Terms starting with B

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• Bacterial vaginosisBody & healthBacterial vaginosis (BV) is a common condition in which the normal balance of bacteria in the vagina shifts, often causing thin grey-white discharge with a fishy smell.
• BaeDating-app slang & abbreviationsAn affectionate term for a partner or crush, often read as "before anyone else" though it most likely comes from "babe".
• BalanitisBody & healthInflammation of the head of the penis, which becomes swollen, sore or itchy. It is common, usually not serious, and treatable.
• Barrier methodContraceptionA barrier method is a contraceptive that physically stops sperm from reaching an egg, such as a condom, diaphragm, cervical cap or sponge.
• Bartholin's cystBody & healthA fluid-filled lump near the opening of the vagina, caused when one of the small Bartholin's glands becomes blocked.
• Basal body temperatureContraceptionBasal body temperature is the body's temperature at complete rest, measured first thing in the morning, which rises slightly after ovulation.
• BBWDating-app slang & abbreviationsShort for "big beautiful woman": a term for a plus-size woman, used both as a self-description and as a stated preference. BHM ("big handsome man") is the male counterpart.
• BDSM 18+Kink & BDSMAn overlapping acronym for bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, and sadism and masochism: consensual practices built around restraint, power exchange or intense sensation.
• Bear (community)Dating-app slang & abbreviationsA subculture within gay and bisexual men's communities that celebrates larger, often hairy, masculine-presenting men. Cubs and otters are related labels.
• Beige flagDating-app slang & abbreviationsA quirk in a partner or date that is neither good nor bad, just slightly odd or unexpectedly bland.
• BenchingRelationships & datingKeeping someone as a backup option by staying in light contact while prioritising other people.
• Betrayal traumaPsychology of intimacyBetrayal trauma is psychological harm caused when someone a person depends on and trusts, such as a caregiver or partner, violates that trust in a serious way.
• BF and GFDating-app slang & abbreviationsCommon short forms of "boyfriend" (BF) and "girlfriend" (GF), used in messages, posts and dating profiles.
• Bi-curiousOrientationsDescribes someone, often identifying as straight or gay, who is curious about attraction to or experiences with more than one gender.
• Bi erasureOrientationsThe tendency to ignore, doubt or explain away bisexuality, for example by labelling people as gay or straight based on their current partner.
• Bids for connectionPsychology of intimacyA bid for connection is any small attempt to get a partner's attention, interest or support, from a comment about the weather to a hand on the shoulder.
• BigenderGender & identityDescribes a person who has two gender identities, either at the same time or moving between them.
• BiphobiaOrientationsPrejudice or discrimination against bisexual and other bi+ people, including the belief that bisexuality is not real, a phase or a sign of untrustworthiness.
• BiromanticOrientationsDescribes romantic attraction to more than one gender, used especially when someone's romantic and sexual orientations differ.
• BisexualOrientationsDescribes a person attracted to more than one gender. It does not require equal attraction to each, or attraction to every gender.
• Bodily autonomyConsent & boundariesBodily autonomy is the right of each person to make decisions about their own body, including who touches it, what health care they receive and whether to have children.
• Body countDating-app slang & abbreviationsSlang for the number of people someone has had sex with.
• Body imagePsychology of intimacyBody image is how a person thinks and feels about their own body, including its appearance and how it functions.
• Bondage 18+Kink & BDSMConsensual physical restraint of a partner, using materials such as rope, cuffs or fabric, as part of kink play.
• Booty callDating-app slang & abbreviationsA message or call, often late at night, inviting someone over mainly for sex rather than a date.
• BoundariesConsent & boundariesBoundaries are the limits a person sets around what they are comfortable with, physically, emotionally, sexually or digitally, and how they want to be treated.
• Brat 18+Kink & BDSMA playful submissive style in which someone teases, resists or 'misbehaves' on purpose as part of a consensual game with a partner.
• BreadcrumbingRelationships & datingSending occasional, low-effort signs of interest, such as a flirty message or a like, to keep someone hopeful without any intention of committing.
• Breakthrough bleedingContraceptionBreakthrough bleeding is unexpected light bleeding or spotting between periods or withdrawal bleeds, common in the first months of hormonal contraception.
• BreakupRelationships & datingThe ending of a romantic relationship, whether by one person's decision or by mutual agreement.
• ButchGender & identityA term, used mostly in lesbian and queer communities, for a person whose style and manner are masculine, often a masculine-presenting woman.
• Bystander interventionConsent & boundariesBystander intervention is safely stepping in, directly or indirectly, when you witness harassment, a potential assault or someone at risk.