Asking For A Friend

*A warning on this episode – some of the things that Jenny speaks about could be triggering. A warning for sensitive listeners.

This is a topic that most of us (including myself) know little about, and yet when I interviewed Dr Jenny Coetzee – a highly experienced public health researcher – I knew I wanted to share what I’d learnt. Despite sex work apparently being the world’s oldest profession, most people hold particular opinions about sex workers, and don’t have a enough understanding of what it’s really like and what sex workers in low income areas might experience and be exposed to. Jenny shares the human side of sex work with me, and her fascinating findings of the research she’s done in South Africa. This is a real and honest conversation, and Jenny doesn’t sugar coat things about the experiences these female sex workers go through.

You can find out more about the Africa Potential Foundation here: https://africanpotential.com

Sex and tech… what on earth is that all about you might be wondering? On today’s episode, I dive into this fascinating topic with sex futurist and entrepreneur Bryony Cole, to find out how technology can be used to improve our sexual experience, report sexual assault, help us overcome sexual difficulties and even teach us how to sextet. We delve into the fear of technology taking over, how it cannot replace human connection, and how we can use tech to enhance our sexual experience.

You can find Byrony on Instagram @futureofsex, and her podcast is Future of Sex.

October is breast cancer, so Catriona discusses a topic we rarely speak about in relation to this – sexuality. Prof Elna McIntosh, a clinical sexologist and a woman who has beaten breast cancer twice, speaks about everything from nipple tattoos and body image to self-pleasure and the need for early detection. Catriona and Elna also discuss using and accessing other resources to bring the experience of pleasure back into one’s life.

You can reach out to Prof McIntosh via her Instagram page @disa_clinic

Desir, South Africa’s leading sexual health and wellness brand, is on Instagram @desir_official, and Dipsea, where you can listen to wonderful audio erotica, is @dipseastories and through your app store.

Vaginismus is not something we get taught about during sex ed. Yet this female sexual pain condition is actually rather common, with statistics showing us that somewhere in the range of 1-17% of women globally are struggling with it. It’s something I work extensively with in my practice. I’m joined this week by Lisa from The Vaginismus Network, to talk about her own personal experience of vaginismus, as well as why her and Kat started the platform.

You can reach out to Lisa and the team at The Vaginismus Network via Instagram @thevagnetwork or on their website thevaginismusnetwork.com

If there was ever an unhappy couple, it would be sex and anxiety. In this week’s episode, Catriona talks to UK psycho-sexologist Kate Moyle about how much anxiety impacts our sex life, and what we can do to try and manage it better. Catriona and Kate talk about comparison culture, expectation vs. reality, and what we can do to manage our anxiety around sex better.

You can reach out to Kate via her Instagram page @katemoyletherapy. Her podcast, Sexual Wellness Sessions, is available on all major podcast platforms.

Catriona talks about erectile dysfunction with the founders of a platform called Mojo Men, Angus and Xander. Mojo Men aims to help young men who are struggling with their erectile functioning, help them realise that they are not alone, and provide a platform that both Xander and Angus wish they had themselves. Mojo Men offers real-world guidance and advice from experienced health care professionals to help men overcome erectile difficulties. In this podcast, they open up about how erectile dysfunction affected them personally and why, and talk about how this quite common experience could affect young men. Find out more about Mojo Men on their website mojomen.com or on Instagram @mojo.men

Catriona speaks to Dr Tlatleng Mofokeng (Dr T), about the right to sexual pleasure. Dr T is a medical doctor and best-selling author, and a trailblazer in the South African sexual health community. She’s also forged a path in international sexual health and reproductive rights; most recently by being appointed as a special rapporteur to the United Nations. We speak about sexual pleasure and what we should be taught about it growing up. You can follow Dr T on Instagram @Drtlaleng and read her amazing book Dr T: A Guide to Sexual Health and Pleasure.

Ever had a question you felt too embarrassed to ask, and instead asked that question “for a friend”?

Hosted by Clinical Sexologist and Psychotherapist Catriona Boffard, Asking for a Friend brings you fascinating and interesting conversations about sex, intimacy, relationships, and mental and physical health. In each episode, Catriona will bring you evidence-based information and real-world advice on topics that are not often discussed but that we really need to normalise and talk more about. She’s joined by special guests who are all experts in their fields or have lived experiences of these topics. Follow Catriona on Instagram at @sexologywithcatriona