Metro

There have been numerous repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic, from social restrictions and job losses to financial difficulties, but a huge one that is floating under the radar is the impact it has had on sexual health. And it’s women, in particular, who are suffering. In fact, medical journal The Lancet has said the pandemic is having a ‘devastating’ effect on the sexual and reproductive health of women and girls across the globe. Back in April, one Lancet report even stressed that, whi

Because I’m an openly bisexual man, I’m required to wait three months if I’ve engaged in oral or anal sex with a man to donate again – no matter if protection, medication or testing has been used – but the same rules don’t apply if it’s a woman. This means I’ve deliberately not gone on dates with men to keep my blood donation appointment. It really feels like I’m having to compromise a part of my identity to continue donating blood.

Over the past few years, more and more brands have been adopting rental models that allow customers to momentarily own their desired item, without taking a giant hit to their bank balance in one go. Fashion brands have fully backed this renting movement, with many offering designer clothes on a short-term lease at a fraction of the price. Now, homeware brands are jumping on the bandwagon, with retailers such as John Lewis, Ikea and Muji introducing their own furniture rental schemes. The dema

Lynsey Searle has lived with fibromyalgia, a condition causing widespread pain and extreme tiredness, for around five years. The counsellor, 42, has regular massages and chiropractic treatment but fears this option may soon be taken away. East Lancashire, where she lives, remains under strict local lockdown after a surge in coronavirus cases.

Last week, the UK entered a recession for the first time in 11 years – following the devastating impact of coronavirus on the economy. To make things worse, official data has shown that it’s the biggest recession on record. For many millennials and all Gen Zers, it marks the second recession in their lifetime before they turned 30. There’s no denying that the coming months (and years) will be a bumpy ride financially – particularly with widespread redundancies and salary cuts on the horizon w

My single self would have felt disbelief at the present sight of me. Music holds a stronger potency than it did before. And it turns out that letting someone cut your fringe, even if a part of your brow goes with it, isn’t so scary after all. Of course, it is frightening to make yourself so vulnerable to someone else; to unpick the armour that surrounds your heart and place it in the delicate hands of another person. But I have had to allow myself to trust the process. If you meet someone who you get along with like a best friend, they make you laugh till your belly aches and you have a gorgeous time, hold onto that. That is the stuff of life and it doesn’t happen often.

I don’t think many A-level students look forward to results day. But this year, not knowing what awaits you when you open that envelope has taken on a whole new meaning.

Every young woman I had contact with in Westminster appeared to have a ‘story’ to pass on, and would warn the new women who became involved...

Lockdown is slowly lifting and social events are back on – albeit in a distanced and safe manner. But after months of being told to ‘stay home’ to protect ourselves and others, lots of people are finding it difficult to ‘switch on’ their social lives again. We’re all in different places on the ‘new normal’ spectrum – some are perfectly happy to go to the pub with friends while others are still cautious about social meet-ups of any kind. And people who are not ready to engage in social events

Over the past few months, working from home has become the ‘new normal’, but with restrictions lifting, lots of people will (slowly) be getting back to office life. This has prompted many to think about whether they want to return at all. The coronavirus pandemic has put things into perspective. Some have realised they don’t want to continue in a job they don’t enjoy, while others have come to see that they are not getting the support/progression/pay they need. ‘What coronavirus is doing for

A new shop in Beijing will make book lovers weak at the knees. The Zhongshuge bookstore – which has recently opened inside the city’s Lafayette department store – features tunnels and hidden reading nooks. Designed by architecture firm X+Living, the building is inspired by traditional Chinese gardens. The unique space includes walls of books and round walkways, which pay homage to ‘moon gates’ – circular openings often built in Chinese gardens. But nods to the country’s culture do not stop t

There’s a lot to be anxious about at the moment. The coronavirus pandemic has had a knock-on effect on so many different areas of our lives – from our dating routines to our socialising habits. Our work lives are also changing (or are about to) and this is causing a lot of concern. Whether it’s the impending economic recession that’s likely to result in a number of job losses, or the fact that the pandemic could slow career progression (and pay rises) down. Career anxiety is rife in the curr

Dame Helen Mirren and Liam Gallagher were among the celebrities who donated their things to Oxfam to raise money for its coronavirus response appeal.

Yesterday, news broke that, for the first time in eight years, house prices had fallen. After years of crippling financial setbacks – from the tripling of tuition fees to travel prices soaring – it was just what millennials and Gen Zers needed to hear. But before we crack out the champagne (or more likely Aldi prosecco – there’s an impending UK recession, after all), it’s worth considering just how noticeable these changes will be. First, let’s get our heads around the actual statistics. Acc

As lockdown slowly lifts, people are descending on outdoor spaces. But after watching the natural world thrive over the past four months – with wildlife returning to tourist-free cities and pollution levels lowering – humans have been quick to leave their mark on beauty spots again. Images taken over recent weeks show the country’s parks and beaches flooded with litter after crowds head home for the day. From Starbucks cups and picnic remains to cigarette butts and beer bottles, park-goers ha

