When my boyfriend first suggested the idea of swinging, I nearly choked. The idea that my partner wanted to have sex outside of our relationship was a bitter pill to swallow, and my head raced with questions. Could I stomach seeing him intimate with another woman, and what if she was better than me? Would he ultimately leave me for someone else? The voice in my head told me vividly, swinging was just not for me - it was something other people did. Besides, we had a happy, loving relationship. It seemed like an unnecessary problem to give myself.
It's not that I was sexually prudish. As a bisexual woman, I had experimented with both men and women before, just not while in a relationship. But I loved and trusted my boyfriend, so around 10 years ago, shortly after that initial conversation, I found myself open to discussing the possibility of swinging.
He explained it didn't mean he didn't love me deeply, and stated very frankly that he wasn't interested in romantic relationships with anyone else. It was purely about sexual exploration together, nothing deeper than that.
And the more I thought about it, the more I warmed to the idea. I'd always wanted to explore my bisexuality further, but felt it was something I couldn't do without damaging our relationship.
I decided to sit my boyfriend down and express my feelings around my sexuality, and entertained the idea that swinging could be a good place to start. While it was a relief to get everything out in the open, actually throwing myself into the deep end was a challenge all of its own.
This story is from the January 16, 2023 edition of WOMAN - UK.
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This story is from the January 16, 2023 edition of WOMAN - UK.
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