Sex and Psychology Podcast

Sex education in the United States leaves a lot of people on the sidelines, from racial and ethnic minorities to LGBTQ+ youth to persons with disabilities. Part of the reason for this is that just nine (!) states require sex ed to be delivered in an unbiased and culturally appropriate way. So how can we make sex education work for everyone? My guest today is Dr. Tanya Bass, an award-winning sexuality educator who teaches at North Carolina Central University’s Department of Public Health Education. She also founded the North Carolina Sexual Health Conference. We talk all about sex ed and how sex is depicted in the media—the good, the bad, and the very ugly of it all, and how we can improve it. Some of the topics we explore include: Who’s currently being left out of sex ed and what this means for their sexual health. Why representation is important in sex education, and how we can make sex ed more accessible to diverse audiences. The importance of language in sex ed (and why we need to stop talking about race as a “risk factor” for STDs). What we can do to promote better, more equitable sex ed for everyone. Which TV shows and movies are getting depictions of sex right, and which ones are getting it wrong. How popular media portrayals of sex influence our behavior. How we can use media depictions of sex as teachable moments. Learn more about Dr. Bass at tanyambass.com and follow her on the socials at @DrTanyaMBass Level-up your intimate life with Beducated, the Netflix of better sex! They have a whole library of online courses to teach you what you need to know. Enjoy a free trial today and get 70% off their yearly pass by using my last name – LEHMILLER – as the coupon code. Sign up now at: http://beducate.me/pd2201-lehmiller-kink  This podcast was made on Zencastr. Join Zencastr today and receive 40% off of their professional plan for 3 months with my exclusive discount code: sexandpsych Thanks to Promescent (promescent.com) and the Modern Sex Therapy Institutes (modernsextherapyinstitutes.com) for being sponsors of this episode! *** Want to learn more about Sex and Psychology? Click here for previous articles or follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter, or Reddit to receive updates. You can also follow Dr. Lehmiller on YouTube and Instagram. Listen and stream all episodes on Apple, Spotify, Google, or Amazon. Subscribe to automatically receive new episodes and please rate and review the podcast! Credits: LEGIT Audio (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos used with permission of guest.

How can you tell if you’re in lust or in love? Is “love at first sight” real? When is the right time to say “I love you” in a relationship? And how do you keep love alive long-term? Today’s episode is all about the science of love, and we’re going to talk about so many important and fascinating questions! My guest is none other than “The Love Doctor” herself, Dr. Terri Orbuch. Terri is a distinguished professor at Oakland University and a research scientist at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research. She has been studying the science of love and relationships for more than three decades and her latest book is called Secrets to Surviving Your Children’s Love Relationships. We cover a lot of ground in this show, including: The four signs that distinguish love from lust. How to get the lust back in your relationship after the initial passion starts to decline. The truth about the “5 love languages” (is there actually any science behind this idea?). Tips for maintaining happy, healthy, loving relationships for the long haul. When it’s the right time to make your relationship “official” and to say “I love you” to a partner. When too much closeness becomes a problem, and how to maintain your individuality in a relationship. Tips for dialing down the pressure on Valentine’s Day and enjoying a stress-free holiday. How parents can help their kids to cultivate healthy relationships. This is such an important (and fun!) episode! To learn more about Terri, visit drterrithelovedoctor.com and be sure to check out her latest book, Secrets to Surviving Your Children’s Love Relationships. Level-up your intimate life with Beducated, the Netflix of better sex! They have a whole library of online courses to teach you what you need to know. Enjoy a free trial today and get 70% off their yearly pass by using my last name – LEHMILLER – as the coupon code. Sign up now at: http://beducate.me/pd2201-lehmiller-kink  This podcast was made on Zencastr. Join Zencastr today and receive 40% off of their professional plan for 3 months with my exclusive discount code: sexandpsych Thanks to Promescent (promescent.com) and the Modern Sex Therapy Institutes (modernsextherapyinstitutes.com) for being sponsors of this episode! *** Want to learn more about Sex and Psychology? Click here for previous articles or follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter, or Reddit to receive updates. You can also follow Dr. Lehmiller on YouTube and Instagram. Listen and stream all episodes on Apple, Spotify, Google, or Amazon. Subscribe to automatically receive new episodes and please rate and review the podcast! Credits: LEGIT Audio (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos used with permission of guest.

