Vaginismus is a condition that causes involuntary tightening in the vagina when a woman tries to have sex or use a tampon. It’s a fairly common condition, affecting more than 27, 200 women in the UK and most reported between the ages of 26-35 (53%), according to statistics from private healthcare clinics in the US. This figure, quoted in Linda Valins’ book “When a Woman’s Body Says No to Sex: Understanding and Overcoming Vaginismus” is likely to be higher as women don’t always seek help.

Erectile dysfunction is a common problem affecting 1 in 3 men but according to the Sexual Advice Association (SAA) only around 10% of sufferers receive treatment. “The umbrella term of erectile dysfunction can be a range of health problems including: issues with sustaining an erection, orgasm, ejaculation, a low libido and an inability to have long erections and may require erectile dysfunction treatment,” says Dr Hilary Jones, medical advisor to Health Express.

Mr Lost is a book about a wife’s journey into her marriage: frustrations, sexual fantasies, doubts and adultery. It explores why women have affairs, what they want, and why they leave ‘good’ marriages. Do sexual fantasies harm or help? The narrator, who isn’t named, starts writing a blog under a pseudo-name (Lucrezia Borgia), in which imaginary character Emma Bovary is free to live the alternative, fuller and exciting life the real person wishes for, separated from her own desires by two levels of fiction (Lucrezia and Emma). We met the author, Angie Voluti, to talk about her motivations for writing Mr Lost and how she juggles her work as a writer with heading up her own PR company, AV PR.

LELO are the haute couture of sex toys so I always get excited when a little black box embossed with a silver logo arrives in the post. They are an innovative company and make quality products and sensual accessories, including this Adore Me Pleasure Gift Set. No hardcore stuff here – just beautiful, shapely toys that make you feel sexy and glam when you play with them. I’m partial to Swedes too so all I have to do is close my eyes and I’m in that glass-fronted hotel room overlooking Stockholm’s harbour. I digress.

Moves are afoot in Iceland to ban internet porn. The ministry of the interior is pulling together anti-porn legislation after consultations with the police, health and education officials about its detrimental effects on young people, women and their relationships with men. Halla Gunnarsdottir, advisor to the interior ministry explains why: "We are a progressive, liberal society when it comes to nudity, to sexual relations, so our approach is not anti-sex but anti-violence. This is about children and gender equality, not about limiting free speech".

I've just done the Mastery of Self-expression, an intensive weekend workshop for creativity and self-development. It was led by Christine Kimberley, an experienced actor/coach/presenter and draws from techniques used to train actors to express more of themselves and be more authentic in their work. The experience blew me away and I've been talking about it non-stop since. I'm not going to explain the processes involved because they won't make much sense out of context but the combination of exercises, play and group energy is very powerful and facilitates change.

Jean Smith is a social anthropologist and has spent over a decade studying how men and women interact. She is from Iowa in the American Mid-West, which she describes as “a friendly place where people flirt naturally” so arriving in London she was a little confused by the British stiff upper lip and our penchant for dates-with-alcohol… “I love the people, the politeness and the scones. But when it comes to flirting, you British have much to learn,” she says.

Rabbit vibes are female-friendly, curvaceous toys with a dual motor for simultaneous clitoral and g-spot stimulation. Since they shot to fame after being featured on Sex and the City, their design has come a long way. My first Rabbit was a battery-operated pink jelly monster made in China but you can now find some very stylish toxin-free toys. LELO toys have been likened to Apple products – stylish, powerful and well designed. The Ina Version 2 is their upgraded Rabbit vibe so I’m looking forward to testing it out. The first Ina looked great and had a powerful motor but garnered a few complaints about its functionality. The Rabbit ears were fairly rigid, meaning it sat too snugly and felt uncomfortable around the clitoris once inside the body.

