Sustaining passion: eroticism and safe-sex talk.

It is axiomatic that communicating effectively is important for good sexual relations. In light of the AIDS epidemic and the necessity for safe-sex practices, the topic of caution and prevention is an emerging and critical discourse for the sexual encounter. Yet if this discourse is not to defy passion but rather complement it, then the study of sexual linguistics must be grounded within the realm of erotic reality. Three themes of eroticism and their implications for sexual interaction are explored in this paper: identity, context, and danger. Linguistic and relational constraints for enacting such a discourse are identified, accompanied by a critique of the treatment of erotic discourse in educational programs and the media.