Before podcasts there were radio shows that people would tune into while driving their cars or after dinner with their families. Most of these shows featured at least one charismatic host and focused on a topic, whether it was news, pop culture, or storytelling. The radio show, while a great forum, does not allow you to say the words “dick” or “clit.” However, in a podcast you can do whatever you want. Hosts and their guests can curse and engage in raunchy discussion with almost reckless abandon. Though it is certainly acceptable to listen to podcasts out in the open, many listeners consider it a private activity that is part of their weekly or daily routine.

The most important part of podcasts is the potential for intimacy between the host and their listener. Listening to a podcast, even when it is more formal in format, is akin to listening to a conversation between your friends, which is inherently relaxed and personal. This aspect of privacy is part of what I believe has led to the rise of a subgenre of podcasts, known as Sex and Relationship podcasts. These podcasts are generally divided into three main camps: those that focus more on relationships, those that are of a more sex-ed nature, and those that combine the two and are usually hosted by a couple.

Modern Love, a podcast version of the New York Times column, is one such podcast that explores all kinds of love from adoption to a 12-hour relationship that takes place on a plane. Love Is Like A Plant, hosted by Ellen Huerta of The Huffington Post and Sarah May Bates of HelloGiggles, often deals with the underbelly of the romance world focusing on what it means to, as the hosts say, “love well.”

Though many people are open about their tales of romance gone right and wrong, as is the case in the live sex-storytelling podcast that is Bawdy Storytelling, the topics of sex and sexuality are still quite taboo within our culture. All you have to do is look at how we treat sexual education to know that many people are afraid to openly talk about what goes on when we get down. Sex podcasts offer a solution to those who either have not received official sexual education as well as insight to those who have. Let’s be honest, we all have a little something to learn in this department. Sex Nerd Sandra is a great place to start if you’re look for more logistical sex tips and informational tidbits from Sandra Daugherty and fellow sexperts.

Just like the rest of the podcast world, there are sex podcasts that extend beyond tips and tricks and cover just about anything that tickles your fancy. If you’re looking for a glimpse into the polyamorous lifestyle you might want to check out Turn Me On, by a couple Jeremie and Bryde (last names omitted), who discuss what it’s like to be married and poly as well as their sexual adventures. Swingercast is hosted by another couple Allie and John (last names also omitted), who are, surprise surprise, swingers. They discuss everything from orgys to the nitty gritty business of anal sex. Want to know what it’s like to be a sex worker in the United States? Try out The Whorecast, a podcast made by and for sex workers. It certainly wouldn’t be real sex if there weren’t some laughs involved: Jamie Morton’s My Dad Wrote A Porno and Guys We Fucked, The Anti Slut-Shaming Podcast will leave you clutching your sides and gasping for air, if that’s what you’re into. The former is one son’s hilarious exploration of his father’s self-published erotica, while the latter features interviews between New York stand-up comedians Corinne Fisher and Krystyna Hutchinson and the men that they’ve slept with. Tina Horn, a queer media-maker and educator, tackles all things kinky in Why Are People Into That?! Over the last four seasons of her pod, she has covered a vast array of topics from age play and power to butt plugs and latex. In Sex With Strangers, host Chris Sowa travels all over the world to delve into such topics as what sex is like in places like Mumbai and Iceland or the sexual beliefs of Mormons and what the Grindr scene looks like in Wyoming.

Podcasts allow you to explore the depths of your sexy psyche as well as others’ and learn a lot in the process, all while riding the T or cooking dinner. Maybe invite some friends over, or your boo, perhaps even your FWB. And press play.

Illustration by: Helen Ren