One of the many benefits of living in the internet era is that sex and intimacy do not have to be something you learn exclusively about through porn or personal experience. There are plenty of podcasts breaking the mould and talking about real-life sex issues. From hearing Black, queer femmes talk about navigating the world of sex to unfiltered stories about threesomes and swingers; here are six of our favourites. Check out the content warnings before you dive in, and prepare for a sex education unlike any other.
Where Should We Begin? With Esther Perel.
Revolutionary psychotherapist Esther Perel is an authority on all things sex and relationships. Each episode of Where Should We Begin is a recording of a therapy session between Perel and a real couple as they reveal the most intimate, personal, and complicated details of the conflicts in their relationship. In the latest season, Perel counsels one couple wrestling with the guilt over infidelity, another trying to make space for their queerness in an outwardly appearing hetero relationship, and a trans woman facing barriers to parenthood.
Perel works to resolve conflict and devises novel ways for her clients to reinvigorate their sex lives. Her no holds barred interview style is geared towards enlightening her clients as much as possible, but equally benefits and entertains the listener. The episodes are well edited and interspersed with additional information from Perel. This is a podcast that will stay with you long after you take out your headphones.
Bad Behaviour
Though not exclusively about sex and intimacy, Bad Behavior is an award-winning podcast that delves into all things taboo; if it’s an uncomfortable conversation, its hosts Rosalind Anketell & Nikila Cranage want to have it. Queer friends, and self-confessed rebellious spirits, their goal is to challenge the way their listeners approach identity.
In recent episodes, the hosts discuss ‘compulsory heterosexuality’, interview queer sex worker Tilly Lawless about love, obsession and community, chat with activist Kaz Lucas about decolonising sexuality, and interrogate whether ethical porn exists. Give it a listen if you’re drawn to conversations that are a little bit bad, in the best way possible.
Ladies, We Need To Talk
Australian television and radio presenter Yumi Stynes tears open the sealed section of life in this ABC podcast about sex and sexuality. Ladies, We Need To Talk dives headfirst into topics we are traditionally reticent to talk about, including the struggles of monogamy, the ins and outs of the vagina, and the pain of being widowed. Stynes expertly handles tricky topics with sensitivity, personal stories, serious smarts and wit.
Now in season six, the latest episodes of the podcast canvas asexuality, swinging, and coming out as a lesbian later in life. At less than 30 minutes long, Ladies, We Need To Talk offers pithy, refreshing insights in a highly digestible format.
Inner Hoe Uprising
Inner Hoe Uprising is a podcast dedicated to sex, love and dating in the US, hosted by a rotating group of four black, queer twenty-somethings living in New York. They talk about plenty of sex, but also how the Black experience varies from person to person. One guest, for example, talked about moving to Tucson, Arizona, and the difficulties he faced in his personal life due to living in a predominantly white city.
This podcast is as smart as it is funny. Packed with recurring segments such as Fuck It (the topic of the day), Fuck Is This (discussion of pop culture ridiculousness), Fuck Me (what’s going on in the hosts’ lives), and Fuck That (a current affairs segment that shines a light on issues pertaining to sex, love, gender and race), there is something for everyone in every episode. Recent instalments approach intersectional feminism, dating with bipolar disorder, paternalistic gynecologists, and the importance of pronouns and caring for our non-binary family. The podcast is now in its sixth season so there’s plenty of content, but we suspect you’ll be trawling through the back catalogue in no time.
Sex and Psychology
For the sex ed you never got in school and won’t find anywhere else, turn to Sex and Psychology. Hosted by Kinsey Institute Research Fellow, Dr Justin Lehmiller, this podcast aims to help you understand the most important sex organ in the entire body: your brain. Every episode delves into the psychology of sex and relationships, drawing upon expert interviews and Dr Lehmiller’s extensive body of research. Along the way, he offers valuable insights and practical tips to help you take your intimate life to the next level.
The latest episodes of Sex and Psychology examine uncommon sexual fantasies, the weird history and science of masturbation, and navigating sex during pregnancy and parenthood. If you are looking for empirically backed techniques to expand your definition of sex, learn how to communicate what you want, and build up your sexual self-confidence for the best sex ever, this might be the one for you.
Boners Of The Heart
In the much loved but sadly discontinued podcast, Boners Of The Heart, well known comedians Rose Matafeo and Alice Snedden discuss each other’s unlikely celebrity crushes (including Rick Moranis and Danny DeVito) and all the different personal experiences that made them who they are along the way. As the title would suggest, sex and intimacy crop up in every episode, although they are not the podcast’s sole focus. Matafeo’s globe-trotting, TV-starring comedy chops and Snedden’s sharp, educated wit combine to form a light, fun podcast that feels just like chatting with your mates at the pub.
