Sex can be a hard subject to broach, especially with the person you are about to have it with. Because of the stigma around sex, sexual partners might skip over important conversations about what they want or need sexually, and, as a result, fail to have those needs satisfied. More importantly, they may initiate sex acts that the other person doesn’t enjoy or desire.

Thinking about sex and stigma led me to explore the world of dominatrixes and their submissive partners, in order to investigate how they deal with consent and boundaries in situations that could very easily become physically dangerous or even lethal. I learned that affection and respect are essential on both sides of these relationships; great care goes into understanding one another’s mental and physical boundaries and ensuring that both partners achieve the physical and mental satisfaction they seek. After spending some time within this ...