A sex expert has revealed the biggest mistake lovers make when getting tangled up in the sheets.
Sarah Riccio, 34, is a sex-positive activist and professional sex toy tester who is determined to help people have the best sex of their lives.
The New York-based intimacy professional says there are still a lot of misconceptions surrounding sex and many people are still unsure about the different ways to be intimate.
“Most people still think that sex is just intercourse with penis in vagina penetration, but the truth is that that is just one specific example of sex – there are many ways to have sex,” Sarah enthused.
She added that a major problem is that lovers do not understand the concept of foreplay, which makes their sexy time less pleasurable.
A sex expert has revealed the biggest mistake lovers make when they get tangled up in the sheets
“Most adults don’t really know what foreplay is,” she said. “People think it’s just mouth and hands before ‘real’ sex, but that’s actually ‘foreplay.'”
According to the sex expert, “true foreplay” includes all the non-physical things you do to build arousal before physical play.
“They should call it ‘foreplay,'” he joked.
Sarah insisted that if an activity results in an orgasm, it should not be labeled as foreplay.
“Foreplay should not be considered an additional part of sexual play, but rather an essential part of play that really sets the stage for a satisfying experience,” she said.
Sarah said not understanding what foreplay is can often lead to situations where people, particularly women, are not completely in the mood when they begin sex.
“They are not naturally lubricated or penetration hurts because their arousal has not been set up correctly,” she explained.
Sarah’s unusual job began as a bed tester, which involved testing mattresses and bedding for manufacturing companies. It was there that she eventually met her current business partner, Rose.
Sarah Riccio, 34, is a sex-positive activist and professional sex toy tester who is determined to help people have the best sex of their lives.
However, she noted that mainstream pornography can be harmful because it perpetuates damaging ideas about consent, anatomy and pleasure.
However, when she saw an ad for a sex toy tester on Craigslist in 2018, she jumped at the idea.
“Luckily it was legit,” he joked.
In 2020, both Sarah and Rose lost their jobs due to the pandemic and launched their sex toy website Delicto in the summer of 2021, which sells sex toys and offers advice and reviews on them.
“I thought the only thing I liked more than sleeping was sex, and that’s where we’re headed,” she joked.
In her line of work, Sarah provides in-depth reviews of all the latest sex toys and has personally tested over 150 different sex toys.
Their site offers sex education and tips and tutorials on how to use them.
“When the business first started, we had our ups and downs, and at one point we thought we should go back to working for the man. But now we’re bigger than ever,” Sarah boasted proudly.
The sex expert has plenty of opinions on all things intimacy and also shares her strong thoughts on porn.
In 2020, Sarah and Rose (pictured) lost their jobs due to the pandemic and launched sex toy website Delicto in summer 2021, which sells sex toys and provides advice and reviews on them.
“A lot of people think porn is bad no matter what, but the industry has made great strides in the last decade,” he said.
She highlighted the rise of “ethical porn”, where sex workers and artists start their own businesses.
The sex expert said X-rated platforms like OnlyFans have shed a new light on intimacy and made conversations around it more positive.
“It’s like a porn farmers market where kids can learn about kink or anatomy in a healthy, positive way,” he said.
However, she noted that mainstream pornography can be harmful because it perpetuates harmful ideas about consent, anatomy and pleasure and projects unrealistic body standards.
“(For example) a lot of women and people with vulvas are convinced that if they don’t have small labia, there’s something wrong with them,” Sarah explained.
At the end of the day, Sarah encourages everyone to open their minds to broader definitions of sex and engage in conversations less shrouded in shame.
“I wish we, as a collective, felt less shame when talking about sex,” she said.
“Whether with ourselves or with others.”