Whether you’re debating getting one for yourself or your inquisitiveness has just gotten the best of you, we chatted with both a licensed physician and an American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists-certified sex educator to get the lowdown on all things genital piercings.

More: Do Daith piercings really cure migraines?

Keep reading to find out the sexual benefits, health risks and medical information related to getting a genital piercing.

Do genital piercings increase sensitivity?

There are many reasons that a person may decide to pierce their nipples, clitoris, clitoral hood or labia. Those reasons can be purely aesthetic, erotic or a combination of both.

“Pierced sexual organs can appear more beautiful and exotic to some, erotic to others, and that can be to both the beholder and/or the beholden,” says Eric Marlowe Garrison, who is also the author of best-seller Mastering Multiple-Position Sex. “The stimulation may be a placebo effect, but it can also be a result of increased sensitivity. I just advised a client this morning to try ice cubes on her piercing in her clitoral hood to experience temperature play.”

Can genital piercings cause nerve damage?

Short answer: Potentially. Some people will orgasm easier because of the piercing, Garrison says, “but when we pierce nipples and other sensual body parts, we can cause nerve damage.”

Nerve damage is one of the most common complications associated with an intimate piercing. One of the most sensitive areas to nerve damage is the clitoris, which is why it is seldom pierced directly. Clitoral piercings include the vertical hood, horizontal hood or the "Christina" (above the clitoris) but never exactly on it, as it has a greater risk for damage and also (generally speaking) isn’t usually big enough to support the weight of jewelry.

“Concerns include bleeding, infections, scarring or keloid formation,” explains Dr. Kim Walker, a former family medicine doctor in Mechanicsville, Virginia. “Nerve injury resulting in altered or no sensation [is also a risk]. All of these are rare, but should be considered risks.”

There can be the possibility of nerve damage, an infection, tearing, rejection and bruising, Garrison adds, but these are rare. There is also the chance of a nickel allergy or other reactions to the jewelry.

Note that allergies, nerve damage, infection and rejection are always a piercing concern, regardless of what you are getting pierced.

Are genital piercings safe?

The best way to navigate the medical risks of genital piercings while making sure you’re healthy and safe, Garrison advises, is to do your research, especially on the person who will be doing the piercing.

“My advice is to choose your piercer wisely, not just for safety and low pain, but for the pleasure that you hope to achieve," he says. "Realize, too, some people get instant pleasure from the piercing experience, much like people like getting a tattoo as well as looking at it and touching it.” Garrison adds. He suggests doing your research before you begin in order to save "money, time and your sex organs."

Can vaginal piercings cause orgasm just from the sensation & not only during a sexual act?

Yep. Those stories you’ve heard about women with piercings walking down the street and orgasming — they’re real. Or at least they could be.

“I have heard some women-identified persons orgasming from their piercing alone, and that can be because they might be in-tune to their clitoris or other pierced part. Some will say that the rubbing of it is highly erotic,” Garrison reveals.

Are genital piercings illegal?

No, genital piercings are not illegal in the U.S., but could be in other countries. In 2015, for instance, the U.K. Department of Health passed new legislation that classified all vaginal piercings for nonmedical reasons under the umbrella of genital mutilation. Thusly, they are to be reported.

More: What is it with body modifications?

How common are genital piercings?

Honestly, we don’t actually know. A 2002 survey by the Mayo Clinic examined 454 college undergraduates and reported that 2.4 percent of women had genital piercings. While people aren’t exactly forthright about their piercings, the actual act of piercing itself isn’t always done in a space conducive to gathering statistics.

“It is very hard to calculate the numbers of pierced sex organs because they can include so many parts of the body,” Garrison says. “Many piercers don’t keep track of their numbers, some people self-pierce and still yet, [others] will be pierced by a lover, spouse or dom.” But it's safe to say that if you are curious or looking to get a genital piercing, it's something best left up to the experts.

By Stephanie Osmanski

Originally published on HelloFlo.

After a long year of staying behind the camera rather than in front of it, Angelina Jolie is considering a return to acting. But we still don't know exactly what her next move will be.

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Jolie had all six of her kids in tow when she appeared at the Telluride Film Festival to premiere her new film, First They Killed My Father, a drama about genocide in Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s. The film, which Jolie directed, has been well received by critics and will make its debut in select theaters and on Netflix on Sept. 15.

Jolie has been pouring herself into directing and promoting the film, which leaves many wondering what's next for her now that it's nearing its release date. Speaking to reporters at the festival, Jolie revealed that even she doesn't know that for sure yet, but there are a few things she's considering — and one of them is a return to acting after more than a year away to focus on her family, she said.

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"Right now, I don’t have anything to direct that I feel passionate about like this, so I’ll do some acting," Jolie told The Hollywood Reporter. "I’ve taken over a year off now, because of my family situation, to take care of my kids … When I feel it’s time for me to go back to work, I’ll be able to go back to work. I’ve been needed at home. I hope [to work again] in the months to come."

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For her next project, a Maleficent sequel looks likely, Jolie said, but she's also considering a script for Cleopatra. Whatever role she chooses, we know fans will be happy to see Jolie back on the big screen.

Bringing a tiny human into the world is stressful enough. If you’re about to do just that, your head might already be exploding with worries, to-do lists and new-parent concerns aplenty. The last thing you need is every megastore and mommy site seemingly shouting at you that there are no fewer than 48,374 sparkling new “baby must-buys” that you absolutely need to purchase for your soon-to-be kid — or else.

Guess what? You don’t.

The “newborn must-buy” list is basically the parenting equivalent of those lists college bros make of how many women they’ve slept with (that happens, right?): exaggerated, elongated and padded with every would-be name the desperate list-maker can think of. In reality, babies have been getting along just fine for centuries without owning play mats, splat mats or those god-awful little teepees that are supposed to prevent baby boys from peeing on the faces of their brave diaper-changers. Yes, babies need clothing and bottles and somewhere cozy to sleep — but you can find the vast majority of those actual necessities for dirt cheap or even free online. The key is simple: source them secondhand.

