Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussions of child sex trafficking. Listener discretion is advised.

Lydia Cacho is a world-renowned investigative journalist, author, and human rights activist who has dedicated her life to exposing the dark realities of human trafficking, child exploitation, and the intersections of pornography and organized crime. In this episode of Consider Before Consuming, Lydia shares her decades-long fight against corruption, the dangers she has faced, and the resilience that keeps her pushing forward.

Episode Resources 

Article: By the Numbers: Is the Porn Industry Connected to Sex Trafficking?

Lydia's Instagram: @Lydiacacho

Lydia's Books

*Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions of trafficking. Listener discretion is advised.

Megan Lundstrom has spent over a decade in this field of anti-trafficking, first as the founder of The Avery Center and now as the Director of the Resilience Fund at Polaris, a direct cash assistance program for trafficking survivors in the United States.

In this episode, Megan shares her expertise on OnlyFans, examining its portrayal as empowering versus its exploitation risks. Megan reveals how traffickers use the platform and challenges the platform’s minimal standards for consent and safety.

Episode Resources

Article: How Porn Can Distort Consumers Understanding of Healthy Sex

Podcast: Consider Before Consuming Ep. 81: Megan Lundstrom

Podcast: Consider Before Consuming Ep. 115: Victoria Sinis

Polaris Resilience Fund

Report: An In-Depth Financial Analysis of Sex Trafficking on OnlyFans 

Dr. Meagan Tyler is a Senior Lecturer in the Research Education and Development team at Australia’s La Trobe University. With nearly 20 years of experience researching the intersections of pornography, gender inequality, and violence against women, she shares her expert insights.

In this episode, she helps us understand how the normalization of pornography has been fueled by cultural shifts, technological advancements, and strategic marketing. Listeners will learn about the ways pornography influences intimate partner violence, its role in shaping unhealthy sexual norms, and how feminist ideals are co-opted to mask exploitation.

Episode Resources 

Article: Does Porn Normalize Sexual Violence in Teen Relationships?

Podcast: Consider Before Consuming Ep. 25: Carolyn West

Podcast: Consider Before Consuming Ep. 90: Taina Bien-Aimé

Coalition Against Trafficking in Women Australia

Meagan Tyler's Research Outputs

Sathiya Sam is a recovery coach, speaker, and author who has dedicated his life to helping others overcome pornography addiction and achieve true freedom. After battling his own 15-year struggle with addiction, Sathiya founded Deep Clean, a program designed to address the root causes of compulsive behaviors. In this episode, we explore transformative concepts like healing past wounds and redefining identity.

Episode Resources

Podcast: Consider Before Consuming Ep. 29: Sathiya Sam

Sathiya's Website

Sathiya's Book: Free for CBC Podcast Listeners!

Conversation Blueprint: Let's Talk About Porn

Group-Based Recovery: Relay

Documentary: Brain, Heart, World

Episode Description

Dr. Frank Anderson is a renowned trauma expert, psychiatrist, and author with over 30 years of experience. In this episode, Dr. Anderson explores how trauma shapes behaviors and relationships, offering practical tools for healing and fostering genuine connections, while providing hope for those on their recovery journey.

Episode Resources 

Podcast: Consider Before Consuming Ep. 101: Matthias J. Barker

Dr. Anderson's Website

Dr. Anderson's Newest Book: To Be Loved

Trauma Institute

Instagram: Dr. Frank Anderson

In this episode of Consider Before Consuming, we host a panel featuring four individuals deeply involved in the fight against pornography addiction. Chandler, Co-founder and CEO of Relay, shares his personal journey of overcoming pornography and how his experience led to creating a digital platform for recovery. Chris, a licensed professional counselor and certified sex addiction therapist, offers expert insights on the psychological effects of pornography and addiction recovery. Matthew and Dayne, both in recovery from long-term porn addiction, open up about their personal experiences, challenges, and victories in their healing journeys. Together, the panel discusses the power of connection in recovery, the importance of vulnerability, and how community plays a crucial role in breaking free from addiction.

