Madison Missina's guide to the X-rated event you've been too scared to go to.

When you think about the sex industry what most frequently comes to mind is sleazy, drunken men pawing all over scantily clad women. Musky sex shops with back rooms of illicit adult titles, rows of plastic cocks, vibrators and glorified packages of string masquerading as sexy lingerie.

So when you hear that SEXPO Australia’s Sexuality and Lifestyle exhibition is coming to town, as a woman you might think you may want to sit this one out. This is a sentiment I hear frequently among women, like overt sexuality is a man’s domain or at best a space kept for only the most sexually liberated woman.

Well, I’m here to burst some bubbles. As SEXPO’s official tour guide let me guide you through how to get the best out of SEXPO as a woman.

When you first walk through the doors of SEXPO there is electricity in the air. There are the nerves of course, of what you might find, the shyness of other goers, the feeling of “I’m just here to look”. That’s contrasted by the jubilation and exuding confidence of the SEXPO regular exhibitors, the infamous SEXPO stilt ladies, and the adult entertainers who are jumping at the chance to introduce you to their worlds.

You see, those of us who are adult entertainers get so used to living behind closed doors, that when we get a chance to throw our doors open and welcome you in, we love it. We’re all there to showcase what we do, to share with you our very different worlds and answer all your questions. That’s why you’ll find many of the main stage phenomenal performers such as TJ Hind and Isabelle Deltore have their own stands where you’ll find them between their performances. In fact Isabelle takes it one step further in her honest and often hilarious seminar “From Prison to Porn” where she details her journey from a prison guard to winner of Miss Nude World right through to her most recent endeavour as porn actress and producer.

Speaking of adult performers, have you ever been to a male strip club like the one shown in Magic Mike? Hmm me neither, they are hard to find. But at SEXPO, we have one! The All Male Revue lounge is SEXPO’s lounge dedicated to male strippers! And yes ladies, you can bring your male partners in with you. In fact, SEXPO has 3 specialty lounges, the All Male Revue, the Laporiam, which is dedicated to female performers, and the Fetish Playroom where you will see some of the most awesome BDSM and fetish demonstrations and seminars and if you’re a little more adventurous you can even try it out for yourself.

SEXPO is also home of Carnal Carnival, which is an adult’s only version of a traditional fair. With games such as the Money shot dildo toss and rides such as the gerbil sex train, this section is awesome for a girl’s day out or those of you celebrating a Hens Night. In Perth this year we even have a bucking bull!

Of course, like any good fair we have SEXPO show bags as well which are filled to brim with sex toys. These are really awesome if you are interested in finding out what sex toys can do but you’re not quite sure what you’re after yet. They always sell out.

Madison Missina explains how common household items can be used as sex toys on The Prude and The Pornstar. Post continues after audio.

Now, onto our sex toys. At SEXPO you will find the largest selection of sex toys that you will ever see. So it’s a great place to see what is out there. This year as our theme is the future of sex, we have futuristic sex toys such as sex robots or robotic dildos and perhaps even a sybian. These are sex toys that you don’t often get to see in sex shops so it’s a great chance to see what they can do.

Let's move on to your sex life. A big part of SEXPO is education; we have so many awesome sexologists, sex therapists and sex educators who are there to help you get more out of sex. The seminars that are specifically tailored for women, which you will find in the S.H.A.R.E. Seminar room are:

E.J. Love who is a love and intimacy coach has sessions called Soulgasmic: Women’s sexual healing where she covers topics such as how to get connected to you feminine sexual power along with some great sexual techniques. Author, Frankie Banks in her sexual liberation sessions speaks about overcoming negative sexual beliefs and how she discovered her own sexual empowerment.

There are also two erotic and educational art exhibitions. The Body Beautiful is an exhibit, which asks the question when it comes to our private parts what is normal? It’s comprised of photos sent in by SEXPO patrons and really shows that we are all different and that’s beauty.

The second exhibit is my work. RAW: Female Sexual Pleasure, it is controversial, educational and provocative. It challenges the pornified version of female sexuality whilst showcasing authentic female sexual expression. I carry this on in my seminars RAW: Female Sexual Self Esteem which looks at why we have statistics such as 8 in 10 women fake orgasms and why only 20% of women feel they like the way they look, but most importantly how we can change that.

Our other resident artist at SEXPO is Pricasso. He will paint your portrait with his penis! He has been doing shows for over 18 years, and to answer the question you're thinking now - yes, his penis still works! He is truly amazing to watch in action.

My final favourite highlight of SEXPO is our cosplaying. Each show I get to watch as people, usually women, come in shy and then decide to join in the fun by getting dressed up in costumes. I always think there is a certain magic that comes alive when we cosplay; it’s a chance to get out of your comfort zone and into the spotlight. We do have a cosplay competition for those of you who are really into cosplaying but we absolutely love anyone who just wants to dress up. And our cosplay rules? Wear anything that makes you feel sexy.

So there are loads for women at SEXPO, bring your girlfriends, bring your partner and an open mind. I guarantee you’ll have lots of fun, and if you leave feeling just a little bit more confident, well we’ve done our jobs!