Our Better Half

Jane unabashedly loves a particular genre of books: true adventures of explorers where no one gets killed. Let’s just say it’s not everyone’s favorite. But she delights us this week with her ability to make the connection of Ernest Shackleton’s failed voyage to Antartica with sex at an older age. If you’ve been caught by the ‘Shacks’ bug, here’s a title she recommends: Lansing, A. (2015). Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage, New York: Basic Books Like our show? You can subscribe by sending us your email. We love our listeners and welcome your feedback. Please write to us at this address. And thanks for listening!

This week, we're continuing our conversation about menopause. Dr. Heather Dillaway is a researcher from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan who believes menopause is a part of life, a natural part of women’s sexual development, and is not a medical condition. She critiques the medicalization of women’s health in this article.  ​Dr. Dillaway is part of The North American Menopause Society, a group dedicated to research on women and menopause. You can learn more about their work and upcoming events by clicking here.

Our guest this week is Dr. Heather Dillaway, a great researcher from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan who believes menopause is a part of life, a natural part of women’s sexual development, and is not a medical condition. She critiques the medicalization of women’s health in this article. Dr. Dillaway is part of The North American Menopause Society, a group dedicated to research on women and menopause.

This week we talked about finding love in later life. People can be reluctant to date again after a divorce or the death of a spouse. Ashley and Jane discuss how to make this process easier, including how to communicate with your family and new partners when you start dating again. Here are links and references to the other resources that were mentioned in today’s episode: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3848887/ Send us your feedback at this address. And thanks for listening!

Our guest this week is Dr. Hallie Lieberman, the author of a new book about the history of the vibrator and other sex toys, Buzz: A Stimulating History of the Sex Toy. You can find out more about the book at Hallie’s website. When ordering your copy of the book, please support your local independent bookstore. We love our listeners and welcome your feedback. Please write to us at this address. And thanks for listening!

This week we talked to Gayle Appel Doll,  the author of Sexuality and Long Term Care: Understanding and Supporting the Needs of Older Adults and the director of the Center of Aging at Kansas State University. To check out the book and find out where you can buy it go here. In this episode Gayle speaks about the importance of nursing home staff recognizing older adults’ sexuality. Here are links and references to the other resources that were mentioned in today’s episode: Jane's contribution to Women's Health Ashley's contribution to Health.com Backseat Bingo: https://vimeo.com/7584260 Doll, G., (2013), Sexuality in Kansas nursing homes: Practice and policy. The Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 39(7). 30-39. We love our listeners and welcome your feedback. Please write to us at this address. And thanks for listening!

Dr. Bill Stayton, renowned sexuality educator, marriage and family therapist, and pastor of human sexuality is our guest on this week’s show. You might be surprised to learn the role of religion in his teaching (not what you’d expect). Some of the resources Bill discussed with us: Our Whole Lives curriculum World Association for Sexual Health Declaration of Sexual Rights If you like our show, you can subscribe by sending us your email. We love our listeners and welcome your feedback.  Send us new ideas for surveys. Please write to us at this address. And thanks for listening!

What is sex? (for older adults) Results just in – older adults have a wide and varied palette when it comes to describing what gets them going sexually. Listen to the results of our survey on older adults’ sexual expression. You might be surprised to hear some of their responses! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback. Send us new ideas for surveys. Please write to us at this address. And thanks for listening!

Lynn Comella is our guest on this week’s episode and we are grateful to have her with us. Lynn is the author of Vibrator Nation: How Feminist Sex Toy Stores Changed the Business of Pleasure, published by Duke University Press. Check out Lynn’s website for more information and how to order the book. Buy it from your local feminist sex toy store (and give them your support) or from your local, independent bookstore. So check out the show. And subscribe by sending us your email. We love our listeners and welcome your feedback.  Please write to us at this address. And thanks for listening!