Episode Resources

Article: How Porn Can Change the Brain

Article: Why the Opposite of Porn Addiction Isn’t Only Sobriety—It’s Real Human Connection

Podcast: Consider Before Consuming Ep. 93: Chandler

Join Relay

Book: The Body Keeps the Score

Melanie Thompson is a survivor of sex trafficking and prostitution, as well as a dedicated speaker and activist in the global fight against commercial sexual exploitation. Trafficked at just 12 years old, Melanie was later arrested and placed in foster care, where she began her advocacy journey at 14. She now serves as the Outreach & Advocacy Coordinator at the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women International.

In this episode, we delve into Melanie's powerful story and explore the complexities of trafficking, the misconceptions surrounding platforms like OnlyFans, how pornography promotes violence and harmful stereotypes, and the urgent need for awareness and systemic change.

Episode Resources

Article: How Mainstream Porn Normalizes Violence Against Black Women

Article: How Porn Can Misrepresent and Fetishize LGBTQ+ Individuals and Relationships

Podcast: Consider Before Consuming Ep. 90: Taina Bien-Aimé

Melanie's Podcast: Exit Wound

The Coalition Against Trafficking in Women

Rebecca Bender Initiative

Breanna and Brandon Vales are Directors and Founders of Red Light Rebellion, which exists to educate young people about the dangers of child sex trafficking.

In this episode, they cover how their experiences influence their work and how they aim to empower youth to recognize the red flags of grooming and exploitation. They also share about Brandon's recovery journey from porn addiction, the impact of pornography on relationships, and how unresolved childhood trauma often leads to addiction. 

Episode Resources

Article: How You Can Spot, Report, and Prevent Human Trafficking

Red Light Rebellion

Red Flag Cards: Text REDFLAGS to 602-922-1040

*Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions of sexual violence. Listener discretion is advised.

Episode Description

Shelby’s early exposure to pornography impacted her understanding of sex, leading to misconceptions about consent and contributing to feelings of hypersexuality during her teenage years. In this episode, she shares about a past relationship where her partner's use of pornography had a detrimental effect on her emotionally and physically, and how sharing her experience over the past year has helped in healing and finding connection.

Episode Resources 

Article: Does Porn Normalize Sexual Violence in Teen Relationships?

Article: National Study Finds Porn Linked to Sexual Aggression and Coercion in Relationships

Article: 5 Ways Porn Has Lied to You About Consent

Article: Is My Partner’s Porn Habit Harming Our Relationship, or Am I Just Insecure?

Podcast: Consider Before Consuming Ep. 111: Bailey

Victim Resources

Resource for Partners of Porn Users: Bloom

Justin Euteneier is the Program Director at Epik Project, an organization that works to disrupt the demand for commercial sexual exploitation.

In this Consider Before Consuming podcast episode, Justin shares the efforts the Epik project is using, including engaging with sex buyers to talk about the choices they're making, collaborating with law enforcement, educational initiatives for youth, and efforts to engage men in the fight against trafficking. 

Episode Resources

FTND Resource: Porn and Sex Trafficking

Podcast: Consider Before Consuming Ep. 96: Valiant Richey

Epik Project

Trigger Warning

*The following episode contains descriptions of disturbing porn themes, discussions of child sexual abuse and sex trafficking. Listener discretion is advised

Laila Mickelwait is an anti-trafficking activist, Founder and CEO of the Justice Defense Fund, Founder of the Traffickinghub movement, and author of "Take Down: Inside the Fight to Shut Down PornHub for Child Abuse, Rape, and Sex Trafficking,”

In this Consider Before Consuming podcast episode, Laila continues to share about her efforts to expose and combat illegal content on Pornhub, including the fight to hold credit card companies accountable.

Fight the New Drug is a non-religious and non-legislative awareness and education organization. Some of the issues discussed in this episode may be legislatively-affiliated. Though our organization is non-legislative, we fully support the fights against already illegal forms of pornography and sexual exploitation and against sex trafficking.

Episode Resources 

Laila's Book: Takedown

Traffickinghub Petition

Justice Defense Fund

Laila's Article: Why Are Visa And Mastercard Still Doing Business with Pornhub?

FTND Resource: Porn and Sex Trafficking

Podcast: Consider Before Consuming, Ep. 35: Nikolas Kristof

Article: What's Going on with Pornhub?

Nikolas Kristof's Article: The Children of Pornhub

Sheelah Kolhatkar's Article: The Fight to Hold Pornhub Accountable