Ella Dawson has herpes, and talking about it is sort of her thing. She writes herpes-themed erotica; she gave a TED talk about herpes; she celebrates the day she was diagnosed with herpes; and her activism on sexually-transmitted diseases earned praise from Hillary Clinton. All this, and she's only had two outbreaks— which is a pretty standard experience. Ella gets real about dating with herpes, enjoying unprotected sex, and getting her sexual education from Harry Potter fan fiction.
And before you jump to judgment, remember: 2 in 3 of you have the same type of herpes that Ella has. (She has oral herpes on her genitals. Yes, it can happen.) And 1 in 5 of you has the other kind. (Ella knows a woman who gets genital herpes on her elbow.) Call to leave a voicemail for Sex Lives.
New York Magazine writers dish about sex, lust, dating, technology, coupling, porn, fetish and freakiness.
Go To Show PageThe comedian, podcaster, and author of You Can’t Touch My Hair on collaboration, cultural sensitivity, and Queens versus the Bronx.
26 Min
Oct 7, 2016
Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of expectations in chapter six of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. They discuss Harry and Ron's budding friendship, the unusual bravery of Scabbers the rat, and how our bodily practices relate...
25 Min
Jun 24, 2016
From Slate Magazine, Robert Pinsky reads Robert Bridges' poem "Low Barometer."
1 Min
Apr 8, 2013