On today’s show we are thrilled to have Dr. Patricia Young with us. Patricia is a Physical Therapist, founder and owner of Restore Physical Therapy and Wellness, specializing in pelvic floor health. She received her Ph.D. in Physical Therapy at Temple University and is knowledgeable and delightful to talk with. She’s got great resources on her website on pelvic health. And she was recently quoted in my column on sex and aging for our local newspaper. So check out the show. We love our listeners and welcome your feedback.  Please write to us at this address. And thanks for listening!

How do we communicate sexually? Is it verbal? Non-verbal? A combination of each? On today’s show, Jane and Ashley discuss what the research says about sexual communication and the results of our first listeners’ survey. As always, they’ve got tips for you. Give a listen, and enjoy! Research we discussed on today’s show: Fleishman, J. M. (2016). Coming of age at the time of Stonewall: Internalized homophobia, sexual communication, resilience, relationship satisfaction, and sexual satisfaction in aging adults in same-sex relationships. (Unpublished dissertation).Widener University, Chester, PA Holmberg, D., & Blair, K. L. (2009). Sexual desire, communication, satisfaction, and preferences of men and women in same-sex versus mixed-sex relationships. Journal of Sex Research, 46(1), 57-66. doi: 10.1080/00224490802645294 Kaplan, H. S. (1974). The new sex therapy. New York: Brunner/Mazel. Mader, A. (2013). Older adult experiences of their sexuality: A phenomenological inquiry. (Unpublished dissertation). Widene

This week we talked to Joan Price, the author of The Ultimate Guide to Sex After 50, Naked at Our Age and Better Than I Ever Expected. In this episode Joan speaks about her inspiration for her books, the changes in the field of sexuality and aging, sex toys and tips for both older adults and younger folks in regards to sex and aging. For more information on Joan Price and to check out her books go to http://www.joanprice.com/. So check out the show. We love our listeners and welcome your feedback.  Please write to us at this address. And thanks for listening!

What do we mean when we talk about body image? What are the researchers saying about it? How does body image affect us as we age? And what are the implications on our sexuality? Join us as Jane and Ashley discuss the latest research and give some tips. So check out the show. We love our listeners and welcome your feedback. Please write to us at this address. And thanks for listening!  Research we discussed on today’s show: Koch, P. B., Kernoff, P. M., Thurau, D., & Carey, M. (2005). “Feeling frumpy”: The relationships between body image and sexual response changes in midlife women, Journal of Sex Research, 42(3), 215-223. click here to reach the abstract. Mader, A. (2013). Older adult experiences of their sexuality: A phenomenological inquiry. (Unpublished dissertation). Widener University, Chester, PA.  

This week we talked to Joan Ditzion, one of the authors of Our Bodies, Ourselves. In this episode Joan speaks about the history and inspiration of the legendary book and how it has evolved throughout the years. And she has tips for women on different aspects of aging. For more information on Our Bodies, Ourselves or to check out their great web resources, visit https://www.ourbodiesourselves.org So check out the show. We love our listeners and welcome your feedback.  Please write to us at this address. And thanks for listening!   Opening music by Kabbalistic Village, closing music is “I Feel Spring” by Ketsa. All music available through Creative Commons Attribution, Non-Commercial Share Alike 4.0 International.

This week we cover a few topics that affect us as we age. We have the great pleasure to have Dr. Mitchell Tepper, a sexologist who focuses on sex and disabilities on our show this week. Mitch discusses his research and an extraordinary documentary he and Dr. Mark Schoen are creating called, “Love After War.” It’s an in-depth look into the lives of active duty service members and veterans who have returned home with physical and/or psychological health challenges that are creating difficulties in their intimate and sexual lives as they age. Here’s a link to the film so you can see the trailer. Another excellent resource on sexuality and health disparities that Mitch discussed is The Morehouse Center for Excellence for Sexual Health. And please write to Mitch if you’re interested in any of the articles he cited. Continuing our exploration into Black History Month, we translate some recent research results about Black women’s sexuality and aging from Dr. Erika Evans-Weaver, whose doctoral research results can b

Show Notes #50 Interview with Patti Britton On this show, we have an interview with the fabulous Dr. Patti Britton talking about her work, her loss, and how her work moves her through her grief. Find out more about Sexology University and Sex Coach U here at Dr. Patti Britton’s website.  So check out the show. We love our listeners and welcome your feedback.  Please write to us at this address. And thanks for listening!   Opening music by Kabbalistic Village, closing music is “Landmine” by Bankrupt Bakery. All music available through Creative Commons Attribution, Non-Commercial Share Alike 4.0 International.

