You’ve read Fifty Shades of Grey, taken a few good sex workshops and experimented with blindfolds, restraints and hot wax. But have you taken the time to discuss the concept of R.A.C.K with your lover(s)? If so, we’d love to hear your thoughts. If not, please read through this non-exhaustive explanation and consider talking to your partner(s) about what kinky sex means to you.

The following is an excerpt from my new book, The Little Book of Kink:

R.A.C.K. stands for risk-aware, consensual kink and this basic phrase outlines two of the essential components of kink while recognizing that there is some risk inherent to all sex play.

For kinky sex to be considered risk-aware, all parties involved must understand and acknowledge the potential negative outcomes of the proposed activity. These risks are ideally discussed ahead of time -- not in the heat of the moment when sexual tension is already building. It is important to address the measures you plan to take to minimize...

Texting has become a significant part of today's dating world. Whether you're single, just starting to date someone or you've been with your partner for many years, chances are you communicate through text more often than not. So how is texting impacting our intimate relationships? When and how should we use texting to communicate with our partners?

Dr.Jess recently sat down with Dr.Oren Amitay, Clinical Psychologist and Professor of Human Sexuality, to discuss the "dos and don'ts" of texting in relationships.

Here are a few points' from Dr.Jess' conversation with Dr.Amitay:

1. So much of communication is expressed through body language and tone.
Text does not allow you the option to express yourself with your body language or your tone. Sure, emoticons are a start, but nothing compares to the nuances of face-to-face communication. This is why Dr.Amitay tells his patients that even a thousand texts are not worth one face-to-face conversation.

2. Always know when to...

The Calgary Taboo Show was an absolute blast! In addition to hosting 12 jam-packed shows and meeting some fun and sexy Canucks, Dr. Jess got to try out a few cool products from Scentsy, No More Wet Spot and BlissToys. It's a tough job, but someone has got to do it!

During her off hours, Dr. Jess had a chance to explore the beautiful city of Calgary. She spotted a deer in the back of a pick-up truck, tried her hand (and discovered her two left feet) at two-stepping and chased bunnies through the snow. What more could one ask for? Check out some of the pics below.

Calgary Taboo Show program book featuring Dr. Jess' "Red Hot Kissing Techniques" and an ad outlining Dr. Jess' seminar "10 Steps to Hotter Sex," presented by Desire Resorts (@DesireResorts)

Dr. Jess at the BMO centre, Stampede Park.

Dr. Jess with the lovely Dr. Trina Read.

Dr. Jess' books The Little Book of Kink and Hot Sex Tips, Tricks, and Licks on display at the show

CTV interviews Dr. Jess...

I have a passion for food.

I love how you can take simple ingredients and create masterpieces and then you get to enjoy the fruits of your labor by giving your palate an experience.

I see food, as I do most things, to be very erotic.

Food, like sex, makes you feel good. If the meal is delicious enough, it can give you a moment of escape and at the end of it you’re left satisfied.

This sexperience is about how my partner and I tied my love for food and sex together and created magic.

I have never forgotten this occasion because it was the one and only time food was incorporated into my sexual play.

via GIPHY

During a lazy afternoon of cuddling, reading and watching television my girlfriend at the time and I decided to cook something to eat… well actually I decided I was hungry so she decided to cook for me. I had a pretty nice set up with her. She was a woman who absolutely loved to cook and I love to eat.

She would cook me my favorite meals and to show my gratitude for...

Toronto's mayor, Rob Ford, has admitted that he smoked crack cocaine during a drunken stupor. But he insists that he didn't lie to the public. When asked "do you use crack-cocaine" in earlier interviews, he has been insistent that he doesn't use the drug. It seems that he is following in the footsteps of Bill Clinton and utilizing semantics to justify his dishonesty.

