PODCAST · health
Do We Know Things?
by Dr. Lisa Dawn Hamilton
I’m Dr. Lisa Dawn Hamilton. By day, I’m a sex researcher and psychology professor who teaches about sex. In this podcast I explore the things we think we know about sex by delving into the research surrounding common beliefs about sex and relationships. I want to know how we know what we know. If you are a sex geek like me or if you just want to know things, subscribe to listen to me question everything you thought you knew about sex! Sex and Relationships! What do we know? Do we know things? Let’s find out! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
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Periods: Why So Taboo?
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...
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Love is Blind and Birth Control is Complicated
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.…
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The Coolidge Effect
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…
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Notes from the Road - Part 2
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…
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Embracing the Solo Life with Peter McGraw: DWKT on the Road
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…
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Notes from the Road - Part 1
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…
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Circumcision Redux
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...
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Sexuality and Reproductive Health in Fiction
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...
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The First Cut is the Deepest: Penile Circumcision
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...
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The Nightmare of Endometriosis
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...
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Lube, Glorious Lube!
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...
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The Pill, Your Partner(s), and You
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…
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The Need for Nuance in Stories of Nonmonogamy
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...
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Restorative Justice: A More Human Process for Survivors
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...
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Mini-episode - The Serotonin Addendum
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…
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Is Love a Drug?
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...
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The Reality of Fantasies
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…
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Hiding in Plain Sight: Discovering the Clitoris
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...
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Does Abstinence Work?
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!...
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Sex Education: Not Just for Kids
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…
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Questions from a Confused Monogamist
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...
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41 - Why are You So Obsessed with Monogamy?
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...
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40 - What is Monogamy?
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…
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August Break - Mini-Episode
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...
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39 – Rethinking Femininity: Understanding Femmephobia
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...
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38 - The G-spot is Not a Spot
You likely have heard of the Grafenberg spot, or G-spot, as it is more commonly known. The G-spot has had some pretty good PR since it was named in the 1980s, and it has really become a household name. But what if I told you, there is actually no such thing! A combination of misunderstanding the...
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37 - Time to Get Aroused?
One bit of sex advice I have seen floating around the internet, particularly on Instagram, is that it takes cisgender women 20 minutes to get fully aroused. This is presented as a contrast to cisgender men, who are, I guess, faster than that? I never see any man-stats presented, but it is implied...
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36 - Oxytocin: What's Love Got to Do With It?
If you have heard of oxytocin before, you have probably heard about it as “the love hormone” or “the cuddle hormone.” Oxytocin has other nicknames too. It’s called the morality molecule, the hug hormone, and although it is less catchy, I like to point out, it’s also the racism hormone. Those are...
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35 - Do Menstrual Cycles Sync?
Most people with a period think that menstrual cycles sync up with people we spend a lot of time with, whether it is friends, coworkers or roommates. This phenomenon is called menstrual synchrony. But is it a real thing or is it just a coincidence? What do you think? Tune in to this episode to…
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34 - Sex Work and the Law
Do you know the laws about sex work? Do you know the difference between the "Nordic" model, decriminalization, and legalization of sex work? What about the difference between sex work and sex trafficking? When talking to my partner Jeremy, it dawned on me that not everyone follows sex work laws…
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April Break - Consent and Rejection with BK Chan (Re-release)
These days, talk of consent and consent education is increasingly common. I would argue that it is the most important part of school-based sex education, even though it is still not explicitly included as part of some provinces’ curricula. Of course, it’s one thing to tell people that they need…
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33 - Sex Toys & Safety
Sex toys, while once highly taboo, have been increasing in popularity and visibility over the last two decades. While most people don’t necessarily talk openly about their sex toys, advertising, websites, and brick and mortar stores selling high quality sex toys are much more visible than they…
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March Break - To Pee or Not to Pee Revisited
This week we're going to revisit my most controversial episode, where I investigated if it's necessary to pee after sex! We'll be back in two weeks with our regularly scheduled programming! Hosted by Dr. Lisa Dawn Hamilton, psychology professor and sex educator. Find the script for this episode…
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Sex, Stress, and COVID - Crossover episode with Succeed Under Stress podcast
For this episode, I am flipping things a bit and playing an episode of the Succeed Under Stress podcast where I was interviewed by my friend, clinical psychologist, and podcast host Dr. Jonathan Horowitz. We talked about stress and sex with a focus on how COVID affects our sex lives. Tune in to...
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31 - Intersex: Beyond the Binary
Humans brains like to put things into neat mental boxes, but the world is not neat and doesn't fit easily into categories. Most people don't know that biological sex can be something other than male or female, but there are millions of people who are intersex. It's shocking that there is not more...
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Winter Break - Orgasms from PVI (Re-release)
This episode is a re-release of the first ever episode of Do We Know Things? Media depictions of heterosexual sex are all about penile-vaginal-intercourse (PVI), which always seems to lead to mind-blowing orgasms for women. Sex educators say only about 25% of women have orgasms from PVI, though....
