busy and worried doctor is less likely to be sympathetic to
discussions of "safe, sane and consensual."
appointment. During this discussion, it's very important
that you keep in mind what your statements may sound
like to someone who doesn't live in the same community
you do. I spoke to one woman on the Internet who was
terribly upset because a new doctor had expressed concern
that she might be mentally ill and/or an abuse victim. "He
asked about the piercings in my nipples," she related. "I
told him that my master had put them there for his own
pleasure." She had apparently gone on to explain that
she had no say in the procedure, and that she was wholly
devoted to pleasing her master by accepting any pain
or marks he desired. To this woman, the piercings were
a lovely romantic symbol of her devotion but to the
physician, they (understandably) sounded like abuse. Yet
if she'd simply said, "I like the way they look, and so does
my partner," the piercings would probably have gotten
no additional notice at all.
and behaviors. Here's the conversation I wish had taken
place:
pierced?