Zayna and Jonathan talk to authors Lori-Beth Bisbey, Anita Cassidy and Meg-John Barker about the challenges of writing both fiction and non-fiction that either focuses on or touches on consensual non monogamy. Lori Beth and Meg-John are both therapists. Lori Beth has written fiction, memoir and self-help, recently publishing Dancing the Edge to Reclaiming Your Reality (a guide for survivors of gaslighting and trauma). Meg-John is probably best known for the iconic Rewriting the Rules but has also written a pile of others including Life Isn't Binary, and Gender, a graphic guide. Anita is the author of the novel Appetite and runs the website Alethya, a community for people interested in pursuing conscious relationships.

We're joined by therapist and author Jessica Fern to discuss attachment theory and the lens it gives us onto consensual non-monogamy monogamy.

Attachment theory grew out of the work of researchers John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth. It began as a study of childhood attachment to primary caregivers and evolved into a framework that helps illuminate the dynamics of close relationships through life. It tracks people's attachment styles on two axes, self esteem and sociability and broadly divides those styles into four quadrants - secure, avoidant/dismissive, anxious/preoccupied and fearful.

Jessica's book polysecure considers CNM in the context of attachment theory and, together with Jonathan and Zayna, she explores what it has to tell us.

This is how we wish people had talked about sexual health when we were growing up. We're joined by three very entertaining sexual health professionals. Firstly Amanda Jeffrey, Head of Sexual and Reproductive heath at METRO an equalities and diversity charity that promotes health and wellbeing to anyone experiencing issues relating to gender, sexuality, diversity, equality, or identity predominantly across London and in the SE of England. Also by Kate Oliver, from Illinois, President of the Kinder Foundation, which sometimes describes itself as the Amazon of sexual health. Finally by Peter Greenhouse of the BASHH; the British Association for Sexual Health & HIV.

We're focusing on sexual health in the context of consensual non monogamy but frankly this programme is full of good advice for anyone. It's also a scream. I'm guessing that if you're a sex educator, especially one talking about sexual health, you quickly get tired of po-faced conversations and wish you could get real.

So here we go - the tldr version - sex involves manageable health risks but is fun, life affirming and joyous and mostly the risks can be minimised. Jettison the shame. Stuff happens. And, after we've been over-run by right wing anti-vaxxers and mask refuseniks is anyone going to take lectures from these people about chlamydia? Thought not. :)