24 Diagrams To Help You Have Better Sex

Understand consent, keep your penis safe, get it on while pregnant, and more.

2. For a basic ~pleasure~ blueprint.

Men’s Health / Via menshealth.com

These charts don’t apply to everyone, of course, but they’re interesting to look at nonetheless! See more about this at Do You Know Her Pleasure Points? via Men’s Health.

3. For when you need to love yourself first.

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4. For understanding consent.

Jana Marie Soroczak for VitaminW / Via vitaminw.co

In case there’s any confusion at all. To learn more, read What Consent Looks Like at VitaminW.

Infographic by Jana Marie Soroczak for VitaminW.

5. For sleeping with bae (and actually sleeping).

Allison Pottasch for Swimmingly / Via swimmingly.com

Cute, right? Read more about the best and worst sleep positions for couples at Swimmingly.

6. For using a condom the right way.

Erika Moen / Via ohjoysextoy.com

Using condoms during sex is called the “barrier method” of protection. When used correctly, they’re 98% effective at preventing pregnancy (but when used incorrectly, they’re only 82% effective). Condoms can also be a good way to reduce your risk of contracting or spreading STIs. They don’t protect you against all STIs (some can be spread from skin-to-skin contact, for instance), but it’s a good place to start.

Worth noting: The best thing you can do for yourself in terms of protection against STIs: Get tested, know your status, and get treatment for any STIs that you do have. Not all are curable, but all can be treated to one degree or another. See more information about STI testing and treatment here.

Infographic via Erika Moen of OhJoySexToy.

7. For when condoms alone might not cut it.

John Warren Hanawalt / Via johnheartsdesign.com

Condoms aren’t the only barrier method in town. Depending on the sex act or the partner, you might benefit more from one of these other options.

Infographic by John Warren Hanawalt for Fenway Health.

8. For a gentle reminder to know your status and protect yourself in multiple ways.

Guttmacher Institute / Via guttmacher.org

Again, condoms alone won’t keep you safe and protected — it’s also vital to know your STI status, and get treated for any STIs that you do have (many of which don’t have obvious symptoms). Learn more here.

9. For a sexy soundtrack.

Women’s Health / Via womenshealthmag.com

Women’s Health Facebook followers shared their favorite sex songs (shown above). Any you’d add?

10. For feeling comfortable calling the shots.

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This is so, so important. Your sex life is your own, and you call the shots. Via sexedquestions.tumblr.com and sexpositiveblog.com.

11. For knowing just where you stand.

David McCandless / Via informationisbeautiful.net

Hey, labels aren’t the worst thing ever, and monogamy isn’t necessarily for everyone. Isn’t it better to be honest and up-front about it?

Infographic via David McCandless of Information Is Beautiful, author of Knowledge Is Beautiful.

12. For getting in the mood.

Women’s Health / Via womenshealthmag.com

Find out what makes these foods so ~sexy~ at 7 Foods That Boost Your Libido, via Women’s Health.

13. For making your room a bit more hospitable to overnight guests.

Men’s Health / Via pinterest.com

You don’t need ceiling mirrors or stripper poles to turn your bedroom into a verifiable sex den. Instead, you should make your bed as inviting as possible, according to Men’s Health. These 7 Sex Upgrades For Your Bed are a good place to start.

14. For getting it on during pregnancy.

Illustrations by Patrick George for Women’s Health / Via womenshealthmag.com

For tips about how to do each of these moves, plus four more pregnancy sex positions, read Have Hot Pregnancy Sex: The Best Positions For Every Trimester, via Women’s Health.

15. For exploring your kinky side.

Alice Mongkongllite / BuzzFeed / Via buzzfeed.com

OK, so this isn’t a chart, but it is a great primer on all things BDSM (as in: all the things that you didn’t learn from reading or watching Fifty Shades of Grey). Check it out, and ready the handcuffs!

16. For keeping your penis safe and sound.

Men’s Health / Via pinterest.com

Thanks, Men’s Health! Read The 10 Worst Things That Can Happen To Your Penis for more on this topic.

17. For when you see a bangin’ booty and kinda wanna shout about it.

Shea Strauss for Playboy / Via playboy.com

Glad we cleared THAT up. Flowchart by Shea Strauss for Playboy.

18. For when you want a little more playfulness in your relationship.

Alice Mongkongllite for BuzzFeed / Via buzzfeed.com

For more details on this, check out The Couples Bucket List You’ll Actually Want To Do.

19. For, ahem, improving your flexibility and opening those hips.

World Lifestyle / Via worldlifestyle.com

Speaking of fitness for better sex… See 10 Ways Exercise Makes Your Sex Life Better (According to Science).

20. For when you might wanna give yourself a hand.

JimmyJane / Via visual.ly

Masturbation can be a totally normal part of your sex life, no matter your gender, and regardless of whether you have a partner or not.

21. For choosing the best birth control for you.

Greatist / Via greatist.com

Via Greatist. WORTH NOTING: Per the infographic, all the costs listed are before health insurance. Under the Affordable Care Act, anyone with insurance can now get many types of birth control for free, without a copay. More on that here.

22. For where NOT to store your condoms (lest they break!).

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23. For if the condom breaks anyway.

Planned Parenthood / Via plannedparenthood.tumblr.com

From Planned Parenthood’s Tumblr post: “Note: If you’re a trans guy who takes hormones, you should talk with your doctor and see what they recommend when it comes to taking emergency contraception. Unfortunately, right now there isn’t enough research that tells us how hormonal EC will affect you, so your best choice may be the non-hormonal ParaGard IUD.

24. For after sex is over, and you’re eyeballing that selfie stick.

Tom Phillips / Via buzzfeed.com

Just say no. More sex charts here.

Read more: http://www.buzzfeed.com/carolynkylstra/graphics-sex