Rewind: Your Best Sex Isn't Behind You | Susan Bratton
Some conversations stay with you long after you hit stop recording.
This is one of those conversations for me.
I'm bringing back my interview with Susan Bratton, and I am not exaggerating when I say this is one of my favorite interviews I've ever done.
Susan is a sex educator, author, and longtime consensually non-monogamous person who is incredibly passionate about helping people have more pleasure, better communication, and satisfying sex throughout their lives.
And she has a LOT to say.
We talk about her life with her husband and boyfriend, what it looks like to build a family around honesty and connection, and why being fully expressed in your relationships can be so damn freeing.
But we also get into something I think so many of us need to hear:
Your sex life doesn't have to get smaller as you get older.
You can keep learning.
You can discover new kinds of pleasure.
You can get better at asking for what you want.
And you can stop treating intercourse as the only thing that counts as sex.
Susan shares her approach to arousal, why she has certain non-negotiables around her own pleasure, and how understanding what your body needs can change the entire experience.
We also talk about sexual wellness as we age, including hormones, changes in genital tissue, and some of the treatments and products Susan has explored personally and professionally.
And then we get into a conversation I really don't want you to miss: STI testing, herpes disclosure, and how we can create more honest, less shame-filled conversations about sexual safety.
Susan shares her own experience living with herpes, and we respond to a listener who is struggling with disclosure and feeling rejected by their community.
I love this part of the conversation because it gets right to the heart of what ethical non-monogamy asks of us.
Not pretending there's no risk.
Not shaming people for having an STI.
But learning how to talk about our health, our boundaries, and our choices so everyone has the information they need to make decisions for themselves.
In this episode, we talk about:
Susan's decades of experience with consensual non-monogamy
Her relationship with her husband and boyfriend
Building a family around honesty and authentic self-expression
Why sex can get better as we age
Expanding our definition of sex beyond intercourse
Understanding arousal and communicating what your body needs
Susan's bedroom non-negotiables
Pleasure, body image, and getting out of your head
Sexual wellness and changes that can come with aging
Hormones, regenerative treatments, and Susan's personal experiences
STI testing and sexual safety conversations
Herpes disclosure without shame
Why “clean” and “dirty” aren't helpful ways to talk about STI status
Making informed choices about sexual risk
How sex-positive communities can do better at supporting people through difficult conversations
This episode is full of curiosity, laughter, and the kind of candid conversation that makes me remember exactly why I started this podcast.
Because we deserve to talk about sex like it's a normal, important, pleasurable part of being human.
And we deserve to keep learning about it.
Enjoy this Rewind with Susan Bratton.
Note: This is an archival conversation. Susan shares personal experiences, opinions, and information about sexual health products and treatments. Some medical claims, recommendations, and product details may have changed since recording. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional for individualized medical advice.
16:30 https://arousalsecret.com/
21:45 https://orgasmiccrosstraining.com/
29:30 https://personallifemedia.com/pump-guide/
33:58 https://www.glownaturalwellness.com/products/glow-below
38:30 http://pleasureprotocol.com/
47:49 fullpaneltest.com
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