EPISODE · Jan 12, 2026 · 29 MIN

Going gay in middle age

from Ladies, We Need To Talk · host Australian Broadcasting Corporation

What’s it like to switch teams mid-season? Nicola was married to a man for 25 years before she fell in love with a woman. Jennifer and Marija were in their 40s when everything they knew about their sexuality changed.  Yumi Stynes chats to later-in-life lesbians to hear what they’ve learned from swapping sides. She also gets the low-down on sexuality research across the life span, and why so many women are coming out in their second act. What to listen to next:How swapping a husband for a wife made this economist better offWhere's my village? Esther Perel on how to build communityWill we ever have a cure for endometriosis?Hacking online dating with Prof. Jennie YoungYou can binge more episodes of Ladies, We Need to Talk on the ABC listen app (in Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.  What to read next:  Why Kate chose to 'stay flat' after breast cancer surgeryHow Turia Pitt's body image changed in motherhoodWhat loving someone with an addiction or dependence can look likeThe dark side of being a perfectionistThis episode will answer questions like: What’s it like to fall in love with a woman in middle age? Are some women straight and then turn gay? How common is bisexuality? How fluid is sexuality? What does it feel like to have sex with a woman for the first time? This episode contains references to sexuality, family, mother, parenting relationships, lesbian, gay, straight, sex, orgasm, religion.