The year was 1984. Prince had just released the supersexy "Purple Rain" & Vanessa Williams became the first Miss America caught in a sex scandal. I was 10 and knew absolutely nothing about sex.

One day, a friend brought over a copy of "Where Did I Come From?" We spent hours holed up in the bathroom, poring over cartoon photos of an adorably chubby naked couple who talked about "scratching their itches" and lived in a world where sperm wore top hats and bow ties. I still remember how confused I was after reading something like, "Sex is lots of fun and really pleasurable, but like skipping, you can't do it all day long."

I thought, "well why couldn't you skip all day long?"

After that pivotal moment, I developed an insatiable appetite for information about sex. Being Catholic, there wasn't a lot of material available, so I took what I could find… my sister's Cosmo magazines, my mother's Harlequin books, my cousin's Playboys and some trashy V.C. Andrews novels.

Once I learned the power of my library card, I moved on to materials that were a little more cerebral. From Michel Foucault to Sigmund Freud to Simone De Beauvoir to Camille Paglia… I read them with admiration that bordered on obsessive.

Today, I understand why people can't have sex (or skip) all day long. Yet I have somehow constructed a job where I get to examine, ponder, question, study — essentially "skip" through this rich subject every day.

I've been invited to strangers' homes to discuss their most intimate details. I've met suburban couples who live polyamorously, a lesbian who decided to marry a man but keep her gay identity, a married Catholic priest and a prostitute-turned-performance artist.

I've also had strangers tell me about their affairs, women with strict upbringings share the details of losing their virginity and swingers explain how they manage jealousy. These experiences have not only made for delightful dinner party conversations but have made my ideas about love expand in ways I never thought possible.

I've often been that there are certain things you shouldn't discuss – religion, politics and sex. I've always felt that those subjects are exactly what people should be talking about (especially sex). Over the years I've found that even those who initially seem uncomfortable will eventually open up about their intimate details if given a small nudge.

This is not to say I don't believe in privacy, but I think it's important to share our experiences and ideas -- not so we can see how we "measure up," but so we better understand how diverse and individual our sexual lives are. Because let's face it – besides birth and death, sex is perhaps the one thing we all share.

"Sex Matters" is dedicated to all those taboo things that we have long been told we "shouldn't discuss" in polite conversation. On this site, I will be writing about my personal experiences and observations – hopefully providing some insight and advice along the way. It is my hope that this site will encourage discussion, debate and reflection on the complicated and fascinating subject of love, lust and everything in between.

Please feel free to send questions, links, ideas and opinions on what you would like to hear about. Thank you for reading.

Yours adoringly, Cynthia. xo