Do We Know Things?

Aunt Flo, Shark Week, Time of the Month. What is your favourite euphemism to avoid saying the word menstruation? Menstruation happens to half of the population at some point in their lives, but it is taboo in many places. This taboo prevents us from talking openly about menstruation and the menstrual cycle because it is seen as icky and gross. Of all the topics related to sex, the menstrual cycle...

On the last episode of DWKT, I promised an episode on the menstrual cycle, but something urgent came up. That urgent matter was the birth control discussion on Love is Blind season 6. One of the couples decides not to have penis-vagina sex because they really, really don't want to get pregnant. At first I judged them, but then thanks to an Instagram post, I came around and realized I was a jerk. L...

What the heck is the Coolidge Effect? Sex research nerds will be familiar with this term, but others might not. It is a specific sexual phenomenon named after an urban legend about U.S. President Calvin Coolidge. Sound odd? It is! And the researcher who named it that did it as a hoax. This episode will take us on an oddly detailed journey through rat sex research, examine our human biases about se...

Part 2 of my 2 month road trip. I visit the Kinsey Institute, attend a kink convention, and contemplate the many abortion-related billboards on my journey through the U.S.A. I also go to the foggy land where the Twilight Vampires live. Sex stuff! What do we know? Do We Know Things? Let's find out! Things mentioned in this episode: The Kinsey Institute Unabashed Con Proabort.com Plan C Pills Do you...

Being single comes with a lot of stigma! We live in a world where being part of a couple is seen as #goals and anything outside of this, whether it be having multiple partners or choosing to be single come with societal judgment. For single folks, thankfully, there are people like Dr. Peter McGraw who hosts the podcast Solo: A Single Person's Guide to a Remarkable Life who shares the joys of being...

Do We Know Things? is back, baby! After a much longer than planned hiatus, I am thrilled to bring you a new episode of Do We Know Things? On this episode, you will follow along for the part 1 of my 2 month road trip. I will share sex info and sex insights I learned along the way. Sex stuff! What do we know? Do We Know Things? Let's find out! Things mentioned in this episode: Jami Attenberg’s books...

On episode 53, I made the questionable choice to delve into the debates around circumcision. I asked for listener feedback, and boy did I get some! On this episode, I am joined again by resident man, Matt Tunnacliffe and we will dig into some of the responses we got after the last episode. As expected, the responses were divided! We talk bias, science, and how many things we still don’t know. Circ...

Stories are fundamental part of the human existence and have existed since we have had language. We form our cultures and belief systems around stories. Writers of fiction have the gift of being able to create entire worlds through the stories they tell. I partnered with the Frye Festival to interview authors who do just that. This episode is different than most Do We Know Things? episode where I...

Penile circumcision. It’s a big deal! People have very strong feelings about it. For some it is a religious rite of passage, for others it is a health imperative, and for others it is genital mutilation and should be banned. On this episode, I will explore the controversies around penile circumcision: does it affect penile sensitivity? Does it offer any health benefits? Is it ethical? And why do w...

Endometriosis is a debilitating chronic pain disease that affects millions of people in North America, but many people have never even heard of it. People suffering from endometriosis are misunderstood, misdiagnosed, and ignored by many in the medical community. This episode follows the story of three women who have endometriosis: from initial symptoms, the epic journey to diagnosis, and the limit...

Until Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist Katie Kelly asked me if I was going to do an episode about lubrication, I had no idea how much I didn't know! I thought lube was pretty basic. Turns out, there's a lot to know, especially about water-based lubes. I also think not enough people are aware of the importance of lube. It helps things feel better whether you are talking solo sex, hand sex, vaginal sex,...

Have you seen the many media articles or talk shows that say being on hormonal contraceptives can make you choose the “wrong” partner? Have you ever wondered if this was true? I realized it was high time that I investigate this research to see how the pill affects who we choose. On this episode, I delve into the research on genetic compatibility, hormonal changes on the pill, whether or not any of...

Consensually non-monogamous (CNM) relationships are increasing in number, and there is more curiosity and awareness about these kinds of relationships than ever before. Rachel Krantz, author of Open: An Uncensored Memoir of Love, Liberation, and Non-monogamy is my guest on this episode. We talk about her story of beginning her non-monogamous journey in a relationship that involved manipulation and...

