The Science of Sex

By Dr. Zhana & Joe Pardavila

What's The Science of Sex about?

A podcast about the ins and outs of the latest research about everyone’s favorite topic hosted by Dr. Zhana and Joe Pardavila.Looking to have your sex questions answered? Send them over to [email protected]!

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The Science of Sex episodes:

03.26.2019
#59 – Under the Influence of Horniness
Horniness (AKA being sexually aroused) is a special state of body and mind. It’s a state during which we are much more likely to make risky decisions, not just about our sexual health, but about other things too. What else...
03.12.2019
#58 – Sex Work in America
Sex work is one of the most stigmatized and misunderstood aspects of human sexuality. There are many different types of sex work, including phone sex, camming, stripping, “happy ending” massages, professional domination, and porn, to name a few. But the...
02.26.2019
#57 – Why People Make Out in Public
I’m sure you’ve heard of straight women making out in public with other women in order to attract male attention? It’s a phenomenon called “performative making out” or making out for an audience, and in Episode #57, we invited one...
02.12.2019
#56 – Squirting School
Every time Dr. Zhana teaches about almost any topic, someone asks a question about squirting, often referred to as female ejaculation. It seems like squirting is having a moment right now, with everyone and their mother wanting to know if...
01.29.2019
#55 – Getting the T(estosterone)
Testosterone is having a moment these days. T-boosting has grown into a $2.5 billion industry, with guys of all ages trying to up their T levels in hopes of increasing everything from libido to mood to energy. But what does...
01.15.2019
#54 – Cocktails Vs. Consent
Happy belated New Year! Given that the holiday season is a time when a lot of people consume significant amounts of alcohol AND get frisky while under its influence, we thought we’d kick off 2019 with an episode that ties drinking...
12.19.2018
#53 – Why You’re Doing It Matters
Optimizing Sexual Satisfaction We all know having sex with our romantic partners is good for our relationship and sexual satisfaction. But why you’re doing it can make a difference; not all sexual motives were made equal. Some reasons to have sex...
12.11.2018
#52 – Hot for Teacher
What is it about teachers that make them so hot? According to the popular college professor reviewing website, Rate My Professors, it’s more than just looks. But how does their rating system work? How are female professors rated versus their...
12.04.2018
#51 – The World of Pup Play
We have covered some kink, fetish and BDSM ground on the show, but this time we delve deep into the details of one specific kink: pup (or puppy) play. What is ‘pup play’? Who are ‘bio-pups’, and why are they...
11.27.2018
#50 – 50 Shades of (Trans)Gender
Do you know the difference between sex and gender? Or what it means to be “gender nonconforming”? Trans or transgender? Genderqueer and gender non-binary? Our understanding and language around sex and gender has been rapidly expanding, and we don’t blame...
11.20.2018
#49 – Bi Guys on the Down Low
The dangers and risks for gay men in coming out of the closet is widely acknowledged, but what about bisexual men? More bi men, compared to gay men, keep their sexuality strictly on the down low. Why is this the...
11.13.2018
#48 – Why Are People Into BDSM?
Some people are into sexually aggressive and humiliating acts, from biting & spanking, to spitting and verbal humiliation. This is usually referred to as paraphilias, or uncommon sexual desires, but how uncommon are these sexual desires, actually? And, perhaps more...
11.06.2018
#47 – Do Sluttier People Make Worse Romantic Partners?
Some people are far more interested in and comfortable with casual sex, a trait called unrestricted sociosexuality. In Episode 47, Dr. Zhana and Joe ask a question that’s on a lot of people’s minds: Are these “sluttier” folks (and we use...
10.30.2018
#46 – Homosexuality: A Twin Thing
Research has shown that sexual orientation is greatly determined by genetics. We also know that identical twins share 100% of their genetic material. Then how is it possible that only about 30% of all identical twins have the same sexual...
10.23.2018
#45 – The Truth About Female Infidelity
Are women’s sex drives really weaker than men’s? Are women really less likely to cheat–or want to cheat? Are they really better suited for monogamy? And how much are these gender differences due to nature vs. nurture? In Episode 45,...
10.16.2018
#44 – What’s Your Number?
In Episode 44, Dr. Kirstin Mitchell returns to talk to Dr. Zhana and Joe about the differences between sexual partners reported by men and women. It’s been an age-old question: Do men really have more sexual partners than women? Or...
10.09.2018
#43 – The Other Condom
