534 terms · 10 topics · free, private, never explicit
What does it mean?
Clear, non-judgemental definitions of words about sex, intimacy, relationships, identity and sexual health.
Word of the day 14 October 2026
Four horsemen
The four horsemen are four communication patterns identified by John Gottman as strong predictors of relationship breakdown: criticism, contempt, defensiveness and stonewalling.
Browse by topic
All topics- Body & health59 entriesAnatomy, hormones, cycles and common conditions, explained plainly. Health entries cite public-health sources and are general information, not individual medical advice.
- Contraception40 entriesMethods for preventing pregnancy, how they work and how effective they are in everyday use. Talk to a clinician or pharmacist about what suits you.
- STIs44 entriesSexually transmitted infections, testing, prevention and treatment. Many STIs have no symptoms, so regular testing matters more than guessing.
- Relationships & dating57 entriesRelationship structures, dating behaviours and the vocabulary people use to describe how they connect, commit and part ways.
- Orientations49 entriesWords people use to describe who they are attracted to, sexually and romantically, and the social ideas that surround those words.
- Gender & identity51 entriesLanguage about gender identity, expression and transition. Labels are personal: the best guide is always how someone describes themselves.
- Consent & boundaries46 entriesWhat consent is, how boundaries work, and the names for the ways they are crossed. If something here describes your situation, support services are listed on each entry.
- Kink & BDSM 18+46 entriesFactual definitions of kink and BDSM vocabulary, with a focus on consent, negotiation and safety. Written for adults, without explicit description.
- Dating-app slang & abbreviations81 entriesThe shorthand of dating profiles and messages, from FWB to GSOH. Includes phrases worth questioning, and what they really signal.
- Psychology of intimacy61 entriesConcepts from psychology and relationship research that help explain attraction, attachment, desire and conflict.
Guides
All guides- Your body: a plain-language mapA calm tour of reproductive and sexual anatomy, hormones and cycles, with the everyday words and the medical ones side by side, plus the routine checks worth knowing about.
- Choosing contraception: the main optionsAn overview of the main families of contraception, from condoms and pills to implants, IUDs and permanent methods, and the questions that help people choose.
- Sexual health testing: the basicsWhy STI testing matters even without symptoms, what happens at a test, how window periods work and the prevention tools that sit alongside testing.
Often confused
All comparisons- Affirmative consentvsEnthusiastic consentAffirmative consent is about getting a clear yes; enthusiastic consent goes a step further and cares whether that yes is truly wanted.
- AsexualvsAromanticAsexual answers "do I feel sexual attraction?"; aromantic answers "do I feel romantic attraction?". A person can be one, both or neither.
- Bacterial vaginosisvsThrushA fishy smell points more towards BV, itching more towards thrush, but symptoms overlap, so it is worth getting them checked by a pharmacist, doctor or sexual health clinic.
- BisexualvsPansexualThe meanings overlap a great deal; people choose bisexual or pansexual based on which word feels right to them, and both are equally valid.
- CatfishingvsKittenfishingA catfish is not who they say they are; a kittenfish is, just with older photos and a few extra centimetres.
- Combined pillvsProgestogen-only pillThe combined pill has two hormones and usually allows planned breaks; the progestogen-only pill has one hormone, is taken without a break and suits many people who cannot take estrogen.
- Emergency contraceptive pillvsMedication abortionThe emergency pill acts before pregnancy and cannot end one; medication abortion ends a pregnancy. A pharmacist, clinic or local health service can explain the options.
- Gender identityvsSexual orientationKnowing someone's gender tells you nothing about who they are attracted to, and the reverse is also true.