Some years ago I wrote this post: The Chance to Say Goodbye. It talked about my experience as a sex worker meeting my clients and in time them moving on. I also wrote this post: Is it ok to See a Sex Worker Indefinitely discussing the merits and considerations of seeing a sex worker long term.

I’ve been thinking about these two posts recently as a number of my long-term clients have recently moved on.

As per the first article, it’s a bittersweet moment for me to hear that. Bitter because I don’t get to see someone I have gotten to know, sometimes over years and who’s company I enjoy. Sweet because I am happy that their life is now more complete than it was when they first came to me and they no longer need what I provided to them.

“My life is full and I am content. A lot of that is due to you and the confidence you imbued in me over the last 18 months.”

It is gratifying that my service can give someone confidence in themselves and help them to arrive at a better place than they were before they came to see me.

But then there are the women I see every month, year on year who have found the place that they want or need to be, with me. An uncomplicated connection, physical fulfilment, that is safe and secure, and an intimate experience that is dedicated solely to their pleasure.

In this (sort of) post covid era many people have been reassessing their lives, trying to find a new balance that makes them happy. And that has included deciding to see a sex worker where they might not have in the past, or alternatively, not seeing a sex worker that they might have seen regularly.

While this has at times meant handling cancellations, I want to say that if you are a client to a sex worker – it is always ok for you to change your mind. The last three years have brought a lot of change to all of our lives and we have to be ready to respect and support the people around us and their choices.

John

A lot of women who come to see me are beginning or are well into menopause. This can be an added challenge for women who haven’t have much – or any – sex in a long time. The comment “I feel like I’m a virgin again” and similar words are very common and not a bad analogy really, because there are certainly some similarities.

The main one is probably uncertainty about having sex and worry that it might be painful or at least uncomfortable. The main issue though for post menopausal women is generally less natural lubrication. Thankfully that is easily remedied. I personally like and use Sylk personal lubricant, it lasts well, doesn’t become sticky, and with the addition of some water can become slippery again.

If you want next level “slipperiness” though silicon based lube may be right for you. Silicon lubes like Sliquid wont dry out like water based lubricants, they don’t become sticky, and they are unlikely to any upset to vaginal flora (and risk causing thrush as some water based lubes can).

The thing to remember with any lube though is that you should use plenty of it and top it up regularly. It is a hassle to do and can break the rhythm of sex, but it’s better than running out and ending up sore. Condoms also really suck up lube too, more so than unprotected sex, so that’s another good reason to use copious lube.

Along with less lubrication, menopause may mean less skin elasticity and a greater vulnerability to small tears and abrasions during sex. Here again plenty of lube can help, along with a little awareness from a sex partner that it can be an issue.

Menopause and the hormonal changes it results from may also change a woman’s arousal response and affect how and how easily she can achieve orgasm. So if you are coming back to sex post menopause you might find perhaps that “things have changed”. In my experience this is not usually a problem and with a little practice you will be able to get back to a place where you can achieve orgasm the way you want to.

Perhaps the main thing to know though about menopause is that while your body may change it absolutely should not stop you having and enjoying sex! Of course if you do have issues then consulting a doctor is a good idea.

John

So I watched Good Luck to You, Leo Grande tonight. And on the whole it filled the expectations that I mentioned in my first post about this movie.

I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t watched it and might like to, so I’ll try to be general here rather than talking about specifics of the plot

If you are looking for an authentic picture of what an experience with a male sex worker is like, then Leo Grande is a reasonable portrayal (if overly dramatised). But I have to say that it is representative.

It’s not a bad film, generally it’s pretty good. It touches on real issues that I have dealt with – like consent, privacy, boundaries, communication, body image, low self esteem, difficulty achieving orgasm, and personal growth.

I will accept the conflict. That probably had to be in there for dramatic effect – but know this, your male sex worker should always be professional, no matter what.

I guess at the end of the day it felt good for me, a sex worker, to be represented in a realistic and mostly accurate and sympathetic fashion.

