[slideshow_deploy id=’16219′]

First dates can be a source of both excitement and anxiety – the possibility of finding a connection someone new is endlessly exhilarating, but the uncertainty around what to expect can be unnerving. Almost always, you subconsciously end up weighing out the “risks”: what if your consent is violated? What if you find yourself vulnerable and in harm’s way? When wrestling with such thoughts, the difficulty of making choices around one’s safety while continuing to remain optimistic around the possibility of pleasure and a new relationship is a complicated balance to strike. The comic Risky Date by Robot Hugs highlights the complexity of this balance in poignant detail.

Can view more of the artist’s comics here: http://www.robot-hugs.com/risky-date/