EP#118: The Affect Birth Control Has on Women's Brain PART 2 with Dr. Sarah E. Hill PhD

The Open Bedroom Podcast

Meet Dr. Sarah Hill, a psychologist, professor, and author specializing in women's health and sexual psychology.

Today we discuss cougars, dating, and the affect birth control has on women’s brains.

This is PART 2 of a 2 part series. You can find PART 1 (Episode 116) here .

0:00 Intro

01:04 Age Gap Relationships Dr. Sarah Hill's work as a consultant for Cougar Life, an app for age gap relationships.

01:28 Sexual Double Standards The double standards in society regarding men and women's sexual behavior and the labels associated with age gap dating.

06:34 Beauty Transcending Age Beauty and attractiveness transcending age is discussed, challenging the idea that youth equals beauty and emphasizing the empowerment of women in recognizing their own sexiness.

09:40 The fear of becoming irrelevant Societal script that tells women they become irrelevant and invisible as they age and how this narrative needs to be rewritten.

10:31 Realizing self-worth and desirability Women often underestimate their own desirability and how there are plenty of people who would find them attractive and interesting.

13:42 Challenging beauty standards and body acceptance The importance of accepting and appreciating one's own body, challenging societal beauty standards, and finding attraction in different body types.

19:41 The hormonal effects of birth control Affects of hormonal birth control on women's preferences for masculine or feminine partners.

20:50 Hormonal changes and sexual orientation The possibility of hormonal changes affecting women's sexual orientation, particularly in relation to being bisexual or exclusively lesbian.

24:53 Scent and partner choice The role of scent in partner choice, with Dr. Hill explaining that women are more sensitive to scent and how it may influence attraction and genetic compatibility.

36:47 The hormonal IUD and its effects The affects of the hormonal IUD on a woman's body, including the shutting down of the brain-ovary communication pathway and the blunting of hormonal responses.

The impact of going off birth control on attraction Dr. Hill discusses the research findings regarding how going off birth control can affect a woman's attraction to her partner, including increased attraction and sexual desire in some cases.

34:09 The benefits and changes of using an IUD Jen shares her personal experience with using an IUD, including changes in smell, mood swings, and the recommendation from her OB to continue using it until menopause for its potential benefits in preventing uterine cancer.

39:43 The IUD and its effects on women's hormones The effects of the IUD on women's hormones, including the potential side effects experienced by women who are not ovulating.

40:37 Possible explanations for changes in hormonal experiences Possible explanations for the changes in hormonal experiences, including the hormonal transition of perimenopause and the effects of ovulation while using the iud.

46:28 Women's sexuality and fluidity Women's sexuality and the fluidity of sexual attraction, highlighting research that shows women's sexual arousal can be influenced by various types of pornography, regardless of their sexual preferences.

50:04 The benefits of solidifying relationships with sex Women use sex as a tool to build relationships and feel closer to a partner.

51:06 The role of procreation in sexual attraction Sexual attraction is programmed differently in men and women, with women being more flexible.

51:38 Using personalized porn to enhance sexual chemistry Jen creates personalized porn with her partners and how it has intensified our sexual chemistry.

Follow Dr. Sarah Hill:

Visit Me Online: ⁠http://www.sarahehill.com⁠

Book (Out Now): ⁠This is your brain on birth control⁠.

Social: ⁠Facebook⁠ | ⁠Instagram⁠ | ⁠Twitter⁠

Follow Jen:

⁠https://linktr.ee/jenniferkayloruscin⁠

Coaching with Jen:

⁠https://www.jenniferkayloruscin.com/

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