Episode 14: The Neuroscience of Sex

Hello and welcome back to one of our best episodes yet, where we discuss menstrual equity with our incredible guest Rosie Glaser (she/they)!  Rosie Glaser is a Master of Public Health Candidate at the Colorado School of Public Health. They currently work in the Center for Women’s and Gender Equity at UNC where they work within a collective to continue developing the menstrual equity program that they created as an undergraduate student Project M.E.  They are also a NASPA certified sexual health peer educator, a Survivor’s Advocate with the Assault Survivor’s Advcocacy Program, and the Wellbeing Research Intern at the Center for Peer Education, and coincidentally- a huge fan of Genderf*ck! Rosie is passionate about understanding health disparities, and informing systemic care for all menstruating bodies. (editors notes from Dan: 1. sorry about my voice, I was started to get sick when we recorded this and it shows 2. sorry for ANOTHER intro song change, I'll stop now) Social Media: Twitter Instagram Blog Ko-Fi Ask us questions! - CuriousCat Rosie's Instagram  Resources: 2021 State of the Period https://period.org/uploads/State-of-the-Period-2021.pdf 2019 State of the Period https://thepolicyproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/State-of-the-Period-white-paper_Thinx_PERIOD.pdf Helpful glossary of terms for the menstrual equity movement https://mhhub.org/glossary 1 in 10 menstruating youth have missed school due to inadequate menstrual management resources https://policylab.chop.edu/blog/period-poverty-public-health-crisis-we-dont-talk-about Period Poverty & College Student Mental Health https://bmcwomenshealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12905-020-01149-5 Toolkit that Rosie developed around addressing menstrual equity & student activism:  https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:d8eebbb8-5f7f-3d8c-9121-c1c1b83c0138 Degendering Menstruation: Making Trans Menstruators Matter https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK565621/ ACLU menstrual equity toolkit resource: https://www.aclu.org/sites/default/files/field_document/121119-sj-periodequitytoolkit.pdf Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/tatami/mellow-skies License code: C5SFR7HGK5PGVS5L

Put on your goggles because we're talkin science today! In today's episode, we go over the cognitive, emotional, motivational, and physiological processes that occur in your brain during sexual activity. (We also go into a lil mini off-topic conversation about some science hot takes and miscellaneous junk at the end of the episode!)  Send us a question for a Q&A episode on CuriousCat!  Also, help support the podcast by donating to our Ko-Fi (anything really does help!) Social medias: Twitter Instagram Blog References: https://atlasbiomed.com/blog/whats-going-on-with-hormones-and-neurotransmitters-during-sex/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6032992/ https://brainblogger.com/2014/05/20/brain-sex-in-men-and-women-from-arousal-to-orgasm/ https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/All-Disorders/Kl%C3%BCver-Bucy-Syndrome-Information-Page The psychology of human sexuality by Justin Lehmiller The Sweetest Taboo: Functional Neurobiology of Human Sexuality in Relation to Pleasure JANNIKO R. GEORGIADIS AND RUDIE KORTEKAAS Baird, A. D., Wilson, S. J., Bladin, P. F., Saling, M. M., & Reutens, D. C. (2007). Neurological control of human sexual behaviour: insights from lesion studies. Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry, 78(10), 1042–1049 https://doi.org/10.1136/jnnp.2006.107193 https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130110094415.htm Schacter et al, 2016, Psychology, 2nd european edition, Palgrave https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/brb3.1389

In today's episode, we were joined by Artie Carden (they/them) to discuss their experiences and the intersections between transness, asexuality, and disability. Thanks for joining us Artie! Don't forget to check out our new blog and support us through our Ko-fi!  Our links: Twitter Instagram Blog (NEW!) Ko-fi (NEW!) Artie's links: Youtube Blog Twitter Instagram Facebook Ko-fi

Welcome back! In today's episode, we talk STIs (Sexually Transmitted Infections) - symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, stigma, and a lil bit of history. We also discuss different modes of testing between in-person clinics and online testing, as well as our own experiences with STIs! There's lots of stigma and misinformation about STIs, but most can be easily treated/managed, and they are nothing to be ashamed of :) Thanks for listening! Socials:  Twitter Instagram References: https://www.brook.org.uk/topics/stis/ ​​https://s-x.scot/sexual-health/stis-prevention/testing/ https://www.cdc.gov/std/herpes/screening.htm#:~:text=There%20is%20no%20evidence%20that,people%20outweighs%20the%20potential%20benefits. https://www.who.int/news/item/28-10-2015-globally-an-estimated-two-thirds-of-the-population-under-50-are-infected-with-herpes-simplex-virus-type-1#:~:text=More%20than%203.7%20billion%20people,in%20the%20journal%20PLOS%20ONE. https://www.nfid.org/infectious-diseases/facts-about-human-papillomavirus-hpv-for-adults/ https://maximumfun.org/episodes/sawbones/the-hpv-vaccine/ https://maximumfun.org/episodes/sawbones/sawbones-herpes-centric-thanksgiving-special/

