Dear Sasha,

I'm in a long-distance relationship and only get to see my boyfriend every few months. The next time we see each other is right bang (pardon the pun) in the middle of my period!

I'm in a profession that doesn't allow me to schedule my own holidays, so I can't choose another date. Same thing happened last time we saw each other, and I would prefer to have a little less technicolour action this time. I know you like the Diva Cup, but the website says it shouldn't be used during intercourse. Is there an alternative (other than a diaphragm) that I could use while having crazy, making-up-for-lost-time sex?

Can't Think of a Name

Dear Sasha,

I am a 34-year-old queer woman. I was delighted to find that in my early 30s my orgasms became more intense and deeper, without my doing anything different. Lately, however, I seem to be having the opposite problem. Both with lovers and through masturbation, my orgasms have all the physical patterns I'm used to, with none of the climactic pleasure. So there is a mounting of intensity, a plateau and vaginal contractions, and no rush of bliss. Nothing in my emotional life is all that different, though of course I do have ebbs and flows of stress like everyone else. It also doesn't happen every time I come. What do you think could be causing this change?

Bliss Less

Dear Sasha,

I am a young woman addicted to masturbation since late childhood.

I sometimes masturbate out of real horniness (good), but the strong urges I feel between my legs are always related to feelings of guilt and stress (very, very bad). It's quite different from actual horniness, and often I won't even think about sex but about plans for the future or whatever is stressing me.

There's no correlation between my real sex life and this. My main concerns are that a) it's very time-consuming when I'm most pressed for time, and b) I might get caught and freak someone out. (I'm so ashamed.)