The Penis Project Podcast: Breaking Taboos in Men’s Sexual Health

In this episode of The Penis Project Podcast, Nurse Practitioner and Sexologist Melissa Hadley Barrett chats with Mish Middelmann — a prostate cancer survivor, men’s leadership coach, and founder of The Recovering Man. Mish is also the author of a book about sex beyond erections, called Beyond Erections - reclaiming sexual pleasure and intimacy with erectile differences. Diagnosed with prostate ca...

In this special episode, Melissa connects with longtime friend and renowned psychosomatic therapist Frida, founder of Body Nature Therapies in Byron Bay. Frida shares her personal and professional journey—from a background in fine arts to pioneering her Body Mapping Method, a therapeutic process that bridges the body-mind connection.  Frida explains what psychosomatic therapy really is (hint: it’s...

In this refreshingly honest episode, Melissa chats with the inspiring and trailblazing Dr. Amy Pearlman—a US-based female urologist, twin, and co-founder of the Prime Institute in Florida. Known for her progressive and patient-first approach, Amy opens up about her journey into men’s health, the procedures she performs (including penile girth enhancement), and the power of confidence in sexual wel...

In this episode of The Penis Project Podcast, Melissa welcomes Tim, the brand manager of VaxAid, to introduce a revolutionary vacuum erection device now launching in Australia. If you've heard Melissa talk about Bathmate, you’ll want to hear about its medical-grade cousin—VaxAid—which combines water-based technology with medically approved features, making it one of the safest and most effective p...

In this episode of The Penis Project Podcast, Melissa chats with Richard, an entrepreneur and Peyronie’s disease patient who turned personal frustration into innovation. After struggling with pain and slippage while using the Restorex traction device for Peyronie’s treatment, Richard took matters into his own hands—literally—and developed a more comfortable alternative: the Comfort Grip.  Richard...

In this candid and heartfelt episode, Melissa chats with Richard and Pauline, a 75-year-old couple who generously share their personal experience with prostate cancer—from diagnosis to recovery. They open up about the emotional and physical aspects of his journey, including the moment a routine PSA test led to further investigation and, eventually, robotic prostate surgery.  This conversation shin...

Today on the Penis Project Melissa chats to Professor Eric Chung who is recognised as one of Australia's leading urologists and has been invited as a speaker at many international and national meetings as well as received numerous national and international awards and research grants. In this candid and science-backed conversation, they discuss Spontan—a revolutionary nasal spray delivering the PD...

In this powerful and honest episode of The Penis Project Podcast, Melissa Hadley Barrett speaks with Dave and his partner Jen about their journey dealing with premature ejaculation (PE) — a common but often misunderstood sexual health condition affecting many men and couples.  Dave opens up about his experience living with PE since adolescence, the impact it had on his confidence and relationship,...

In this episode of The Penis Project podcast, Melissa Hadley Barrett interviews Scott, an avid listener of the podcast and founder of the Facebook group Let's Talk All Things Men's Health. Scott shares his personal journey battling hereditary hemochromatosis, a genetic condition that leads to excessive iron accumulation in the body, and how it resulted in severe erectile dysfunction (ED) and other...

In this episode of The Penis Project Podcast, we sit down with Frank, a 74-year-old prostate cancer survivor who has meticulously tracked his recovery through data and milestones. Frank’s journey is a testament to the power of knowledge, proactive health management, and the importance of open conversations about men’s health.  Frank shares his experience from diagnosis to post-op recovery, includi...

In this enlightening episode of The Penis Project Podcast, Melissa Hadley Barrett chats with Chris Robson, co-founder of the revolutionary app, Squeezy. Designed to improve pelvic floor health for men and women alike, Squeezy helps users build a habit of effective pelvic floor exercises through tailored plans and regular reminders.  Chris shares the story behind Squeezy’s creation, its impact on u...

This episode gets real as Melissa and Kate talk to Shannon who opens up about her personal experience with painful sex and vulvodynia and vaginismus. She shares how these challenges have shaped her live, relationships, and self-esteem, while also tackling the pressures society places on sexuality. It’s a candid, heartfelt conversation that’s all about breaking the stigma and encouraging empathy. ...

