#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 are there other reasons for men reporting twice as many partners as women on average? Joe thinks it’s as simple as “they’re all lying,” but the answers are slightly more complicated. Tune in to find out how sampling, counting as well as some degree of misreporting play into the vast perceived difference between men and women’s “number.”

Read Dr. Mitchell’s study here! 

About our Guest

Kirstin Mitchell, PhD, is a Senior Research Fellow at the MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, where she leads a theme of research on Families and Intimate & Sexual Relationships. Additionally, she led the sexual function component of the third British National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3), designing the first measure of sexual function specifically tailored to population surveys. She is co-editor of the textbook ‘Sexual Health: A public health perspective’ which offers a multi-disciplinary and broad-based perspective on sexual health. A social scientist by background, her work focuses on social, cultural and behavioural influences on sexual health, and on identifying public health focused solutions to preventing and addressing sexual health problems.

You can check out Kirstin’s website, or follow her on twitter to find out more. To read the study discussed in the episode click here.

Don’t miss this week’s foreplay…

This just in: FDA approves HPV vaccine for adults 27-45! Why did it take this long for older adults to get the vaccine? The HPV vaccine, Gardasil 9, was previously approved for children and adults 9-26, however it is only now being offered for the older age group. The assumption that adults over 27 don’t have enough new sexual partners to warrant the vaccine is one possible reason for this delay. Even though older adults are more likely to be married or in long term relationships, it does not mean that they are forever done having new sexual partners! HPV is easily transmitted, since it is a skin to skin transmission and condoms are only partially effective in prevention. This development in vaccine offering is important and necessary! Read more about the study here.

Before Next Time…

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Check out Dr. Zhana’s next Sex Science Social: Debunking Sex Myths That Ruin Lives, on October 18th. She will be discussing some common myths that get pushed around that can be detrimental to relationships! Click here to reserve your tickets for the event!

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