At one time or another, almost everyone has had a BDSM fantasy of some type. Despite its widespread popularity, however, BDSM is a subject that remains widely misunderstood and stigmatized. It’s a taboo topic in broader society that people are often reluctant to discuss out of fear of being judged. So let’s talk about it! One of the biggest things that changed the way I think about BDSM was having the opportunity to interview a professional dominatrix a few years back. I’m bringing her onto the show today to give you an inside look at this world and what I learned. My guest is Stavroula Toska, an award-winning filmmaker who has received honors from the Sundance Film Festival and countless other festivals around the globe. Stavroula has a reputation for authentic storytelling that pushes boundaries and explores human nature from a unique point of view. Among her many compelling works is a web series called SWITCH, which chronicles her years of experience working in the BDSM scene. Some of the topics we explore in this episode include: What it’s like to be a professional dominatrix, and how being a dominatrix changed the way Stavroula sees herself. Who visits a professional dominatrix, and why. Whether there’s any truth to the idea of powerful men wanting to be submissive in the bedroom. Whether BDSM is always about sex. Why Home Depot is a one-stop shop for professional dominatrixes (I love this part!). How the pandemic changed the world of professional domination. Why the stigma around BDSM persists. What people who want to explore BDSM for the first time need to know. To learn more about Stavroula, visit https://thetoskamatrix.com and check out her web series SWITCH at https://switchtheseries.com Level-up your intimate life with Beducated, the Netflix of better sex! They have a whole library of online courses to teach you what you need to know. Enjoy a free trial today and get 70% off their yearly pass by using my last name – LEHMILLER – as the coupon code. Sign up now at: http://beducate.me/pd2201-lehmiller-kink  This podcast was made on Zencastr. Join Zencastr today and receive 40% off of their professional plan for 3 months with my exclusive discount code: sexandpsych Thanks to Promescent (promescent.com) and the Modern Sex Therapy Institutes (modernsextherapyinstitutes.com) for being sponsors of this episode! *** Want to learn more about Sex and Psychology? Click here for previous articles or follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter, or Reddit to receive updates. You can also follow Dr. Lehmiller on YouTube and Instagram. Listen and stream all episodes on Apple, Spotify, Google, or Amazon. Subscribe to automatically receive new episodes and please rate and review the podcast! Credits: LEGIT Audio (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos used with permission of guest.

Space travel is a rapidly expanding industry. In the near future, people are going to be traveling and maybe even living outside of Earth’s atmosphere for prolonged periods of time. This raises a lot of interesting questions about how we can make life in outer space compatible with human needs, including our sexual and intimate needs. However, space organizations aren’t talking about sex in space, and they aren’t studying it either. But if we’re going to build spacefaring societies, this is something we need to understand. So what are the potential benefits and risks of sex in space, and how can we overcome the challenges? This episode is going to take you to the final frontiers of sex. We’re not only going to explore what we know about space sex, but also sex with robots. My guest is Simon Dubé, a Public Scholar and PhD candidate in psychology at Concordia University specializing in human sexuality, sextech, and erobotics, which is the study of human-machine erotic interaction and co-evolution. He is a student representative of the International Academy of Sex Research and a general co-Chair of the International Congress on Love & Sex with Robots. Some of the topics we explore include: Why is there so much resistance to studying sex in space and sex with robots? What are the potential benefits and risks of sex in space? How can we overcome the challenges of sex in space in order to maximize the benefits? Should space crews and missions only consist of members of the same sex? What are the potential benefits and risks of sex with robots? What do modern sex robots look like, and how much do they cost? How does the issue of consent work when it comes to sex robots? Can sex robots help us to become better lovers for human partners? To learn more about Simon, follow him on Twitter @SciDub11 If you’d like to take part in some of Simon’s research on erobotics, email sextechstudy2@gmail.com to learn about current and upcoming participation opportunities. This podcast was made on Zencastr. Join Zencastr today and receive 40% off of their professional plan for 3 months with my exclusive discount code: sexandpsych Thanks to Promescent (promescent.com) and the Modern Sex Therapy Institutes (modernsextherapyinstitutes.com) for sponsoring this episode! *** Want to learn more about Sex and Psychology? Click here for previous articles or follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter, or Reddit to receive updates. You can also follow Dr. Lehmiller on YouTube and Instagram. Listen and stream all episodes on Apple, Spotify, Google, or Amazon. Subscribe to automatically receive new episodes and please rate and review the podcast! Credits: LEGIT Audio (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos used with permission of guest.