In Episode 43, Kaci Mial joins Dr. Zhana and Joe to talk about the female condom. Some people (including Joe) don’t even know what a female condom is! But this stops with this episode where we learn a lot more...
10.02.2018
#42 – What Your Sexual Fantasies Say About You
In Episode 42, Dr. Justin Lehmiller returns to talk with Dr. Zhana and Joe about sexual fantasies and what they say about us! Most people have sexual fantasies, and some fantasies are not as rare as you might think. What do...
09.25.2018
#41 – Sex-Question-Palooza III
This week, Joe and Dr. Zhana switched things up and decided to dedicate an entire episode to answering some of your questions! Dr. Zhana gives science based answers to listener’s most pressing questions while Joe chimes in with some witty banter...
09.18.2018
#40 – How Sex Affects Your Immune System
In Episode 40, Dr. Zhana and Joe talk with Tierney Lorenz on sex and the immune system! It’s been known that sexual activity can have an effect on the immune system. What do those effects look like? A healthy sex life...
09.11.2018
#39 – Snapchat Sex Chat
In Episode 39, Dr. Zhana and Joe talk with Jimmy Moran on Snapchat use and sex! Snapchat is a popular social media platform, founded in 2011, that allows users to send images and videos with the option of having the content...
09.04.2018
#38 – WTF is Communal Sexual Motivation?
Welcome back to the Science of Sex Podcast! In the Season 2 premiere, your favorite hosts, Dr. Zhana and Joe talk with Dr. Amy Muise on Communal Sexual Motivation, or CSM. CSM, or being Good, Giving, and Game (GGG), in a...
06.25.2018
#37 – The Good, The Bad, and Polyamory
In episode 35, Dr. Zhana and Joe talk to Dr. Amy C. Moors about her research on non-monogamy! Non-monogamy often gets a bad rep in our society, but also in academia. A lot of research conducted on polyamory has been biased,...
06.18.2018
#36 – Romantic Side Effects to Birth Control
In episode 36, Dr. Zhana and Joe talk to Dr. Patrick Jern about the romantic side effects of hormonal birth control! We often talk about the physical side effects of hormonal birth control methods (i.e. the pill, the IUD, the patch,...
06.11.2018
#35 – Coming Out in America
In episode 36, Dr. Zhana and Joe talk to Dr. Christian Grov about his research on coming out in America and how it might have changed. Coming out as gay and bisexual has changed over the years, but there is also...
06.04.2018
#34 – Keeping the Spark Alive
In episode 34, Dr. Zhana and Joe talk to Dr. Kirstin Mark about how couples can keep desire alive in long-term relationships! Earlier this year, the Journal of Sex Research published a paper that reviewed research from 64 empirical articles all...
05.28.2018
#33 – Kink V Abuse
In episode 33, Dr. Zhana and Joe talk to Dulcinea Pitagora about what marks the difference between abuse versus consensual kink in a relationship. Many believe that because BDSM is founded upon consent, communication, and negotiation that abuse cannot make its...
05.21.2018
#32 – Porn Ed.
In episode 32, Dr. Zhana and Joe talk to Dr. Emily Rothman about the benefits of educating kids about porn. A new study reported on joint efforts by folks at Boston University and the Boston Public Health Commission to educate young...
05.15.2018
#31 – Managing Low Sexual Desire
In episode 31, Dr. Zhana and Joe talk to Dr. Lori Brott about some ways that people can manage low sexual desire. Low sexual desire is something that is more common than most people think. It can appear in many different...
05.08.2018
#30 – High Infidelity
In episode 30, Dr. Zhana and Joe talk to Dr. Dylan Selterman about the motivations for infidelity! There are many factors that play into the cause of infidelity including anger, stress, neglect, a general lack of love or passion, and more....
05.01.2018
#29 – How KINKY is too KINKY?
In episode 29, Dr. Zhana and Joe talk to Dr. Christian Joyal about some of the more common (and uncommon) kinks and fetishes. Paraphilia is defined as a condition characterized by abnormal sexual desires, typically involving extreme or dangerous activities. While...
04.25.2018
#28 – Sex-Question-Palooza: The Sequel
The episode is all about YOU! This week Dr. Zhana takes your sex questions! You hit us up online and on social media and now Zhana gives you her science based answers in the most Dr. Zhana kind of way. Facebook...
04.17.2018
#27 – Inside the Mind of the Vagina Scientist (Encore)
This week, Dr. Zhana and Joe talk to “The Vagina Scientist.” Dr. Jim Pfaus and his team published an article attempting to resolve the controversy surrounding clitoral versus vaginal orgasms and we break it down in this episode of “The Science...
04.11.2018
#26 – Pedophilia Explained
In episode 26, Things got a little heavy in this episode where we talked to James Cantor about his research on pedophilia. We often think of pedophilia as a sexual attraction towards minors, but that’s actually not true. Western culture has...
