Is Hookup Culture Real? What the Data Actually Says

Everyone says people today have more sexual partners than ever — but the data tells a different story. This episode unpacks the real trends: median partner counts have been remarkably stable for thirty years, even as a "sex recession" grows among young adults and a small, highly connected minority drives record STD rates. We explore what public health data reveals about sexual networks that surveys miss, and how major religious traditions navigate the gap between doctrine and lived behavior. From the Kinsey Institute to the CDC's latest syphilis numbers, we separate narrative from evidence.