“Let’s hear from our next caller…”

When I began my job as a purveyor of latex and safer sex wisdom, I started as the coordinator of an AIDS hotline. My education started with my first call, “What about BJs?”Cross-dressing

“I’m sorry, what did you say?”

“BJs!”

Throat crickets.

“BJs!” Then the caller schooled me in the meaning of that acronym*.

I shared what information I had on HIV transmission and how to prevent it (oral sex is very low risk, still use a condom because, for the recipient, there’s always herpes) and was grateful to finally have gotten through my first question. I hung up.

The second call wasn’t much better. Caller two had picked up a sex worker off the street who turned out not to be one. A woman, that is.

Funny how fast someone not used to talking about sex became comfortable with standing up in front of people and talking about it without blushing. And not only talking but showing how to put on condoms and wear the giant one myself.

More about that later.

 

*BJ: Oral sex performed on a male, in case you didn’t get the memo that I also missed