Your sex life doesn't have to suffer just because you're cooped up at home every day. Researchers say that sex is a healthy way to calm the anxiety of pandemic, even if you live alone. Virtual dating, masturbation, and coronavirus-related porn are more popular than ever.

 

Some sex researchers think our desire for sex in the middle of a pandemic is one way we cope with the prospect of our own mortality. But not everyone reacts in the same way. Some lose their desire for sex, especially when you pile on added stressors like losing a job, having kids home from school, or working in a higher-risk job.

Also this hour: How will coronavirus change the way we think about touching others?

We take a look at sex, dating, and relationships in the shadow of coronavirus.

GUESTS:
Justin Lehmiller - A research fellow at the Kinsey Institute, the founder and editor of the Sex and Psychology blog, and the author of Tell Me What You Want: The Science of Sexual Desire and How It Can Help You Improve Your Sex Life
Lisa Bonos- Writes about dating and relationships for the Washington Post
Amy Weissfeld - A somatic sex educator and masturbation coach
Cathrine Jansson-Boyd - A consumer psychologist at Anglia Ruskin University

Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, Catie Talarski, Gene Amatruda, TJ Coppola, and Joe Coss contributed to this show.

Your sex life doesn't have to suffer just because you're cooped up at home every day. Researchers say that sex is a healthy way to calm the anxiety of pandemic, even if you live alone.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2020/03/26/video-date-facetime-skype-zoom/" data-cke-saved-href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2020/03/26/video-date-facetime-skype-zoom/">Virtual dating</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.joyfulselflove.com/" data-cke-saved-href="https://www.joyfulselflove.com/">masturbation</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lehmiller.com/blog/2020/3/13/how-coronavirus-is-affecting-the-world-of-porn" data-cke-saved-href="https://www.lehmiller.com/blog/2020/3/13/how-coronavirus-is-affecting-the-world-of-porn">coronavirus-related porn</a>&nbsp;are more popular than ever.
&nbsp;
Some sex researchers think our desire for sex in the middle of a pandemic is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lehmiller.com/blog/2020/4/3/why-the-pandemic-is-making-some-people-horny-but-turning-others-off" data-cke-saved-href="https://www.lehmiller.com/blog/2020/4/3/why-the-pandemic-is-making-some-people-horny-but-turning-others-off">one way we cope</a>&nbsp;with the prospect of our own mortality. But not everyone reacts in the same way. Some lose their desire for sex, especially when you pile on added stressors like losing a job, having kids home from school, or working in a higher-risk job.
Also this hour: How will coronavirus change the way we think about&nbsp;<a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-is-accelerating-a-culture-of-no-touching-heres-why-thats-a-problem-133488" data-cke-saved-href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-is-accelerating-a-culture-of-no-touching-heres-why-thats-a-problem-133488">touching others</a>?
We take a look at sex, dating, and relationships in the shadow of coronavirus.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>Justin Lehmiller&nbsp;- A research fellow at the Kinsey Institute, the founder and editor of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lehmiller.com/" data-cke-saved-href="https://www.lehmiller.com/">Sex and Psychology</a>&nbsp;blog, and the author of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tell-Me-What-You-Want-ebook/dp/B0776PYDNM" data-cke-saved-href="https://www.amazon.com/Tell-Me-What-You-Want-ebook/dp/B0776PYDNM">Tell Me What You Want: The Science of Sexual Desire and How It Can Help You Improve Your Sex Life</a></li>
<li>Lisa Bonos- Writes about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/lisa-bonos/" data-cke-saved-href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/lisa-bonos/">dating and relationships&nbsp;</a>for the&nbsp;Washington Post</li>
<li>Amy Weissfeld&nbsp;- A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.joyfulselflove.com/" data-cke-saved-href="https://www.joyfulselflove.com/">somatic sex educator</a>&nbsp;and masturbation coach</li>
<li>Cathrine Jansson-Boyd&nbsp;- A&nbsp;<a href="https://aru.ac.uk/people/cathrine-jansson-boyd" data-cke-saved-href="https://aru.ac.uk/people/cathrine-jansson-boyd">consumer psychologist</a>&nbsp;at Anglia Ruskin University</li>
</ul>
Join the conversation on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/ColinMcShow/" data-cke-saved-href="https://www.facebook.com/ColinMcShow/">Facebook</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/wnprcolin" data-cke-saved-href="https://twitter.com/wnprcolin">Twitter</a>.
Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, Catie Talarski, Gene Amatruda, TJ Coppola, and Joe Coss contributed to this show.

The Colin McEnroe Show is public radio’s most eclectic, eccentric weekday program. The best way to understand us is through the subjects we tackle: Neanderthals, tambourines, handshakes, the Iliad, snacks, ringtones, punk rock, Occam’s razor, Rasputin, houseflies, zippers. Are you sensing a pattern? If so, you should probably be in treatment. On Fridays, we try to stop thinking about what kind of ringtones Neanderthals would want to have and convene a panel called The Nose for an informal roundtable about the week in culture.

<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/the-colin-mcenroe-show/about">The Colin McEnroe Show</a> is public radio’s most eclectic, eccentric weekday program. The best way to understand us is through the subjects we tackle: Neanderthals, tambourines, handshakes, the Iliad, snacks, ringtones, punk rock, Occam’s razor, Rasputin, houseflies, zippers. Are you sensing a pattern? If so, you should probably be in treatment. On Fridays, we try to stop thinking about what kind of ringtones Neanderthals would want to have and convene a panel called <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/tags/the-nose">The Nose</a> for an informal roundtable about the week in culture.

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