According to a recent discussion in Broadly, many people are turning to sex-related podcasts for answers and discussion, which may be an open door to connect with consumers.

Without a federal standard for comprehensive sex education – much less judgment-free sex ed that engages diverse forms of sexual expression — more and more people are turning to podcasts for frank discussions about sex.

In the United States, medically accurate sex education is only required in 13 out of 50 states. The concept of sexual pleasure is rarely engaged, and we seem to lack language for sexual experiences that fall within the wide spectrum between “wholly negative” and “ultra phenomenal.”

Given this, it’s unsurprising that many people are seeking more information about sex and sexualities. This goes for young people just discovering their own sexualities, as well as people exploring interests and proclivities throughout the life course.

Programs like Sex With Emily, Why Are People Into That?, Unscrewed, Sex Nerd Sandra, Guys We Fucked and Savage Love run the gamut, ranging from advice to reporting to accounts of personal experiences – and all are increasing in popularity.

Emily Morse, host of Sex With Emily, stated to Broadly that people often learn about sex from porn or Hollywood, an assessment that — sadly — rings true. Both porn and Hollywood are in the business of creating fantasy narratives. But whereas viewers can actually draw from some critical framework or understanding when viewing fantastic events happening in the latest Hollywood blockbuster, the general public lacks both the critical framework to contextualize porn, as well as a basic understanding of sex.

This unfortunate set of circumstances, however, has presented an open door for ingenuity when connecting with clients and customers in the adult space.

Though many people are misappropriating and internalizing fantasy-driven sex media as sex ed, which it’s not, others are seeking alternative sources of information. According to Broadly, listeners may tune into programs like Sex With Emily for the juicy stories but may come away actually learning more about sex – and maybe even feeling inspired to start their own discussions.

Spaces in the adult industry could certainly take a page from this playbook when considering new campaigns to connect with their fans, followers, customers and more.