DEAR LOVELY RITA: I’m a freshman girl and I really want to date this senior boy from one of my classes, but I’m afraid my friends will call me slutty. – Old for my Age
DEAR OLD FOR MY AGE: Believe it or not, if they were real friends they wouldn’t call you slutty. I know that sounds Mom-ish, but if you’re afraid your friends will call you slutty for any reason, maybe you should stop inviting them to a public view party of your private love life. Do your own thing. If you think it’s slutty and it makes you uncomfortable, don’t do it. If you think it’s fine and are just worried about your hallmates, grab a pair of high heels and have at it. – Lovely Rita
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DEAR LOVELY RITA: If my partner and I are both sexually transmitted disease-free, is it safe to practice oral sex? – Clean as a Whistle
DEAR CLEAN AS A WHISTLE: Before I answer your question, let’s debunk a common myth. There is no way to be absolutely sure that a person is free of sexually transmitted infections, according to the American Social Health Association sexual health website. Just because your lab test came back clean, the reality is that a person could be harboring latent viruses (like herpes) that are not symptomatic but can still be transmitted, the website says. So practically speaking, unless you both are virgins (and I mean you haven’t had any oral, intimate skin touching exposure), there is always a risk of STI transmission. Now on to your question.
Here’s the thing about oral: It’s still sex. Only in this method, there’s no swapping of reproductive fluids so you are safe from pregnancy, but not STIS (see above). You can still pass or receive an STI if either you or your partner has one so if you do plan to have oral sex with your partner, remember to be safe. – Lovely Rita
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DEAR LOVELY RITA: I have an internship twice a week this semester and one of the other interns happens to be a really hot guy. He’s far away from QU. The semester will be over in 12 weeks anyway, should I just go for it and see what happens? – Looking for Good-looking
DEAR LOOKING FOR GOOD-LOOKING: First of all, double check the company you are interning for doesn’t have any kind of intra-office relationship policy. Even though you are an unpaid intern, you are still technically an employee of the company, and probably signed some kind of paperwork saying so.
Once you’ve done that and you’re in the clear, read the following cause/effect chart out loud:
Cause: You ask him out and he super awkwardly declines. Effect: You avoid each other for the rest of the semester.
Cause: You ask him out and he says yes, but it sours quickly. Effect: Awkward for the rest of your internship.
Cause: You ask him out and he says yes, and it turns out to be great. Effect: You’ve just won yourself a great boyfriend. Keep this guy!
This list is only partial, but those are the basics. Read each one and feel which one you truly think would happen if you asked this guy out. Be honest with yourself. – Lovely Rita
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Disclaimer: The Sex on Fire advice column is kept anonymous to avoid violating the privacy of the author.