Share
13th May 2023
12:23pm BST
An Australian woman who hired a male escort so that she could lose her virginity at the age of the age of 43 says she is ready to turn to dating apps to find long-term love.
Melanie Hawkes suffers from inflammation of the spinal cord, known as transverse myelitis and has used a wheelchair since childhood.
After telling herself that the idea of sex would be off the cards for most of her life, Hawkes made a promise to herself while isolating during the coronavirus outbreak that she would lose her virginity and overcome the anxiety she had about sex as a disabled person.
In January 2023, Hawkes looked into finding a male escort online so that she could stay true to her word, eventually coming across a man called Chayse.
"I knew I was out of my depth with sexual knowledge and I felt completely overwhelmed with the expert that was standing in front of me," she told the BBC.
"It was the first time I’d been naked in front of a man outside of a hospital."
She added that Chayse helped her to feel calm and "two hours later, they were the best of buddies."
Since losing her virginity, Hawkes and Chayse have met multiple times to help her explore sex with and figure out her kinks and dislikes. One area she discovered was that her legs can be "unpredictable" when in the mood.
"They needed to be fastened to the bed beforehand, and then there’s no worry," she explained.
Now, feeling more confident, the video editor has decided to explore the world of dating apps in the hope she can meet a long-term, future partner.
"I never thought I would go on dating apps and talk to men online, and now I’m doing it pretty much daily," she said.
"I’m [now] looking for a Chayse replacement. Somebody who loves me and loves what I like and does everything for free!"
Related links:
