In Part 2 of our menstrual products series, Cin and Brooklyn go beyond the products themselves and explore the history and sociology of menstruation management.

We start with a global look at how people managed periods before modern products existed. From moss and buffalo hide pads to papyrus tampons in Ancient Egypt and rag belts in the Middle Ages, menstrual care has evolved dramatically over time.

Then we dive into how advertising shaped public perception of periods. From early 1900s sanitary napkin ads and Disney’s educational film The Story of Menstruation, to blue liquid in tampon commercials, the toxic shock scandal of the 1980s, and modern campaigns that finally show real period blood.

We also talk about:

• How World War I helped inspire disposable pads
• The invention of the modern tampon and Tampax
• Why discretion dominated mid-century advertising
• The controversy around period ads on television
• How modern campaigns are challenging stigma and expanding representation

And of course, we end class with a quiz, including the lifetime cost of having a period.

Make sure to follow A Broad Sex Education so you don’t miss the next lesson.

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📚Resources:

Menstruation History

• Museum of Menstruation and Women’s Health - http://www.mum.org/
• National Geographic. The History of Periods and Menstruation - https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/periods-menstruation-women-history-ancient-egypt
• Modibodi. History of Menstruation - https://www.modibodi.com/blogs/womens/history-menstruation
• Pom Store. History of Period Products in Ancient Times - https://mypomstore.com/blogs/in-sync/history-of-period-products-ancient-times
• PubMed Research Article on Menstrual History -https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26703478/

Menstrual Product Advertising & Media

• The Drum. The Evolution of Period Advertising - https://www.thedrum.com/news/gory-glory-the-evolution-period-advertising
• The Conversation. How Period Product Ads Have Changed- https://theconversation.com/adventures-in-menstruation-how-period-product-ads-have-changed-to-reflect-a-more-realistic-experience-for-women-91417
• Bustle. Why Period Commercials Use Blue Liquid - https://www.bustle.com/p/why-do-period-product-commercials-use-blue-liquid-the-practice-has-a-long-bizarre-history-2957963

Modern Campaigns & Advertising Controversies

• Refinery29. Thinx Subway Ad Controversy - https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2015/10/96159/thinx-subway-ads-controversy
• Slate. Thinx Ads and NYC Subway Debate - https://slate.com/human-interest/2015/10/ads-for-thinx-period-underwear-might-be-too-lewd-for-the-nyc-subway.html
• SELF Magazine. Trans Representation in Period Product Campaigns - https://www.self.com/story/tampon-company-included-a-trans-man-in-their-campaign-to-end-period-shame

Toxic Shock Syndrome Case

• New York Times. Procter & Gamble Toxic Shock Lawsuit - https://www.nytimes.com/1982/08/25/us/procter-gamble-settles-a-toxic-shock-suit.html

Educational Media Referenced

• Disney Educational Film: The Story of Menstruation -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koYcUw4Ddkg

In this lesson, Cin and Brooklyn break down Menstrual Products 101 and how to actually manage menstruation in real life.

We cover the basics of pads, tampons, menstrual cups, menstrual discs, and period underwear, including what they are made of, how to use them safely, how long you can wear them, and the pros and cons of each. We also talk toxic shock syndrome, the 2024 tampon metals study, and what people do not tell you when you are twelve and suddenly bleeding in your underwear.

Then we zoom out and look at the environmental impact of period products, including how much waste the average menstruating person generates over a lifetime.

Part two is coming next, where we get into the history of menstruation management and how period advertising shows what society thinks about periods over time.

*This episode is intended for educational purposes and does not replace medical advice. If you have specific health concerns, talk to your doctor. Any product links mentioned are for reference only. We are not affiliated unless clearly stated.

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📚Resources:

General Overview of Menstrual Products

HealthPartners. “Feminine Products: Pros and Cons.”

Products Mentioned in This Episode*

Beppy Cup

Ayora Cup & Applicator

Pixie Disc, Cup, & Applicator

Toxic Shock Syndrome & Metals in Tampons

Metals in Tampons Study (2024), Science of the Total Environment

PBS NewsHour. “Period products can contain hazardous ingredients…”

Environmental Impact of Menstrual Products

Environmental and Waste Impact Research (PMC)

Natracare. “How Much Plastic Is in Period Pads?”

Lifetime Usage Estimates

PBS NewsHour. Average Lifetime Tampon Use

In part two of Chill… It’s Just Blood, we zoom out from biology and look at the bigger picture.

If half the population menstruates, how did something so common become so stigmatized?

We explore how ancient myths, religious beliefs, and limited biological understanding shaped the way menstruation was viewed across cultures. From sacred power to ritual impurity, we unpack how those historical narratives still influence social norms today.

Then we bring it into the present.

We talk about period poverty, global gaps in menstrual education and sanitation, what the World Health Organization reports about schools worldwide, and why menstrual products are still taxed in some U.S. states. We also look at menstrual leave policies and free product initiatives in places like Spain and Scotland, and what happens when supportive policies meet workplace stigma.

We close with a true or false pop quiz and practical tips for supporting yourself or your partner during menstruation.

Because menstruation is biological. But stigma, access, and policy are social.

If we’re going to destigmatize periods, we have to understand the systems around them.

📚Resources

• Alliance for Period Supplies
• UN Women
• World Health Organization
• Smithsonian Magazine
• Lévi-Strauss, The Origin of Table Manners
• Sturm, Blood Politics: Race, Culture, and Identity in the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma
• Faure, The Power of Denial: Buddhism, Purity, and Gender
• Leviticus 15:19–30
• Tadros, Reconstructing the Origins of the Coptic Church through its Liturgy
• Ellis, Man and Woman
• Dharmacari Jnanavira, A Mirror for Women?
• Shahi, Period & Emotion

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In this lesson, we break down the menstrual cycle in clear, simple biology. We walk through what the cycle is, why bleeding happens, how hormones shift across each phase, and what cramps actually are. We also talk about what period blood is made of, what different blood colors can mean, and why symptoms like fatigue, mood changes, and cravings show up for so many people.

Then we head into our Biology Lab and test a period cramp simulator on Asa. We compare what the simulator feels like at different levels, talk honestly about how disruptive cramps can be in daily life, and reflect on why menstrual pain is so often minimized. If you have ever felt confused, dismissed, or embarrassed about periods, we are here to make it make sense and make it easier to talk about.

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Part two continues the lesson with the cultural side of menstruation, plus a true or false quiz that brings it all together.

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In Part 2 of this A Broad Sex Education special, we shift from systems to people.

This episode focuses on communication, vulnerability, and community building as real alternatives to the isolation and anger many men are taught to live with. Through an open conversation, we reflect on how masculinity is learned, how emotional expression is discouraged, and what happens when men are never given space to be fully human.

We talk about:

• How masculinity is absorbed through media, family, and early socialization
• Emotional expression and why it is often punished in boys and men
• The negative consequences of rigid masculinity on men and their relationships
• How loneliness and lack of role models leave men vulnerable to harmful communities
• What healthy community building actually looks like in practice
• Why connection, not dominance, is the skill most men are missing

This episode is about compassion without excusing harm, accountability without shame, and choosing reflection over blame.

Content note: This episode includes discussions of masculinity, loneliness, online radicalization, suicide, homophobia, and violence against women. Please listen with care.

This is Part 2, released consecutively following Part 1 as part of our updated release schedule.

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What does it actually mean to be a man, and who taught us that?

In Part 1 of this A Broad Sex Education lesson, we explore the social, economic, and psychological systems that shape modern masculinity. From rigid gender scripts and emotional suppression to the rise of the manosphere and online radicalization, this episode examines how many men are taught to navigate the world and how those lessons can quietly work against them.

Together, we discuss:

• The social rules boys are taught about strength, emotion, and worth
• How masculinity is enforced through shame, dominance, and isolation
• The pressure to be a provider in an increasingly difficult economy
• How loneliness and emotional compression make men vulnerable online
• The rise of incel culture and red pill ideology
• How male pain is monetized and turned into content

This conversation is rooted in compassion without excusing harm. Our goal is to understand the systems that produce male disconnection and why so many men are searching for belonging in the wrong places.

⚠️ Content note: This episode discusses masculinity, loneliness, online radicalization, misogyny, suicide, and violence against women. Please listen with care.

📚 Part 2 will be released next week (not two weeks) as part of our new release schedule. Any episode released in parts will now be consecutive.

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🖥️ Explore the full curriculum

Welcome back to the second semester of A Broad Sex Education 🎓

We’re kicking things off with a foundational lesson on libido, desire, and sexual attraction, three words we use interchangeably even though they mean very different things.