Cuckolding refers to a sexual practice in which someone finds it arousing to watch their partner have sex with another person. I first learned about cuckolding nearly a decade ago and, in the years since, its popularity has exploded. Google searches for it are on the rise, it’s increasing mentioned and depicted in the popular media, and it regularly emerges among the top porn searches in the world year in and year out. There’s even a new annual tradition called #CuckWeek, aimed at celebrating the cuckold lifestyle. So why are so many people into cuckolding? For insight, I spoke with Dr. David Ley and Rose Caraway. David Ley is a clinical psychologist, sex therapist, and author of the book Insatiable Wives: Women Who Stray and the Men Who Love Them, which was just released on audiobook. Rose narrated the audiobook for Insatiable Wives and is host of Kiss Me Quick’s Erotica Podcast. Some of the topics we explore in this show include: How cuckolding can be sexually empowering for women. The diverse motivations behind why men want to watch their partners have sex with other people (there isn’t just one reason!). How common cuckolding fantasies are, and who’s most likely to have them. How cuckolding is distinct from cheating. How cuckolding relationships tend to work out. What people who are thinking about exploring cuckolding need to know. How to bring sex to life as an audiobook narrator. For more on cuckolding, be sure to check out the new audiobook for Insatiable Wives! This podcast was made on Zencastr. Join Zencastr today and receive 40% off of their professional plan for 3 months with my exclusive discount code: sexandpsych Thanks to Promescent (promescent.com) and the Modern Sex Therapy Institutes (modernsextherapyinstitutes.com) for sponsoring this episode! *** Want to learn more about Sex and Psychology? Click here for previous articles or follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter, or Reddit to receive updates. You can also follow Dr. Lehmiller on YouTube and Instagram. Listen and stream all episodes on Apple, Spotify, Google, or Amazon. Subscribe to automatically receive new episodes and please rate and review the podcast! Credits: LEGIT Audio (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos used with permission of guest.

From penis enlargement to vaginal rejuvenation, modern medicine is offering those who are concerned with their genital appearance the opportunity to obtain “designer genitals.” In recent years, there has been an explosion in the number of people seeking genital augmentation surgery, as well as a growing number of procedures to choose from that promise to boost self-confidence and sexual desirability. But do all of these procedures really work as promised? Are they even safe? And is genital surgery really what we need, or do we just need better sex ed to help us appreciate our bodies? To discuss the growing world of genital enhancement, I am joined by Dr. Rachel Rubin, a board-certified urologist and sexual medicine specialist. She is an assistant clinical professor of urology at Georgetown University and works in a private practice in the Washington DC region. Some of the topics we explore in this episode include: What kind of genital enhancements are people looking for today and why? Do procedures designed to increase penis size really work, and what are the risks? How is Botox being used to enhance genital appearance and function? What kind of procedures are people seeking to enhance their vulvas and vaginas? Do they work, and are they safe? What does the growing trend of genital augmentation say about our culture and our sexuality? Could better sex education help people to grow more comfortable and confident in their bodies without the need for medical intervention? To learn more about Dr. Rubin, visit rachelrubinmd.com and follow her on social media @DrRachelRubin This podcast was made on Zencastr. Join Zencastr today and receive 40% off of their professional plan for 3 months with my exclusive discount code: sexandpsych Thanks to Promescent (promescent.com) and the Modern Sex Therapy Institutes (modernsextherapyinstitutes.com) for sponsoring this episode! *** Want to learn more about Sex and Psychology? Click here for previous articles or follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter, or Reddit to receive updates. You can also follow Dr. Lehmiller on YouTube and Instagram. Listen and stream all episodes on Apple, Spotify, Google, or Amazon. Subscribe to automatically receive new episodes and please rate and review the podcast! Credits: LEGIT Audio (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos used with permission of guest.

