Ladies, We Need To Talk

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Adult Virgins Apr 30, 2024

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We live in a sex obsessed world, where hook-up culture is king and getting laid out like a spatchcocked chicken is a status symbol.

But what if you’re a fully-fledged adult, paying your own bills and you’re still a “virgin”?

Some women might hold off having sex for the first time because they want to meet the “right” person, others because they haven’t had the opportunity or are waiting until marriage. Whatever the reason, it can feel lonely and isolating when there so much noise around sex.

Yumi Stynes talks to women who haven’t yet had sex, either by choice or circumstance and to another who waited to have sex for over 40 years, until she met her perfect person.

We love hearing from you! Send us an email or a voice note to ladies@abc.net.au

Featured in this episode:

Amanda McCracken, writer on love and limerence

Pongy vagina Nov 28, 2023

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Uh oh, what’s that you smell... a funky odour down below? The thought of having a stinky crotch is nightmare fuel for some women, but do we even need to worry about our musky bouquet?

The delicate aroma of our lady-garden can be affected by things like our menstrual cycle and our lifestyle but how do we tell when the stank goes from normal to full on malodorous pudenda territory and what can be done about it?

It’s time to take off those undies and confront the smelly minge in the room with your bestie Yumi by your side for support.

Featured in this episode:

Deborah Bateson, Professor of Practice and an expert in sexual health at the University of Sydney
Sarah O'Neill, comedian

Staying for the money Nov 14, 2023

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What happens when you want a divorce but the cost of leaving your marriage would cripple you financially?

Would you ever stay in an unhappy marriage for the security money offers?

It’s no secret, life is bloody expensive right now. From soaring rents to the cost of a bunch of broccoli, times are tough! So, sticking it out in a relationship you’re no longer happy in can seem appealing.

Yumi Stynes talks to women who’ve had to make that extremely difficult choice.

Featured in this episode:

Victoria Devine, host of She’s on the Money

Emily Maguire, CEO of Respect Victoria

Rachel Voysey, Founding Director of the Relationship Room

Some names have been changed to protect identities

Life Line: 13 11 14

1800 Respect: 1800 737 732

Clementine Ford on the case against marriage Oct 31, 2023

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What if we put a stop to marriage...for good? Like, just stop with flouncy white dresses, walking down the aisle and having a dude give us away.

In her new book, I Don’t, Clementine Ford is calling for just that. She reckons that a ring on a finger is a bridal march to losing your identity.

From the moment we come screaming into the world, we’re pushed the line that to find “the one” to get married and settle down is the be all and end all. You might discover a cure for cancer, scale Mt Everest and be a total baddie but if you’re unwed you haven't quite made it in the eyes of society.

Clem Ford talks to Yumi Stynes about her call to arms for us to ditch the bouquets and our man's dirty laundry for a life on our own terms.

Featured in this episode:

Clementine Ford, author and feminist

BEST OF - Pelvic flaw in all of us Oct 17, 2023

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Do you wizz when you sneeze? Or avoid star jumps at the gym? One in four of us (!) have pelvic floor problems which can lead to incontinence and prolapse (eek).

But don’t stress! Yumi Stynes has kegel’d her way back to the Ladies archives and dug up some reassurance that you can definitely turn things around. Just be prepared to clench.

Falling for a narcissist Oct 03, 2023

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You think you’ve met “the one” and they seem totally perfect for you, but is it all too good to be true? Could you be dating a narcissist?

What starts out as a dreamy relationship filled with fancy presents and compliments galore, suddenly turns sour and you’re left wondering if you’re slowly losing your mind.

Narcissists make up only 1% of the population but the impact they have on the women who date them can be truly devastating.

Yumi Stynes meets women who have fallen in love with a narcissist and uncovers the psychology behind their charm.

Featured in this episode:

Tamara Cavenett, clinical psychologist

Some names have been changed to protect identities

Life Line: 13 11 14

1800 Respect: 1800 737 732

Sober sex Sep 19, 2023

Show notes

Having sex can be exposing, nerve wracking. When we strip down, we reveal ourselves – and not just our bits. No wonder we sometimes reach for courage in a bottle.

For some women, a few shots can make them feel comfortable enough to go home with that hottie from across the bar, for others the relationship between alcohol and sex can be more toxic.

Yumi Stynes chats to women who are putting the lid back on the bottle and embarking on sex...stone cold sober.

Featured in this episode:

Tawny Lara, author of Dry Humping
Faye Lawrence, grey area drinking coach

BEST OF - Love letter to our friends Sep 05, 2023

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Yumi has been on an adventure down to the depths of the ABC archives to uncover an absolute banger of an episode.

On every form you ever fill out, there’s always a tick box about your romantic status — de facto, married, single. Why are we only judged on romantic relationships rather than some of the most important bonds in our life — our friendships?

In this love letter to our friends, Yumi Stynes invites herself into the joyful friendship between Jamila Rizvi and Clare Bowditch and celebrates the deep platonic love we can only get from our besties.

Solo mums by choice Aug 22, 2023

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Is the soundtrack to your life a ticking baby-making clock?

What if you’re desperate to be a mother but the other half of the baby-making equation just hasn’t become available?

Yumi Stynes meets women who have given the middle finger to the idea of the nuclear family and become solo mums by choice.

From swiping for sperm; turkey-basting and solo sleep deprivation – find out what it’s really like to choose to parent on your own.

Featured in this episode:

Alexandra Collier – Author of Inconceivable
Dr Karin Hammarberg - Senior Research Fellow, Monash University

Emily Nagoski on sex in long term relationships Aug 08, 2023

Show notes

If you’re having trouble getting hot for your long-term partner? You’re not alone.

Domestic bliss, smelling our partner’s farts, demanding kids – it feels like it’s all part of a worldwide conspiracy to shrivel our sex drive.

So come hang with Yumi Stynes and sex nerd Emily Nagoski to get some practical advice on how to brush off the cobwebs, bring back our lady-boners and actually want to have sex with our life mate again.

Featured in this episode: