From Taking It Slow To Respecting Consent: All You Need To Know About Safe Sexting

Be it a long-distance relationship or sneaking in some thrill to your daily life, sexting is a go-to solution for spicing it up, for many modern couples. While many have become a pro at it, the initial hesitancy while sending out your first intimate picture to your partner is relatable to almost every individual out there. Sending sexually charged texts might come as an urge, but you should also ensure that the whole ordeals click all the boxes in your safety checklist.

Women often feel concerned about when does a man become worthy of receiving intimate pictures from them? Has he earned the trust? Will he ensure these pictures remain private? Worry not, we can help you figure out an answer for these questions and any more.

Trigger Warning: This article contains mentions of voyeurism, sexting and hazards on the net.

Our first partner is always our body, that too, a life-long one. Before any other relationship, every individual's prime focus must be developing a healthy relationship with one's ">body, irrespective of how they look like. And once you have done that, congratulations, you have already taken the first and most important step towards safe sexting.

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But what is sexting exactly and how do you know you are doing it? From as simple as a kiss emoji (or suggestive emojis) to as intimate as a "what are you wearing under your dress?" text, sexting can range accordingly, depending on your understanding and several other factors. There is no one way to sext- you can perform it over text messages, snaps and videos, voice messages or even video calls.

Sexting can also be defined as a combination of sex and texting or the practice of sex over texting. It is basically sending out sexually explicit messages, photos or videos via any digital device.

Here are some basics to keep in mind for safe sexting:

Consent

However suggestive a person might sound, you must take proper consent from your partner before sending them your sext. At the end of the day, no one wants an unwanted picture in their gallery. Hence, it is always a must to take the consent of a person before sending out your snap to them. Similarly, do not let any person coerce a consent out of you, and demand or send you intimate pictures that you are not ready to view or share.

Take It Slow

Before acting out on a single text, try and build a conversation in order to take it slow. This will further give you a better chance to receive a more definite confirmation from the other person. This will also let your partner know that you are ready for it and vice versa.

Show Your Face Once Comfortable

When you are sexting via video messages, calls or pictures, always take time before showing your face and do so only when you are confident and trust the other person. Just like sex, sexting as well should be done when and only when you are completely sure that you want it and are in your comfort zone. Make sure that you are not doing it under the pressure of anyone.

Forcing Is Not Sexy

If someone is not comfortable in sexting for personal reasons, do not force them into it or try to manipulate them. Respect their choice. You also need to understand that there are levels to sexting. So while someone may be up to sending a sexy text message, they might note be okay to send an intimate video or voice note and that is completely fine.

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Protection Is Necessary

Even while online, you must be careful. Always keep your phone, especially your gallery protected with a password. You don't want anyone else to find out your as well as your partner's intimate photos.

Delete After Sexting

It is also important to delete all the data from your phone. This isn't to secure your sexts from falling into hands of other people, but to ensure that they cannot be misused digitally if at all your phone gets hacked or you accidentally grant access to your pictures, messages etc to a third-party app.

One Golden Rule: There's No Golden Rule

There is no golden rule to sext. You can stop whenever you want to, take the time or discontinue even if you are in the middle of sexting.

Trust

Lastly, if someone is indulging with you in sharing intimate pictures or videos, it is obvious that they trust you. So make sure you don't break their trust by forwarding their messages to someone else. Remember, leaking someone's pictures/videos without their consent is a criminal offence and can lead to imprisonment.