What’s really happening in our brains and bodies during a one-night stand? Why do some people swear by them while others wake up filled with regret? In this episode of the Shameless Care Podcast, Robert and Anna dive into the fascinating, messy, and very human science of casual sex — with plenty of humor, peer-reviewed research, and real talk along the way.

We start by looking at the numbers: just how common are one-night stands in the U.S. and around the world? Spoiler — they’re far more frequent than most people think. Then we explore the psychology: who is most likely to enjoy casual encounters, and who walks away feeling “the next-morning blues”? From evolutionary theory to modern hookup culture, we’ll break down why our brains sometimes chase sex without strings attached and sometimes punish us with guilt after the fact.

Of course, we don’t shy away from the sexual health realities. Oral sex during hookups often happens without protection, and studies show that’s where gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis frequently hide. We’ll explain why “I was tested last week” doesn’t always mean much if throat swabs or anal swabs weren’t included, and why a truly comprehensive STI panel matters more than ever for people in the lifestyle.

And finally, we’ll tackle the big question: are one-night stands good for you? The answer depends on your personality, your expectations, and your sexual health practices. For some, they’re fun, liberating, and even confidence-boosting. For others, they’re empty calories for the soul. The science says both can be true — and knowing your own wiring is the key to deciding what works for you.

So whether you’re a researcher or someone who just wants to understand why people chase (or avoid) casual sex, this episode will give you the data, the laughs, and maybe even a little self-reflection.

The Shameless Care Podcast is sex-positive healthcare meets real-world humor. No shame, no gimmicks — just science, stories, and a better way to talk about sex.

Menopause isn’t the end of your sex life—despite what society, bad TV, and your high school health class might’ve implied. In this episode of the Shameless Care Podcast, we’re diving deep into what actually happens during perimenopause and menopause—and more importantly, how it affects your sexual health, your STI risk, and your options.

We’ll answer the questions nobody talks about (but everyone should):
•Why does sex sometimes start to feel different or even uncomfortable after 40?
•Why does your vagina’s pH matter now more than ever?
•Is it true that menopause increases your risk for STIs like gonorrhea and chlamydia?
•And what can you actually do about it?

Let’s start with the biology. Perimenopause is the long hormonal lead-up to menopause, often beginning in your 40s (sometimes earlier) and lasting several years. Estrogen levels start to fluctuate wildly—imagine the hormonal rollercoaster of puberty, but in reverse. Eventually, when your ovaries retire production and you’ve gone 12 consecutive months without a period, you’ve officially hit menopause. But symptoms like hot flashes, mood swings, and vaginal dryness often stick around.

Now, let’s talk about what that means for your vagina. Estrogen plays a major role in maintaining the vaginal ecosystem. It keeps the vaginal lining thick, elastic, and lubricated—and it supports the growth of Lactobacillus, a friendly bacteria that helps maintain a healthy acidic pH (around 3.8–4.5). This acidic environment is like a bouncer at the club: it keeps the riff-raff out, including most pathogens.

But when estrogen drops during and after menopause, your vaginal pH rises—often to 5.0 or higher. That might not sound like a big deal, but in microbiology terms, it’s huge. A higher pH creates a more hospitable environment for harmful bacteria and sexually transmitted pathogens like:
•Gonorrhea (Neisseria gonorrhoeae)
•Chlamydia (Chlamydia trachomatis)
•Syphilis (Treponema pallidum)

These bugs don’t love acidic environments—but once the pH shifts, the door’s open. In fact, research has shown postmenopausal women are at increased biological risk for contracting STIs, even if they’re having less frequent sex. And here’s the kicker: because menopause can cause vaginal thinning (atrophic vaginitis), minor friction during sex can lead to microtears—another entry point for infection.

So yes, your STI risk can increase after 40—not because you’re suddenly “wilder,” but because your body’s defenses are shifting. And if you’re dating, exploring, or re-entering the sex scene after a long-term relationship, you’re probably doing it without the condom vigilance of a 22-year-old. Add it all up, and the risk is real.

So What Can You Do?

The good news? A lot.
•Vaginal estrogen therapy
Local estrogen (like a cream, ring, or tablet) can restore the thickness and moisture of the vaginal lining and help re-acidify your pH. It’s safe, effective, and underused—because menopause care in the U.S. is often shockingly bad.
•Regular STI testing
This is where we shine. Routine, comprehensive STI testing—including throat swabs when needed—shouldn’t stop after 30. If you’re sexually active with new partners, testing is non-negotiable. And no, you’re not “low risk” just because you’re over 50.
•Lubricants and moisturizers
•DoxyPEP (Doxycycline Post-Exposure Prophylaxis)
•Open conversations
With your provider. With your partners. With yourself. Menopause isn’t something to be hushed. It’s a life phase—not a disease—and it doesn’t mean you’re done being sexual, sensual, or safe.