04.03.2018
#25 – Do Women have a Sexual Orientation?
In episode 25, Dr. Zhana and Joe talk to J. Michael Baily about sexual orientation: What is it and do women have one? Sexual orientation, although widely agreed upon to exist, is still disputed by some in the scientific community. Specifically,...
03.27.2018
#24 – Pumps…Strap Ons…and The Rubber Penis Illusion
In episode 24, we explore some of the ways that people can treat erectile dysfunction without medication. There has been significant research conducted on those diagnosed with erectile dysfunction (ED). Many of those treatments include prescription medication, however there are also...
03.20.2018
#23 – Straight-ish
What does it mean when someone identifies as “mostly-straight?” In episode 23, we talk to Dr. Ritch Savin-Williams about sexual fluidity and the Kinsey scale. Ever since the development of the Kinsey scale for sexual orientation, there has been significant research on...
03.13.2018
#22 – Wrap Your Thing Right
What are some of the most popular condom errors and how common are they? In episode 22, Dr. Zhana and Joe talk to Dr. Cynthia Graham about the different ways people misuse condoms and make condom errors. We’ve been actively talking and...
03.06.2018
#21 – To Shave Or Not to Shave
Is there a relationship between pubic hair and STD’s? Pubic hair isn’t as popular as it once was. The majority of both men and women have engaged in some sort of grooming ‘down there,’ whether it’s some basic ‘manscaping’ or waxing...
02.27.2018
#20 – What Makes People Gay?
Are there biological factors that contribute to sexual orientation? The question of whether biology plays a role in determining sexual orientation is heavily debated in the scientific community. While some people believe that sexual orientation is a choice, others disagree and...
02.17.2018
#19 – BDSM vs. Rape Culture
Do consent-oriented communities (like BDSM) experience lower levels of rape culture? A study published in 2016 in the Journal of Sex Research, aimed to explore whether communities that emphasize consent see less rape culture than our mainstream society. It compared various...
02.09.2018
#18 – Sex-Question-Palooza
This week, Joe and Dr. Zhana switched things up and decided to answer some questions we’ve been asked by listeners! We got some really interesting questions over the past few months, so we dedicated an episode to answering them (well, Dr....
02.02.2018
#17 – Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Cuckolding
Could cuckolding be a positive thing for some couples? A new study investigates fantasies about and experiences with cuckolding in a large and diverse sample of gay-identified men. The study received media attention, with CNN reporting “Cuckolding could be positive for...
01.26.2018
#16 – Orgasms for Dummies
It might not be a surprise that, on average, straight women orgasm less frequently than straight men, but why is this? A 2014 nationally representative study of Americans ages 18-59 found that 91% of men but only 64% of women reported...
01.18.2018
#15 – Once a cheater, always a cheater
Once a cheater, always a cheater…right? In our 15th episode, Joe and Dr. Zhana spoke with Kayla Knopp, the lead author on a study that focuses on the likelihood of “serial cheating” in individuals. Based on a nationwide sample of almost 500...
01.11.2018
#14 – Let’s Talk About Sexts
What do the sexting habits of adults 21 and over look like? In a recent paper, researchers surveyed a nationally representative sample of almost 6,000 single US adults ages 21+ about their sexting experiences, sending and receiving sexually explicit text messages...
01.04.2018
Holiday Special Edition #2 – Dr. Zhana Live from SSSS
This week is the first holiday special of The Science of Sex, live from The Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality (SSSS). SSSS is an international organization dedicated to the advancement of knowledge about sexuality, and in November, Dr....
12.29.2017
Holiday Special Edition #1 – Dr. Zhana Live from SSSS
This week is the first holiday special of The Science of Sex, live from The Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality (SSSS). SSSS is an international organization dedicated to the advancement of knowledge about sexuality, and in November, Dr....
12.21.2017
#13 – What turns on Women who are into Casual Sex?
Contrary to many popular stereotypes, there are many women who are as equally into casual sex as some men, but what do these women prefer when it comes to their partners? A new study found that women who are more interested...
12.14.2017
#12 – Understanding Male Sexual Aggression
Our news cycle has been filled with countless examples of male sexual misconduct, from sexual assault, to harassment, to just general creepiness across virtually every profession and social sphere. With the exception of our groper-in-chief, this has professionally hurt pretty...

