I remember my first trip to a sex store. I must have been about 16 or 17, with two giggling girlfriends in tow. A sense of adventure and curiosity propelled us through the doors, but once inside it was all we could do to not turn on our heels and run back to the safety of the street.

There were the expected shelves of porn and as well as a few seedy-looking men. My friends and I carefully avoided eye contact while shuffling around the wonderfully-pointless lingerie section. We were about to leave when we made a life-altering discovery of what appeared to be rows upon rows of alien laser guns.

Of course, they weren’t laser guns at all. They were sex toys of every size and shape. Dildos and vibrators galore.

No matter how much endorsement vibrators get from Sex in the City, they’re still a sticky topic with most people. Most women claim that they “just don’t need one” and most men are simply mystified. People wax poetic about the three one-night-stands they had last week, but owning a vibrator is still strictly taboo for some reason.

Enough of the 1950s mentality. You can’t just wait around for someone to show up and do the job for you –- your sex life is your responsibility.

That said, I’ll be the first to admit that actually buying a sex toy is terrifying. Sex stores are not exactly friendly to the chronically shy. They’re intimidating as hell, and the creepy leather-bondage sections don’t help either. Luckily, there are usually helpful salespeople who are very knowledgeable and willing to offer advice.

If you’re not sure where to go, just hop the El down to Belmont and have a look around. There are a lot of great ones located within a block of the stop (Taboo Tabou and Egor’s Dungeon, just to mention a few). If you’re still intimidated, you can always buy online.

But then comes the question of what to buy. The sheer variety of choices can be intimidating. Dildos or vibrators? Big or small? Sparkly or red? Here’s a word of advice for all the women: you’re probably better off with a small vibrator than those horrifyingly-large plastic penises. They come in pretty colors and a variety of sizes, and there are also waterproofed varieties. Plus, they’re cheap (about $10 for a decent one).

So stop blushing, grab a friend or two (or three or four –- the more the better) and get yourself to the nearest sex store. You’ve got nothing to loose but that frigid attitude.

SEX POSITION OF THE WEEK
This one is a little bit tricky. In Splitting the Bamboo, the guy straddles the girl, his legs over hers. Anyone who can actually get it to work gets a prize.