Our desire to satisfy the voyeur in us doesn't just stop at peaking over the neighbour's walls or reading a gossip mag. We've created a somewhat more organised way to feast our eyes on others by building a stage, adding a pole, music, soft lighting and "voila!" a platform ready to receive not just any pretty little number in high-heels, but one that's willing to pull off her clothes so that you can get a good look at her fiddly bits.

How else would you describe strip tease? Simplified, it's a way for men (mostly) to stimulate their own sexual fantasies. Perhaps it could even be described as an escape from the mundane reality of everyday life.

Is it art?

One year, whilst visiting the Sexpo, I watched Miss UK do the most incredible pole dance number. Her skill and strength on the pole was not only sexy, but jaw-droppingly brilliant. Let's be honest, there aren't many people that can hold themselves out horizontally on a pole using their bare hands. The fact that she does it naked adds an interesting element, I suppose. Spices it up a bit, perhaps?

Either way, striptease - that slow and sensuous dance that sees a gorgeous woman slinking out of her already skimpy outfit - is a pretty skilled one. That kind of sexy is an art that's perfected by some lucky people. But what about us poor sods whose only skill involving a pole is to have it hit us square in the forehead whilst out shopping? Should we just consider ourselves unable to reach an admirable level of sexiness?

Not at all

Strip tease isn't reserved for the pros. It can be a great way to spice up your own sex life. It offers a couple a new way of approaching intimacy and makes you both stop first and have a good look at one another before diving in. We don't do it often enough ? stop and look and enjoy, that is.

Sexologist, Tracy Cox, makes some brilliant suggestions on how to approach your strip tease session with your partner in her book called Supersex. Creating suspense and anticipation is key to a strip session and this can begin before you've even laid eyes on one another with a sexy text message or call. The key is to keep it slow and seductive, prolonging the point at which you come into physical contact with your partner... .

But if your curiosity just won't be satisfied with a private session in your own home, it's time to mobilise. Pick out a club (they are plentiful) that you think you might enjoy. It's always a good idea to chat to people and try find out what their opinion might be of the clubs you have in mind. This saves you from going somewhere that's a little thin on class. Most strip clubs have strictly implemented rules and reserve the right to kick anyone out that might be contributing to the sleaze factor.

Stepping out

I've heard friends and acquaintances egg each other on to visit a strip joint on many occasion. "We'll go as a group," they'll all agree. "It could be fun," someone will suggest. And always, I hear women agreeing that they'd be interested to see the inside of a club. But what's in it for us? Well, there's something rather marvelous about watching women let loose their unbridled sexuality on stage. And before you nod your head self-righteously boys, read on: You guys are also there to witness your idea of sexual liberation.

Perhaps we're not be as liberated as we think. It's important that we challenge our ideas of sex and sexuality. Our perceptions of sexy are built on what we learn from others who in turn have built up their perceptions from others. If you think of it like that, then we're all just recycling the same old thing with little consideration for what we really want in the bedroom. Sexy needs to be something you feel, regardless of what that the so-called accepted norm is.

Assessing your sexuality is vital to maintain a healthy sex life throughout your life. If that means visiting strip clubs every now and then, or swinging from a chandelier in a tarzan outfit, well, be my guest. Just not in my house, mind you.

What are your thoughts about strip tease? Let us know in the comments section below.