Last night the topic of sexually transmitted diseases and romance novels came up in conversation with my husband and some friends.
For me, romance is about fantasy. Fantasy does not include sexually transmitted diseases.
Many authors, myself included, make a point to add condoms in their sex scenes but what exactly are we protecting? Pregnancy? Pregnancy and std's? If we are then we are going about it the wrong way.
Oral sex. Unprotected oral sex. Last time I checked you can contract an std from oral sex. Countless times I have read where protection is used for penetration only and not for any other sex act. I am an offender myself.
But where do we draw the line. In my own writing style, I use condoms (for penetration). I don't think there is anything wrong with a couple stopping to get a condom. In fact, my latest novella that has been sold to Lyrical Press, the hero and heroine don't have sex because they cannot find protection. However that doesn't stop them from finding other enjoyable things to do! I have also written stories where protection is not used but they are fantasy sequences. Protection not necessary.
Where I would never advocate unprotected sex in real life, in my opinion, adding protection to every sex act makes the scene clinical. Clinical sex does not a romance make.
So where do I stand on the issue? Although a realistic part of life, std's will not be nor will they ever be a part of my romantic fantasy land. In the future, I just don't know. Maybe I will write a storyline where std's are the external conflict but for now it's fantasy all the way.
Gina
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