Love dating apps? Hate them? Constantly deleting and redownloading them? Whatever your experiences, we hope you enjoy this episode! We spoke all about dating apps. The pros, cons, research, our own experiences as trans people on dating apps, and more!  Please rate this podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts if you're enjoying it! All of your engagement helps :)  Socials: Twitter Instagram References: Aizura, A. Z., Bey, M., Beauchamp, T., Ellison, T., Gill-Peterson, J., & Steinbock, E. (2020). Thinking with Trans Now. Social Text, 38(4), 125-147.  Batiste, D. P. (2013). '0 Feet Away': The Queer Cartography of French Gay Men's Geo-social Media Use. Anthropological Journal of European Cultures, 22(2), 112-132. Beauman, F. (2020). Matrimony, Inc. Pegasus Books. Feder, S. (Director). (2020). Disclosure [Film]. Field of Vision; Disclosure Films; Bow and Arrow Entertainment. Fernandez, J. R., & Birnholtz, J. (2019). "I Don't Want Them to Not Know": Investigating Decisions to Disclose Transgender Identity on Dating Platforms. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 3(CSCW), 1 – 21.  Fetters, A. (2018). THE FIVE YEARS THAT CHANGED DATING. https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2018/12/tinder-changed-dating/578698/ Fredrickson, B. L., & Roberts, T.-A. (1997). Objectification Theory: Toward Understanding Women’s Lived Experiences and Mental Health Risks. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 21(2), 173–206.  Iglikowski-Broad, V. (2019). ‘Bohemian, broad-minded, unconventional.’ What was it like to be queer in the 1920s? https://blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk/bohemian-broad-minded-unconventional-what-was-it-like-to-be-queer-in-the-1920s/ Kane, M. (2012). GLAAD Examines Ten Years of Transgender Images on Television; More than Half Were Negative or Defamatory. https://www.glaad.org/blog/glaad-examines-ten-years-transgender-images-television-more-half-were-negative-or-defamatory Lauckner, C., Truszczynski, N., Lambert, D., Kottamasu, V., Meherally, S., Schipani-McLaughlin, A. M., Taylor, E., & Hansen, N. (2019). “Catfishing,” cyberbullying, and coercion: An exploration of the risks associated with dating app use among rural sexual minority males. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health, 23(3), 289-306.  Pelham, B. W., Carvallo, M., & Jones, J. T. (2005). Implicit Egotism. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 14(2), 106–110.  Reimann, M. (2016). The chatty, charming history of personal ads. https://timeline.com/tinder-personal-ads-history-4c34c7d6dbcb Wetzel, C. G., & Insko, C. A. (1982). The similarity-attraction relationship: Is there an ideal one? Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 18(3), 253-276.  ( Also, here's that trans sport group Oliver mentioned: https://leapsports.org/activities/TransActive )

! TW: mentions of sexual abuse, rape ! [Dan] - Sorry my audio is a bit bad this week! Totally my bad, I hope you enjoy it anyway! In today's episode, we're joined by special guest Lam Captan, a good friend of Dan from uni, to talk about her experiences and knowledge about religious trauma. We discuss what it is, how it may impact people, the effects on queer people specifically, and how some people reclaim their religion while embracing their sexual orientation or gender identity. We hope you enjoyed today's episode, we thought it was super interesting! Twitter: @GenderFckPod Insta: @GenderFckPod Resources: https://www.restorationcounselingseattle.com/religious-trauma-transitions https://rebelliousmagazine.com/navigating-sex-relationships-with-religious-trauma-syndrome/ https://www.hrc.org/resources/the-lies-and-dangers-of-reparative-therapy Green, A.E., Price-Feeney M., Dorison, S.H., and Pick, C. J. (2020). Self-Reported Conversion Efforts and Suicidality Among US LGBTQ Youths and Young Adults, 2018. American Journal of Public Health 110, 1221_1227, https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2020.305701 Etengoff, C., & Rodriguez, E. M. (2021). Incorporating Transformative Intersectional Psychology (TIP) into Our Understanding of LGBTQ Muslims’ Lived Experiences, Challenges, and Growth. Journal of Homosexuality, 68(7), 1075-1082. https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2021.1888582 Sachdej R. (2021) LGBTQ Global Mental Health: Ethical Challenges and Clinical Considerations. In: Dyer A.R., Kohrt B.A., Candilis P.J. (eds) Global Mental Health Ethics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66296-7_18 Robinson, B.A. (2005-03-20). "Virginity/sexual abstinence pledges". Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance.