Listen. We all know there's a problem with the way the legal system handles sexual assault cases. Anyone who has been through it or has heard about or read about a survivor's experience knows how horrible and retraumatizing the process can be. But what if there was a different way. A more human way. That's where restorative justice comes in. My guest on this episode is Marlee Liss, a sensuality co...

What do we actually know about serotonin and infatuation? On the last episode, I explored the neuroscience of infatuation and explored possible myths, which turned out to be mostly true. But I was left with additional questions about serotonin. It turns out, we don’t know as much as I thought about serotonin and love. The links between serotonin and love seem to be a story we have told so many tim...

Infatuation. Limerence. New relationship energy. All are words for the intense, sometimes overwhelming feelings people experience in new relationships. This feeling can feel like a drug. There is euphoria when you are with the person and withrawal symptoms when you are not. Others have said the infatuation shares symptoms with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Is love a drug? Is it like OCD? In this...

Do you have a favourite sexual fantasy? Dr. Justin Lehmiller asked over 4000 people to answer this question and many other fantasy related questions in the largest study on fantasies ever done. In this episode, Justin talks about his research on people's favourite sexual fantasy, which he explores in his book Tell Me What You Want: The Science of Sexual Desire and How it Can Improve Your Sex Life...

Did you know a man, actually several, had to "discover" the clitoris? On today’s episode, I welcome Sarah Chadwick, author of The Sweetness of Venus: A History of the Clitoris . We will learn about the ups and downs in the life of the clitoris: it’s involvement in witchcraft, its repeated “discovery” and repression, and why we need more nicknames for it. The Clitoris! What do we know? Do we know t...

Abstinence is preached as being 100% effective in preventing pregnancy and STIs, which is true if it works. But how often does abstinence fail? In this episode, I try to figure out the typical use abstinence failure rate. A textbook I once had said 20%. Is that true? Tune in to find out! Abstinence! What do we know? Do we know things? Let's find out! Links mentioned in this episode Donate to Scarl...

When you think of sex education, what springs to mind? I bet a mildly awkward class with a mildly uncomfortable teacher talking about periods, where babies come from, and possibly putting a condom on a wooden penis. Does that sound about right? We often think sex education is for kids, but the sex ed we get as kids from parents and schools is lacking, so we get a lot of our info from friends and m...

This is the 3rd episode in a 3-part series on monogamy and nonmonogamy. In this episode I will explain consensual nonmonogamy (CNM), which can be broadly defined as any type of relationship where people are having sexual, romantic, or intimate relationships with more than one person. As a researcher, educator, and practitioner of CNM, I am used to thinking about and talking about it all the time,...

Canada and the U.S. (and many other societies) are completely obsessed with monogamy. And by obsessed, I mean, they structure their entire social and legal systems around the assumption of monogamous relationships. In this episode, part 2 in the series about monogamy and nonmonogamy, we delve in the the "why" behind the monogamy preference. Is it biology? Is it culture? Listen now to find out! Mon...

One of my areas of research is monogamy and nonmonogamy. One of the questions I have been interested in since early on is how do we define monogamy? I started with monogamous and nonmonogamous voles. But it turns out, the monogamous voles aren't even sexually monogamous. Are any animals monogamous? What about humans? What about you? How do you define monogamy? Do people in your life define it the...

Whew. It's summer. It's hot. I'm tired! Do We Know Things? is taking a break, but will be back on Aug 30 with the first episode in a 3-part series on monogamy and nonmonogamy. In this mini-episode, I have some g-spot updates and a question for listeners! Also, if you are looking for a new research-y podcast, I highly recommend my new fave Maintenance Phase podcast: Wellness & weight loss, debu...

When I say the word femininity, what comes to mind? What words would you use to describe femininity? Do you think things associated with femininity are less important or valid than things associated with masculinity? Have you ever thought about it before? On this episode of Do We Know Things, I interview Dr. Rhea Ashley Hoskin, a femme researcher known for her work on Femme Theory and her work on...