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Where did "virginity" come from?

Sex Ed with DB: smart, science-backed sex education

Release Date: 02/21/2025

What should my vagina smell like? show art What should my vagina smell like?

Sex Ed with DB: smart, science-backed sex education

What should a vagina smell like? Hint: not a bouquet of roses. In this week’s bonus episode, DB tackles one of the most Googled (and least talked about) questions in sexual health. From the history of floral-scented shame to what’s actually normal down there, we break down myths, signs of infection, and why your vagina’s natural scent isn’t a problem to fix! Mentioned in this episode: CONNECT WITH US Instagram: TikTok: Twitter: Threads: YouTube:  ROM-COM VOM SEASON 11 SPONSORS: , , , & . Get discounts on all of DB’s favorite things !...

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The Wedding Singer with Hari Kondabolu: Rom-Com Vom show art The Wedding Singer with Hari Kondabolu: Rom-Com Vom

Sex Ed with DB: smart, science-backed sex education

This week on Rom Com Vom, comedian and cultural critic Hari Kondabolu joins us to dig into The Wedding Singer—one of DB's childhood favorites! We talk emotional manipulation, passive female leads, and why so many rom-coms treat marriage like a finish line. Julia deserves better! Plus, softboy meltdown karaoke, marriage as the ultimate female achievement, and The Not Like Other Girls Olympics. GUEST DETAILS Queens-raised Brooklyn-based comedian has performed on Comedy Central, Conan, Jimmy Kimmel Live and The Late Show with David Letterman, and on stages around the world as a touring...

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Should I have sex with my ex? show art Should I have sex with my ex?

Sex Ed with DB: smart, science-backed sex education

In It’s Complicated, Meryl Streep’s character finds herself tangled back up with her slimy ex—familiar, messy, but kind of irresistible. In this week’s bonus ep, DB dives into the real-life version of this quandary and answers a listener’s question about sleeping with their ex. Why are we drawn back to people we’ve already left? Can it ever actually work?  Mentioned in this episode: CONNECT WITH US Instagram:  TikTok: Twitter:  Threads:  YouTube:  ROM-COM VOM SEASON 11 SPONSORS: , , , & . Get discounts on all of DB’s favorite...

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It’s Complicated with Nicoletta Heidegger, LMFT: Rom-Com Vom show art It’s Complicated with Nicoletta Heidegger, LMFT: Rom-Com Vom

Sex Ed with DB: smart, science-backed sex education

In It’s Complicated, Meryl Streep is a thriving divorcée caught between her sleazy ex-husband and a soft-spoken architect. What starts as a steamy rekindling quickly turns into a chaotic spiral of questionable decision making. This week, we're unpacking what It’s Complicated gets right about midlife sex, healing, and regret — and what it leaves out when it comes to agency and growth. Plus: how Nicoletta’s real-life work with couples and families adds context to the emotional wreckage onscreen. GUEST DETAILS , MA., MEd, is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and...

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MUNCH: Everything You Need to Know About Eating Pussy (from Shameless Sex) show art MUNCH: Everything You Need to Know About Eating Pussy (from Shameless Sex)

Sex Ed with DB: smart, science-backed sex education

We’re dropping a clip from one of our all-time fave podcasts: Shameless Sex! If you’ve ever wondered how to level up your pussy-eating game, this episode’s for you. Pleasure educator Tyomi Morgan walks us through techniques, tools, and tips for giving oral that actually hits. Mouths, hands, toys—it’s all on the table (or bed, or floor, etc.). We LOVE what Amy and April are doing on Shameless Sex—it’s sex ed meets comedy meets sexy chaos, and it’s just so damn fun. We even joined them for episode #332, so go check that out too. And if you’re in Austin (5/1),...

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Sweet Home Alabama with Becca Rea-Tucker: Rom-Com Vom show art Sweet Home Alabama with Becca Rea-Tucker: Rom-Com Vom

Sex Ed with DB: smart, science-backed sex education

This week, we’re joined by Becca Rea-Tucker—aka The Sweet Feminist—to break down Sweet Home Alabama, the rom-com that wants you to root for a gaslighting ex with a glassblowing hobby. DB and Becca dig into the movie’s deep-fried nostalgia, messy relationship dynamics, and the way rom-coms love to dress up coercion as fate. They unpack emotional manipulation in a southern accent, the myth of “the one,” and why Melanie’s real love story might’ve been with her friends—or *literally* anyone else! GUEST DETAILS Becca Rea-Tucker is a reproductive rights advocate, baker, and author...

