Nexplanon

Nexplanon is the "new version" of the implanon (the device itself is sometimes called "the implant"). It is a small device that is inserted right under the skin. It leaves a very tiny scar (no bigger than the tip of the finger if the person who inserted it did a good job). A person must periodically check to make sure the implant is in place. It must be changed once every 3 years to get the full effect from it. It has about 1/5000 chance of someone becoming pregnant when it's properly inserted. It is a device that gradually releases hormones, effectively tricking the body into thinking it's pregnant based on hormones alone.

Statistically speaking, it's just about on par with getting one's tubes tied. It is slightly more effective than an IUD (they run at about 1/3500 chance of becoming pregnant in a given year). That might not seem like much of a different in the great scheme of things but for people who are sticklers about statistics, that could mean the difference between getting one or the other. The copper IUD does not have hormones while the other category of IUDs does release hormones gradually into the body. Both the implant and IUDs release about 35% of extra hormones in your body (compared to the patch which puts about 65% of extra hormones in your body).

Since the Nexplanon is hormonal based, everyone's body will react differently to it. Some people have a brutal hell with it. Others experience little to no side effects. Sometimes it can take the body about 6-15 months post initial insertion for the body to get used to the hormones (it took my own body about 1 year, 12 months, to get used to the Nexplanon).

When it comes to cancer risk, the American Cancer Society recommends that people considering hormonal based birth control to please discuss it with their doctor. Many factors contribute to the chances of having cancer in one's lifetime.

The cost of the Nexplanon typically runs $1500-2500+, but the Affordable Care Act made it so that clinics must offer the Nexplanon free or very cheaply.

Kitten Play 101

A person holding a collar with a tag on it that says "KITTEN" in all caps

Kitten play is a type of pet play found in the BDSM community. It involves one or multiple partners taking on the persona of a cat. Some do it for humiliation purposes, but this is the vast minority of the kitten play players. Many do it as a temporary form of escapism from everyday life, or just do it for fun.

Let's start off with what kitten play is not:

• Inherently "furries" (people who dress in fursuits)
• Inherently "otherkin" (people who believe their soul is not an animal is one of the many possible definitions for otherkin)
• Inherently sexual (the outfits might be "sexy" or "sensually appealing", but it could be viewed as just an art form as well)
• Zoophiliac (fetish for animals)
• Beastiality (sexual act with animals)

Kitten play is predominantly dominated by women or feminine-spectrum based individuals (such as nonbinaries who feel a strong connection to femininity). However, boy kittens and nonbinary kittens definetly exist! 

A good motto with kitten play is "cats come when they feel like it, not when they're told." For this reason, many (but not all) kitten players have a tendency to be a bit "bratty" (playfully push the buttons of their Dominants). Kitten players tend to be extremely playful while "in character", often doing things that "real" pet cats often do (play with laser beams, playfully paw at someone or something, randomly get bursts of energy, lounge about the home, among other things).

From a nutritional point of view, it is important for kitten players to not eat food intended solely for cats. This could be potentially disasterous for the kitten player since they would eventually become nutrient deficient, which could lead to a host of problems with their body. 

Problematic Sapiosexual

A sapiosexual pride flag, designed by a person named "Clara-the-humann"

The term "sapiosexual" has been floating around the internet for a few years and is starting to become popular in different circles. For those unaware, it means "sexual attraction to intelligence". Google claims the term originated sometime in the early-mid 2000s, but there is no exact date that can be found. It breaks down to "wise + sexual".  

However, many people have spoken up about the problematic nature of "sapiosexual". For starters, how does one classify "intelligence"? Is it just a high IQ score? Is it just someone whose intelluctual interests are the same as yours? "Intelligence" has multiple different meanings as well ("book smart" vs emotional intelligence vs "street smart" etc.). Perhaps the most controversial aspect of it is that some people claim that "sexual attraction to intelligence" automatically excludes those who have some type of learning disability (or something similar). Anecdotal remarks have also said that Anytime I see the word 'sapiosexual' it's code word for "pseudo intellectual bullshit" where they just want to circle jerk their own ego and pretenciousness." 

Some critics have said that "sapiophilia would be a more appropriate term" because the -philia term denotes "strong interest" rather than "sexual attraction". Others have said the term "noetisexual" is a more appropriate alternative term. "Noetisexual" means someone who is "sexually attracted to how a person's mind works" rather than 'intelligence' in of itself. 

Cupiosexuality

Cupiosexuality is apart of the asexual community. It means "a person who does not exhibit sexual attraction towards anyone under any circumstances, but is willing to engage in sex or sex like activities with others and/or have sexual relationships with someone. "Now a person might ask "wait, don't you need sexual attraction to have sex with someone?" The simple answer is no. A person can decide to have sex with anyone for any reason, regardless if sexual attraction is there or not.

One way I have heard it described as "Imagine that you feel neutral about a certain food - let us say cake for the sake of an easy example. Now, let's say you are hungry and you open the fridge and see a piece of cake. There is no other food in the fridge. You eat the piece of cake because you're hungry, but you feel indifferent about the piece of cake (it is not your favorite food but at the same time you don't not like it)."

Google Trends marks cupiosexual "appearing" on the internet sometime in January 2014, however it is very possible the term and flag created for it have been around longer. Originally, it was named "Kalosexual", but the community decided to change it to "cupiosexual" because of harassement from people.

The cupiosexual official flag

Acelyssie is the person who seems to have coined the term (on their own blog), but I am unable to confirm this information. While searching the internet, I was unable to find the origin of the flag (as in who created it) and I could not find an explanation for the color meanings. 

Drag Kings

Spikey Van Dykey, pictured above, is one of the most famous drag kings known

The world is pretty familiar with the concept of "Drag Queens", preformance artists who dress in typically traditional "feminine" clothing as a means to make some kind of statement (whether it's for comedic purposes, to attack the patriarchy, or any other reason under the sun), the world is not nearly as familiar with the world of Drag Kings. 

Drag Kings are preformance artists who do what Queens do, but flip it (where the artist will dress in typically traditional "masculine" clothing as a means to make some kind of statement). Similar to Queens, the Kings must also undergo heavy makeup to create the illusion of the character that they are portraying on stage. Just like Drag Queens, Kings also dance and lip sync to songs or preform their own routines (like stand up comedy).

Drag Kings are taking the world by storm. They are starting to become more well known in LGBT clubs as well as show up in "LGBT talent shows" (or drag shows in general). Just like Drag Queens, the Kings come in all shapes, sizes, attires, and colors. The only limit is your imagination, as cheesy as that sounds. 

Dani Boi, another drag king