Sex and Psychology Podcast

Today’s youth are facing a complicated landscape when it comes to sex. They live in a world where sex is all around and porn is more easily accessible than ever before, but they’re not being educated about it and they’re receiving a lot of mixed messages. So are young adults getting what they want out of sex and relationships? What do their intimate lives look like? And what can parents and schools do to better support them? For insight into these questions, I spoke with Peggy Orenstein, author of The New York Times best-sellers Boys & Sex and Girls & Sex. Her TED Talk, “What Young Women Believe About Their Own Sexual Pleasure,” has been viewed over 5 million times. Peggy conducted in-depth interviews with dozens of teens and college students about their intimate lives for her recent books, and the results were fascinating. Some of the topics we explore in this episode include: How do today’s youth define the terms “sex” and “virginity?” Young women today have been empowered in many ways compared to generations past, but that doesn’t seem to be translating into sexual empowerment. Why is that? Why does pleasure need to be a central focus of sex education? How does sex ed need to change more broadly? How are young people today navigating conversations around consent? How do young men feel about “hookup culture?” Is hookup culture disenfranchising everyone? How are LGBTQ youth faring in all of this? How can parents have more effective and productive conversations about sex with their kids? To learn more about Peggy and her work, visit peggyorenstein.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 *** 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.

Sexual difficulties are common, but people tend to have a really hard time talking about them. In fact, people often find it easier to avoid the subject entirely, which can lead sex to disappear in a relationship. So how can people start healthy and productive conversations about sexual difficulties? What can they do to address them? And whether sexual difficulties are present or not, how can you have better sex? For insight into these topics and more, I spoke with Jeff Abraham, CEO of the company Absorption Pharmaceuticals. Jeff built a successful tech company that allowed him to retire early—but he later emerged from retirement to run a sexual health company founded by urologist Dr. Ronald Gilbert, who developed a product called Promescent designed to help men last longer in bed. Some of the topics we explore in this episode include: We’ve all heard that “sex sells,” but does it really? What are some of the challenges of running a sexual health and wellness company? How long does it usually take men and women to orgasm? What is the size of the orgasm gap? What counts as “premature ejaculation” anyway? Why is it that premature ejaculation sometimes gets misdiagnosed as erectile dysfunction? How do you bring up the topic of sexual difficulties with a partner, whether you’re the one experiencing a difficulty or your partner is? Is there anything that men can do to last longer in bed? What do both men and women need to know about having better sex? To learn more about Jeff and his company, visit promescent.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 *** 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.

Have you ever heard that there are 8,000 nerve endings in the clitoris, or that the clitoris has twice as many nerve endings as the penis? These statements appear as facts in countless social media posts, news articles, and books. There’s just one problem with them, though—they’re wrong. It turns out that so many of the things we think we know about sex and that we hear repeated over and over just aren’t true. That’s why this episode of the podcast is all about what we don’t know about sex. To help us set the record straight, I spoke with Dr. Lisa Dawn Hamilton. She is an associate professor of Psychology at Mount Allison University in Sackville, where she teaches about sex, gender, and neuroscience. Lisa Dawn also has a fantastic podcast called Do We Know Things? that corrects common misconceptions about sex. Some of the topics we explore in this episode include: What is the G-spot, really? Do we actually know what the average penis size is? Can men have multiple orgasms, too? Does peeing after sex really reduce your risk of getting urinary tract infections? What is the real purpose of pubic hair, and how is public hair removal related to STD risk? How do hormones like testosterone and oxytocin really affect us? How do the brains of monogamous and non-monogamous men differ? What’s the connection between sexual arousal and disgust? Why does disgust sometimes become a sexual turn-on? To learn more about Lisa Dawn and her work, visit doweknowthings.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 *** 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.  

Do people from different cultures have different sexual fantasies? Or are there common threads that run through our fantasy worlds? As someone who studies fantasies, these are questions that have long interested me—and now I have some answers! During my recent study abroad course on sex and culture in Amsterdam, I met the author of the largest study of erotic fantasies in the Netherlands. He traveled to festivals with a caravan and interviewed hundreds of people about their sexual turn-ons. Needless to say, I had to do a podcast with him! My guest today is Lucas De Man, an artist, TV host, and CEO of the company New Heroes. In collaboration with psychologist Mariëlle de Goede, he published a book titled Yes, Please! about his work on Dutch sex fantasies, which they are currently expanding to include a worldwide audience. Some of the topics we explore in this episode include: How do you get people to open up about their sexual fantasies during an interview? And how can you be sure they’re being honest? What do our sexual fantasies tell us about ourselves? How are sexual fantasies similar around the world? How are they different? Why do Americans seem to be more into cuckolding than Europeans? Where do our sexual fantasies come from? What happens when celebrities share their sexual fantasies in front of a live audience? How do you get them to open up, and how does the audience typically respond? Learn more about Lucas here. 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.

When did college “hookup culture” actually begin? Who is it helping, and who is it hurting? And what can people today do to navigate hookup culture and casual sex in healthy ways? For the answers to these questions, I spoke with Dr. Lisa Wade, an associate professor of sociology and gender and sexuality studies at Tulane University. She is also the author of the book, American Hookup: The New Culture of Sex on Campus. Some of the topics we explore in this episode include: What does the term “hookup culture” actually mean? When did college hookup culture first begin? Who is hookup culture helping? Who is it hurting? What does hookup culture look like for the LGBTQ+ community? How can young adults more successfully navigate hookup culture? How do you have good and healthy casual sex? How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed hookup culture? To learn more about Lisa and her work, visit her website at lisa-wade.com and check out her book, American Hookup. 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.