Therapeutic horse work can increase self-awareness, confidence, and improve communication and leadership skills at work. It can also teach us how we relate to others and help with conflict and unresolved issues in our personal lives. We spoke to Equine Affinity about a new equine therapy workshop for improving relationships.

A new book asks whether the sisterhood has forgotten older women. 38 essays written by high profile authors including politicians, policy-makers, academics and campaigners present a picture of an ageing society that isn’t adapting to the new female demographic. Topics explored include health and wellbeing, sex and intimacy, isolation, loneliness, finances and work. More of us are living longer but as the book shows this doesn’t mean we’re living a happier or healthier life, as many women are at risk of abuse, isolation, loneliness and poverty.

Funding cuts and policy changes that come into place on April 1st will affect sexual health services in a number of ways say health charities, leading to a rise in STIs and abortion and affecting the quality of services on offer. In response, the FPA and Brook launched a joint campaign earlier this year called XES – We Can’t Go Backwards, to raise awareness of how it will impact services in your area. They have outlined a Bill of Rights, which explains what help you are entitled to. Services, information and education for contraception, STIs and abortion are a basic right, earned through decades of struggle – yet these are being compromised to save money in the short term.

Vaginismus is a condition that causes the pubococcygeus muscle to clench involuntarily during penetration - a finger, speculum, tampon or during sex. It makes sex uncomfortable or impossible and can be very distressing for a woman if she doesn't understand why it is happening. It is a physical response - 'muscle memory' - caused by a psychological issue, which could be shame or fear of her genitals, sexuality, rape, abuse, birth trauma or a bad sexual experience. There is a strong link between disgust and a strong moral/religious upbringing and vaginismus.

March’s Book of the Month: Bodies of Subversion: A Secret History of Women and Tattoo by Margot Mifflin. As of 2012, tattooed women outnumber men for the first time in US history making Mifflin’s revised book more relevant than ever. Her work is the first history of women’s tattoo art and a documentation of changing roles and emancipation. The third edition has over 100 new pictures and explores current trends in body art. As Mifflin explains, it may be trendy to be tattooed but it’s something women have been doing for decades. Learn about:

Rebecca Chance is a bestselling author whose books are described as “50 Shades sexier than the average bonkbuster”. Inspired by Jackie Collins and Judith Krantz she has made the genre her own, bringing it ‘bang’ up-to-date and reflecting the trials and tribulations of both women and men, gay and straight. Her books are great fun, tightly plotted, and impossibly glamorous – with tons of steamy sex. “I like to do international settings and five-star luxe. My mother is American and I love to travel,” she says. Chance wrote for various newspapers and magazines before moving to Tuscany to focus on learning Italian and writing books. After eight years she moved to Manhattan, where her experiences of the New York dating scene inspired her non-fiction book Jane Austen’s Guide to Dating (published under her real name Lauren Henderson).

So, a historic day in the Commons this week and a huge step forward for LGBT rights. 400 MPs voted in favour of the Marriage (Same-sex Couples) Bill and 175 against so a clear majority of 225. The issue has divided the Conservative Party with 136 MPs - almost half of it - voting against the Bill. My local MP for Hastings & Rye, Amber Rudd, voted in favour I'm pleased to see. This is the first stage of the process and the Bill will now go through the Commons Committee and then the House of Lords before it is passed so more detailed scrutiny, scribbled amendments and criticism to come. Many feel that it goes against the traditional definition of 'marriage' as a 'union between one man and one woman' and question whether it will destabilise marriage and biological parenting, arguing that it wasn't part of the 2010 Conservative manifesto.

The Iris is LELO’s largest vibrator. It’s about the size and width of a cucumber (9” long, 4.5” thick) and comes beautifully packaged in a black box with a satin case, user manual, charger and one-year warranty. It is made from phthalate-free silicone; as standard with all of LELO toys and is available in three colours: pale pink, deep rose and powder blue. The tip is rounded for use on the clitoris and labia and the base is tapered with sculptured ridges, which you can feel when you use it internally.