It’s been over 40 years since the book Sex and the Single Girl, by Helen Gurley Brown, was published, at that time is was seen as quite a controversial topic, today it’s listed on Amazon as a cult classic. Helen was Editor of Cosmopolitan for over 30 years, so it’s safe to say that she has pioneered the sexuality of women, whether they are single, married, or other, throughout her career and we love her for it. Single or not women are sexual beings and should be able to celebrate that at whatever life stage they are at, it’s great to know that we have more sexual freedom now than ever before.
Today more people are single than ever before, whether through choice or circumstance, so it looks like Sex and the Single Girl is still relevant today, maybe even more so. So what can we add to the pearls of wisdom offered by Helen in 1962, from meeting men at work, to not overlooking a Don Juan?
- Friends with benefits (FWB) is OK – providing that you both know the situation, and have set ground rules that you are happy with, it’s more than OK to have someone on call when you feel that ‘itch’. In fact, a FWB is probably one of the safest ways to have satisfying sex when you are not in a relationship, you could even use the arrangement to try something new such as bondage or anal sex. The minute one of you gets into a relationship or develops additional feelings, you have to be strong enough to end it though.
- Vibrators are a girl’s best friend – the vibrator has been around for centuries, but today they are seen as an essential toy for women (single or attached) we have them in our bedside tables, sock draws, and even in our handbags. Using a vibrator is no long taboo or seen as a guilty pleasure, as anyone who has taken advantage or 2 for 1 cocktails with their girlfriends will know, somehow the conversation always ends up on how much we love our little toys of joy!
- Porn is for women too – just as female masturbation was rarely talked about, it’s only recently that women watching porn has been discussed, in fact there are now a number of female friendly porn sites available. Turns out that some women enjoy porn just as much as men do, even though the theory has always been that women are not as visual as men.
- Sex can be empowering for women – although some of the stereotypes still exist, if a woman sleeps with a high number of men she’s a slag, women can’t handle casual sex etc… The truth is that women are owning their sexuality more than ever before, they know what they want, when they want it, and they are fast moving passed feeling guilty or ashamed about it.
