Is Sex With Another Human A Thing Of The Past? with Dr. Debra Soh
The Unspeakeasy With Meghan Daum
Meghan Daum
4.7 • 855 Ratings
🗓️ 10 February 2026
⏱️ 71 minutes
🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS
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Summary
Is it really true that no one—or at least no one under 30—is having sex anymore? In this episode, Meghan talks with neuroscientist, author, and former sex researcher Dr. Debra Soh about her new book Sextinction: The Decline of Sex and the Future of Intimacy, a data-packed look at why millennials and Gen Z are having less sex than any cohort on record despite living in the most sexually permissive culture in history. From declining testosterone and endocrine disruptors to porn, dating apps, kink culture, sex dolls, and the rise of AI boyfriends and girlfriends (she tried a few), Debra argues that technology has become the new contraception—reshaping not just sexual behavior but intimacy itself. They also discuss hypergamy, hookup culture backlash, "sex positivity" overreach, and whether the future holds a rebellion back toward real-life connection and analog pastimes.
Guest Bio
Dr. Debra Soh is a neuroscientist who specializes in human sexuality and biological explanations for behavior. Her previous book, The End of Gender, was published in 2020.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | If you treat your doll or your robot like a real-life person, |
| 0:02.9 | as opposed to treating it as a sex toy that you just shove under your bed when, you know, people come over, |
| 0:08.2 | that's actually worse, which I wouldn't have thought that. |
| 0:11.0 | I would have thought that if you actually give your doll a name and call her pet names |
| 0:14.6 | and buy her jewelry like some of these guys do, that that's actually a good sign, but it's not. Welcome to the Unspeak-Easy podcast. |
| 0:30.5 | The podcast, formerly known as the unspeakable, |
| 0:33.7 | for conversations that are surprising and thought-provoking |
| 0:37.3 | without being rage-baity. |
| 0:39.4 | Our motto for 2026, less culture wars, more culture. |
| 0:44.6 | We're going to try anyway. |
| 0:45.7 | I am your host, Megan Down. |
| 0:48.0 | My guest is Dr. Deborah So, she's a neuroscientist, author, columnist, and commentator. |
| 0:54.1 | She's a PhD in psychology with a, columnist, and commentator. |
| 0:57.4 | She's a PhD in psychology with a background in sex research. |
| 1:08.9 | And in 2020, she published a book titled The End of Gender, debunking the myths about sex and identity in our society, that fateful year of 2020. |
| 1:11.1 | I'm going to ask you in a second. |
| 1:12.6 | How did that go? |
| 1:15.3 | Have we debunk those myths yet? |
| 1:20.9 | But I first will say her new book is Sex Stinction, the Decline of Sex and the Future of Intimacy. |
| 1:21.6 | Welcome, Deborah. |
| 1:22.8 | Hi, Megan. |
| 1:23.3 | Thank you for having me. |
... |
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