Spanking is great. It builds anticipation, provides scintillating sensation and can amp up role play. If you’re thinking about trying a paddle, you probably know all this already and have experimented with palm spanks. (If you haven’t, you should do that first.)

If you have, indeed, sampled the delights of hand-to-butt spanks and your sub enjoys it but wants more, then a paddle is a must-have for your toy box.

Perhaps you've heard that size matters, women are naturally more bisexual than men, or that tantric sex means everlasting orgasms. None of these things is entirely true. Sex has been around forever, but we're just starting to understand it. Today we're debunking 10 of the most common sex myths to set the record straight.

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir won gold for Canada in the Winter Olympic Ice Dancing program this week and, because we are human beings who love gossip and in sport, much of the attention moved away from their performance and to their relationship.

That inspired one journalist to find out if bumping uglies had any effect on the scores that ice dancing pairs receive and, drawing a long bow, it might - but it seems unlikely.

Love is a complex and powerful force, one that plays out in a number of emotional, cognitive and social ways. According to the late psychologist John Alan Lee, there are six broad styles of love: Agape, Ludus, Storge, Eros, Mania and Pragma. We look at each in turn to help you determine the type of lover you are and the type of lover you need.

Not all mattresses are made equal. Likewise, not everyone has sex the same way. If you're wondering whether a particular mattress can handle how you conduct your business, sleep blog Sleep Like the Dead has your back.

Family Christmas gatherings are certainly a time. Between crap presents, That One Uncle and passive aggressive comments from relatives who can't even remember what they're fighting about anymore -- it can be taxing. And then there are the invasive relationship questions.

I get that it's nice for people are showing interest, but sometimes you just don't want them to. Nobody wants to be reminded that they're not doing as well as Cousin Amanda or that their ovaries are shriveling up by the second. Here are some options on how to tackle the more likely questions -- before and after you've had those lunch time drinks.

To paraphrase award-winning author Garth Marenghi, there are only three hetero sex positions worth doing: doggie, woman on top and "normal". But which one is best?

Medial doctor and sex therapist Zvi Zuckerman (aka the "Sex Doctor") recently explained the scientific, romantic and physical benefits of each position, along with their potential drawbacks. So if you're feeling frisky tonight, here's what to look forward to (and what to look out for!)

Dear Lovehacker, I've been living with my boyfriend for over a year now. Everything had been great until these past few weeks. He's been distant and preoccupied, not answering my calls, taking hours to get back to me, coming home late, and so on. Last week after I worked the graveyard shift, I came home and found sex toys in the shower (dildos). He said he used it on himself...

If someone were to tell you there are various types of orgasms that women can have, what would your reaction be? Surely, an orgasm is an orgasm and there’s only a couple of ways to reach that big ‘O’? Think again! It turns out women can achieve 12 different types of orgasms. Yes, 12! Read on to find out more about the ‘Dirty Dozen’ and how you can have them (or give them).

The health benefits of masturbation go far beyond relieving sexual tension. In women, it can decrease your odds of yeast infection, and even soothe menstrual pain. Masturbation can also strengthen pelvic muscles, lowering the risk of urinary leakage. As if you needed more reasons to have some quality alone time, this video offers them up.

Dear Lovehacker, I moved to a new city recently and don't know anyone locally. Do you have some advice on how to meet new people? (I'm single and looking!)

I'm a 25 year old woman. I'm not "Victoria's Secret model hot" but I'm also aware I'm good looking. I'm told I'm "unique" (eye roll), and I have diverse interests so I usually don't have any problems getting along with people unless I find them absolutely boring. But anyway...

I have a weird problem: People only wanting to get into a relationship with me. It's absolutely not what I'm looking for. Although I'm incredibly sexual, I don't have "romantic feelings".

Are you about to break up with someone? Or worried you'll be on the receiving end? Modern philosopher Alain de Botton's Youtube channel, The School of Life, has gone through some of the typical relationship death throes before settling on one major tip that benefits those who mightn't have seen it coming: Be a dick.

Dear Lovehacker, What is the etiquette in disclosing casual relationships and polyamory to a prospective partner? My friends tell me to be upfront from the very start, but discussing it on a first date is so awkward! Is there a 'right' time to broach the subject?

Dear Lovehacker, What is the best course of action when a colleague confesses their love to you? I'm not interested in them in that way and just don't feel the attraction. But I still have to work with them. Help!

Dear Lovehacker, I recently setup two of my friends (one of them asked me to) and it didn't go well. At all. She said that he was too nerdy for her and he ended up getting friend zoned. This isn't the first time I've failed at this so I'm feeling really weird about it. Should I stop setting up my friends?

Dear Lovehacker, For a bit of context I'm a university student and I ended up in a relationship with an exchange student. When she first came on exchange she was in a relationship but she broke up with him a week before we got together.

At the time I was concerned about being a rebound but she convinced me that she hadn't intended for us to happen and that her feelings were genuine. We ended up dating for two months before she went home. (You can probably guess what happened next.)

Dear Lovehacker, I have been with my boyfriend for years and the sex isn't very enjoyable. I can't really orgasm from penetration alone -- I usually have to touch myself or use a vibrator afterwards. The main problem is that my boyfriend doesn't like going down on me. He's happy for me to give him oral sex though. I'm really not sure what to do about this.

Dear Lovehacker, My girlfriend and I have been together for a few years and we're really happy. But for the past six months or so she hasn't been orgasming very often during sex and only when I'm rubbing her clitoris. I know that changing up routines can be helpful for long term couples, but she's sexually very shy and only really interested in the missionary position. What should I do?