TV sexologist earned her chops at Widener

HER SAFE WORD is "Oprah." Which seems perfect for Dr. Tiffanie Davis Henry, who may or may not have been joking when she revealed that tidbit during a "50 Shades of Grey" discussion on TLC's late-night talk show "All About Sex" (11 p.m. Saturdays). "It shuts everything down," she said.

Not that Davis Henry - who answers to "Dr. Tiff" - is looking to shut anyone or anything down. If she's the voice of reason on a panel that includes actresses and comedians Margaret Cho, Heather McDonald and Marissa Jaret Winokur, it's because the former co-host of ABC's "The Revolution," has done her homework.

The sex and relationships expert, who learned a lot of what she knows right outside Philly while earning her doctorate at Widener University's Center for Human Sexuality Studies, spoke with Ellen Gray about Dr. Drew, threesomes and the joy of a baby who sleeps through the night.

Q This isn't the first TV talk show devoted to sex. Do you remember MTV's "Loveline"?

I am a total fan of "Loveline" [which began, and continues, as a radio show]. When I was an undergrad,

"Loveline" was really big, and it actually prompted me to want to get into the field of sex therapy. I've had the opportunity over the last two years to work with Dr. Drew [Pinsky, who co-hosts], on HLN, as a contributor. It's been really amazing, to learn from him, early in my career, and to learn from him still, to this day.

Q What I remember about "Loveline" were the 19-year-old callers already a little bored with sex and wondering if they should be having threesomes, instead of being just happy they were having sex at all.

It says a lot about the culture. A lot of what has happened with a lot of teens, and college students in particular, is there is this bridge between sex and alcohol and drugs and the things that they do at parties, whether it's because they want to, whether it's because they're intoxicated or whether it's because their friends are encouraging it, as opposed to, "You know what? This is who I am sexually. And this is what I prefer, and what I want to do and engage in."

Q Is your show's target viewer different from "Loveline's"?

We're actually talking to women, grown-ass women, and getting their feedback as to what's going on in their sexual lives. So those women who grew up with Dr. Drew, who grew up looking at [Canadian expert] Sue Johanson, have lived a little bit, have grown a little bit sexually, and said, "You know what? Now I need more information. I want to know how to seduce my husband or to get the sexy back. Or if I do want another person in my relationship, how do I ask for that without feeling bad about it?"

Q Some would argue that they should feel bad about it.

Some people will. Some people will argue that and some people will feel that they should. But [the show's panelists] each come from different places sexually. Some of us would never do that, and others might feel like, this is something that not only have I considered doing, I have done, and this is how it worked out for me and let me tell you how it can work for you. If this is something that you're interested in.

Q Is there anything you bring as a woman of color to this that another expert might not?

I think that one of the things that we as African-Americans don't do enough of is talk about sex, talk openly about what our sexual experiences are and give ourselves permission to be sexual beings. I think it's something that's been kind of hush-hush, that's been behind closed doors, and I think we have to give ourselves permission to enjoy sex, to enjoy making our partners happy and making ourselves happy and being OK with that.

Q You're married?

I've been married seven years and I just had a baby girl [now 5 months old].

Q So you're experiencing the joys of sleep deprivation?

My little one has been sleeping - knock on wood - 8 to 7. We had a nurse come in and she helped to transform everything. Her sleeping habits are great.

Now, once she starts teething, I know, all bets are off.