What's The Science of Sex about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Science of Sex episodes:

#59 – Under the Influence of Horniness

#58 – Sex Work in America

#57 – Why People Make Out in Public

#56 – Squirting School

#55 – Getting the T(estosterone)

#54 – Cocktails Vs. Consent

#53 – Why You’re Doing It Matters

#52 – Hot for Teacher

#51 – The World of Pup Play

#50 – 50 Shades of (Trans)Gender

#49 – Bi Guys on the Down Low

#48 – Why Are People Into BDSM?

#47 – Do Sluttier People Make Worse Romantic Partners?

#46 – Homosexuality: A Twin Thing

#45 – The Truth About Female Infidelity

#44 – What’s Your Number?

#43 – The Other Condom

#42 – What Your Sexual Fantasies Say About You

#41 – Sex-Question-Palooza III

#40 – How Sex Affects Your Immune System

#39 – Snapchat Sex Chat

#38 – WTF is Communal Sexual Motivation?

#37 – The Good, The Bad, and Polyamory

#36 – Romantic Side Effects to Birth Control

#35 – Coming Out in America

#34 – Keeping the Spark Alive

#33 – Kink V Abuse

#32 – Porn Ed.

#31 – Managing Low Sexual Desire

#30 – High Infidelity

#29 – How KINKY is too KINKY?

#28 – Sex-Question-Palooza: The Sequel

#27 – Inside the Mind of the Vagina Scientist (Encore)

#26 – Pedophilia Explained

#25 – Do Women have a Sexual Orientation?

#24 – Pumps…Strap Ons…and The Rubber Penis Illusion

#23 – Straight-ish

#22 – Wrap Your Thing Right

#21 – To Shave Or Not to Shave

#20 – What Makes People Gay?

#19 – BDSM vs. Rape Culture

#18 – Sex-Question-Palooza

#17 – Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Cuckolding

#16 – Orgasms for Dummies

#15 – Once a cheater, always a cheater

#14 – Let’s Talk About Sexts

Holiday Special Edition #2 – Dr. Zhana Live from SSSS

Holiday Special Edition #1 – Dr. Zhana Live from SSSS

#13 – What turns on Women who are into Casual Sex?

#12 – Understanding Male Sexual Aggression