Ladies, gather round as Yumi Stynes tackles life's trickier topics

PODCAST

Ladies, We Need to Talk

SEASON 4 NOW STREAMING

Imagine all the embarrassments, shames and pains you might have avoided in life if only you had the generous counsel of an older sister who’d been there and done that. So there’s good reason the ABC podcast Ladies, We Need to Talk is now in its fourth series. Everything is on the table for discussion: birth control, alcohol, abortion, discharge – and the terror that you may have “settled” with your long-term partner.

Yumi Stynes hosts conversations that are “by women and for women”. Credit: James Brickwood

Host Yumi Stynes is able to pinball from the hilarious to the devastating, and guests are a mixture of both experts and civilians.

One recent episode on coronavirus-exacerbated anxiety had doctors with reliable advice, while the “sex after sexual assault” episode from an earlier season offered the listener a chance to hear from survivors who’d gone on to have great sex lives.

The new weekly series began streaming last month and continues to cover the type of subject matter best suited to a podcast: something you listen to solo.

The episode “Secrets We Keep” examines why and how we hide things from each other, which can be confronting to consider, while “Gender Beauty Gap” (out June 16) might resonate with those who’ve been thinking about their personal maintenance routine during lockdown.

It’s in the show’s DNA that the conversations are “by women and for women”, but I can think of many who would benefit if more men heard “The Orgasm Gap” episode.

For new listeners, I recommend choosing topics you find specifically interesting. The foreplay and cheating conversations might appeal, whereas you could skip the pelvic floor and menopause chats.

This podcast is free and it’s honest: two things we desperately need right now.

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