I think that it was also good to see Emma Thompson’s character – while vastly (somewhat unrealistically) over anxious – depicting so many things that women I often meet are going through.

On the whole I think that this movie is positive and a valuable contribution to education about sex work, sex workers, and why people – especially women – choose to see us.

John

We tend to think of painful penetrative sex as being a problem for women who are having sex for the first time. And that is true for most women their first times, but it’s not the whole story. There is something of an assumption that once a woman gets past that initial hurdle that – unless the guy has a huge dick – that it’s all going to be plain sailing.

The reality is that for many women, used to partners with modest sized penises, having sex with a man who is only somewhat larger can be challenging and even quite painful. There’s also women who suffer from the side effects of surgery and from physical and emotional trauma. All of these things can lead to painful sex or not being able to experience penetration at all.

The point is that whether a woman is new to sex, or has been having sex comfortably for years, she can still find accommodating a larger penis difficult.

So what’s the solution?

Well one solution is gentle stretching with dilators. Doctors and physiotherapists will often recommend the use of vaginal dilators to help stretch the muscles of the vagina and “teach” them how to relax. It’s a lot like stretching any muscle of your body – it takes time and practice. No-one expects you to be able to touch your toes comfortably – or at all – without practice, if you can’t touch your toes.

Having sex with a partner with a larger-larger-then-usual penis is much the same – only with added complexity and emotional challenges. Dilators, which usually come in a set of five or six in graduated sizes, are a useful tool to help women reach a point where they can have the sex that they want without pain.

I recently met a young woman who came to me to have sex for the first time. We weren’t able to have sex in the end because she needed more slow stretching of her vagina than the time we had together allowed. She did make a lot of progress though during our booking, demonstrating that it was possible for her to experience penetration without pain. I recommended that she buy a set of dilators to practice with – I would normally have had a set on hand, but I hadn’t replaced the last set that I had given to another client.

I have remedied that now and will in the future always have a set on hand.

Not long after that a regular client booked a threesome with another male sex worker and me. She has plenty of experience with sex, but not with anyone with a larger penis than me. She discovered that he -being a little larger than I am – was actually too big for her to comfortably have the sex she wanted with him. To that end I recommended that she try practicing with a dilator.

There was the small problem though that dilators are generally aimed at women with more extreme troubles like vaginismus that require starting with a very slim dilator and working up. So they tend to only go up to around 3.5cms in diameter which is probably as big as the average man’s penis, but definitely isn’t big enough for a woman wanting to graduate to a larger guy.

Her solution was to find a nice silicon dildo that was about 4.5cms diameter, which represented a modest increase in size over me and was closer in size to the other escort.

Now I’m not going to try to explain the best practice use for vaginal dilators as I’m not a doctor or physiotherapist and you should definitely talk to your doctor if you feel you need to use dilators for painful sex, but I will outline the basics that medical professionals publicly recommend:

Use personal lubricant! It will make things a lot easier – and remember, don’t use silicon lube with silicon dilators – only water based lube
Once you can insert a particular sized dilator, leave it in for approximately 15 minutes each time you practice – this gives your body time to adjust and learn to relax
Only practice every second day – this allows your body to heal from any abrasion or other strain that you might experience as you increase the size of dilator you are using

Probably the most important thing though is to take your time and persist. It’s not a process that can or should be hurried. Persist and you will reach your goal!

John

I saw an article today about the impending human clinical trials of a “male contraceptive pill” (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/03/210303161645.htm). Apparently trials of the compound triptonide in mice have been successful and show that it interferes with assembly of sperm rendering them unable to swim.

Triptonide is non-hormonal (use of hormones being one of the big causes of side effects of the pill for women), has no apparent side effects, and is reversible.

It takes up to six weeks to become effective and about the same time for fertility to return when treatment stops.

That’s all great. Having more contraceptive choices and solutions is a good thing.

