Farm Bill will remove hemp from the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) which means that hemp will be an agricultural commodity. Because of the bill, hemp will become more readily accessible for people to improve skin, hair, digestion, and calming the mind and body.
Dr. Janelle Kim, who has extensive training in Oriental Medicine, explains that “botanicals such as rice and hemp are known to absorb more heavy metals as they grow.” Since some people farming or growing cannabis want to save...

“Intimate Justice” looks at the intersection of art and sex and how these actions intertwine to serve as a form of resistance, activism, and dialogue in the Chicago community. For this installment, we talked to Cameron Clayborn in his Bridgeport live-work studio space about popcorn ceilings, inner dialogue, and letting your freak flag fly.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
S. Nicole Lane: Are you from Chicago? If not, how did you end up here?
Cameron Clayborn: I’m from Me...

Between the hum of Anita Baker and the rustle of clothes hangers and metal is the personality of Gilda Norris. It’s snowing as I walk across the street from my apartment to Gilda’s shop on 55th street in Hyde Park. It’s a garden floor space—take a few steps down and you’re in a sea of clothing. It’s small and intimate, making it hard to not brush past fabrics, sequins, and buttons.
In the summer months you can count on spotting Gilda standing on the steps of her shop. Leaning against her rail...

Flogging for punishment and flogging for sexual punishment are obviously two separate topics, and happen on two very separate occasions. And for this article, we are looking at the latter, the sexual pleasure that one receives from flagellation, or the whipping and sexual gratification that occurs to one’s body during a BDSM scene. With a flogger in hand, we are going to introduce you to the basics of “impact play” and how it can be utilized safely and erotically.
The history of flogging begi...

Courtesy of S. Nicole Lane
For the past seven years, I’ve been managing abnormal Pap test results. An abnormal Pap result typically means your cervical cells are changing due to the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is linked to cervical cancer. After my initial Pap results, I had a biopsy, and then a Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure (LEEP), where abnormal cervical cells are removed and prevented from turning into cancer, but I still have to monitor my risk. My OB/GYN’s biggest piece o...

Today I emailed at least six psychologists. “2019 is going to be my year” is something we all promise, but it doesn’t always end up being the result. However, this year, my year, I’m determined to at least try and begin working on myself to recover from distress, to find a cure to my chronic pain, and to become a better person for 2020. And I don’t feel like I’m alone.
With the new wave of self-care, people are ready to rewrite their history and take on mental illness, physical ailments, and ...

Takeaway:
In a past relationship, I was definitely the crier. Not necessarily because it was a melancholic relationship, or particularly unhealthy, but I was young and emotional. I cried over everything. I cried when I was happy. I cried when I accidentally stubbed a toe. I cried after an orgasm. I cried over a minor inconvenience. Once the flood gates opened, I couldn't close them again. And what a surprise it was that my partner became aroused when tears would stream down my face. Whether h...

Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis or PrEP is taken by patients before coming into contact with HIV-1 in order to practice safe sex. TRUVADA is the actual medication taken by people, every day, to ensure safety from HIV. Patients must be HIV-negative before taking Truvada for PrEP, which is one pill a day. On top of the pill, condoms, conversations with partners, and regular testing can all decrease a person’s chances of contracting HIV by 90 percent.
In 2012, the FDA approved Truvada which includes “t...

“Intimate Justice” looks at the intersection of art and sex and how these actions intertwine to serve as a form of resistance, activism, and dialogue in the Chicago community. For this installment, we talked to Hyegyeong Choi in the summer over the phone about friends with benefits, violence in sex, and to formality in painting.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
S. Nicole Lane: You’re new to New York, but can you maybe talk about the city and the community there and if it...