More young adults are delaying their sexual debut, with growing numbers reaching their twenties or even thirties without ever having had sex. At the same time, virginity has become increasingly stigmatized, leaving many people feeling ashamed, isolated, or like they’re falling behind. So what’s driving this shift, and what does it tell us about how sex and dating are changing?My guests are Dr. Danielle Harel and Celeste Hirschman, the co-creators of the Somatica® Method and co-founders of the Somatica Institute, where they have trained coaches around the world in an experiential approach to sex, relationships, and personal transformation. They are the authors of three books and serve as the lead sexologists and co-executive producers of the UK Channel 4 award-winning series Virgin Island. Some of the specific topics we cover include:Why are more young adults delaying their sexual debut?What’s driving the rise in adult virginity?Why did virginity become a social liability?What can the TV series Virgin Island teach everyone about building confidence and seeking more meaningful connections?You can visit celesteanddanielle.com to learn more about their work and take their Core Desires quiz at https://somatica.com/quizGot a sex question? Send me a podcast voicemail to have it answered on a future episode at speakpipe.com/sexandpsychology.***Thank you to our sponsors! Oversized, ultra-plush, and completely built for your best summer days, Cozy Earth’s beach towels will be your new poolside essential. Head to cozyearth.com and use my code JUSTIN for an exclusive 20% off. That’s code JUSTIN for an exclusive 20% off. And if you see a post-purchase survey, mention that you heard about Cozy Earth right here!The Kinsey Institute is where the world turns to understand sex and relationships. You can help continue its expert-led research by donating to the Kinsey Institute Research Fund. Learn more and make a donation here: https://give.myiu.org/centers-institutes/I380010749.html ***Want to learn more about Sex and Psychology? Click here for previous articles or follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter, or Bluesky to receive updates. You can also follow Dr. Lehmiller on YouTube and Instagram.Listen and stream all episodes on Apple, Spotify, or Amazon. Subscribe to automatically receive new episodes and please rate and review the podcast!Credits: Precision Podcasting (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos used with permission of guest.

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

Transcript

Related