As this is the start of Black History month, we wanted to raise up the work of Black women who’ve expanded our knowledge of sexuality and why Black Lives Matter. So stay with us. We talk about talented and courageous Black women: Audre Lorde, Angela Bowen, Mandy Carter, and Imani Woody. And we explain why Black Lives Matter to us as two white women. Opening music by Kabbalistic Village, closing music is “Sultry Space Showers” by B.Leo. All music available through Creative Commons Attribution, Non-Commercial Share Alike 4.0 International.   Resource links: You can learn more about how to support Black Lives Matter working to elevate the issues of race and racism in our society. The Women of Color Sexual Health Network (WOCSHN) is an inspiring group of sexuality educators and they’ve just released a new curriculum. We’ve worked with many of these great women and love their work. You can learn more about them here. Jennifer Abod's documentary film about Angela Bowen is inspirational, informative, complex, and hu

With the new publication of the landmark model for sexuality, Circles of Sexuality, Ashley interviews her mentor and creator of the model, Dr. Dennis Dailey. Dennis is humorous, humble, and an honor to have with us. So check out the show. We love our listeners and welcome your feedback.  Please write to us at this address. And thanks for listening!   Opening music by Kabbalistic Village, closing music is “The Long Goodbye” by John Pazdan. All music available through Creative Commons Attribution, Non-Commercial Share Alike 4.0 International.   Articles cited in today’s show: Dailey, D. M. (2017). Sexual expression and aging. Quarterly Journal of the Life Planning Network, 4 (4), 34-53. To access Dr. Dailey’s article, just click here.

You don’t want to miss this episode. It all starts with Jane’s rant about sexual harassment with tips on what to do and where to turn for help. We also talk about prairie voles who are not only adorable but they mate for life. So check out the show.  We love our listeners and welcome your feedback.  Please write to us at this address.  And thanks for listening!   Opening music by Kabbalistic Village, closing music is “Reverie” by _ghost. Segment music (Let’s Talk Policy) courtesy of bensound.com. All music available through Creative Commons Attribution, Non-Commercial Share Alike 4.0 International.   Articles cited: Ferkin, M. H., Leonard, S. T., Heath, L. A. and C, G. P.-y.-M. (2001), Self-Grooming as a Tactic Used by Prairie Voles Microtus ochrogaster to Enhance Sexual Communication. Ethology, 107: 939–949. doi:10.1046/j.1439-0310.2001.00725.x Garcia, J. R., MacKillop, J., Aller, E. L., Merriwether, A. M., Wilson, D. S., & Lum, J. K. (2010). Associations between dopamine D4 receptor gene variation wi

Dr. John DeLamater died on December 13, 2017. A leader, a teacher, a mentor, and a researcher of older adults’ sexuality, Jane and Ashley recount his significant research to continue his legacy. Jane rants about disasters awaiting the latest DC tax “reform” and wants us all getting involved locally. Ashley’s into S’Naps and self-care. Great show so check it out! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback.  Please write to us at this address.  And thanks for listening! Opening music by Kabbalistic Village, closing music is “Valse chinoise pour rien” by Ève C. Segment music (Tips & Treats/Let’s Talk Policy) courtesy of bensound.com. All music available through Creative Commons Attribution, Non-Commercial Share Alike 4.0 International.   Articles cited in today’s show: DeLamater, J. (2012). Sexual expression in later life: a review and synthesis. Journal of sex research, 49(2-3), 125-141. doi: 10.1080/00224499.2011.603168 DeLamater, J., Hyde, J. S., & Fong, M. C. (2008). Sexual satisfaction in the