🎙️ Penis Size and Science: What’s Normal, What Partners Really Desire

Penis size anxiety is everywhere—on message boards, in locker rooms, and yes, even in the bedroom. But how much of it is grounded in actual science? And what do partners truly prefer when it comes to length, girth, and everything in between?

In this episode of the Shameless Care Podcast, Robert and Anna unpack the research, blow up the myths, and answer the questions most people are too embarrassed to ask—like:

What’s “normal”? Does size really matter? Do racial stereotypes hold up? And what do people actually want in a one-night stand vs. a long-term partner?

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🧠 What We Cover:
•What national studies say about average erect penis size
•A fascinating study where women chose from 3D-printed penis models for both long-term relationships and one-night stands
•Whether girth or length plays a bigger role in sexual satisfaction
•The truth behind racial stereotypes about penis size
•Why self-perception and partner perception don’t always match
•How size anxiety affects sexual confidence and performance
•Why sexual skill, communication, and connection matter far more than inches

It’s safe to say that most sex-positive folks groom their pubic hair—but did you know that both shaving and waxing can increase your risk of STIs?

It’s true—especially for infections that enter through the skin, like human papillomavirus (HPV) and herpes simplex virus (HSV). And it can take THREE WEEKS to recover to baseline! Just in time to wax or shave again!

In this episode, Robert and Anna break down the science of skin-based STI transmission. You’ll learn:
•How HSV enters the body through small breaches in the outer skin layers—and what has to happen first for the virus to get in
•How HPV specifically targets the basal layer of your epithelium, requiring micro-abrasions or nicks in the skin—like those left behind by razors or wax strips

They also discuss three real-world, peer-reviewed studies that looked at grooming habits and STI transmission rates—and the results are, frankly, surprising.

Whether you go bare, trimmed, or full bush, this episode is about making informed decisions about your body, your pleasure, and your health.

Female ejaculation and squirting: What are they? Are they the same thing?

it’s one of the most debatedujhg, misunderstood, and myth-loaded topics in sexual health. Is squirting pee? Is it something else entirely? Is it even real? In this episode of the Shameless Care Podcast, Robert and Anna get (literally) fluid with the facts—digging into the history, the science, the controversy, and the personal experiences that keep this conversation flowing.

We start with our Foreplay segment, where we explore the rising (and eyebrow-raising) trend of “holetox”—yes, people are getting Botox injections in their anal sphincter to make receptive anal sex easier. We talk about what’s actually happening physiologically, the risks and benefits, and whether this is an innovation or just a social-media-fueled gimmick.

Then it’s on to the main event: what researchers actually mean by “female ejaculation” vs. “squirting,” and why definitions get so muddled. We cover fluid composition, the role of the Skene’s glands and bladder, and what the science says—plus how porn, culture, and sexual politics shape the conversation. 

Of course, it wouldn’t be the Shameless Care Podcast without a little fun—so we wrap with a joke about a magic penis sex toy involving a cop, a businessman, and his wife. Because science and humor go together like cookies and post-club coffee.

Whether you’ve experienced female ejaculation, wondered about it, or never thought twice, this episode offers science, stories, and plenty of laughs—without the shame.

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This week’s episode of the Shameless Care Podcast serves up a mix of humor, science, and straight-talk sexual health—exactly how we like it.

We open with the Dirty Joke of the Week, a quick dose of irreverence involving a philandering doctor, one of his patients, and the kind of scandal you’d never read in a medical journal. It’s a reminder that sometimes the best medicine really is laughter.

From there, we roll into the Foreplay segment, where we unpack new science on why many women report getting bored with their long-term, monogamous partners. We’ll talk about what the research says, why novelty matters, and how emotional connection plays into sustained desire. No judgment, no moralizing—just facts you can actually use to understand your own relationships better.

Then, it’s on to our Main Event: antibiotic resistance in sexually transmitted infections. At Shameless Care, we believe in sharing facts in a friendly, educational, and easy-to-understand way—period. We break down four major bacterial STIs: gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and mycoplasma genitalium. For each one, we cover:
•How it’s been treated historically
•Which antibiotics have stopped working (and why)
•What’s currently recommended by the CDC and WHO

We also take a deep dive into the headlines about “super gonorrhea.” What is it, really? How rare is it? And how treatable is it today? We’ll explore the emerging drugs in the pipeline, like zoliflodacin, and what they might mean for the future of sexual health.

If you’ve ever been confused by scary media stories, contradictory advice, or just the sheer number of antibiotic names being thrown around, this episode will give you clarity. You’ll come away knowing:
•Which STIs are showing real resistance problems
•Which remain very treatable
•What you can do to protect yourself and your partners without giving in to panic

It’s a mix of laughs, science, and sexual health truth bombs—designed to keep you informed and maybe even entertained while you learn something important.

