SEX COLUMN: SHARON GORDON

I THOUGHT that our appetite for BDSM had waned, but I was wrong. For those of you new to this world, BDSM is an acronym for bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, sadism and masochism.

Bondage play is not necessarily ‘hardcore’. Bondage fantasies are common among women and men. BDSM is a variety of often erotic practices or role-playing.

Before you start, it is essential that you have a safe word. I think it is one of those things even the most vanilla of us should implement in every aspect of the relationship. A safe word is the sign to your partner that you are uncomfortable with what is happening and want to stop.

“No” is not a good password, because it could be misinterpreted as part of the play. It should be something like “Red”, which means stop right now. “Orange” could mean I am not sure, but will go along with it for a while longer.