About Us
A Woman’s Touch is a thriving woman-owned and operated sexuality boutique based in Madison, Wisconsin, USA. We are one of a small number of stores that focus on women’s perspectives on sex and sensuality in the Midwestern United States, and the only store that offers our unique combination of expertise in sexual health *and* pleasure.
Because we promote knowledge of sexual health, sexual education, and healthy pleasure we are asked a variety of questions almost daily (sometimes hourly), so be sure to check out Ask Dr. Myrtle and Ask the Sex Counselor for the answer you’ve always sought. We hope you enjoy your visit, and hope that if you like what you see, that you’ll let friends and family members know about us.
The Owners
Ellen Barnard
Ellen Barnard, M.S.S.W., is an entreprenur, long range planner, sex educator and sex positive activist. Ellen spent 15 hardworking years supporting people with developmental disabilities, and helping them find a way to live in their (own) homes in their community. She began this business this way:
"A couple of years ago while I was trying to decide what I wanted to do next in life, I realized that the Midwest didn’t have a comfortable place for women to celebrate and explore our sexuality. Upon telling my grandmother this, she replied ’...well, get working on it, because I can’t wait to tell my friends that my grandaughter runs a sex store!’ Although my grandmother died a week before we opened, she always believed in me, and was proud of what I was doing. So, this store is for grandma, and all the great, feisty women like her."
Ellen is interested in cooperative business ventures (networking again, is she?), and increasing the total quantity of pleasure in the world. Her favorite way to spend free time is hugging or walking her 4 dogs, or community organizing to make her neighborhood a better place for everyone to live.
Myrtle Wilhite
Myrtle Wilhite M.D. M.S. is the physician scientist artist of A Woman’s Touch. While she spends much of her time answering people’s questions about sex, she also programs this website, provides the financial outlooks, and consults for the AIDS Network to support them in talking to people about sex. She also developed a user-friendly model for something called "Prevention Case Management"--so that assessments of an individual’s sexuality can happen respectfully, and supportively. It’s a great application of sex positive thinking in the real world. When asked how she got into this venture, she says:
"Sexual health and sexual pleasure can happily coexist together. I enjoy explaining the details of women’s and men’s anatomy and sexual health because, in addition to being relatively straight forward, it is so often not talked about, or presented in formal education. For me, this is what health education, and preventive medicine is. Besides, unlike Joycelyn Elders M.D., I can keep my job as long as I talk to people about masturbation...."
Myrtle has also been doing every sort of art you can imagine for years, and loves this chance to express it. Her favorite thing to do in the morning is to take a long walk with many big furry dogs. Her favorite cup of coffee is a mocha (light on the coffee) with organic milk.