Buckle up and back into your spot—this episode of the Shameless Care Podcast takes you on a ride through the surprisingly sexy history of America’s drive-in movie theaters.

Robert and Anna open the trunk of nostalgia to explore how the drive-in started as a wholesome, family-friendly slice of Americana… and eventually revved right into the steamy lane of sexual revolution.

We trace the arc from its invention in the 1930s, to the teenage make-out capitals of the 1950s and 60s, to the wild 1970s when some drive-ins threw in the towel on family flicks and started projecting full-on XXX films on screens the size of small apartment buildings.

Along the way, we talk about the cars-as-bedrooms phenomenon, the cultural panic over what couples were really doing in those back rows, and why drive-ins were ground zero for America’s favorite mix of romance, rebellion, and—let’s be honest—risk.

Of course, it wouldn’t be the Shameless Care Podcast without some laughs. In this episode, we share the outrageous (and very wrong) joke about the guy who has to make a gorilla orgasm before he can buy an expensive drink. Yes, you read that right.

Whether you remember sneaking into a drive-in with a date, or you’ve only seen them in movies, you’ll leave this episode knowing why the drive-in and sex will forever be linked in the American imagination.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• How drive-in theaters transformed from small-town family hangouts to hotbeds of sexual adventure
• Why cars, privacy, and teenage hormones made drive-ins irresistible for decades
• The cultural and legal battles over what really went on between those rows of speaker posts
• How economic pressures and changing tastes pushed some drive-ins into XXX territory in the 1970s
• The unexpected legacy of the drive-in in American sexual history

So grab your popcorn, set the car radio to the right frequency, and keep your hands where we can see them—because we’re going way past second base with this one.

Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) is confusing, frustrating, and often misunderstood. It’s not technically an STI—but it sure acts like one.

In this episode, Robert and Anna take a deep dive into everything BV:
•What it is (and isn’t)
•Why it keeps coming back (hint: it’s not your fault)
•How partners—both men and women—can play a role in the cycle
•Why it’s more common in women who have sex with women
•How to reduce your risk without blaming your sex life

We’re talking about the science, the stigma, the symptoms (or lack thereof), and the stuff that people don’t say out loud but should. From pH imbalances to biofilms, this is your no-fluff guide to understanding BV in real-world, sex-positive terms.

We also tackle the myths:
❌ Douching doesn’t help.
❌ Yogurt doesn’t cure it.
❌ Your body isn’t “dirty.”
✅ But your partner can be a factor—even if they feel just fine.

You’ll learn about promising strategies like partner treatment, sexual behavior adjustments, barrier methods that may (or may not) help, and upcoming research on long-term prevention. 

This isn’t just for people with vaginas—it’s for everyone who has sex with them. Whether you’ve dealt with BV before or you just want to be a better-informed partner, this episode is essential listening.

We don’t do shame here. We do science. Let’s talk BV.

Does ejaculation actually increase your risk of spreading—or catching—an STI? This week, we dig into the science of fluids, friction, and infection.

In this episode of the Shameless Care Podcast, Robert and Anna explore how ejaculation affects the transmission of common STIs across oral, vaginal, and anal sex. We look at HIV, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, HPV, and more—and ask: does finishing inside someone really change the risk? And what if there’s no ejaculation at all?

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🔥 Segments include:

💬 Dirty Joke of the Week:
A one-night stand with a robot leads to some… unexpected hardware compatibility issues.

🧠 Foreplay (Medical News):
The male birth control pill is getting closer to reality. We break down the newest research, how it works, and whether men are finally ready to carry their share of the contraceptive load.

💦 Main Event:
Does ejaculation increase STI risk? We cover:
•How different infections behave in semen, vaginal fluid, rectal fluid, and saliva
•Whether ejaculating raises transmission risk—or if contact alone is enough
•Why pulling out might (or might not) reduce your exposure
•The unique risks of oral sex with ejaculation—and why it’s often overlooked
•How viral load and bacterial shedding affect partners before, during, and after finishing

It’s the episode where biology meets bedroom strategy. Whether you’re in the lifestyle, casually dating, or just

We’ve all heard the phrase, “something is better than nothing.” But when it comes to STI testing? Prolly not. 

In this episode, we’ll cover:
•Why “better than nothing” can be worse than you think
•Why many "free" and public testing may not be appropriate for you. 
•Why that LGBTQ panel may not be right for you — and who it is actually designed for
• What you ACTUALLY need to do in order to take control. 

This is your no-fluff, no-shame, medically accurate guide to making informed decisions about your sexual health — whether you’re monogamous, open, kinky, queer, or just curious.

STI testing shouldn’t be a guessing game. And it definitely shouldn’t be a marketing gimmick.

As always, we bring medical clarity, unfiltered honesty, and just the right amount of attitude — because your sex life deserves real healthcare, not vague checkboxes.

🎧 Tune in, get informed, and stop relying on assumptions.