First On, First Off: The Problem of Sexual Initiation

I just came back from teaching at an institute for sex educators and therapists where there was a focus on developmental aspects of sexuality and sexual pleasure. In this case developmental is just a fancy word for thinking about the lifespan and not only thinking about people at one age and one time in their lives.

Because life is hard and keeping things straight is a struggle for most of us we do tend to think about sexuality in the context of a particular time and place. We don't see the a...