Why do humans have sex? To many, the answer to this question might seem obvious—but the truth is that our reasons for sex are many and varied, and some of the reasons people cite might very well surprise you! For this episode of the podcast, I spoke with Dr. Cindy Meston, a Professor of Clinical Psychology and Director of the Female Sexual Psychophysiology Laboratory at the University of Texas at Austin. She has studied humans’ motivations for sex extensively and is the author of the book Why Women Have Sex: Understanding Motivations from Adventure to Revenge (and Everything in Between). Some of the topics we explore in this episode include: What are the most common reasons humans have sex? What are the least common reasons? How do reasons for sex differ across men and women? Do our reasons for sex change as we age? Why is it that genital arousal and psychological arousal don’t always line up? And what does this mean? What effect does Viagra have in women? Are there any women for whom it can offer therapeutic benefits? How does sexual arousal change sexual decision-making? How do you build and maintain a career studying sex when there’s very little research funding for it? To learn more about Cindy and her work, visit her website at mestonlab.com and check out her book, Why Women Have Sex! 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.

Divorce sucks. It can suck away your time and energy, your money, and, in some cases, even your will to live. So is there anything you can do to “divorce-proof” your relationship and avoid this kind of pain? And if you’re going through a divorce, how do you put the pieces back together and move forward in a healthy way? For the answers, I spoke with Dr. Patrick Markey, a Professor of Psychology and Brain Sciences at Villanova University. He is co-author of the new book F*ck Divorce: A Science Based Guide to Piecing Yourself Back Together After Your Life Implodes. We talked all about Patrick’s new book and dug into some of his fascinating research on human sexuality. Some of the topics we explore in this episode include: How do you cope with the stress of divorce and breakup? What should (and shouldn’t) you do? How do you most effectively support a friend or family member who is going through a divorce? When should you stay on good terms with an ex vs. cut them out of your life completely? How do you navigate divorce where there are kids in the picture? When is the right time to get back on the dating scene, and how do you start over in a healthy way? What can you do to reduce the risk of future divorce? How does our interest in sex change throughout the year? Why is sexual desire seasonal? How do our sexual interests change following political elections? (This is fascinating!) To learn more about Patrick and his work, follow him on Twitter @patmarkey and check out his new book co-authored with Dr. Erica Slotter, F*ck Divorce. *** 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.

Everyone’s brain is a little different when it comes to sex—and understanding how your sexual brain works is one of the keys to unlocking more pleasure and improving your sex life. That’s why this episode is all about the brain mechanisms that underlie sexual response, and it’s going to change the way that you think about sex. I interviewed Emily Nagoski, the New York Times bestselling author of the books Come As You Are and The Come As You Are Workbook. She is also co-author of Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle. She combines sex education and stress education in her work to teach women to live with confidence and joy inside their bodies. Some of the topics we explore in this episode include: What is the Dual Control Model of Sexual Response and why is it crucial to understanding our own sexuality? Why do many people (but especially women) sometimes experience a disconnect between genital arousal and psychological arousal? What’s the difference between spontaneous desire and responsive desire? What can people do to boost sexual desire? And is there any role for medication in this? How can you better manage stress so that it doesn’t kill desire? What are some practical ways to improve your body image? And how can changing the way you see yourself give your sex life a boost? To learn more about Emily and her work, visit her website at emilynagoski.com and check out her books Come As You Are, The Come As You Are Workbook, and Burnout. *** 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.

Testosterone is one of the most misunderstood and maligned hormones in the human body. It gets blamed for toxic masculinity, sexual assault, aggression, and more. That’s why this episode of the Sex and Psychology podcast covers what you really need to know about testosterone and how it affects us. I spoke with Dr. Carole Hooven, who is a lecturer and codirector of undergraduate studies in the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. She earned her PhD at Harvard, studying sex differences and testosterone, and has taught there ever since. Dr. Hooven is the author of the fascinating new book T: The Story of Testosterone, the Hormone that Dominates and Divides Us. Some of the topics we explore in this episode include: To what extent are sex differences a product of hormones and biology vs. socialization? How does testosterone affect sexual behavior in men and women? What can transgender persons taking hormone therapy teach us about how testosterone affects all of us? What is the link between testosterone and sexual orientation? Does abstaining from masturbation really increase testosterone in men? How can a more scientifically informed understanding of testosterone benefit all of us? To learn more about Carole and her work, follow her on Twitter @hoovlet and check out her latest book T: The Story of Testosterone, the Hormone that Dominates and Divides Us. *** 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.

It’s time to reimagine sex education and start giving people the sex ed they need—and deserve. So what should that look like? That’s the subject of my latest podcast with special guest Dr. Kristen Mark. We talk all about the sex ed that does and doesn’t work and explore tips on cultivating happier and healthier sex lives and relationships, including how to keep the spark alive and how to work through sexual trauma. Dr. Mark is the Joycelyn Elders Endowed Chair and Professor in Sexual Health Education at the Institute for Sexual and Gender Health at the University of Minnesota Medical School. She is also a sex and relationship researcher and therapist, and an AASECT certified sex educator. Some of the topics we explore in this episode include: What does sex education look like around the world? Which models work, and which ones don’t? Beyond reducing STIs and unwanted pregnancies, how can better sex education make society healthier overall? Why should pleasure be a central focus of sex ed? How can people in long-term relationships keep the spark alive? What should you do if you and your partner want different amounts of sex? How do you bridge that divide? How can bisexual people cultivate healthy relationships in the face of bisexual stigma? How do you cultivate a satisfying sex life if you have a history of sexual trauma? To learn more about Kristen and her work, visit her website at kristenmark.com and follow her on Twitter @Kristen_Mark *** 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.