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Of course, you need to do your research to vet certain items; it’s tough to prove via the internet that a secondhand car seat was never involved in a crash, so maybe stick to sourcing that one from folks you know. But there are plenty of items your kid is going to treat like candy wrappers: colorful, shiny, but disposable. After all, a 3-month-old is 3 months old for... one month. Why shell out for dozens of 3-month-size outfits? Would you buy yourself an entire wardrobe of just “October clothes”? I hope not.

Below is a list of 10 newborn items you do not need to buy new (or at all), plus tips from the folks at OfferUp — experts in all things secondhand — on how to ensure these oldies are also goodies.

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1. Onesies: Talk about disposable. If your kid doesn't outgrow all her newborn onesies in a week, the sheer quantities of bodily fluids those onesies absorb will make you wish she had. Plus, if she weighs more than 7 pounds at birth (a.k.a. entirely average), she'll never even fit the "newborn" size at all. Ask around for hand-me-downs. Most parents are thrilled to lighten their closet's onesie load.

2. Strollers: "Brand-new strollers will cost you an arm and a leg," explains Natalie Angelillo, VP of community at OfferUp. "Why? Because retailers know they’re a necessity." It's true. While we are huge proponents of carriers and babywearing, sometimes (you know, like if you're going jogging) a stroller just fits the bill better. Luckily, secondhand strollers are out there: Craigslist, OfferUp and Freecycle are just a few options. I for one got a used stroller from a delightful dad in my office's IT department.

3. Bassinet: If you're planning on using a bassinet or a Moses basket before transitioning kiddo to a crib, know that he's going to be outta there by about 6 months old if not before. So find something secondhand — and pay it forward when you're done.

4. Shoes: Hey, guess what. If you're not walking, you do not need shoes. I'm looking at you, newborns! "Babies grow out of shoes almost every week, and infants don't even need them," Angelillo adds. So opt for used if your tot's toddling, and just let your 2-month-old hang out in socks or barefoot. I mean wouldn't you want to hang out barefoot?

5. Coats and hats: Not only do babies outgrow these at baffling speeds, newborns are also not going out sledding. Just wear the wee one in a carrier, and put your own coat on. Presto: instant baby bundle. Plus, winter itself is only temporary (at least until the imminent next Ice Age), so save the quality gear for next year — when she's a toddler barreling headfirst into snowdrifts.

6. Baby room furniture: For safety reasons, "it's not recommended to buy a used crib," Angelillo explains (oops — my son definitely got a hand-me-down). "But you can save on other items in the baby’s room, such as rocking chairs or gently used changing tables."

7. Bedding: Far too many baby bedding options come in "sets" that you absolutely do not need — and should actually avoid. "Find gently used crib sheets," suggests Angelillo, "rather than dishing out for a full 'set' that includes quilts, comforters, a crib skirt, bumper pads, etc." Those items can actually be dangerous for newborns.

8. Toys: Does anybody else have a kid who is constantly more interested in the box the toy came in — or the ribbon or the wrapping — than the toy itself? Give my son a Tupperware, and he is joyous. Go ahead and try it with your own kids. Bonus dare: Don't get your baby presents for her first birthday. I promise she has no idea what day it is. (This is likely the only year you can get away with this.) 

9. High chairs: "Even though your baby will likely use a high chair for the first 1 to 2 years, there's no reason to spend a fortune," says Angelillo. If you get a hand-me-down or buy secondhand, you can even "use that well-saved money for a family vacation." she adds. After all, traveling the world is priceless.

10. Bathtub: A baby-sized bathtub is another item with the longevity of a dragonfly (that's about four months, for you nonbiology-nerds). Plus, guess what a "baby bathtub" really is: a bucket. Masquerading as a "must-buy." Get a plastic container from Home Depot or better yet, just bathe your kid in the sink. You know it worked fine for your grandma.

Now that it's been a few months since George Clooney became a father, you'd expect him to have a little insight on what it's like to be a true family man. And while he was at the Venice Film Festival over the weekend, he imparted some of the insight on us.

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As he and his wife, Amal Alamuddin, stunned on the red carpet, Clooney also told Entertainment Tonight about why they picked Alexander and Ella for their newborn twins' names.

"We figured these kids are going to be looked at a lot and watched and [have their] every move sort of judged," he said. "So we looked for some sort of normal names. We didn't have any great inspiration. It wasn't Alexander the Great and Ella Fitzgerald."

While the twins weren't named after anyone grand or important, Clooney did admit that his and Amal's No. 1 fear, and the most important thing to them, was that their kids didn't have "really dumb names." If you ask us, they nailed that.

Since successfully overcoming the initial hurdle of choosing appropriate names for two of the most famous babies on the planet, Clooney has just been leaning into fatherhood. He lovingly described the personality traits he can already see in the twins, even though they were just born in early June.

"They start out with a personality right off the bat. [Alexander] is a thug already," Clooney said. "He's a moose! Literally, he just sits and he eats."

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As for little Ella?

"She's very elegant, and all eyes. She looks like Amal, thank God," he said.

Clooney's life has done a real 180 since he was widely considered to be a perpetual bachelor. No one expected him to get married, let alone have two kids. He agreed that even he is surprised by it all sometimes.

"None of it is real until all of a sudden they're standing there covered in slime and crying. You're like, wait a minute, what is that? We were just two and now we're four," he explained. "Everything changes pretty quickly."

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Despite all those changes, the whole Clooney family seems to be nailing it. Keep up the good dad work, George!

