When it comes to sociocultural norms, sex isn't considered a subject for polite conversation. If you're looking for a welcoming and honest place for discussions of sex, love, relationships, and pleasure, then perhaps it’s time to tune into one of these sex-positive podcasts.
Sex workers, educators, therapists, coaches, and self-designated sexperts have been doing the work of breaking down taboos around sexuality for years by recording podcasts that take listener questions and include interviews with titillating guests. The listens featured below represent some of the best sex podcasts available, venturing into complex issues like fetishes, trauma, open relationships, porn, and body image, all without losing sight of the connection and pleasure sexual intimacy offers.
In a society that stigmatizes open conversations about sex, it's hard to find out if your experiences are normal, what you can do to find more enjoyment in sex, and how you can become more confident in the bedroom. That's why sex coach and educator Sara Tang started her podcast, Better in Bed. Tang fosters an intimate, lighthearted, and informative environment for those interested in upping their sex game or anyone simply curious. Look to Better in Bed for helpful conversations about rekindling desire, open relationships, sex toys, and other topics that may pique your interest.
If you're looking for a podcast by LGBTQIA+ hosts and producers that frankly discusses queer sex and love, Dear Jessamyn is just the thing. Hosts and partners Jessamyn Stanley and Ashe Danger Phoenix share informative and no-holds-barred episodes about polyamory, starting and ending relationships, identity, and beyond. Listen to Dear Jessamyn if you want complete transparency on living and loving outside of cis- and heteronormative boundaries.
Hannah Witton wants to open the door for discussions on sex for people with all kinds of bodies, abilities, and identities. Witton is very open about how living with chronic illness and having a stoma intersect with her own sex life, and her podcast Doing It! is likewise honest, wonderfully nuanced, empathetic, and thoughtful. She's also a masterful interviewer, guiding conversations with guests on everything from sex and gender identity to periods and pregnancy to polyamory.
Susie Bright is an iconic sexpert, feminist, activist, and writer who has dedicated her life to breaking taboos around sex and especially women's pleasure. In her long-running series In Bed with Susie Bright, she's explored everything from the G-spot to the history of pornography to kinks and much more. With Bright's sense of humor and dedication to total honesty, no sexy topic is off limits. Though the show came to a close in 2022, there are more than two decades of episodes to discover, and there's no better introduction than this collection of a few of our favorite moments from the show.
Have you ever been curious about kinks outside of your comfort zone—but too scared to ask? Fear not. Journalist and sex educator Alix Fox takes an open, nonjudgmental deep dive into kinks and fetishes of all stripes in this eye-opening podcast. In addition to explaining the basics of various kinks, Fox discusses their history, the science behind what attracts people to them, and sociological factors at play. Listen in to Kink! and you'll quickly find that there's a lot more to kinky sex than you ever imagined.
In this entertaining and thought-provoking podcast, radio star Angela Yee and her friends talk with various hip-hop and R&B artists, actors, and comedians about their sex and love lives. We rarely get to hear about celebrities' relationships directly from the source, so this listen feels especially revelatory. A gifted host and interviewer, Yee fosters an environment of laidback fun, truthfulness, and intimacy on Lip Service as she chats with superstar guests like Lizzo, Blac Chyna, and Issa Rae.
Take a fascinating journey through the free porn revolution with eclectic British writer and journalist Jon Ronson in The Butterfly Effect. This Audible Original podcast explores how the world of porn—and our world at large—was irreversibly changed when one teenager in Brussels made pornographic content free and open for all on the web. Ronson, known for his investigations of fringe politics and history, presents a nuanced story of how making free porn accessible to the public impacted public health, economics, human psychology, and the way we think and talk about sex today.
While there’s a societal stigma around talking about sex in general, it’s indisputable that the stigma is even greater for conversations about LGBTQIA+ sexuality. Comedian and writer Scott Flasheart started his podcast Probably True to create a collection of firsthand stories about queer sex and attraction. Each 30-minute episode contains a different person's sexy story from somewhere in the LGBTQIA+ spectrum, highlighting the many different forms that love and human connection can take.
Dr. Emily Morse is an expert in human sexuality, and she's made it her life's goal to liberate conversations around sex and pleasure. In her podcast, Dr. Morse openly discusses everything to do with sex and relationships, and she regularly takes phone calls with listener questions. She's especially interested in helping listeners have open, productive conversations about sex with their partners and discover more of what they might enjoy without shame. Sex With Emily is a fantastic, approachable show with tons of previous episodes to catch up on while waiting for new installments to drop.
It’s likely that we all share some degree of internalized shame, guilt, and stigma around how we see our own bodies and sexuality. That’s why Elizabeth Banks created My Body, My Podcast—to push past the silence and create a place for open, honest communication about bodies and sex. Banks explores how gender and sex impact all of our lives by telling her own personal stories, sharing useful sex education information, and interviewing celebrities (including Jameela Jamil and Laverne Cox), writers, therapists, and researchers.
Comedian and consummate performer Nicole Byer is a total catch. So, why is she single? That's the question Byer seeks to answer in every episode of her podcast Why Won't You Date Me?, where she interviews exes, friends, and celebrities about sex, dating, and her own perpetual lack of a significant other. Byer isn't afraid to take her guests into intimate territory, and she doesn’t hold back either, regularly discussing her own dating exploits. The result is a hilarious podcast that feels like a candid conversation with a good friend.
This podcast focuses less on universal experiences around sex, instead zeroing in on one woman's funny, thoughtful, and touching story. When Molly was diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer, she wanted to do something that would make her feel more alive. So, she left her unfulfilling marriage to pursue a series of sexual escapades, sharing the details with her best friend, Nikki Boyer—who now shares them with listeners as the host of Dying For Sex. Touching on everything from Molly's daring and hilarious exploits to her difficult cancer treatments to her evolving relationship with Nikki, this is a podcast that will make you laugh and cry.
Khadeen and Devale Ellis are an influencer couple with a popular YouTube series. Their podcast focuses on relatable, honest conversations about their relationship, including sex, love, marriage, and parenting. The pair met in high school and have been together since college, so they have no shortage of relationship stories to draw upon for their podcast. If you're looking to learn from the experiences and reflections of a real-life urban couple (K&D live in Brooklyn), then Dead Ass is the listen for you.
Rather than demonize or sensationalize strippers, pro-dommes, and their colleagues, this podcast seeks to humanize sex workers by putting them at the center of the conversation. In interviews with people from across the industry, Parker Westwood educates listeners about sex work, burlesque, porn, BDSM, and all the other parts of the sex world that are often considered unmentionable. Get enlightened and join the sex-positive revolution by listening to A Sex Worker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Sometimes it's easier to learn about sex and relationships through other people's experiences than your own. That's where this now-classic podcast from relationship guru and bestselling author Esther Perel comes in. In Where Should We Begin?, Perel invites listeners into intimate therapy sessions with 10 anonymous couples as they discuss issues such as infidelity, sexual dry spells, grief, and more. She teaches couples how to engage in healthy conversations around difficult topics and change the narrative when the stories we tell ourselves get in the way of meaningful, loving connection.
