According to the science, it really is better to give than receive. Donating a dollar; sharing a kind word or lending someone a hand changes lives, but can also hugely boost your happiness. So we're teaming up with other podcasts from Hidden Brain to Revisionist History to ask you to give to a charity helping some of the poorest people around. We're calling it #PodsFightPoverty.     

Go to givedirectly.org/happinesslab right now and give whatever you can. And the first $500,000 we donate will be matched thanks to our friends at Giving Multiplier!

Even a small donation will make you feel good and have a much larger impact on the world than you thought possible. To help inspire you, this special episode examines the science of giving and shares stories of heartwarming and impactful acts of kindness.   

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Can cannabis really improve your sleep, help regulate your mood, and treat chronic pain? Neuroscientist Dr. Staci Gruber explains how cannabis works in the brain, what the latest research reveals about its therapeutic potential, and how different cannabinoids and delivery methods can make all the difference.

Links to resources mentioned in this episode: Women’s Health Initiative at Mind (WHIM)

Check out Sex Ed with DB on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

Note: In this show, we use “women” as shorthand for people with XX chromosomes. We understand sex and gender are more complex, and acknowledge the experiences we describe reach beyond that word.

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For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Dr. Susan Domchek joins the show to talk about the importance of knowing your genetic history, using genetic testing to understand cancer risk, and what you can do if you learn that you have BRCA gene mutation.

Links to resources mentioned in this episode:

Basser Center for BRCA

National Society of Genetic Counselors

National Comprehensive Cancer Network

Note: In this show, we use “women” as shorthand for people with XX chromosomes. We understand sex and gender are more complex, and acknowledge the experiences we describe reach beyond that word.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here’s a preview of a new Pushkin podcast, Decoding Women’s Health. On Decoding Women’s Health, Dr. Elizabeth Poynor makes the science of women’s health accessible—from hormones to metabolism to longevity—so you can thrive at any stage of life. A world-renowned gynecologic oncologist and advanced pelvic surgeon, Dr. Poynor speaks with leading physicians, researchers, and educators to share the latest science on women’s wellness, disease prevention, and what it really means to age on your own terms. Each episode explores a different aspect of how to improve your health during midlife—from heart disease and genetic risks to cognitive health and beyond. Because mid-life isn’t a crisis—it’s an opportunity.In this episode, Dr. Poynor is joined by neuropsychologist Dr. Caroline Gurvich to unpack what’s really happening in the brain during perimenopause and menopause. They explore why more than 60% of women experience cognitive shifts, how estrogen impacts memory and focus, and the roles hormone therapy, lifestyle choices, and even cognitive training can play in keeping your brain sharp.

Find Decoding Women's Health wherever you get podcasts.

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A listener in his eighties wants to know if there’s an expiration date on his sex life, and how to reconnect in the bedroom with his wife. Luckily, Emily is writing a new book about sex in long-term relationships. She delves deep into what the research reveals about couples who sustain a strong sexual connection over many years. Plus, she shares practical, science-backed sex advice on aging and navigating your changing body.

If you have a question for Emily, call the Come As You Are hotline at (646) 397-8557‬ or send a voice memo to [email protected]. Tell us your pronouns and pseudonym (pick a name, any name!) Your question might be answered on the show.

Books mentioned by Emily: 

“Magnificent Sex” by Dr. Peggy Kleinplatz 

“Black Girls Guide to Surviving Menopause” by Omisade Burney-Scott

“What Fresh Hell Is This?” by Heather Corinna

“Why Good Sex Matters” by Nan Wise

”Couples Sexuality After 60” by Barry and Emily M

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This week, Emily answers a question from her producer, Mo, about consent. Mo and her girlfriend are considering a new sexual experience but they’re not both an “enthusiastic yes” on the idea. Mo’s girlfriend joins the conversation, and they delve into the idea of “enthusiastic maybe” in consent and how to handle all the comfortable, joyful, and consensual “maybes” that can come up in sex. A heads up before listening: in this conversation, we touch on difficult topics such as coercion and manipulation in sex. If this episode brings up some feelings for you, check out our resources below.

If you have a question for Emily, call the Come As You Are hotline at (646) 397-8557‬ or send a voice memo to [email protected]. Tell us your pronouns and pseudonym (pick a name, any name!) Your question might be answered on the show. 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: 

“ACE: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire Society” by Angela Chen 

Emily learned the language of “willing consent” from Suzanne Iasenza

For more on “human givers” and “human winners” read “Burnout” 

Emily’s Tiktok 

Emily’s definition of consent: “Everyone is glad to be there and free to leave with no unwanted consequences. Plus, there is no unwanted pain.”

CONSENT AND SURVIVOR RESOURCES: 

RAINN on consent and information for sexual assault survivors 

National Sexual Violence Resource Center

Me Too Movement Resource Library 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We switch things up this week as Mo challenges Emily to watch and rate a sex scene from the popular TV show “Ted Lasso." Emily rarely watches sex scenes since they often create the myths she works so hard to dispel, but she agrees to endure this torture for the good of our sex education. The scene prompts a deep conversation about vulnerability in sex, the absolute prison of masculinity, and what the dual control model can teach us about our porn habits.

If you have a question for Emily, call the Come As You Are hotline at (646) 397-8557‬ or send a voice memo to [email protected]. Tell us your pronouns and pseudonym (pick a name, any name!) Your question might be answered on the show.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Emily answers calls from listeners who are struggling with their orgasms, and debunks several myths about where orgasm happens in the body. She also explains how we can train our brains to change our experience of orgasm with some practice… and a little dismantling of the patriarchy.

If you have a question for Emily, call the Come As You Are hotline at (646) 397-8557‬ or send a voice memo to [email protected]. Tell us your pronouns and pseudonym (pick a name, any name!) Your question might be answered on the show.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For some people, sexual desire shows up totally spontaneously and out of the blue. But that’s not the case for this week’s listener, who wants to have sex with their girlfriend, but isn't feeling the same excitement as they did at beginning of the relationship. Emily introduces the science of responsive desire, which is not only totally normal and healthy, but also a more common way of experiencing desire.

You can take Petra Zebroff's Questionnaire for Turn-on Initiation Preferences here.

 If you have a question for Emily, call the Come As You Are hotline at (646) 397-8557‬ or send a voice memo to [email protected]. Tell us your pronouns and pseudonym (pick a name, any name!) Your question might be answered on the show. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A man is embarrassed about his curved penis, and his partner doesn’t know what to say to him because she’s not sure if the curviness is normal. Emily serves up some real talk about sexual anatomy and explains that we all have the same basic genital parts, regardless of the sex we were assigned at birth. Plus, Emily and her producer, Mo, discuss how to combat poisonous cultural messages about what kinds of bodies are "normal."

If you have a question for Emily, call the Come As You Are hotline at (646) 397-8557‬ or send a voice memo to [email protected]. Tell us your pronouns and pseudonym (pick a name, any name!) Your question might be answered on the show.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this prelude episode, educator and author Dr. Emily Nagoski argues that pleasure is the bedrock of sexual wellbeing. Emily is joined by writer and organizer adrienne maree brown, who offers advice on how to reconnect with pleasure and make it a lifelong practice.

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