Jay-Z might have been working on Beyoncé's 36th birthday, but that doesn't mean he didn't have a trick up his sleeve to make her big day as special as possible. From onstage at the Made In America Festival in Philadelphia, Jay wished Bey a happy birthday that she probably won't forget anytime soon.

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Beyoncé was already in the crowd to watch her hubby's headlining set at the fest, and she was joined by her longtime friend and Destiny's Child bandmate, Michelle Williams, as well as her and Jay-Z's daughter, Blue Ivy. Her sister, Solange Knowles, was also there performing a few songs alongside Jay-Z, and their mom, Tina Knowles, was in the crowd to cheer on her girls. The show was a true family affair for Beyoncé's birthday.

Then Jay-Z paused in the middle of his set and told the crowd he had a special message for his leading lady. He proceeded to lead the crowd through a singalong of "Happy Birthday to You," while Beyoncé watched from her VIP seat and danced along.

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Jay-Z wasn't the only member of the family to wish Beyoncé a happy birthday. Tina Knowles snapped a photo with Beyoncé at the festival and then posted it to Instagram with a sweet birthday caption.

"36 years ago God Chose me out of all the women in the world to be your mother! How blessed could i be," she wrote. "Not because you are a super talented , smart business woman and one of the biggest superstars! Its because you are the kindest most generous , thoughtful , intuitive , loyal , humble , funny , grounded, grateful and loving human being. I am proud to be your mom."

That's enough for anyone to have an amazing birthday, but Beyoncé's loved ones had more gifts in store. Some of her most famous friends, from Serena Williams to Michelle Obama, dressed in her iconic "Formation" look to pay tribute to her on her big day.

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Happy birthday, Beyoncé!

It was the tweet heard 'round the world — or at least 'round Bachelor Nation. Was it just a hacked Twitter account? Or actually a clue that Nick Viall could return for yet another stint as the Bachelor?

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As rumors are flying and fans are speculating about who the next Bachelor could be, series creator Mike Fleiss appeared to post a tweet that could have been a hint — only what he was allegedly hinting at sure wasn't what fans of the show wanted to hear.

That's right. Fleiss tweeted, "Now It's Common Knowledge After Grief All Is Nothing." It sounds like a phrase of nonsense until you consider the capitalized first letters of each word... and how they spell "NICK AGAIN."

Fleiss has since deleted the tweet and claimed his account was hacked, but that hasn't stopped members of Bachelor Nation from losing their minds just a little bit over the remote possibility that one of the most hated Bachelors of all time could be back for a fifth attempt at reality TV love.

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Viall himself has taken to Twitter to deny the rumor.

But Viall denied that he was going on Paradise and denied that he was going to be the Bachelor, and both of those things happened, so forgive us for not playing fast and loose with our trust in him this time.

There is one other (albeit slim) possibility. Fleiss later tweeted a throwback clip featuring another Nick — the one from JoJo's season, who is currently also appearing on Paradise.

More: Everything Nick Viall Has Done Right & Wrong as the Bachelor

But would he be a better choice than one of the fan-favorite runners-up from Rachel Lindsay's season? Ugh, Fleiss, stop playing with our emotions and just tell us who the next Bachelor is already.

When Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne announced they were separating in early 2016, they were pretty open about Ozzy's infidelity with his hairstylist, Michelle Pugh. But little did we know his transgressions went far deeper than that.

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Sharon is now opening up a little bit more about that tumultuous time in their lives and has revealed that Ozzy actually cheated on her with at least six different women in the time leading up to their split.

"There wasn't just one woman; there were six of them," she told The Telegraph in a new interview published over the weekend. "Some fucking Russian teenager, then a masseuse in England, our masseuse out here [in Los Angeles], and then our cook."

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She didn't say who the sixth woman was, but did add, "He had women in different countries. Basically, if you're a woman giving Ozzy either a back rub or a trolley of food, God help you."

Even though the Osbournes have since reconciled and moved back in together, we're shocked to hear that there was so much more to that rocky phase in their marriage and that they managed to keep it out of the headlines for so long. The Osbournes have long lived very public lives, and we thought they were giving us a front-row seat when they worked through their marriage with the help of counseling and hard work and stayed open about it in interviews.

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It just goes to show that even when we think we know what's going on in celebrities' lives, it's very possible we don't. There's always more to the story, and the Osbournes are proof of that.

In a practically unprecedented moment, Angelina Jolie made a public appearance over the weekend with all six kids in tow. And, we've gotta say, the Jolie-Pitt crew is looking quite grown up.

In the 15 years since Jolie became a mother upon adopting her oldest child, Maddox, from Cambodia in 2002, the notoriously private star's family has grown by five children.

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Following the adoption of Maddox, she adopted Zahara from Ethiopia in 2005, and Pax from Vietnam in 2007. Then, in 2006, Jolie gave birth to her first biological child, Shiloh, with Brad Pitt. The now-estranged's couple's twins, Knox Léon and Vivienne Marcheline, followed in 2008.

Over the years, though, the kids have rarely stepped into their high-profile parents' spotlight.

However, the children presented a united front alongside their famous mom at the 2017 Telluride Film Festival on Saturday, Sept. 2 in Telluride, Colorado. Photographed at the premiere supporting their mother were all six: Maddox, 16, Pax, 13, Zahara, 12, Shiloh, 11 and 9-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne.

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The festival marked the premiere of Jolie's latest film, First They Killed My Father — a drama about Cambodian human rights activist Loung Ung, who fought against genocide in Cambodia in the 1970s.

In fact, Maddox and Pax were also involved in the production of the film. Maddox assisted in the creative direction of the film about his home country, earning him an executive producer credit. Meanwhile, his little brother is credited as the film's still photographer.

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The entire talented family should be proud, as the film is being hailed as Jolie's best directorial work to date.

In the latest leg of Taylor Swift's whirlwind couple of weeks, the pop star just released another new single. Titled "Ready for It?," the synthy track — like "Look What You Made Me Do" before it — proves to be a continuation of Swift's departure from the "old Taylor."

