It’s a betrayal we suffer when our traumatic experience of sexual assault isn’t validated by those we trust the most to protect us. This may lead us to ask: Are there some who suffer from this kind of “institutional betrayal” more than others? University of Oregon psychology student Sarah Cunningham would definitely say so, and [...]

Prayer comes in many forms. Perhaps we pray for the family friend diagnosed with leukemia. The cousin battling an addiction. The dog we have to finally let go. Or, perhaps the notion of prayer, communication with a higher power doesn’t appeal to us at all and instead a stream of questions flow in and out [...]

Dear Katherine, About a week ago, a guy at a party swept me off my feet — and right away, we both knew there was an instant connection and energy neither of us could ignore. He lives a state away but is moving to Eugene in June. We’ve been talking via text and phone calls [...]

Julie waited patiently at her husband’s favorite bar as he returned from a week-long trip away from home. She was eager for a night alone with him and wanted to surprise him. When he finally entered, an unknown woman sprang from her seat to hug him — and then kiss him. Finally, when he noticed [...]

Picture this: You’re walking to class when you spot your girlfriend laughing and joking with a guy she met in her science class. Your heart starts beating a little faster, your mind swarms with questions and your willpower — the part of you that’s rational — struggles to contain it all. You’re jealous, and it [...]

According to Annette Poizner, I’m a “people person,” an apprehensive, intuitive feeler, an artist. In order for her to come to these personal conclusions, you’d think that she and I would have been close friends — or, at the very least, would have met each other in person once or twice. We have done neither. [...]

When was the last time you did nothing? By this, I mean absolutely nothing — no texting, emailing, eating, talking or even listening to music. I mean being present in the moment, focusing on nothing other than your breathing, your body, the presence of silence, the sounds of birds chirping outside or the ticking of [...]

Dear Katherine, I recently made a friend in one of my classes, and we hit it off right away. He is a theater major, loves Disney movies more than I do, wears better clothes than I do and overall seems like the perfect sassy gay friend. It would be perfect, except he claims he is [...]

A 2011 study published in Psychological Science brings us a little closer to understanding one of the most sought-after dilemmas in our society: Why do people cheat on their partners? Do some possess traits that make them more likely to commit infidelity than others? Using a large anonymous Internet survey comprised of over 1500 participants, [...]

A while ago, I came across a Facebook post by an acquaintance. She had been with a guy for a while and vented about how she couldn’t understand when people professed that love takes hard work — to her, if it’s right, it should be easy. She said it’s that simple. I can’t say I [...]

Eric Crown had the Tinder iPhone application for less than a week before he was matched with 83 girls from around campus. “I’ve only met one of the girls in person, but I run into a lot of my matches on campus,” Crown said. “I normally just wink at them.” The app allows you to [...]

From the moment we are born, we develop vital attachments with our primary caretakers. Through our first exposure to physical and emotional closeness (or lack thereof) as children, we are introduced to themes of trust, dependence, security and openness. If we have receptive, attentive parents, we learn we can trust. If not, we learn we [...]

It’s a controversy that has instigated much discussion between scientists, and between lovers. Are humans naturally monogamous, or not? Though it’s a heated discussion, some research may help prove the former — that monogamy is actually an evolutionary adaptation, a social shift that occurred millions of years ago. Our understanding of sexual dimorphism, the physical [...]

Are there certain times of the year when relationships flourish and certain times of the year when relationships suffer the most? Facebook Data Science certainly says so. Using U.S. Facebook data from 2010 to 2011, Facebook Data Science looked at the ebb and flow of relationships during the year. By keeping track of the changes [...]

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, gonorrhea is the second most commonly reported sexually transmitted disease in the United States, with more than 300,000 cases of gonorrhea reported in 2011. The disease is normally cured with the use of antibiotics, but according to a new report by the CDC, this may not be [...]

Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released two new reports that show the use of birth control among women is increasing. One of the reports shows that 11 percent of women surveyed between 2006 and 2010 had used the morning-after pill at least once during their lives, compared to 4.2 percent in [...]

Dear Katherine, I was seeing this girl for a couple of months. We were really into each other — I thought — and hung out quite a bit. We even said we were exclusive at one point. However, about a couple of weeks ago, I started feeling some distance from her. All of a sudden, [...]

When Maj Hutchinson tells people she is the director of the University of Oregon Men’s Center, she is commonly met with two reactions: first, surprise (because she is a woman) and second, confusion (that a Men’s Center exists). “Why do we need a Men’s Center,” some women ask, “when the whole world is a men’s center?” [...]

Sex with an ex is tempting. It can be easy to engage in during times of loneliness and insecurity, it can work as a boost to our self-confidence when we’re single and it can be particularly difficult to avoid if the relationship we had with that ex was one that was deep and powerful. So, [...]

Dear Katherine, Well, my fiancée and I have been together for six months now. I am deeply in love with her and I know she is deeply in love with me. I can be a difficult man to be around, so the fact that she still stands by my side is daily proof she loves [...]