And now, to scare the sh** out of you

One in four New Yorkers has herpes. This includes 49% of black New Yorkers (!) and 36% of female New Yorkers.

Yikes.

Put a condom on it, boys and girls, unless you are absolutely positively 100% sure your partner is clean.  Or, play solitaire.

And this is a good time to admit:  The Mormon virgin-till-marriage route has its drawbacks, but it’s not without potential benefits too.

What’s in your nightstand drawer?

I think it’s important to have a well-stocked nightstand that includes a variety of items to enhance one’s sexual experience. Some of the items that I like to keep on hand are:

• lube: my current favorite is a silicone-based lubricant called “Swiss Navy.” There’s also KY, warming gel, and edible/flavored lube
• vibrator
• massage oil and lotion in favorite scents
• a variety of condoms–with & without spermicide, some novelty colors and flavors

Some items that I keep nearby, though not in the drawer:

• candles and matches
• an iPod dock for some iTunes playlists that are especially compiled just for our intimate time
• extra pillows
• a towel (though I think I’m going to adopt the red washcloth idea soon)
• lingerie
• sometimes our laptops are at hand so we can watch a bit of a movie together or do some internet searching on a particular topic

Earlier in our married years we had some sex reference books next to our bed. We’ve also had some items that haven’t remained a part of our nightstand cache. For example, handcuffs I found way too creepy [fyi, Sport Sheets products are a far safer, more comfy alternative to handcuffs]. We’ve had various edible concoctions and kama sutra potions that, while interesting for their novelty value, haven’t remained mainstays for us.

I’m curious…what’s in your nightstand drawer?