A: Swinging is a form of recreational, social sex between consenting adults, most commonly consisting of male/female couples meeting other male/female couples for sex and/or ongoing intimate friendships. Swinging (otherwise known as "the lifestyle") can take a variety of different forms. Although single women are generally welcome at swinging events, the degree to which single men are accepted varies from club to club and couple to couple.

A: Turning this question around we could ask something like, "Why do you go out to eat at restaurants, is the cooking in your house bad?". The answer is that swingers enjoy a rich and varied range of experiences and have reconciled their feelings for each other and their own personal relationship. Personally we have a very intense emotional and physical relationship. This intensity started long before we began swinging. However swinging has helped to enrich our own relationship.

A: There is so much more to swingers than just sex. Swingers come from all walks of life...doctors, attorneys, blue-collar workers, milkmen, teachers...the list goes on. Swingers could also be your brother, sister, best friend, boss, minister, city council member or even parents. We have kids, we have jobs, go to church, etc. Swingers have traditionally been largely middle class and tend to blend in quite easily with the general population in terms of appearance and ideology.

A: For the two of us it has always been very exciting and fun. When we first started we did have some times when we were nervous as hell meeting new people. It can be awkward sometimes in the begining getting comfortable enough to discuss sex openly with another couple you are hoping to have sex with. It is very much like dating again to us. Only this time we have someone that we love to always go back home with when the night is over.

A: There are two ways to go. The first is frank discussion - if your partner is able to verbalize his or her sexual desires, then talking and finding out the facts together may lead you to the decision that is best for your overall happiness. If it is difficult to find out exactly what your partner thinks, a less subtle approach may be better. Try exposing your partner to the idea of Swinging through verbal fantasizing during lovemaking, viewing pornographic movies and magazines that portray multiples, becoming platonic friends with Swingers, etc. By contacting local Swingers Clubs, you will be able to find out about discos and hotel lounges that are meeting places for couples interested in Swinging. A visit for dinner and drinks may lead to contacts and discussions that may spark your partner's interest in a new form of sexual adventure! Never, ever take an unsuspecting partner to a swing party!

A: Research the topic more in depth. Once all the facts are in front of you, the decision will be a little easier. Like anything else in life, the first time may be a little uncomfortable because you have not participated in the activity before and do not know what to do. This is perfectly normal. Contact a local Swingers Club and explain your interests. You will more than likely be speaking with someone who knows exactly where you are coming from because he (she) was in your position at one time. They should be able to offer advice, contacts to speak with or meet, and places where you can go to socialize with Swingers on a platonic basis. This should give you exposure to the Swing Scene without any sexual involvement on your part. Another option is to go to an on premises club with your partner, with the agreement that you are there only to observe and explore or you and your partner may decide to limit your experiance this first time to sex between yourselves. this is acceptable in almost all clubs.

You and your partner can make a simple agreement with each other that you will try a single swinging experience without any expectations of further involvement and that you shall hold nothing that happens against the other. You need to discuss each other limits and rules and understand exactly what the other will allow and not allow, then most importantly stick to these rules. This is a simple experiment and you will come home at the end of the night together and discuss everything you felt and saw. Remember that strong emotions surrond sex and there may be negitive reactions in one or both of you to this experiance, these negitive emotions should be shared so you can each understand them and appreciate the others concerns.

A: Established Swingers Clubs are very professional and discreet in their conduct. Otherwise, they would not exist for more than a week. Other alternatives are Swinger publications and contact magazines / newsletters, computer bulletin board services for Swingers, Introduction Services, conventions and special events, travel agencies and resorts that cater to the sexually adventurous, and telephone contact organizations that offer voice mail advertisement and responses as well as chat lines.

A: You should be able to maintain a P.O. Box at a local post office for a nominal fee. Additionally there are many places where you can get an anonymous e-mail address that will allow you to communicate with others online without revealing your identity. In this way, you can remain anonymous at your leisure. Swinging activities can take place at third party locations: Swingers Clubs, hotels, resorts, private homes, etc.

A: Hard swinging usually means that sexual intercourse is involved. Soft swinging is everything up to intercourse or in some instances not swapping partners.

A: Well, that really implies that you do not understand what swinging really is. Swinging is NOT one partner cheating on the other. Rather, it is two people who have decided that their love is such that they can allow each other to share sexual pleasure with others. This is done openly and with each partner full knowledge and consent. For one person to have sex without telling the other partner before hand is cheating to most swinging couples, although it would not be to a couple in an open relationship.

If a couple is being honest with themselves and each other, there should never be a threat to the relationship. If one of you does not feel comfortable with a situation then they should speak up and the partner has the responsibility to understand and respect the others feelings and wishes.

We know many couples that have been swinging for over 10 years and have happy and satisfying relationships with each other. We also know couples that have broken up within a couple of months of getting involved in swinging. In discussing these situations with the parties involved, every time a relationship has deteriorated because of swinging it has been because of a lack of communication. We can never stress enough the need for open and honest communication. Honest with your partner as well as honest with yourself.

Sometimes this lack of communication rears its ugly head in the form of jealousy. When this occurs the only cure is to talk about it and find a positive resolution. Our personal motto is "We know exactly who we are going home with when the night is over", that is the person that we love and are committed to. We know that a little bit of good sex is not going to cause one partner to leave the other. A good relationship is not built on sex. A sex only relationship has little chance of long term survival anyway.

Women are usually less prone to jealousy than men in swinging situations. Women more often go through feelings of inadequacy or fear. Women overcome inadequacy when they find that other men find them attractive both emotionally and sexually. They often come to their first experience because their husband wants to get involved. The fear comes from being rejected or losing their husband to some woman they think may be better in bed. Men are the ones who most often have to work through feelings of jealousy. Most often when one of the partners wants to stop swinging due to Jealousy it is the man, women quickly become very comfortable with the lifestyle once they understand it and realize other men ARE interested in them.

We know swinging couples that have split up, as well as non-swinging couples that have split up. However in only one case did it really have anything to do with swinging. In every instance though the bottom line was communication and trust. Without both a relationship has very little chance, and even less if the couple is swinging.