Like many others, I decided to see Girls Trip during its opening weekend and absolutely loved it, so much so that I saw it twice. The first time was with a brilliant colleague and friend who is one of the other two black sex therapists in the St. Louis area. As we laughed until we cried and sipped our mimosas, Tiffany Haddish’s character, Dina, presented Jada Pinkett-Smith’s character, Lisa, with the option of grapefruiting her new potential partner. If you’re not familiar with this technique, Dina gave a very detailed description in a particular scene. My friend and I were shouting in the theater to our fellow moviegoers, “Don’t do this at home! You don’t want a yeast infection! Citric acid and genitals don’t mix!” We were laughing but were incredibly serious.

Although this scene may have introduced the masses to grapefruiting, it was created by Auntie Angel who has several videos on YouTube where she gives directions on how to perform this technique. Big ups to her for creativity! However, shortly after I learned of Auntie Angel’s video in 2014, I posted my own (you can see it here) warning of possible complications (some which were depicted in a scene with Kofi Siriboe). However, if you still decide to proceed, make sure you follow the advice of Sex Educator Goody Howard and #GrapefruitResponsibly. Consider these points:

• Citric acid can cause skin irritation. You may want to use a condom while performing fellatio with the grapefruit. If acid gets in the urethra, that may be painful.
• If using a condom, make sure you remove it and wash the penis and surrounding areas before proceeding with intercourse or penetration. Although the vagina is more acidic than grapefruit, the pulp and juice contain sugar, which can cause irritation and possibly create a hospitable environment in which yeast can grow.

For more SuzyKnew! articles on grapefruiting click here

If you decide to go ahead and try this technique, do so responsibly and with the full consent of your partner. And even if you decide against it, don’t be afraid to have fun and try new things. This is just one technique, but there are many other ways you can spice up your regular routine. Sex can be a fun and pleasurable experience, so make sure you find ways to be both informed and adventurous.

De-Andrea Blaylock-Johnson is a licensed clinical social worker and sex therapist in private practice at Sankofa Sex Therapy, LLC. She’s on the Executive Board of the Women of Color Sexual Health Network and has been featured as a sexpert on Ebony.com, Elle.com, WomensHealthMag.com, and Shape.com. Check out her YouTube show, Ask A Sex Therapist, where she answers your questions related to sex and sexuality and visit her website, SankofaSexTherapy.com.