In today’s liberal society, Canadians are given many choices about the type of lifestyle they choose to live. In a world so bold, we are now free to explore different sexual possibilities; swinging is one such lifestyle that some adults are choosing to follow.

Couples are curious about how to spice up their sex life, says Sue McGarvie, a prominent Ottawa sex therapist who has appeared on radio shows across Canada and in the United States. She says that the majority of swingers are well-educated couples between the ages of 35 and 60 years old that want to enhance their relationship.

Daniel, owner of Gatineau’s swinger club, Club D, agrees.

“After 15 or 20 years, they want to add something special to their sex life,” he says, “and [swinging] is how they do it.”

Daniel, who did not want his full name used, says swinging has been around for at least as long as the ancient Greeks and Romans and resurfaced in the ’20s.

McGarvie says the Canadian swinging scene has been more obvious since the early ’70s, but is still more understated compared to places across the globe.

Daniel, who was once a swinger himself, says he started Club D because he wanted to invest in something unique, new and in demand. At the time, there were no other swing clubs in the area, he says.

Before swinging became legal in 2005, there was debate over whether it should be considered an act of indecency.

The owners of L’Orage and Coeur à Corps, two Montreal swing clubs, were charged with operating a common bawdy house (brothel) in the late ’90s. After a study was done of the clubs, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled they did not prove to cause any harm to society.

Some regulations at swing clubs include that all participants must be over 18 years old, aware of the activities they will witness in the club, and that no one should be coerced into performing sexual activities.

Daniel says that alcohol is also a concern for swing clubs.

He previously put forth a BYOB policy for his club but local police approached him after a complaint was filed. He said he is now applying for a liquor license and is not permitted to have alcohol in his club until he receives it.

However, Daniel makes it clear that alcohol is not a vital part of swinging.

“Sex and alcohol do not go together,” Daniel says.

There are many misconceptions about swinging, McGarvie says. She describes swingers as “ethical hedonists.” She says they seek pleasure that allows them to keep their integrity intact.

Many believe that swingers are just in it for the sex, she says, while in reality, many only choose to engage in group massage or gentle touch. Some swinger parties only involve walking around topless and carrying on a little harmless flirting — no sex involved — she says.

“They’re a lot safer than you think. . . . They’re a lot more sensual than you think,” McGarvie says.

Before considering swinging with your partner, McGarvie says it is imperative to communicate.

 “You need to talk it over with your partner a few hundred times,” she says.

Also, you should sit down with your partner and set the rules of engagement, she says, cautioning that only strong couples should even think about swinging.

“This is not something that is going to fix your marriage,” she says.

McGarvie’s last words of advice: “bring latex.”