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The new song kicks off with an aggressive electronic beat, which Swift drops into rapping. Yes, rapping. While it seems like a rogue move, it's certainly in keeping with this second coming of Swift: a feistier version of her former self who, unlike the saccharine Swift of old, isn't afraid to ruffle a few feathers.

Unsurprisingly, Swift's decision to rap has already received some pushback on social media. If you'll recall, she was accused of cultural appropriation when the video for her 2015 hit, "Shake It Off," debuted.

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Still, "Ready for It?" isn't being met entirely with derision. Fans aren't the only ones stepping up to bat for the new song. USA Today called the track "another surefire hit for Tay" and a "promising second glance of her reputation era."

Only time will tell whether the world at large seems to agree. Although, if "Look What You Made Me Do" is any indication, "Ready" should fare just fine — the former, despite being controversial for its alleged pettiness, has already broken several streaming records.

Swift seems ready to capitalize on that explosive success, too.

According to TMZ, the pop star has filed to trademark a collection of phrases from reputation, which will be available Nov. 10. These phrases include the title of the upcoming album's first single, "Look What You Made Me Do," as well as the stand-out, spoken-word lyric, "The old Taylor can't come to the phone right now."

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TMZ reports that the trademark phrases will likely be used for merchandising purposes, i.e. T-shirts, phone cases, etc.

It's been nearly five months since Caitlyn Jenner's biography, Secrets of My Life, hit shelves — and just as long, if not longer, since the I Am Cait star has had meaningful contact with several members of her family. In a revealing interview with Good Morning Britain on Monday, Jenner specifically called losing contact with step-daughter Kim Kardashian West "a big loss."

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The 67-year-old former Olympian revealed during her appearance that she essentially hasn't spoken to either former wife Kris Jenner or Kim in months, pointing to the release of her biography as the catalyst for the rift.

"I went overboard to be nice, to be friendly, to be open, but also tell my story and my side of the story," Caitlyn said. "Since the book came out, I've never talked to Kris again. Kim, I haven't talked to in six, nine months, whatever it is."

Following the debut of Secrets in April, Kris claimed during an episode of the family reality series, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, that Caitlyn's stories were fabricated — calling them "all made up."

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Kim seemed to back her mother's sentiments during an appearance on The View in June, saying, "Maybe their stories are different, maybe their accounts are different, but when all of us were there witnessing some things, and seeing things really different, it was just a little surprising."

Still, while there may be no love lost between the former spouses, Caitlyn clearly still has plenty of it for her stepdaughter.

"I love Kim. She's a great person. I have such respect for her as a mother, as a businessperson, but like Kris, she is very opinionated. But that's OK, I love that about her," Caitlyn told Good Morning Britain.

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Caitlyn went on to lament Kim's absence from her life, adding, "It's unfortunate, because actually Kim was the first one I talked to about this issue. She was very straightforward with me. She's been very, very good on it. It's a big loss in my life, not having her there anymore. To me, I mean, that's sad."

Making the decision to see a therapist is an important step, but how do you find one that's right for you? I believe that the majority of people who become therapists do so out of a desire to help their fellow and female humans learn how to better deal with this often-scary enterprise called life. However, earning letters after one’s name (mine are LCSW, licensed clinical social worker) is not a guarantee that this diploma-ed professional is the best suited to steer you through the delicate minefield of your various emotional dysfunctions.

While conducting a book tour last year for my anthology How Does That Make You Feel? True Confessions from Both Sides of the Therapy Couch, my no-punches-pulled collection of essays from both therapists and clients, I was dismayed by some of the questions asked by audience members. For example, during an event at the Southampton library, a woman said she was regularly asked to pick up her therapist’s dry-cleaning on the way to a session, finishing her story with the question: “Is this normal?”

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Some therapist behaviors are clearly egregious — such as coming onto patients sexually or asking them to run errands. Other negatives involve subtleties that can define whether or not someone is a good or bad fit for where you are right now. Alas, a person seeking mental health services is in an emotionally vulnerable place, thus not always able to deduce the best therapeutic match.

Here are a few guidelines to help you find a therapist who is a good fit. You’re with the right shrink when he or she:

Makes you feel safe, cared for, understood

A major part of a healthy therapeutic alliance is that you feel your therapist really wants to know who you are — the good, the bad, what you perceive to be "the ugly" — and will accept all of it.

Being able to admit a shameful secret and have someone smile at you and say, “That’s OK. You’re still a good person" is incredibly healing. If you hold back from your therapist because he or she will judge you rather than show compassion, you are not getting the help you need.

Gives you constructive feedback, tools to use between sessions

I am not the sort of therapist who sits in a chair and says little but “hmmm” and “tell me more” in the course of a session. My aim (and I believe therapy should have an aim) is to help the patient not just develop insight into a behavior that is negatively impacting his or her life, but to offer suggestions to help cement the insight.

For instance, during couples therapy, a patient I’ll call Beth flashed on a memory from childhood and said, “Wow, I never realized I purposely provoke Dan into being hurt and angry just like mom did with dad.” Her between-sessions "homework" was to begin to control the impulsive emotions that led to her outbursts. When she felt herself beginning to snap at her husband, she would take a three-second pause and ask herself, "What will happen if I yell and say mean things? I’ll just regret everything and apologize later.”

Change isn’t easy, and it is less likely to happen if efforts are made only 50 minutes a week.

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Welcomes feedback about the direction of the therapy

Don’t worry about hurting your therapist’s feelings. This is about your needs, not those of the person you are paying to help you. Besides, asserting yourself in session is great practice toward asserting yourself in life. It’s your right to say things like, “I don’t feel this is going anywhere. All I do is rant. What can we do to make therapy more useful to me? Is there a plan?”

If your therapist is resistant to listening to your qualms and answering your questions, it says more about his or her shortcomings and psychological issues than yours.

It's also important to recognize if you're with the wrong shrink. Some ways to tell if that's the case is if he or she:

Tells you what to do versus helping you figure out how to handle a difficult situation

Before I was a therapist, I put in a yearslong stint as a dating columnist at a women’s website. There, I was able to fulfill my desire to tell people how to run their lives. Once I finished my schooling and put out my shingle, it quickly became clear there was a huge difference between proffering written "wisdom" to someone I’d likely never hear from again and preaching to a person sitting across from me who could nod his or her head in agreement to my point of view, then leave the office and continue hating his or her job and doing nothing to change the situation.

Your therapist’s job is to help you connect the dots, figure out your own route, not hand you a completed roadmap.

More: Finding an In-Network Therapist Shouldn't Be This Hard

Leaves you feeling shamed, judged or infantilized

The polar opposite of a therapist who works to make a patient feel safe and taken care of is one who disregards or derides your emotions and/or goals.

A patient I’ll call Denise came to see me at the insistence of her boyfriend and mother. During our initial consultation, she said flatly, “I’m here to get them to stop worrying about me but the last time I was in therapy I wound up feeling worse about myself than ever.”

Denise’s former therapist dotted sessions with salvos like, “So I guess you couldn't bring yourself to ask for that raise this week” or “I know you think you’re happy being zaftig, but I printed out a great diet for you to follow.”

Understandably, it took months for Denise to trust me and participate in our work together in a meaningful way. I had to prove I valued who she was, not who I wanted her to be.

How to (internet) search for a therapist

The best way to find a compatible therapist is via recommendations and/or checking the “Find a Therapist” tab on the Psychology Today website. You can narrow your search using parameters such as geographic location, accreditation, insurance, etc. University health centers staffed by students in training and local mental health offices can be more affordable options. You can check your potential healer’s reviews on websites such as Healthgrades and Zocdoc. Don’t commit until your gut says you’ve made the right choice.

Put down the gossip rags and secondhand accounts in the tabloids because we finally — finally! — have some firsthand insight into Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's relationship. That's right. Markle opened up about her royal relationship to Vanity Fair in an interview that was part of her covering the October 2017 issue. Markle didn't reveal too, too much (so temper your expectations), but what did shine through was that she is deeply in love with the redheaded royal.

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First, we need to talk about Markle's VF cover. She looks absolutely radiant, photographed in an extreme close-up, and it even looks like she went for a makeup-free look — a sure sign that she is confident in her own skin. It's not difficult to see why she was chosen for the cover, but to see that she's eschewing tons of makeup in favor of promoting natural beauty is just another reason for the public to love her.

In the interview, Markle got candid about the fact that there were some highs and lows to being in a relationship with a prince. "It has its challenges, and it comes in waves — some days it can feel more challenging than others," she told VF.

But luckily for Markle, it appears that she isn't alone if her journey to find stability and safety in such a public relationship. "[R]ight out of the gate it was surprising the way things changed. But I still have this support system all around me, and, of course, my boyfriend’s support." Can I also note how adorable it is that she is publicly calling Prince Harry her boyfriend? It's a small detail, but meaningful nonetheless.

More: Meghan Markle Was Super-Stealthy at Pippa Middleton's Wedding

Markle also made it clear that even though her whole world has changed since the news that they were dating became public, she is still the same down-to-earth, hardworking woman she always was. The only thing that's different now is she has a man in her life who she is very much in love with.

"I can tell you that at the end of the day I think it’s really simple," she said. "We’re two people who are really happy and in love. We were very quietly dating for about six months before it became news. And I was working during that whole time, and the only thing that changed was people’s perception. Nothing about me changed. I’m still the same person that I am, and I’ve never defined myself by my relationship.”

More: The Queen Reportedly Grants Prince Harry Permission to Wed

I don't know about you, but it's so exciting and refreshing to hear Markle's own thoughts on her relationship, a relationship that has a great many people intrigued to see how it progresses.

Below is an excerpt from the book The Most Important Year: Pre-Kindergarten and the Future of our Children, by Suzanne Bouffard, Ph.D., available today from Penguin Random House.

Public investment in pre‑K has surged because of research showing how critical the early years are for later success in school and life.

The brain develops faster during early childhood than at any other time, especially when a child is engaged in enriching relationships and activities, like reading, singing, building, and pretend play. Studies show that when pre‑K programs are well designed and run by knowledgeable staff, they provide those kinds of experiences and give children a solid start in school. [Those] classrooms [...] are linked with a host of benefits: higher reading and math achievement, lower rates of grade retention and special education placement, and, in some cases, stronger social skills and self-control and even more positive parenting practices later in life.

The first glimpses of this potential came from studies of model preschool programs created in the 1960s. Intensive programs designed by child development experts, like the Perry Preschool Project in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and the Chicago Child-Parent Centers, literally changed the course of many lives. Children who participated grew up less likely to be incarcerated and more likely to be earning incomes that could sustain a family. Today, the research base goes far beyond those studies of small, intensive programs, showing that high-quality programs run by cities and states can make a difference for children that lasts well into the school years.

More: Lessons Your Child Should Be Learning In Preschool

In Boston, children who have been in classrooms at the Eliot and other public schools have entered kindergarten about a half year ahead of their peers in language and literacy, math, problem-solving, and self-control skills like paying attention and resisting the impulse to talk out of turn. Those kinds of behavior skills are even more important than knowing letters and numbers, according to a survey of kindergarten teachers, because when kids know how to wait their turn, deal with frustration, and get along with others, it’s easier for teachers to teach and for children to learn.