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Abortion Policy Updates You NEED To Know show art Abortion Policy Updates You NEED To Know

Sex Ed with DB: smart, science-backed sex education

DB is here with a critical update on the state of abortion in the U.S.—and it’s a mixed bag. From attacks on medication abortion and emergency care to the pardoning of anti-abortion extremists, Trump’s agenda is already reshaping access. But there’s good news too: Arizona just delivered a major win, and organizing continues to pay off across the country. Also in this ep: the criminalization of providers, why trans rights are reproductive rights, and what you can do to stay informed—and stay loud. CONNECT WITH US Instagram:  TikTok: Twitter:  Threads: ...

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Dirty Dancing with Steph Herold: Rom-Com Vom show art Dirty Dancing with Steph Herold: Rom-Com Vom

Sex Ed with DB: smart, science-backed sex education

In Dirty Dancing, Baby Houseman heads to the Catskills for some good old-fashioned family bonding and accidentally ends up in the arms of a sexy dance instructor—and in the middle of a very real conversation about class, abortion, and rebellion. This week, we had the time of our LIFE with Steph Herold—repro researcher, cultural critic, and abortion advocate—talking class politics, Penny’s storyline, and why Dirty Dancing is secretly a movie about choosing community over cool guys (even if the cool guy looks like Patrick Swayze ;). carafem offers expert abortion care that’s...

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Sex Ed with DB is getting CENSORED; help us fight back! show art Sex Ed with DB is getting CENSORED; help us fight back!

Sex Ed with DB: smart, science-backed sex education

Following this week’s conversation with Jackie Rotman on the Center for Intimacy Justice’s , DB shares her own experience with digital suppression as a sex educator. From flagged posts to shadowbanning to disappearing content, she talks about how social media censorship has affected her work and mental health—and what audiences can do to push back and support censored creators. Mentioned in this episode: CONNECT WITH US Instagram:  TikTok: Twitter:  Threads:  YouTube:  ROM-COM VOM SEASON 11 SPONSORS: , , , & . Get discounts on all of DB’s...

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The Digital Gag: How Big Tech is Censoring Sexual Health with Jackie Rotman show art The Digital Gag: How Big Tech is Censoring Sexual Health with Jackie Rotman

Sex Ed with DB: smart, science-backed sex education

The Digital Gag Report recently published by the Center for Intimacy Justice exposes how social media platforms systematically block sexual health content while giving a free pass to erectile dysfunction ads. From financial losses to self-censorship, the consequences are massive. So why is this happening, and what needs to change for it to stop? Jackie Rotman, founder of the Center for Intimacy Justice, joins us to break down how Big Tech suppresses sexual health content, why women-led businesses take the biggest hit, and what needs to change. CONNECT WITH US Instagram: ...

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More Episodes

It’s a concept we all grew up with, and it’s certainly shaped the way Hollywood tells stories about sex, but have you ever stopped to ask where the idea of virginity even came from? In this bonus episode, DB breaks down the history of virginity as a social construct, how it’s been used to control women, and why the hymen was never a reliable “proof” of anything.

What would sex look and feel like if it wasn’t about losing something? Let’s rethink the way we talk about first-time sex!

Mentioned in this episode:

"The 40 Year Old Virgin": The Bro Comedy That Hates Women

Planned Parenthood on Virginity

CONNECT WITH US
Instagram: @sexedwithdbpodcast
TikTok: @sexedwithdb
Twitter: @sexedwithdb
Threads: @sexedwithdbpodcast
YouTube: Sex Ed with DB

ROM-COM VOM SEASON 11 SPONSORS:
Lion's DenUberlubeMagic Wand, & Arya.
Get discounts on all of DB’s favorite things here!

GET IN TOUCH
Email: [email protected]
Subscribe to our newsletter for behind-the-scenes content and answers to your sexual health questions!

FOR SEXUAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
Check out DB's workshop: "Building A Profitable Online Sexual Health Brand"

ABOUT THE SHOW
Sex Ed with DB is your go-to podcast for smart, science-backed sex education—delivering trusted insights from top experts on sex, sexuality, and pleasure. Empowering, inclusive, and grounded in real science, it’s the sex ed you’ve always wanted.

SEASON 11 TEAM
Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Danielle Bezalel (DB)
Producer: Sadie Lidji
Communications Lead: Cathren Cohen
Logo Design: Evie Plumb (@cliterallythebest)