Just as Clinton steadfastly denied having "sexual relations with that woman" on the grounds that he never actually had intercourse, Ford claims he didn't lie, as he doesn't use crack cocaine. He admits that he has tried it in the past, but use implies a habitual act. He may be able to use semantics and grammatical accuracy to his advantage to a small (mostly unsucessful) degree, but the bottom line is that he purposefully deceived the public, which is tantamount to lying.

In our intimate relationships, we expect honesty from our partners and the withholding of key information often precludes honesty. If your lover...

Over the years, I’ve written a great deal about dirty talk. From general guidelines to hot phrases you can use to rile your lover up, dirty talk is one of my favourite topics to cover...and put into practice.

In several of my workshops (including Steamy Sex for Couples and Rock his/her World) I ask participants to share what they want to hear in bed via secret ballot. Each person writes down a few things they’d like their lover to say in the heat of the moment and we read them aloud as a group without identifying the source.

The following is an unscientific summary of the most popular lines I’ve collected from thousands of workshop participants.

What men say they want to hear:

“I’m coming!” This line comes up multiple times in every workshop without exception.

“Your penis/cock/dick/wiener is so big.” Yes -- someone actually wrote “wiener”.

“You make me so wet.” More on this here

“You’re the best...

Dr. Jess had a blast at Toronto's Everything to do with Sex Show this year. From boys on poles to girls in body paint, it was certainly a weekend to remember. Dr. Jess' workshops were so full, people were lining up outside the entrance just to hear some of the oral sex tips featured in her best-selling book Hot Sex Tips, Tricks & Licks. Here's a recap of the excitement from this year's event.

Dr. Jess presenting to a packed house!

The two best dressed ladies at Toronto's Everything to do with Sex Show

Holly Wolf and Dr. Jess

Quiver Books winner, Alicia!

Packed house for Dr. Jess' couples' workshop presented by Playboy TV (©Liam Kavanagh-Bradette)

Another Quiver Books winner! Christine Kelly and Dr. Jess

Dr. Jess signing books for her fans. (©Liam Kavanagh-Bradette) Dr. Jess and Lea from Oasis Aqualounge Dr. Jess and Marie Roberge Pellerin Dr. Jess takes a photo with fans of Playboy TV's SWING Keren is very excited about picking up Hot Sex Tips, Tricks and...

It seems hard to believe, but recent research suggests that a considerable number of people in Japan have little interest in sex or dating. Sex may be a primal urge, but circumstantial and cultural conditions can impact even our most basic drives. If the statistics below are accurate, this creates an interesting opening for research to better understand cultural, environmental, political and practical factors that impact sexuality. One commenter on the Guardian's site suggests that the data is culturally flawed due to a disconnect between true desires and one's ability to express these honestly (even as a participant in a research study). In other words, it is possible that desire for sex remains fairly consistent across the globe, but our willingness to express this desire is mediated by culture. See the comment/note below on Honne and Tatemae. Have you lost interest in sex and dating or could you see yourself putting these interests on hold? We'd love to hear from you, so please...

In response to my earlier post, How to Initiate Sex: 10 Pointers For Women, I’ve received several requests from men asking for tips on initiating sex with their female partners. Ask and you shall receive!

Today, we take an excerpt on Sex and Cancer from Paul Joannides' Guide To Getting It On.

From a Young Couple We recently received an email from a young woman whose boyfriend has brain cancer. He’s 20, and she’s not yet. He’s had multiple brain surgeries, radiation, and now chemo. Because of his nausea and problems with stamina, she’s on top during intercourse more than before. And some of the things he used to love her to do before his cancer can make him feel nauseated now. But she says as long as they give each other lots of feedback, they still enjoy sex, which shows that you can cut into a person’s brain, nuke it and poison it—it won’t necessarily stop them from wanting sex. In this case, his orgasms help him to feel better after chemo, assuming he’s able. She says, “Sometimes we have sex just to feel closer in a hard time like after we heard he was going to need a second surgery. It’s comforting to be that close to...