Episode description

It’s STI Awareness Month, so let’s take some time to brush up on our knowledge of sexually transmitted infections. You may think you already know everything there is to know, but trust me, you don’t! In today’s show, we’re going to discuss some surprising and lesser-known facts about STIs that challenge the conventional wisdom. For example, is someone who has a larger number of sexual partners necessarily more likely to have an STI than someone with fewer partners? Likewise, are things like pubic hair grooming and the rise of online dating apps affecting STI rates?

For this show, we’re revisiting my conversation with Dr. Ina Park from all the way back in episode 39. She is an associate professor at the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine and author of the book Strange Bedfellows: Adventures in the Science, History, and Surprising Secrets of STDs.

• Why is it the case that having more sexual partners doesn’t necessarily translate to having more STIs?
• Broadly speaking, how do some of our sexual practices shape STIs?
• What’s the relationship between pubic hair grooming and STIs?
• What are some tips for individuals who want to talk about STIs with a sexual and/or romantic partner?
• How can we break down STI taboo and stigma to facilitate more open conversations on the subject?

You can learn more about Ina’s work here.

Got a sex question? Send me a podcast voicemail to have it answered on a future episode at speakpipe.com/sexandpsychology.

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Credits: Precision Podcasting (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos used with permission of guest.