In New Jersey, which has another model program that has been running longer than Boston’s, the positive results continue to roll in as children get older. The most recent study showed that fifth graders who had gone to pre‑K were doing significantly better in school than their classmates. Similarly, children who attended state-funded pre‑K in North Carolina are more competent in math and reading in fifth grade than their peers, and they are almost 50 percent less likely to be placed in special education. Graduates of Michigan’s Great Start Readiness Program are more likely to pass state tests, take challenging math classes, and graduate from high school.

Maria Fenwick knew about the research on the benefits of pre‑K and understood from her own experience in the classroom how important it is for children to be prepared for school. She knew Luca would learn his colors and letters whether he went to K1 or not, but she wanted him to learn how to be part of a class, be exposed to experiences he wouldn’t get at home, and get excited about school and learning. Pre‑K can set the tone for a child’s entire educational career. Seeing schools as a fun, exciting, and caring place can lay the foundation for lifelong curiosity and learning. On the other side of the coin, students who have negative experiences with school early on can carry those feelings with them forever.

More: Not A Baby, Not Yet School-Age — Being 4 Years Old is a Tricky Stage in Life

Although Fenwick was doing all she could to get Luca into K1, she recognized that pre‑K is even more crucial for students like the ones she had taught, whose families have fewer resources than hers. In Boston and elsewhere, the benefits of pre‑K are particularly striking for children from low-income families, who tend, on average, to be behind their peers even before they start kindergarten. Achievement gaps across income appear shockingly early — some studies have found they are present as early as nine months of age in behavior and cognitive skills — and they are well established by kindergarten, when children in the highest income groups significantly outperform children in the lowest income groups. Achievement gaps are also evident across racial and ethnic groups, with white and Asian American students outperforming African American and Hispanic students, although those gaps shrink considerably after income is taken into account.

The good news is that achievement gaps are narrowing, in large part because of investments in early childhood education and care (defined broadly as daycare, preschool, and home-based services like having trained educators visit with and support parents). The bad news is that the gaps remain significant, and a child who starts off behind is likely to stay behind. School readiness gaps across income levels narrowed over the past 20 years “only about half as quickly as they opened in the 1970s and 1980s,” according to Education Week coverage of research by Stanford professor Sean Reardon, who analyzes national data on achievement gaps. If that slow rate of progress continues, it could take another hundred years for the gap to close completely, the article pointed out.

Former president Barack Obama invoked early childhood education as a solution to that problem, calling it “one way to break the legacy of racism and poverty. If a three-year- old, four-year-old kid is in [a strong early childhood program], they can get to where a middle-class kid is pretty quickly.” In 2013, Obama proposed an unprecedented investment of $75 billion over ten years to ensure that all four-year-olds have access to pre‑K. That’s an almost unimaginable number, and it hasn’t been realized. But Obama did allocate about $250 million in the form of federal-state partnership grants to develop and expand pre‑K programs for low-and moderate-income children, referring to them as “among the smartest investments that we can make.”

That claim is based on studies showing that children’s outcomes translate into financial benefits for society. In the long run, pre‑K saves the government somewhere between $3 and $8 for every dollar invested, because people who went to pre‑K are less likely to be on welfare or involved in the criminal justice system and more likely to be working and paying income taxes. Those findings are particularly striking given that they were produced by economists, who were interested in the bottom line rather than in a “moral argument” for pre‑K, as one researcher put it.

More: What Is Montessori Preschool?

Several unlikely figures have become vocal pre‑K advocates based on the financial argument, including Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen and Nobel Prize-winning economist James Heckman. Heckman points out that it is more efficient to invest when children are young than to remediate problems that arise later because of inadequate education, and that the success of later interventions depends on whether children have gotten a solid start.

Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, a nonprofit of law enforcement leaders, puts it more bluntly: “I’m the Guy You Pay Later,” they titled a report advocating for investments in pre‑K.

There’s never a good time to go into cardiac arrest, but according to a new study, there is an especially bad time: while you’re having sex.

This is much more than a mood-killer, the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2017 found. Cardiac arrests that happen during sex are more fatal than those that occur during other types of physical activity.

More: Recognizing These Signs of a Heart Attack in Women Over 50 Could Save a Life

Just as a quick refresher, even though people tend to use the terms “heart attack” and “cardiac arrest” interchangeably, they are not the same thing. According to the American Heart Association, a heart attack occurs when blood flow to the heart is blocked, while cardiac arrest happens when the heart malfunctions and stops beating unexpectedly.

OK, back to the study. The researchers looked at data from 18,622 cases of sudden cardiac arrest. Of those, only 3,028 — or 16 percent — made it to the hospital alive. Among the people who lived long enough to be admitted to the hospital, 8 percent went into cardiac arrest doing some sort of physical activity, including working out, playing sports and, yes, having sex.

More: Yes, Young Women Can Have Heart Attacks Too

It’s also worth noting that all of the sudden cardiac arrests that happened during sex were in men. They also comprised 88 percent of the cardiac arrests during the other forms of physical activity. Of the men who went into cardiac arrest during sex, only 12 percent survived, compared with a 50 percent survival rate for the other physical activities.

So why the low survival rate when cardiac arrest happens during sex? According to the researchers, it might have to do with the fact that not as many people perform CPR because of the “uniquely private circumstances of the arrest,” which contributes to a lower survival rate.

This particular health scenario may sound familiar to fans of the NBC sitcom The Golden Girls, as this was how the husband of one of the main characters (Rose Nylund, played by Betty White) died. The circumstances surrounding Rose’s husband’s death were brought up throughout the show, including when another man dies of a heart problem after being intimate with her.

More: 6 Times The Golden Girls Were Women's Health Pioneers

The lesson here is that what sounds like a plot device from a 1980s sitcom is actually a serious health issue, emphasizing that as you age, check-ins with your doctor are important for a healthy heart and sex life. And if you find yourself in a situation where your partner is going into cardiac arrest during sex, don't be afraid to take your relationship to the next level and perform CPR.

Being an actor may look easy, but it's definitely not. Nailing lines, especially with the right tone and emotion, takes a whole lot of skill and practice, as Geri Halliwell aka Ginger Spice, learned over the weekend.

More: Kit Harington & Emilia Clarke's Cutest Moments Together

Halliwell was at Sunday's Italian Grand Prix in Monza, Italy, when she ran into none other than Game of Thrones' leading man, Kit Harington, who plays Jon Snow in the hit HBO series. Obviously, that kind of star power in one place needed to be documented, so Halliwell decided to record a video for her Instagram of Harington trying to teach her how to correctly deliver one of the show's most iconic lines: "You know nothing, Jon Snow."

This is where Halliwell proved that there's so much more to acting than just reciting the right lines, because even though she tried saying the line several times, she wasn't nailing it — her rendition just wasn't believable, you know?

More: When Big Little Lies, 13 Reasons Why & 18 Other Shows Are Coming Back to TV

One time, she managed to say the line with just enough gravitas to get by, and Harington praised her, saying, "That's it! You've got the part."

But when she tried it again, it was clear she just got lucky that one time. "Now you've lost it again," Harington told her. Harington kept trying to coach her through, but it was clear that even though she'll always have a place in our hearts as Ginger Spice, there's no Ed Sheeran style GoT cameo in her future.

More: 8 Things to Know About Jason Momoa & Why We're So Obsessed

Luckily, Rose Leslie, who delivered the line for real in GoT, was able to nail it every time. Sorry, Ginger Spice. Leslie definitely has you beat on this one.

By Alex Wilson

It’s official — women still do more housework than men.

According to recent economic research data, women spend too much time on housework compared to men. So much so, in fact, that it’s not just hurting individual productivity at work; it’s also hurting U.S. productivity as a whole. When women put more focus on taking care of their homes, they avoid pursuing jobs that require (and reward) long workweeks. These lifestyle choices lead to significant gender gaps in employment, industry and pay.

More: 7 Surprising Ways Emotional Intelligence Will Get You Ahead at Work

Researchers with the National Bureau of Economics acknowledge that the way women spend their time at home affects their careers. “Our main message is that developing a theory of time allocation and occupational choice is important for understanding the forces that shape gender differences in labor,” the researchers write. “Our model generates large gaps in hours of work, occupational choices, and wages.”

That “large gap” hurts society as a whole. If labor were distributed more evenly across genders, the welfare and productivity of both groups would increase. Workers would be better utilizing their individual time, which would lead to more equality overall.

The gender disparities within office and workplace labor are further proved by the most recent iteration of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statics’ annual American Time Use Survey. Aside from reaffirming that women are statistically more likely to do more household work, here are some other major takeaways from the 2016 study:

• Working from home is becoming more popular. From 2003 to 2016, the total amount of workers from home grew by 3 percent. That may not seem like a lot at first glance, but 3 percent of the United States’ working population is about 4.7 million individuals. That’s a lot of people moving from a cubicle to a home office.

• On average, women spend more time taking care of children. It’s likely not a surprise that women spend double the amount of time physically taking care of children than men do. This gender gap was clear in each kind of child care that the bureau’s survey tracked, which ranged from physical care, attending children’s events and reading to/with children.

• Americans watch TV and socialize to relax. On an average day, 96 percent of individuals over 15 engaged in some sort of leisure activity. Though men spent 44 minutes more per day in these activities than women, watching TV and socializing with peers were the top leisure activities for both groups.

That data is hard to stomach, but believe it or not — there is a silver lining.

Instead of choosing their home life over their career, women in the workplace are finding creative solutions to pursue both. Less than 50 percent of women engaged in housework between 2014 and 2016, leading researchers to believe that more women are outsourcing household tasks like laundry and home cleaning. The efficiency of online shopping has also likely contributed to this trend.

More: This Preschooler Is Mad She's Not Going to Law School, & It's Everything

As younger groups of women enter the workforce with more education, they’ve become more affluent as well. This boost in income has allowed them to afford to work more and spend more time resting, relaxing and having fun.

Labor in America is still not distributed in a gender-neutral way. But each step we take toward that goal is a step forward for women at work everywhere.

Originally published on Fairygodboss.

Sure, you are already ushering in fall with pumpkin spice lattes, candy, cereal and everything else your taste buds can imagine — but what about a doughnut? Intrigued?

Krispy Kreme is celebrating fall with the return of the Pumpkin Spice Original Glazed Doughnut for one day only this Friday, Sept. 8. If you aren't already drooling, here's an enticing video to get you ready.

This original take on pumpkin spice is the same recipe that Krispy Kreme used last year. The doughnut itself is the fresh-made Original Glazed doughnut everyone knows and loves… but with a hint of cinnamon and pumpkin spice goodness in the glaze. This fresh combination is one you won’t want to miss.

More: Krispy Kreme Reese's Peanut Butter Doughnuts: We've hit peak food mashup

“As guests anticipate the crisp return of fall, we’re offering the taste of the season they’re craving — served fresh, the Krispy Kreme way,” said Jackie Woodward, chief marketing officer of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, in a statement to the press. “The Original Glazed doughnut is a delicious treat on its own. By adding the subtle flavor of pumpkin spice, our guests can enjoy a one-of-a-kind fall indulgence.”

The other great news? This delicious fall treat won't cost you anything extra. The doughnuts will be selling for the same price as an original glazed Krispy Kreme doughnut.

Check out which locations are participating here.

Now we're talking.

One California school district, San José Unified, has finally ditched its antiquated, sexist dress code in favor of a new gender-bias-free code promoted by student activists, which means parents will probably start moving to San Jose in droves.

We cover a lot (and we mean a lot) of dress code stories. And they can be truly awful. Plus, we have yet to cover one dress code "violation" that was committed by a male student.

