A woman has revealed why she chose to use the services of a male escort in order to lose her virginity when she was 43.

There can be many reasons why a person chooses to wait to lose their virginity until later in life, from religious beliefs to just not finding the right person to share that intimate moment with.

For those living with complex disabilities, the world of sex and dating can often be more complicated still.

Melanie Hawkes, who has been in a wheelchair since the age of three after an illness, opened up on her decision to employ a male escort so she could lose her virginity at the age of 43.

Hawkes, who is from Perth, Australia, was just two years old when she was diagnosed with transverse myelitis, a disorder caused by inflammation of the spinal cord following an infection.

She had been rushed to hospital by her parents after she went from walking and talking like any other toddler, to stumbling around like she was "drunk", before losing the ability to move her legs and retaining only limited mobility in her arms.

While some children recover fully from transverse myelitis, Hawkes was among those that are left with life-long effects and has needed to use a wheelchair since the age of three, as well as having occasional pain and issues with her breathing, meaning she needs a support worker to help her with daily life.

Hawkes revealed that the only time sex had been discussed in her household growing up was when her parents warned her brothers not to get a girl pregnant before marriage.

She told Take 5 magazine (via news.com.au) that they never brought up the topic of intimacy with her, explaining: "It wasn’t like I could sneak out, so they weren’t worried about me."

Hawkes, never had a sexual experience until she reached her 40s, believed that she would never have a life partner, so focused herself on other things.

"I’d liked a guy in uni, but after he was teased about having feelings for me, he kept his distance," she confessed. "After that, I assumed my dream of having a partner someday wouldn’t happen, so I busied myself with work and other commitments."

However, the turning point came in 2022 when Hawkes contracted Covid and felt "sure" she was going to die from the virus after experiencing trouble with her breathing.

Tracy (name has been changed), her support worker, offered to give her a massage after finding she had a painful neck after having to sleep upright to help with her breathing in the night.

While it was only a neck and back massage, Hawkes realized it was the "first time [she'd] been touched so intimately by anyone".

It was through Tracy that Hawkes found out that sex workers specializing in disabled clients exist after she revealed that she used to work as one herself in the past.

Hawkes began looking for a suitable escort - which cost around $400 AUD ($270 USD) - after realizing that "life was too short" after her brush with Covid, and found one called Chayse who she was interested in meeting with.

She received a call back from Chayse around 10 minutes after she messaged him, and found speaking with him put her at ease to discuss what she wanted from their interaction.

Hawkes first booked in for a two-hour erotic massage in a month's time, but ended up moving her appointment forward as she was "too eager to wait."

She visited Chayse's house for her first appointment after asking Tracy to take her there and help dress her in sexy underwear she had bought online specially for the meeting, as well as helping her onto the massage table, before leaving the pair to it.

After a successful first meeting, Hawkes arranged another session for two weeks' time at her own home, which was "better equipped for [her] needs."

She revealed: "We were together for three exhilarating hours and the next morning my whole body was aching. Chayse had bent me into so many different positions, but they’d all felt so good at the time.

"Now, I’m seeing Chayse regularly. He’s opened me up to a world I’d been missing for so long, and I’m loving every minute."

Hawkes revealed that her sessions with Chayse are helping her to discover what she does and doesn't like in the bedroom, and hopes that she will find a life partner - something she hadn't had the confidence to do before.

She explained: "I know some people will judge me, but that’s easy if you don’t have a disability. You don’t know what it’s like. People who matter to me are supportive and this is the happiest I’ve ever been.

"My only regret is not doing it sooner. I’m speaking out now, so people with disabilities know there are options for intimacy."

Melanie concluded: "We deserve to feel loved and desired, like anyone else."

Featured image credit: Getty Images

A woman has revealed why she chose to use the services of a male escort in order to lose her virginity when she was 43.

There can be many reasons why a person chooses to wait to lose their virginity until later in life, from religious beliefs to just not finding the right person to share that intimate moment with.

For those living with complex disabilities, the world of sex and dating can often be more complicated still.

Melanie Hawkes, who has been in a wheelchair since the age of three after an illness, opened up on her decision to employ a male escort so she could lose her virginity at the age of 43.

Hawkes, who is from Perth, Australia, was just two years old when she was diagnosed with transverse myelitis, a disorder caused by inflammation of the spinal cord following an infection.

She had been rushed to hospital by her parents after she went from walking and talking like any other toddler, to stumbling around like she was "drunk", before losing the ability to move her legs and retaining only limited mobility in her arms.

While some children recover fully from transverse myelitis, Hawkes was among those that are left with life-long effects and has needed to use a wheelchair since the age of three, as well as having occasional pain and issues with her breathing, meaning she needs a support worker to help her with daily life.

Hawkes revealed that the only time sex had been discussed in her household growing up was when her parents warned her brothers not to get a girl pregnant before marriage.

She told Take 5 magazine (via news.com.au) that they never brought up the topic of intimacy with her, explaining: "It wasn’t like I could sneak out, so they weren’t worried about me."

Hawkes, never had a sexual experience until she reached her 40s, believed that she would never have a life partner, so focused herself on other things.

"I’d liked a guy in uni, but after he was teased about having feelings for me, he kept his distance," she confessed. "After that, I assumed my dream of having a partner someday wouldn’t happen, so I busied myself with work and other commitments."

However, the turning point came in 2022 when Hawkes contracted Covid and felt "sure" she was going to die from the virus after experiencing trouble with her breathing.

Tracy (name has been changed), her support worker, offered to give her a massage after finding she had a painful neck after having to sleep upright to help with her breathing in the night.

While it was only a neck and back massage, Hawkes realized it was the "first time [she'd] been touched so intimately by anyone".

It was through Tracy that Hawkes found out that sex workers specializing in disabled clients exist after she revealed that she used to work as one herself in the past.

Hawkes began looking for a suitable escort - which cost around $400 AUD ($270 USD) - after realizing that "life was too short" after her brush with Covid, and found one called Chayse who she was interested in meeting with.

She received a call back from Chayse around 10 minutes after she messaged him, and found speaking with him put her at ease to discuss what she wanted from their interaction.

Hawkes first booked in for a two-hour erotic massage in a month's time, but ended up moving her appointment forward as she was "too eager to wait."

She visited Chayse's house for her first appointment after asking Tracy to take her there and help dress her in sexy underwear she had bought online specially for the meeting, as well as helping her onto the massage table, before leaving the pair to it.

After a successful first meeting, Hawkes arranged another session for two weeks' time at her own home, which was "better equipped for [her] needs."

She revealed: "We were together for three exhilarating hours and the next morning my whole body was aching. Chayse had bent me into so many different positions, but they’d all felt so good at the time.

"Now, I’m seeing Chayse regularly. He’s opened me up to a world I’d been missing for so long, and I’m loving every minute."

Hawkes revealed that her sessions with Chayse are helping her to discover what she does and doesn't like in the bedroom, and hopes that she will find a life partner - something she hadn't had the confidence to do before.

She explained: "I know some people will judge me, but that’s easy if you don’t have a disability. You don’t know what it’s like. People who matter to me are supportive and this is the happiest I’ve ever been.

"My only regret is not doing it sooner. I’m speaking out now, so people with disabilities know there are options for intimacy."

Melanie concluded: "We deserve to feel loved and desired, like anyone else."

Featured image credit: Getty Images