Expert advice to get your relationships back on track
As a sex ed consultant, I help individuals and couples build knowledge, enhance communication, and increase intimacy so they can enjoy relationships that are safe and satisfying. My book, Sexuality Talking Points, and my online column, The Buzz on the Birds and Bees, help parents communicate more easily and effectively with children of all ages. I run workshops and trainings for consumers and health care professionals on a range of sexuality and communication topics. My academic background includes a BA in Mass Communications (minor in Women's Studies) and an M.Ed. in Human Sexuality Education. I am a doctoral candidate in the same field. I am an adjunct professor at Moravian College, and I co-founded the New Jersey Center for Sexual Wellness and the Consortium on Sexuality and Aging. In 2007, I was named an Emerging Professional in Sexuality Education by the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality. I am a member of the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT).
Contact: Melanie@honestexchange.com
Website: http://www.honestexchange.com
2008
I’ve been wondering why so many books are published about sex positions. My own professional library includes the Kama Sutra; the Cookie Sutra (gingerbread cookies having sex); books with positions during pregnancy; for arthritis sufferers; for straight, gay and lesbian couples; for people into kink…just to name a few.
2008
October is National Family Sexuality Education Month, so this column is devoted to parents and some-day parents.
I was once talking about sex education programs with a sixteen-year-old girl and her mother when the girl happily said, “My mom’s my best friend. We share everything.” But moments later, when her mom said she had sex for the first time “at a very young age” and the experience was “lovely and experimental,” her daughter’s face registered shock.
2008
You’re in bed, ready to sleep or snuggle, but the other side of the bed is empty. Should you worry? Not if your partner is working late or watching the news, but if he or she is staring glassy-eyed at internet porn sites, you may have cause for concern.
If your partner is staying on internet for hours, you want to find out what sites are onscreen. Sexually explicit sites on the internet or other forms of explicit entertainment or behavior can be an enjoyable aspect of healthy sexual arousal and expression. If they become a compulsive, though, sexual addiction may be an issue.
2008
The song, “Business Time,” from the HBO show Flight of the Conchords is one of the funniest representations of coupled sexual communication around. She says, “I’m going upstairs to bed because I have work in the morning,” which he interprets as, “Come up and make love” because, well, it’s Wednesday, and they always have sex on Wednesdays.
The song isn’t too far off from the way many real couples communicate, or rather, think they communicate. As playwright George Bernard Shaw once said, “The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”
2008
This edition of my column is directed to women, but men are welcome to read and learn!
What’s the big deal with orgasms? A lot, if you’re frustrated because you’ve never experienced one or if having one is a struggle. Fortunately, orgasmic troubles often can be resolved with a little education, practice, and, if necessary, consultation with a healthcare provider or sexuality professional.
2008
How do you define great sex?
Do you like it hot and sweaty? Slow and easy? Would you rather have a quickie or a lingering session? Or maybe some of everything, depending on your mood?
No “right measure” of sexual quality exists, although I’d argue that an essential element is that both partners freely consent to participate. Beyond that, the only thing that counts is whether you feel good about the experience during and after the encounter. No guilt, no regrets, no worries.
2008
Sexuality is a major force that affects not only our identity but also how we relate to others in public and private. An understanding of the breadth of what constitutes sexuality will increase your overall sexual satisfaction, not just your satisfaction in bed.
Sexuality is a construct best understood by looking at a model created by Dennis Dailey, PhD.