More: Sixth Grader Fights Back Against School's Misogynistic Dress Code

It seems like the majority of dress codes at U.S. schools smack of nasty, old-school misogyny. And whether it's showing "too much leg" or "distracting" classmates with your collarbone or leaning over to pick up your backpack and accidentally showing a sliver of midriff, it's only girls who are committing these "offenses." We saw the pattern here, and so did San José Unified. And now you'll find us rising to our feet in a proud slow-clap of approval.

The director of student services at San José Unified, Dane Caldwell-Holden, spoke with The Mercury News about the recent shift in policy.

“I started thinking about the dress code and who it was targeting and why,” Caldwell-Holden said. “We were working on keeping kids in the classroom and lowering the suspension rate, and yet we were still kicking kids out of class for dress code... It was contradictory.”

Sanity in 2017 is in such short supply, we had to read that three times to make sure Caldwell-Holden was for real. (He is.)

More: Mom Invites Principal to Go Shopping for Her Daughter to Meet Antiquated School Dress Code

Madeline Armacost, a former student of a San José Unified school (Pioneer High), was one of the catalysts for change at the school. When her supremely normal shorts were called out for being "too distracting" back in 2015, Armacost was forced to change into loose, long shorts — and spent the day in tears, feeling deeply ashamed.

After that day, Armacost decided she wasn't going to put up with the misogynistic treatment any longer. With the help of her mom, she fought back on behalf of all female students, writing a powerful Facebook post that outed the school's dress code for what it was: an unnecessary edict that “unfairly targeted and publicly humiliated girls.”

Armacost said, “To be honest, the entire process of pulling girls out of class for their ‘inappropriate’ clothing was more distracting than the clothes themselves... [m]issing class time over a pair of shorts (that I found on the racks in the mall, and that everyone my age wears without issue) because an anonymous administrator decided they were too sexual made me feel very uneasy.”

Armacost summed up the issue beautifully: “No girl should have to feel ashamed of her body just because adults are projecting their own ideas of sexuality onto them, especially in an educational setting." Preach.

Now 19 and a Foothill College student in Los Altos Hills, California, Armacost is feeling "ecstatic" about the change in dress code at her high school. We too are pretty ecstatic — and grateful that the president of the San José Unified school board, Pamela Foley, took Armacost's experiences seriously.

“I was so proud of her for having the courage to address us and really challenge us on a dress code that was biased against women,” Foley said.

Take that in: A school rep is thanking a student for calling the district out on its outdated standards. That is progress, friends, and we're hoping to see more of it in schools nationwide.

The school district stated before the 2017 school year, “San José Unified amended our student dress code to remove gender-specific language and ensure that enforcement creates a minimal disruption in the educational day. We’re proud of our students for stepping up to advocate for these important changes and helping to keep San José Unified the most innovative school district in the nation.”

We're not going to argue with that; this school district clearly gets it.

So what is the new dress code?

It merely states that all clothing, irrelevant of the wearer's sex or gender identity, must cover chest, torso, and undergarments. Period.

And no student will be publicly shamed: "Any school dress code enforcement actions should minimize the potential loss of educational time. Administration and enforcement of the dress code will be gender neutral and consistent,” says a release put out by San José Unified.

Here's something else we're loving about the San José Unified: all-gender restrooms are in the process of being installed in every school in the district. Yes, this is something that ideally should have happened 15 years ago, but compared to the majority of the country, San José is impressive as hell. Let's hope all the other schools catch up. Like, yesterday.

If there's one thing celebrities can definitely pull off that normal people generally can't, it's wearing their own faces on their clothing. In fact, when the right celeb does it, it's not only hilarious, but it's stylish and fun.

More: The Best of John Stamos' Hair

John Stamos proved that rule over the weekend when he went to the lake with a bunch of other celebs and joined in on an '80s party by wearing an Uncle Jesse shirt from his Full House days. To be fair, it did fit the theme!

"We refuse to let #summer or #the80s be over! @nina @chordover #laborday," he wrote alongside the snap, where he posed with Nina Dobrev and Chord Overstreet. Stamos was wearing a fishnet top over his Uncle Jesse T-shirt along with neon purple leggings, tube socks, hot-pink shorts, an orange fanny pack and a sweatband. Dobrev posed alongside him in a very '80s high-waisted pink and purple color-block bathing suit. Overstreet apparently missed the memo and wore shorts and a tank. He's clearly a party pooper.

More: This Picture of Lea Michele & Jon Stamos Kissing May Be Our Undoing

Dobrev, who appears to have thrown the '80s-themed bash, posted a bunch of other photos from the get-together. She and all her friends definitely seem to have embraced the questionable fashions of the decade because some of these clothing decisions are... interesting, to say the least. Even though Stamos was the only star to show up with his own face on his clothing, everyone else really got into it with brightly colored leggings, leotards, side ponies and sweatbands.

More: John Stamos Attended His Ex-TV Son's Wedding This Weekend

The '80s are clearly still alive and well if Stamos' selfie shirt is anything to go by.

Dance deities and generally super-cool couple Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Peta Murgatroyd (of Dancing with the Stars) are really, really excited that their 8-month-old baby boy tackled the stairs over Labor Day weekend. In other words: They're totally human after all.

In the video, the proud parents cheer Shai up the stairs; Murgatroyd brings up the rear, saying, "You can do it!" Meanwhile, Papa Chmerkovskiy says (adorably, if weirdly), "Let's go! Let's go, baby lion!"

More: Maksim Chmerkovskiy Wants Peta Murgatroyd to Have More of His Babies, Like, Now

His caption took it to a whole other level of proud. "We're eight months today, but I swear this kid is already stronger and smarter than some grown ups I know! Keep climbing my son! Mommy and daddy always got your back! #babyChmerkovskiy @petamurgatroyd #TfuTfuTfu"