Test your knowledge about risk-aware kink play.
We all use the words "risk-aware kink" and most of us believe we are truly practicing RACK when we play with others. Take the quiz below to see if you are really practicing RACK or if you could use a refresher!
Anwers with Explanations
You only need to disclose a transmissible disease if a partner asks you about it. FALSE. Risk-aware consensual kink means that everyone is aware of potential risks while playing with a specific person. If you have a transmissible disease, regardless of how serious you think it is or if it is/is not sexually transmitted, practicing RACK means disclosing your transmission status. While some people may not see specific illnesses/infections as important, your risk tolerance is not the same as everyone else. Disclosing if you have an STI, COVID, a cold or other condition which may be transmitted during intimate behavior is important for risk awareness.
If someone asks you about your STI status and you were tested two years ago but have continued to have sex, its okay to give them the results from two years ago without specifying when you were tested. FALSE. STI status may change with who you are having sex with. Unless you are in a monogamous relationship, you can contract a sexually transmitted infection. This is true even if you are on PReP, DoxyPEP, or use barrier protection methods. If you are having sex outside of a monogamous relationship, you should test every 3-6 months. If you need help locating a free or low-cost testing and treatment center near you, the CONDOMFINDER app can help!
Rope suspension is safe if the top knows what they are doing. FALSE. While it is important for the top/rigger to know what they are doing, the rope bottom also needs to understand the basics of suspension. Communication is important between the top and the bottom but is not enough to ensure safety. Even very experienced riggers and bottoms can get injured during suspension. While rope suspension is popular and has the illusion of being safe, there are many ways to get injured.
Bigger bodied people should never be suspended because of the risk. FALSE. All types of bodies can be suspended with reduced risk if people learn to tie to specific bodies (not just body types. For more information on tying different bodies, check out Evie Vane's Better Bondage for All Bodies.
Erotic choking/strangulation is safe if: Never. While some kink educators will endorse a "blood choke" or cutting off blood flow by placing pressure on the carotid artery, the growing body of medical evidence is that erotic choking is not a safe activity. There is growing MRI and fMRi-based research showing that people who have been choked repeatedly (even if they never passed out or used what they thought were blood chokes) show significant brain changes. These changes can indicate increased risk for stroke and depression later in life.
A formal safe word is always required in risk-aware kink. False. Using common language such as "stop," or "don't" or "no" is completely acceptable as a form of communication during a kink scene.
Risk aware kink is most important for newer players. Experienced players can use short-hand to communicate about risk and play. Experienced players in a long-term relationship can develop their own shorthand and still play safety. OR No. RACK is important for all players. However, long-term kink partners may develop their own short-hand to safely play. In general, all players should practice RACk regardless of experience.
Risk-aware kink required that every toy used in an impact scene be negotiated prior to play. Types of toys (e.g. canes, paddles) may be negotiated but each individual item does not have to be negotiated. RACK means that the players know the risk of implements. Because classes of implements (e.g., canes, paddles) carry similar risk profiles, groups of toys may be negotiated at the same time. It is generally a good idea to be guided by the person with the lowest risk tolerance in a scene. If a person wants to negotiate each toy, or the materials and types of toys, let them be the guide for the negotiations.
In risk-aware kink, the top/dominant does not need a safe word. FALSE. While most conversations about safe words focuses on the bottom/submissive, tops have limits and need safe words as well.
Consensual non-consent means that players have no safe word and no way to stop a scene. FALSE. In RACK, there is always a way to stop a scene. Consensual nonconsent can play with boundaries and push players deep into a scene psychologically and physically, there always needs to be a way to stop a scene when a player is in distress.
BDSM play which does not involve inflicting pain does not require communication about risks. FALSE. While sensation play, pet play, and other forms of BDSM play may not involve any form of pain (physical or emotional) there are always some risks. Developing good communication skills around kink play is part of RACK.
It is okay to push someone's soft boundaries in a scene without explicitly discussing the desire to do so before the scene starts. FALSE. Soft boundaries are still boundaries to be respected. Always talk to a partner prior to deciding to push soft boundaries in a scene.
Long-term BDSM partners can use "blanket consent" and not have to negotiate before adding new types of play to their repertoire. FALSE. While some long-term play partners my use blanket consent as a totally legitimate form of consent in their dynamic, it does not meet the requirements to be RACK.
Risk of causing physical injury to someone during BDSM play always increases with their age. FALSE. While aging can come with joint issues, thinning skin, and other health issues, it does not necessarily mean that age is correlated with increased risk.
True risk-aware kink requires formal, written negotiations prior to playing with someone. FALSE. There are many forms of negotiation. Some people enjoy doing paperwork and formally negotiating scenes. Other people will negotiate through sexting, talking, sharing fantasies and other forms of communications.
Risk Aware Consensual Kink (RACK) is just one model of practicing consensual kink. There are other models (SSC, FRIES, etc.). People will find ways of communicating, negotiating, and setting boundaries with partners. RACK is a great place to start your kink journey,
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