But we have finally reached the moment that has been long discussed – can men be trusted to use a form of contraceptive that requires regular effort when they don’t directly carry the cost of not doing so?

I had a vasectomy when I decided that I didn’t want to have children. It was a simple procedure and because it is 100% effective, women can trust it as a form of contraception. I have always been sceptical though of a “male pill” and I expect that many women would be too.

So it begs the question of what exactly is a male contraceptive pill good for?

It may be glib to say this, but it does put an end to the “men’s rights activists” (MRAs) wailing about how women trap men by deliberately getting pregnant. Well boys, now you don’t have to worry about being “tricked”, just pop this pill every day and your “freedom” is ensured. Somehow I doubt that’s going to stop their howling.

Anyway, the fact that this was the first thing that came to mind for me is, I think, telling. So where else might it be useful? The obvious application is in relationships where a woman experiences side effects from female contraceptives – which is quite common.

But that brings us back to trust again.

If the relationship is committed and long term then perhaps this might be acceptable for the woman. But to my mind, putting your fertility in the hands of another person when they don’t have to live with the consequences – even in a committed relationship – is a very big ask. I’m sure that many people could and would do it, but would a large percentage of the population? I have my doubts.

Which means that unlike other contraceptives, the market for this product may end up being very, very small (and I don’t expect that MRAs would actually use it, since contraception isn’t the point, they just enjoy being whiney and having something to blame women for).

However, I’m always in favour of knowledge for the sake of knowledge and who knows how this technology may one day be put to use and who it might benefit.

I’m interested to know what women think about this idea though, so please feel free to drop a comment below.

John

I want to say thank you and wish everyone well as this year draws to a close.

To all of you who have booked with me this year – thank you. As ever it has been a fun year, despite the troubles we’ve all been enduring. Thank you for your patience with booking dates when things have been uncertain and as always your generous support.

I am looking forward to the new year, meeting new people and seeing those I already I know again.

Stay safe. Be kind. Enjoy life to the full.

John

Back in May of 2020 the federal court of Australia ruled that the National Disability Insurance Scheme should not deny disabled people the right to use their NDIS insurance to pay for sex work services if they could show that it was “reasonable and necessary”.

I can’t emphasise enough how important this recognition of both sex work and the rights of people with disabilities is.  It cannot be understated.

Governments world wide have long pushed sexuality and sex work to the margins of society, with hugely detrimental consequences.  New South Wales in Australia, where I work, in fact was so plagued by corruption of it’s police force and politicians, due to the criminalisation of sex work that it became the first place in the world to decriminalise sex work (and thus remove that blight of corruption).

It seemed for a brief moment there that as the states and territories in Australia embrace and/or implement decriminalisation that the tide was turning.  Even the federal court has recognised sexual expression as an integral part of human existence.

Then last week federal minister for the NDIS, Stuart Robert went on a conservative radio show to once again display his ugly conservatism. 

“I never thought you and I would be talking about prostitutes.”

Robert said NDIS participants were “welcome to avail themselves of anything that is lawful and they can pay for themselves” but not with taxpayer funds.

The Guardian – Stuart Robert Condemned

Firstly it’s worth noting the derogatory language.  Stuart Robert knows that the preferred and respectful term is “sex worker”.  He has used it in the past here (https://amp.abc.net.au/article/11298838).  So his choice of words when talking to Ray Hadley on the radio was intended to rile up listeners and shame people who pay for and provide sexual services in front of a conservative radio audience.  It was deliberate.

The federal court stated that if a person with a disability can make a case for the NDIS to cover the cost of sex work services then those services should be covered.  Which seems quite reasonable.  It’s not giving anyone with a recognised disability a blank cheque to see sex workers every day of the week on the government’s dime.  It is simply recognising that there are people in our community who’s disability means that they can’t safely and readily participate in an integral part of the human experience – their sexuality – that the rest of us take for granted. 

What most people who oppose the NDIS funding sex workers don’t stop to consider is the risks that people with disabilities take when they try to engage with people for a relationship and especially sex.