Before the pandemic hit, the number of American adults living single was at a record high, while the marriage rate was at a record low. But that might all be about to change, according to results from the 11th annual Singles in America Survey from Match. This survey involved a demographically representative sample of 5,000 single adults aged 18-98, and the findings suggest that singles today are thinking very differently about sex, love, and relationships. To break down the results, I spoke with Dr. Helen Fisher, a biological anthropologist, Senior Research Fellow at the Kinsey Institute, and Chief Scientific Advisor at Match. She has conducted extensive research and written six books on the evolution and future of sex, love, and marriage. We cover a lot of ground in this episode, including: What singles today find attractive in a partner (hint: looks are out, emotional maturity is in). Why singles today are open to dating a wider range of partners than they were in the past. How online dating changed during the pandemic. Tips for creating more chemistry on virtual dates. Why singles today are sending fewer dick pics than they were before the pandemic. Why men are more eager to start long-term relationships right now than women. Whether the “three-date rule” is really a thing. To learn more about Dr. Fisher, visit helenfisher.com and check out her latest book, Anatomy of Love. Learn more about the latest Singles in America Survey at singlesinamerica.com This podcast was made on Zencastr. Join Zencastr today and receive 40% off of their professional plan for 3 months with my exclusive discount code: sexandpsych Thanks to Promescent (promescent.com) and the Modern Sex Therapy Institutes (modernsextherapyinstitutes.com) for sponsoring this episode! *** Want to learn more about Sex and Psychology? Click here for previous articles or follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter, or Reddit to receive updates. You can also follow Dr. Lehmiller on YouTube and Instagram. Listen and stream all episodes on Apple, Spotify, Google, or Amazon. Subscribe to automatically receive new episodes and please rate and review the podcast! Credits: LEGIT Audio (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos used with permission of guest.

As you ponder your New Year’s resolutions for 2022, think about things you can do to improve your sex life! With the right set of resolutions, you can address problem areas and tap into unfulfilled desires, which will allow you to enjoy the best sex of your life, boost passion in your relationship, and keep the spark burning all year long. Need some inspiration? I have you covered with this episode! I spoke with Dr. Jessica O’Reilly about sexual New Year’s resolutions. Dr. Jess is a Toronto-based sexologist, author, speaker, and television personality. She is host of the Sex With Dr. Jess Podcast and the Intimately You program on CityTV. She is also the resident sexologist at Astroglide. We cover a lot of ground in this episode, including: Why noisy sex is (usually) better sex, and how to be more vocal in bed if that’s something you don’t have much experience with. How to break sexual routines and suggest new things to try with your partner. Why it’s important to expand your definition of sex. How resolutions to better your physical and mental health can boost your sex life. How to be more “in the moment” during sex. Practical ways to improve your sexual communication skills. Why it’s important to incorporate more non-sexual touch into your relationship, and how this can improve your sex life. To learn more about Dr. Jess and listen to her podcast, visit sexwithdrjess.com You can also follow her on social media @sexwithdrjess and find her online courses at happiercouples.com Also, the episode of her podcast Dr. Jess mentions in the show about understanding your core erotic feeling is available here. Here’s to a very happy–and sexy–year ahead! This podcast was made on Zencastr. Join Zencastr today and receive 40% off of their professional plan for 3 months with my exclusive discount code: sexandpsych *** Want to learn more about Sex and Psychology? Click here for previous articles or follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter, or Reddit to receive updates. You can also follow Dr. Lehmiller on YouTube and Instagram. Listen and stream all episodes on Apple, Spotify, Google, or Amazon. Subscribe to automatically receive new episodes and please rate and review the podcast! Credits: LEGIT Audio (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos used with permission of guest.

