Want to have better sex this year? Here’s how.

Modern Love

The New York Times

Love, New York Times, Nytimes, Essay, Loss, Storytelling, Society & Culture, Redemption, Nyt

4.3 • 9K Ratings

🗓️ 7 January 2026

⏱️ 41 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Do you think you could be having better sex? Are you confident you know what really turns you on? What makes your body feel good? How do you communicate about it? Nicole McNichols wants everyone to be asking these questions. Dr. McNichols is a psychology professor at the University of Washington, where she teaches a class on human sexuality to over 4,000 students a year. She has immersed herself in decades of research on what makes a good, fulfilling sex life — and she has the data to back it up. Her new book, “You Could Be Having Better Sex,” is full of practical tips, backed by science, on how to have truly fulfilling sex. On this week’s episode of “Modern Love,” Dr. McNichols explains the most common misunderstandings people have about sex and shares practical advice for how to level up your sex life. What’s the most romantic thing that has ever happened to you? What’s the most romantic thing you’ve ever seen? If something made you feel that rush of romance, send us a voice memo, and we may use it on the show. Check out our submission page to learn more. How to submit a Modern Love Essay to the New York Times How to submit a Tiny Love Story

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey everyone, it's Anna.
0:01.8	All right, before we start the show, I want to talk about Valentine's Day because, of course,
0:07.0	we are already thinking about it over here at Modern Love.
0:10.0	We're hoping you can help us out.
0:11.9	We want to know the most romantic thing that's ever happened to you.
0:16.9	Or if it didn't happen to you, the most romantic thing you've ever seen or witnessed.
0:22.3	It could be something grand, a rom-com style gesture.
0:25.5	Maybe someone stood outside your window with the boom box or ran through the airport to stop you from leaving.
0:31.3	Or it could be something small.
0:33.1	Like, someone knows you hate olives, so they always pick them off your plate before you dig in.
0:37.8	Or someone slips a note in your lunchbox every morning to remind you how much you mean to them.
0:42.6	Whatever made you feel that rush of romance from the big moments to the tiny ones, we want to
0:47.8	hear about it. And we want to know why it was so romantic to you. If you have a story in mind,
0:53.1	record a voice memo and email it to us at Modern Love Podcast at
0:57.7	n.ytimes.com by February 4th,
1:00.6	and we might use your story on the show.
1:03.2	That's Modern Love Podcast at nyatimes.com,
1:06.3	and once again, your deadline is February 4th.
1:10.8	Thanks so much.
1:11.8	We can't wait to hear from you.
1:13.6	Now, here's today's episode.
1:17.1	Love now and all.
	...

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