In today's episode, we tackle the slightly controversial topic: Pornography. We talk about what it is, why people consume it, and why people have such hangups about it! We don't have all the answers, but we do know that there's no need to feel ashamed for watching porn. It has pros and cons just like all other media you consume! Resources: Twitter Instagram The Second Circle: Bad Sex Series Sources: Nordic Model Mindmap What's The Safeword: How Billie Eilish Got it Wrong Peter, J., & Valkenburg, P. M. (2007). Adolescents’ Exposure to a Sexualized Media Environment and Their Notions of Women as Sex Objects. Sex Roles, 56(5–6), 381–395. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-006-9176-y Gangon, J, H. & Simon, W. (1973). Sexual Conduct: The Social Sources of Human Sexuality. Piscataway, NJ: A   Division Transaction Publishers. Lim, M., Agius, P., Carrotte, E., Vella, A., & Hellard, M. (2017). Young Australians' use of pornography    and associations with sexual risk behaviours. Australian And New Zealand Journal Of Public Health,  41(4), 438-443. doi: 10.1111/1753-6405.12678 Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) | Terrence Higgins Trust. (2019). https://www.tht.org.uk/our-work/our-campaigns/relationships-and-sex-education-rse Bőthe, B., Vaillancourt-Morel, M., Bergeron, S., & Demetrovics, Z. (2019). Problematic and Non-Problematic  Pornography Use Among LGBTQ Adolescents: a Systematic Literature Review. Current Addiction Reports. DOI: 10.1007/s40429-019-00289-5 Arrington-Sanders, R., Harper, G., Morgan, A., Ogunbajo, A., Trent, M., & Fortenberry, J. (2015).    The Role of Sexually Explicit Material in the Sexual Development of Same-Sex-Attracted Black   Adolescent Males. Archives Of Sexual Behavior, 44(3), 597—608. DOI: 10.1007/s10508-014-0416-x  Albury, K. (2014). Porn and Sex Education, Porn as Sex Education. Porn Studies, 1, (1-2), 172—181. DOI: 10.1080/23268743.2013.863654) Stein, D., Silvera, R., Hagerty, R. et al. Viewing Pornography Depicting Unprotected Anal Intercourse: Are There Implications for HIV Prevention Among Men Who Have Sex with Men?. Arch Sex Behav 41, 411–419 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-011-9789-2 Morrison, T. G., Bearden, A., Harriman, R., Morrison, M. A., & Ellis, S. R. (2004). Correlates of exposure to sexually explicit material among Canadian post-secondary students. The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality,  13(3–4), 143–156. Ashton, A., McDonald, K., Kirkman, M. (2019). Pornography and Women’s Sexual Pleasure:  Accounts  From Young Women in Australia. Feminism & Psychology, 29(3), 409—432.     DOI: 10.1177/0959353519833410 Kvalem, I. L., Træen, B., Lewin, B., Štulhofer, A. (2014). Self-Perceived Effects of Internet Pornography Use, Genital  Appearance Satisfaction, and Sexual Self-Esteem Among Young Scandinavian Adults. Journal   of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace, 8(4) (doi: 10.5817/CP2014-4-4)

Anndddd we're back! In today's episode, we talk libido, sexual response models, and some common things that may be dampening your sex drive.  Social media: Twitter Instagram Q4Q episode (give it a listen, the host is really so great!) Resources: Come as You Are - Dr. Emily Nagoski  Sexual temperament questionnaire  Some other really helpful worksheets from come as you are can also be found: here “Sexual Desire Changes in Transgender Individuals Upon Initiation of Hormone Treatment: Results From the Longitudinal European Network for the Investigation of Gender Incongruence.” (Defreyne, Justine et al.)

Today we talked about the joys of self-pleasure! Masturbation can be great for your solo and partnered sex life, and there are endless ways to do it. We discussed the benefits of masturbation, harmful myths, and tips on how to really ~get into it~! Also, this will be our last episode before we take a break for the holidays. We’ll be back in January with more episodes! In the meantime, follow our social media to find out what we’re up to :) Instagram: @genderfckpod Twitter: @GenderFckPod Curiouscat: curiouscat.qa/GenderfkPod Dan's art instagram: @Beau_Garcon_Art Resources: https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/sex-pleasure-and-sexual-dysfunction/masturbation https://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-sex/overusing-vibrator-sensitivity#The-answer?-No,-your-vibe-isnt-going-to-wreck-your-V Come As You Are by Dr. Emily Nagoski https://www.emilynagoski.com/home https://www.vice.com/en/article/59dxw3/a-guide-to-muffing-the-hidden-way-to-finger-trans-women

Today is World AIDS Day, where we remember all those who have died due to AIDS-related illnesses. For this episode, we wanted to talk about HIV and AIDS- the history, the transmission, the treatment, and the stigma.  Sources: AIDS Memorial Quilt  https://s-x.scot/ https://www.waverleycare.org/ https://www.tht.org.uk/ https://www.aidsmap.com/ https://www.history.com/topics/1980s/hiv-aids-crisis-timeline https://time.com/4705809/first-aids-drug-azt/ https://www.spin.com/2015/10/aids-and-the-azt-scandal-spin-1989-feature-sins-of-omission/ Social Media:  Check out our Curiouscat and ask us some questions and leave us feedback! https://curiouscat.qa/GenderfkPod  Twitter Instagram