Most of the clients I see and have seen over the years who have a disability are extremely physically vulnerable and require significant care 24 hours a day.  It is virtually impossible for a person in this position to “just get on Tinder” for instance.  Most have never experienced sex at all when they contact me and are looking for someone who understands their disability, how to communicate and work with them safely.

This isn’t something you get with a random stranger off the Internet.  Imagine being wheelchair bound and unable to speak trying to meet someone to have sex with – for the first time.

This is what Stuart Robert ignores.  And it’s a huge over site for the minister in charge of the NDIS. 

The only way that you can justify excluding sexual services for people with a disability is if you believe that sex and sexual expression is a privilege.

From the NDIS website:

The main objective of the NDIS is to provide all Australians who acquire a permanent disability before the age of 65 which substantially impacts how they manage everyday activities with the reasonable and necessary supports they need to live an ordinary life.

NDIS – Operational Guidelines

So the test that the NDIS claims it applies to supporting people with disabilities is “does this disability prevent you from living an ordinary life?”

I would suggest that a life devoid of sex is not an ordinary life – and I have over ten years of experience working with people, both able bodied and with disabilities who tell me all the time how important being able to have sex is to them and much it improves their lives.

Sex is a part of our ordinary lives and if minister Robert Stuart was honest with Australians he would accept the federal court’s ruling and stop fighting against people with disabilities.

His latest attack on people with disabilities is try to force through a definition of “reasonable and necessary” that will exclude sex work from NDIS cover.

“I will move to actually define what is reasonable and necessary so we can meet community standards, because I do not believe … that the federal government using taxpayer’s money to pay for prostitutes meets that standard, I just can’t see it,” Robert said.

The Guardian – Stuart Robert Condemned

Every time he claims that it would be against “community standards” he is applying his own moral, religious, and/or political beliefs to a question that should not be influenced by any of those things ever.

And claiming authority by citing “the community” is nothing more than cowardice. At least own your discrimination Stuart.

John.

Every few years I take a look around the internet to see who is out here offering male escort services for women. Australia – and especially NSW where sex work in general is decriminalised – has really become a leader in visible male sex workers for women. There are some independent guys, a number of agencies, a few “directories” that offer male services for women, and there’s me.

I was surprised when I looked recently to only find a handful of websites for straight male escorts in Sydney other than my own. That said, there are now a few escort directories that have a selection of men as well. So there is some choice out there.

I’ve been working in this industry for over ten years now full time and I have worn my own little groove in it so to speak. I have a look that is definitely not what people might expect from a male escort (I don’t do lot of abs and muscle flexing and I’m not doing the debonair suit and tie thing). I am much more comfortable in my trademark denim jeans and white t-shirt honestly.

When I look at other male escorts in their suits and ties, or oiled up for the gym I will have a moment and wonder if perhaps I need to be trying to compete with that. Some of those guys look good!

But then I think about who I am and the service that I provide best – that is the opportunity to spend time with a real person – a whole person, not just a fantasy body or face.

What I’m interested in is you and your needs and making you feel great. If you are nervous, then I will put you at ease. If you want to spend time with someone who is fun to be with, share a meal, wine, and conversation, then I’m a good choice. If you just want some good honest sex, then I excel at that. If you want to explore your fantasies and push your boundaries, then I’m a safe and respectful choice with significant experience and no ego. If you just want someone to “see” you and make you feel special for once, then I will absolutely do that for you.

We all have our moments of insecurity in life and I am no different to anyone else in that regard. But I believe 100% that if I tried to be something that I am not then it won’t ring true. I know that most people who contact me have spent a lot of time researching male escorts in general and me in particular, so that effort deserves my respect and my honesty in how I present myself.

I will continue to be myself. And to offer my services my way. If that sounds good to you, then drop me a line – if not, then that’s ok too. There are as I have discovered, some more – if not plenty – of fish in this ocean! Which is good for everyone.

John.