In this lesson, we’re breaking down:

• What libido actually is and what it is not
• Why desire does not always show up spontaneously
• How bodies, stress, sleep, and mental health influence wanting sex
• How social rules and double standards shape how desire gets judged

We look at desire through four lenses: language, psychology, health, and sociology to unpack why so many people feel confused, broken, or “behind” when it comes to wanting sex.

Spoiler: it is not your body. It is the stories we were taught.

By the end of this lesson, you will have clearer language, less shame, and a better understanding of how desire actually works, plus a quick pop quiz to tie it all together.

Class is back in session.

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Sources & Further Reading

• Come As You Are — Emily Nagoski, PhD
• Contemporary sexual response research (Basson model)
• APA & Cleveland Clinic resources on stress, hormones, and libido
• Dutton & Aron (1974) on misattribution of arousal
• Sexual Script Theory (Gagnon & Simon)

In this holiday special episode of A Broad Sex Ed, we’re unwrapping the naughty and nice realities of sugar dating through a realistic, non-glamorized lens. Together, we explore what sugar dating actually is (and isn’t), how different arrangements are structured, and what these dynamics can teach us about boundaries, autonomy, and power.

In this episode, we cover:

• What we mean when we talk about sugar dating and sugar relationships
• How different sugar arrangements are commonly structured
• Why clarity, consent, and autonomy matter in transactional dynamics
• Personal reflections from an ex–sugar baby, shared without identifying details
• Harm-reduction considerations and safety awareness
• A festive holiday pop quiz on mistletoe myths, global kissing traditions, and iconic holiday songs

🎄 Whether we’re curious, cautious, or just here for the holiday vibes, class is in session.

📊 Want to follow along with this lesson? View the full presentation here.

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Welcome to Part 2 of Behind Closed Doors, where we pick up right where we left off and step into some of the most defining political scandals of the modern era. In this lesson, we explore how public controversies have shaped American politics, shaken institutions, influenced voter behavior, and rewritten the way we talk about power, accountability, and credibility.

This episode covers:

• ⟡ Clinton & Lewinsky — Power, politics, betrayal, and the investigation that reshaped the presidency
• Christine Blasey Ford & Brett Kavanaugh — Credibility politics, public testimony, and a Senate that repeated its own history
• Why Scandals Influence Elections — How emotion, bias, and media narratives shape voter perception more than policy ever does
• “Who Said It?” Pop Quiz — Match the quote to the scandal and test what you learned from both lessons

We also include a note on the Current Events section: we skipped the Epstein/Trump files in this lesson because the topic deserves its own full episode in the future.

This lesson builds on the themes from Part 1 — power, consent, accountability, gender dynamics, and how public controversy rewrites political history — and brings them into the contemporary landscape.

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In Lesson 008: Part 1, we open the door to some of America’s most inappropriate and influential political scandals… and reveal how they shaped history far more than the textbooks ever admitted.

From Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings to the Reynolds Pamphlet, from Grover Cleveland’s cover-up to Gary Hart’s “follow me around” challenge, and finally the groundbreaking testimony of Anita Hill, this episode examines the intersections of sex, power, consent, race, media, and political fallout.

We examine how these scandals influenced politics and how our institutions protected powerful men for generations while holding women responsible for the fallout.

Want to follow along with this lesson? View the full presentation here.

Part 2 continues with:

Clinton & Lewinsky, Kavanaugh & Ford, and the emotional psychology that shapes elections.

Curious about something we covered-or something we haven't yet?

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Explore the full curriculum

Resources & Citations:

• Wikipedia - List of Federal Political Sex Scandals in the United States

Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson

• Monticello - “Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: A Brief Account”
• History.com - “Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: What’s Known”
• Gilder Lehrman Institute – Essay: “When Past Speaks Present: Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings”

Mariah Reynolds and Alexander Hamilton

• The Reynolds Pamphlet by Alexander Hamilton
• National Archives – Founders Online (All Hamilton Documents)

Maria Halpin and Grover Cleveland

• PBS / American Experience biography
• Huck, C., 2017. "The Halpin Affair: How Cleveland went from Scandal to Success
• Serratore, Angela (September 26, 2013). "President Cleveland's Problem Child"

Donna Rice and Gary Hart

• Bai, Matt (September 18, 2014). "How Gary Hart's Downfall Forever Changed American Politics". The New York Times Magazine.

Anita Hil and Clarence Thomas

• C-Span / October 11, 1991: Anita Hill Full Opening Statement
• CNN / Flashback: Clarence Thomas responds to Anita Hill
• Vice New / Watch The Most Outrageous Questions Senators Asked Anita Hill In 1991