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30 - What Does it Mean to be Emasculated?
What comes to mind when you think of emasculation? If you are like most people, you probably think about it metaphorically. My guest on this episode, Dr. Richard Wassersug studies emasculation in the literal sense. He studies people who remove their testicles by choice (a.k.a. voluntary eunuchs)...
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29 - The Joy of Vibrators
Have you heard the story of how and why vibrators were invented? If so, it’s probably wrong. What about risks of desensitization from vibrators? That’s a myth too. There are so many myths surrounding vibrators! This episode will challenge those myth with evidence, and I will also throw in some…
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28 - Myths of Male Desire
It's reinforced so much by our media culture, it's almost become a cliche: Men are horny ALL the time. This simplified version of men’s sexuality is also often repeated by researchers and other experts. I am excited to challenge some myths about heterosexual men’s sexual desire with my guest Dr....
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27 - Biology of Sex
This episode of Do We Know Things? examines the things we are often taught about the biology of sex differences. It is definitely a science-nerd episode, but it focuses on biases in research that affect half the population! In particular, I wanted to address the oft repeated lore that ‘female is...
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26 - Anniversary Episode: Top 5 Sex Myths and More!
Did you know Do We Know Things? is officially one year old!? To celebrate, I’m going to revisit a few topics from the last year, including the Top 5 sex myths I have busted over the past year! I also have more info about merkins, pubic hair, and art as an update from the last epsiode. And I’ll be...
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25 – The Hair Down There
After a recent convo with a friend about pubic hair. I realized I didn't know where the current trend of pubic hair removal started, even though I thought I did! This led me to think of all the other pubic hair things I had heard over the years. Does pubic hair serve a protective factor? Does...
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24 - Orgasms Do Not Equal Sexual Satisfaction
Think of your last sexual encounter, either by yourself or someone else. What do remember? What was the best part? Was it the orgasm? What if you didn’t have an orgasm? Would that be a disappointment? Can you have good sex without orgasms? Can you have bad sex with orgasms? We often equate…
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23 - Should You Stop Masturbating?
Do you have a penis? Do you feel unmotivated? Do you jerk off too much? Do you have erectile dysfunction? If you answered yes to any of these questions, the No Fap movement would be happy to provide you with some answers. If you haven’t heard of it before, r/NoFap is a subreddit...
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22 - Virginity isn't Real
What is virginity? Judging by the media, it's a pretty big deal! Hundreds of songs are written about it. Every TV teen drama has that very special episode where the two leads decide to do it (or not). Whole movies are based on the premise of horny guys trying to "get some" for the first time. But...
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21 - The Pros and Cons of Porn
Porn. For many people in the past century, porn was something you had to go looking for. But that all changed in the past couple of decades... With the invention of high speed internet and streaming technology, porn is very easily accessed by anyone with an internet connection. Porn is a hot…
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20 - All About the Clitoris
On this episode of Do We Know Things?, I discuss the greatest thing of all.. the clitoris! Although it is slowly changing, there is so much the average person does not know about the clitoris. Although one "fact" that gets repeated again and again is that there are 8,000 nerve endings in the...
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August Hiatus - Mini Episode
Hi! There is no episode this week. We are taking a brief summer break. I have included a few sex ed related recommendations in this brief episode to help the wait for the next episode of Do We Know Things? Sex Ed East website https://www.sexedeast.ca/ Subscribe to the Sex Ed East biweekly...
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19 - Awkward Questions from Confused Guys
So much of sex advice and information is targeted to straight, cisgender women, except, of course, for penis enlargement and boner pills. That is just spammed in a constant stream at anyone who might have a penis. online, most of the sex educators with big youtube channels and Instagram…
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18 - Let's Talk About Shame
Shame is one of my favourite things to talk about. Seriously! It is the worst thing to experience, but because of its power over so much of our lives, I find it endlessly fascinating. Shame is my explanation for basically everything. And the more I learn about it, the more I think I am right!…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
I’m Dr. Lisa Dawn Hamilton. By day, I’m a sex researcher and psychology professor who teaches about sex.
In this podcast I explore the things we think we know about sex by delving into the research surrounding common beliefs about sex and relationships. I want to know how we know what we know.
If you are a sex geek like me or if you just want to know things, subscribe to listen to me question everything you thought you knew about sex!
Sex and Relationships! What do we know? Do we know things? Let’s find out!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
HOSTED BY
Dr. Lisa Dawn Hamilton
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Do We Know Things? have?
Do We Know Things? currently has 68 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Do We Know Things? about?
I’m Dr. Lisa Dawn Hamilton. By day, I’m a sex researcher and psychology professor who teaches about sex. In this podcast I explore the things we think we know about sex by delving into the research surrounding common beliefs about sex and relationships. I want to know how we know what we know. If...
How often does Do We Know Things? release new episodes?
Do We Know Things? has 68 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Do We Know Things??
You can listen to Do We Know Things? on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Do We Know Things??
Do We Know Things? is created and hosted by Dr. Lisa Dawn Hamilton.
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