In this episode of The Penis Project Podcast, we’re thrilled to welcome Dr. Justin Lehmiller, a renowned research fellow at the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University and one of the leading voices in the field of human sexuality. Dr. Lehmiller, author of Tell Me What You Want: The Science of Sexual Desire and How It Can Help You Improve Your Sex Life and The Psychology of Human Sexuality, shares g...

In this episode, we are thrilled to welcome Dr. Nazanin licensed clinical psychologist specializing in addictions, eating disorders, sexual health, and mental wellness. She is also the host of the renowned Sexology podcast, which boasts over 400 episodes exploring various facets of intimacy and relationships.  Together, we delve into one of the most common challenges faced in long-term relationshi...

In this episode, Melissa and Shane dive deep into health topics encountered by Shane, including  personal experiences with prostate cancer, low testosterone, and hormone replacement therapy. They cover:  Health Management and Responsibility  The significance of individual responsibility in monitoring and managing personal health.  Exploring the role of hormone levels in cell regeneration and cance...

In this episode, Melissa welcomes Richard, a 71-year-old gay man, who shares his journey through prostate cancer diagnosis, treatment, and recovery, offering an honest look into the physical, emotional, and relational changes that come with it from the perspective of a gay man.    Key topics include:  Prostate Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment  Richard’s decision to opt for robotic prostate surgery o...

Recently Kate and I attended this conference in Brazil. It was 4 days jam packed with information in the sexual health field. People from all over the world attended and from many different professions. Many urologists, sexologists, a few nurse practitioners, occupational therapists and many more. I have attended this conference in previous years and it is always exciting to update skills and thin...

This episode on The Penis Project we are excited to interview Dr. Declan Murphy and Dr. Renu Eapen, both who have a wonderful podcast called GU CAST. In this episode we will discuss advanced prostate cancer among many other topics, such as:  - PSA anxiety is a very real feeling that many men and their families feel when waiting for PSA results.  - What a rise in PSA means and why you don’t need to...

This is another exciting episode which came highly requested by you, The Penis Project audience. We have interviewed David previously on the podcast in episode 46, and two patients who have undergone this procedure (episodes 83 and 174) so listen here for the backstory  Mr Dangerfield in conjunction with Prof Chris Coombs have developed a surgical technique to restore erections utilizing nerve gra...

This is a very special episode featuring none other than Victoria Cullen from “A touchy Subject” and Robert, a longtime patient of both Victoria and me (Melissa Hadley Barrett). Robert had an open prostatectomy in May 2009 and has been on a journey of self-discovery ever since. He initially saw men’s health Dr in Brisbane for 4-5 years until he went searching for other options. He injected twice a...

Today we speak with Emily, a sexologist with a psychology background. Emily has a great podcast,  “That’s Orgasmic” of which I am a keen listener. Recently I had the pleasure of being interviewed on Emily’s podcast and thought The Penis Project audience would benefit from her education, view point and information.     In this episode we discuss; mismatched libidos (takeaway message – you are not b...

Today we talk to John who had a prostatectomy in February 2024. Joh has taken his recovery very seriously and has paid particular attention to the products and practices that made his recovery easier. Today he was kind enough to share what he has learnt. We hope that these tips and tricks will help you have smoother sailing.   We talk about pads, travelling with pads, penile clamps, underwear he f...

So, we have talked a lot about the pelvic floor on this podcast, but usually it is about strengthening it to maintain/ improve continence post prostate cancer treatment. But what happens if your pelvic floor is too tight? Well, you can have too much of a good thing.   Today we talk to Archie, a 29 year old guy who has a tight pelvic floor. This caused him issues in the bedroom. When your pelvic fl...

Today we speak with Frank, who was 49 when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He is now 16 months post-op and has had an unremarkable healing journey. He has no incontinence, and his erectile function has returned. It hasn’t all been plain sailing as you will hear, but with ‘stickability’ following the rehab roadmap he is back on track and now the surgery feels like a blip on the horizon.   Fr...

This is another episode where you the listeners asked for it, so you got it. Most exciting this week is we have guest interviewer Victoria Cullen from ‘A Touchy Subject’ on the interview.  If you don’t know about Victoria and you have had prostate cancer treatment- you, should, she has awesome information for people in this area so check out her website https://www.atouchysubject.com/ .  Many of y...