If you’re feeling extra horny right now, it’s not just you! The winter holidays are one of the times of year when sexual interest and behavior reliably increase. We see this in everything from a spike in condom sales to an increase in sexual injuries to a peak in STD rates early in the new year. So why is that? That’s what we’re going to explore in today’s episode. I revisited my conversation with Dr. Patrick Markey from Episode 49, who analyzed Google search trends for sex and relationships over time and found that there’s a certain seasonality to when people are looking for sex-related content online. We discussed some of the biological, psychological, and social factors that underlie this trend. However, in this show, I take a deeper dive into holiday horniness. Some of the other topics I cover include: Why does travel make us horny? Why is there so much Santa Claus porn? What’s the sexual appeal of Santa? Sexual interest rises around the holidays, but this time of year can also be really stressful. So how can you prevent stress from spoiling the mood? I wish you all a very happy (and sexy) holiday season! This podcast was made on Zencastr. Join Zencastr today and receive 40% off of their professional plan for 3 months with my exclusive discount code: sexandpsych *** Want to learn more about Sex and Psychology? Click here for previous articles or follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter, or Reddit to receive updates. You can also follow Dr. Lehmiller on YouTube and Instagram. Listen and stream all episodes on Apple, Spotify, Google, or Amazon. Subscribe to automatically receive new episodes and please rate and review the podcast! Credits: LEGIT Audio (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos used with permission of guest.

What does it mean to be asexual? This is something that different people have defined in different ways, and there are a lot of misconceptions about it. That’s why this episode of the podcast is all about understanding asexuality. We dive into what the science tells us about this subject and bust a lot of myths along the way. We also talk about helpful tips for navigating relationships in which one of the partners is asexual (lacking sexual attraction) and the other is allosexual (experiencing sexual attraction). I am joined by Dr. Morag Yule, the founder and director of Ontario Sex Therapy, a private practice that offers sex therapy as well as clinical training and supervision out of Toronto, Canada. Dr. Yule has published extensively on human sexuality, but is especially recognized for her ground-breaking studies of asexuality. Some of the topics we explore in this episode include: How do sex researchers define asexuality, and how do they measure it in their studies? What percentage of the population is asexual? How is asexuality distinct from celibacy? What have genital arousal studies told us about the sexual functioning of asexual persons? Do asexual people masturbate and have sexual fantasies? How is solo sexuality similar or different for asexual and allosexual individuals? Why is it important to view asexuality as a unique sexual orientation? How does asexuality intersect with kink/BDSM and consensual non-monogamy? How do you make a relationship work when asexual and allosexual people partner-up? For more asexuality information and resources, check out the Asexuality Visibility and Education Network at asexuality.org To learn more about Dr. Yule, visit ontariosextherapy.ca This podcast was made on Zencastr. Join Zencastr today and receive 40% off of their professional plan for 3 months with my exclusive discount code: sexandpsych *** Want to learn more about Sex and Psychology? Click here for previous articles or follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter, or Reddit to receive updates. You can also follow Dr. Lehmiller on YouTube and Instagram. Listen and stream all episodes on Apple, Spotify, Google, or Amazon. Subscribe to automatically receive new episodes and please rate and review the podcast! Credits: LEGIT Audio (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos used with permission of guest.