With lockdown measures in place, city streets have been without their usual hustle and bustle over recent months. But one man was determined to find a way to capture city life during this unique period in history. Dan Barker, a marketing and e-commerce consultant, tells Metro.co.uk: ‘Lots has been written about coronavirus and talked about, but aside from big news stories there aren’t many photos of how it’s affected us day-to-day.’ Using the Monopoly board as inspiration, Dan captured lockdo

My ex is now my best friend My ex is now my best friend When you love someone, it’s horrible to realise that your feelings don’t match the way they feel for you. Jordan and I had been together for just over six months when I knew. The candle-lit dinners, night-long hugs and constant banter were incredible, but when I returned to my native Italy for the summer, saying goodbye wasn’t the heart-wrenching agony I had anticipated. Being apart didn’t feel the way I had expected either. I didn’t mi

Not only has lockdown given us an opportunity to clear out our wardrobes, but it’s also prompted a shift in the way we think about our clothes, in general. Yes, lockdown has physically changed the way we dress – with joggers, PJs, gym wear and dressing gowns forming the four pillars of the 2020 wardrobe – but it’s also made us think, psychologically, about our attitudes to fashion. From the amount of clothes that are gathering dust in our wardrobes to our online shopping habits – the pandemic

Had to put up with an annoying sibling/partner/housemate in lockdown? Spare a thought for the people who have been living with spirits in their house. With the nation being at home more than ever before, some people have noticed they’re not the only ones occupying their four walls. Sam Bennetts is an individual who has experienced new activity in her house during lockdown. She lives in Feltham with her husband and youngest children. The mum-of-seven has been working with spirits her entire l

Picture an apple in your head. Most of us would assume that everyone is able to generate these mental images from a very young age. But, for some people, these visual thoughts don’t take place. Aphantasia is a condition where individuals just cannot picture images in their heads – even familiar places, family members or colours. Dr Elena Touroni, a consultant psychologist and co-founder of The Chelsea Psychology Clinic, explains: ‘While most of us may be able to think of something that happe

What Comes Next: More physical affection and smaller circles – how friendships will change as a result of coronavirus What Comes Next: More physical affection and smaller circles – how friendships will change as a result of coronavirus The pandemic has made a lot of people appreciate their nearest and dearest – not just family members but friends, too. Throughout our lives, friends help us develop as individuals, offer emotional support and provide us with much-needed entertainment. ‘Friends

The arguments in Rowling’s essay are sinister. They paint transgender women as a threat, and depict transgender men as confused, naïve victims of a harmful ideology. And within all of this calmly delivered misinformation and fear-mongering, there is the central thread that many trans men should be dissuaded from transitioning. Some of the reasons she gives are all too familiar to me.

Parents have a lot of plates to spin – what with their jobs, children, housework and social lives. But the coronavirus pandemic has left parents juggling work and children at the same time – with mums, in particular, picking up a lot of childcare and homeschooling duties, while they are trying to work themselves. Naturally, this is having a knock-on effect on women’s careers. A recent survey found that more than half of working mums believe increased childcare responsibilities during the coro

What Comes Next: House prices might fall for millennials and Generation Z but long-term financial difficulties are coming What Comes Next: House prices might fall for millennials and Generation Z but long-term financial difficulties are coming Economically speaking, young people have had it tough over the past few years – what with university tuition fees tripling, house prices soaring and the cost of travel continuing to rise. Then a pandemic came along. Over recent months, experts have spe

Forget marriage or giving birth – you can do those things more than once – you’re only ever going to get one party to celebrate leaving school.

Lockdown has been challenging, from not being able to see family members to limitations on the everyday day things that make us happy. But while there are many downsides, there is one positive to come out of lockdown. For many of us, lockdown has been the first prolonged period in our adults lives that we haven’t felt like we are ‘missing out’ – simply because we are all, globally, facing the same restrictions. Fear of missing out – more commonly referred to as FOMO – doesn’t really have a pl

Starting a new job can be incredibly overwhelming. There’s a new clan of colleagues to get to know, a different boss to work with and the role itself to get to grips with. But coronavirus lockdown has resulted in a very different experience for those starting new jobs. Not only are new starters socially isolated from their entire team, but they’re also having to navigate a new role with nobody around. Hannah Hart started her new position as tech writer in early May – when the UK was in its s

You came out of nowhere, but you’d probably argue that wasn’t the case. I was minding my own business trying to win over my Twitter crush with the prospect of one day making a cherry bakewell that didn’t taste like chewing gum – and there you were, texting me a photo of pancakes. Since when do you eat pancakes?

A few weeks ago, my 97-year-old granddad tested positive for coronavirus. After spending a few days in Barnet hospital, being treated by the incredible NHS team, he beat the virus and walked out with his stick in hand and a smile on his face. But ask him about it now – two weeks on – and he won’t remember a thing. My grandad was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s (a type of dementia) back in 2012 and since then my family have watched the disease slowly take the man we once knew away from us. It’s ha