Cynthia Graham, Ph.D.

The good, the bad and the beautiful: how the great photographer Richard Avedon captured ageing From a joyful Gloria Swanson to the Windsors looking scared, Avedon spent much of his career shooting the old, the wizened and the wise – uncovering the contradictions of the heart

The good, the bad and the beautiful: how the great photographer Richard Avedon captured ageing

New Clinical Study Shows Masturbation Can Relieve Menopause Symptoms

NEW study 📖 we linked self-pleasure to statistically significant improvements in some #menopause symptoms. See what we found: knsy.in/menopause2025

@lovehoneyofficial.bsky.social @cygraham.bsky.social @justinlehmiller.bsky.social

New Clinical Study Shows Masturbation Can Relieve Menopause Symptoms

news.iu.edu/kinseyinstit...

New paper 📄

California’s $23 Billion Plan to Restore Federal Cuts to Scientific Research Democrats are calling for the creation of a state equivalent of the National Institutes of Health, but first state lawmakers and then voters would need to approve it.

Democratic lawmakers in California want the state to restore funding for scientific research that has been slashed by the Trump administration, creating an ambitious plan to use tens of billions of dollars in voter-approved bonds to fill the void.

Exploring State- and Individual-Level Characteristics Associated with Perceived Barriers to Accessing Sexual and Reproductive Health Care Among Young Adult Black Women Young adult Black women (YABW) report inadequate access to and experiences receiving sexual and reproductive health care. The purpose of this research was to examine perceived barriers to care amon...

Just published in #JSexResearch Exploring State- and Individual-Level Characteristics Associated with Perceived Barriers to Accessing Sexual & Reproductive Health Care Among Young Adult Black Women
@knelphd.bsky.social
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Trends in Masturbation Prevalence and Associated Factors: Findings from the British National Surveys of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles Previous evidence suggests that masturbation has a complementary function for women and a compensatory function for men. However, in light of changing attitudes toward masturbation, this gendered m...

Just-published article with Nantje Fischer & the wonderful @natsal.bsky.social team:
Trends in Masturbation Prevalence and Associated Factors: Findings from the British National Surveys of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
@kinseyinstitute.bsky.social

More than half of UK births now involve medical intervention, audit finds Caesareans drive rise in assisted deliveries as experts warn of complex pregnancies linked to age, obesity and other conditions More than half of women having a baby in Britain now do so with the help of medical intervention, an audit of NHS maternity care has revealed. Of the 592,594 births that took place in 2023, 50.6% involved either a caesarean section or the use of instruments such as forceps or a ventouse suction cup. Continue reading...

More than half of UK births now involve medical intervention, audit finds

Long Stretch of Singlehood Ahead? Unpacking the Roles of Anticipated Singlehood Duration and Singlehood Stigma in Lowering Dating Standards Although dealbreakers are framed as non-negotiable traits that disqualify a partner, rejecting someone with these traits can be challenging when the alternative is prolonged singlehood. In this exper...

New paper 📢 when are dealbreakers no longer dealbreakers? This study found people were more willing to consider a partner with a highly aversive dealbreaker when faced with the prospect of prolonged singlehood.
 
www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pere.70026
@vwongsomboon.bsky.social

The Journal of Sex Research Volume 62, Issue 7 of The Journal of Sex Research

Issue 7 of #JSexResearch is now available online with contributions from @jamesbrooksphd.bsky.social @andraskolto.bsky.social @liamwignall.bsky.social
www.tandfonline.com/toc/hjsr20/6...
@kinseyinstitute.bsky.social @sexsciencesociety.bsky.social

I was interviewed for this @theadvocatebr.bsky.social article on the most recent attack on providing comprehensive sex ed, the only kind that has empirical evidence supporting it!😡 @kinseyinstitute.bsky.social

Changes in Older Adults’ Sexual Expression: A Latent Transition Analysis Many older adults are sexually active, but how sexual expression – defined as the combination of behaviors, desires, and motivations – changes over time is unclear. We addressed this gap using long...

Just published: Changes in Older Adults’ Sexual Expression: A Latent Transition Analysis Heidi Lyons et al
www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...
@sexsciencesociety.bsky.social
@kinseyinstitute.bsky.social

So far in 2025, SIECUS has tracked more than 650 state-level bills — nearly 25% aimed at restricting or eliminating access to quality sex education. That’s a 35% increase from last year alone. We are proud to announce the release of our 2025 Mid-Year Report.

The petitioner in the #SCOTUS case about conversion therapy bans prominently cited Dr. Lisa Diamond.

Dr. Diamond just filed an amicus brief explaining the many ways in which the conversion therapy advocates are wrong and confused about her work:

www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/24...

Why ageing doesn't have to mean years of poor health A new measure of ageing says today's older people are the healthiest ever – keeping the trend going won't be easy, however

A new measure of ageing says today's older people are the healthiest ever – keeping the trend going won't be easy, however

Nicole Prause on X: "New study reports women become only slightly less likely to masturbate with age and orgasm quality also varied by menopausal status. @cygraham_graham https://t.co/zrVQDzDbB3" / X New study reports women become only slightly less likely to masturbate with age and orgasm quality also varied by menopausal status. @cygraham_graham https://t.co/zrVQDzDbB3

x.com/nicolerpraus...

Sex: The menopause remedy no one's talking about New research reveals that regular intimacy and self-pleasure can significantly reduce common midlife symptoms.

"Women are very open to trying something if it's presented as effective. The problem is: very few physicians will raise this," says Graham.

ICYMI: 🔥 story on our work w/ Womanizer on #menopause @cygraham.bsky.social @justinlehmiller.bsky.social @yahoonews.com

health.yahoo.com/your-body/wo...

The Trump administration intends to incinerate $9.7 million in already-purchased birth control in Belgium after USAID shut down, at a cost to the U.S. of more than $160,000 in transport and incineration fees. European governments are still hoping to stop it. nyti.ms/4ma5iaa

Sleep Is a Feminist Issue: Why Women’s Rest Is Political the medical system has long dismissed women’s sleep struggles—especially during menopause—putting their health and lives at risk.

From incarceration to gaslighting, the medical system has long dismissed women’s sleep struggles—especially during menopause—putting their health and lives at risk.

Just unbelievable awful news

Beyond The Bedroom: The Truth About Sexual Health, Intimacy, And Aging Sex and older adults remain taboo subjects in many societies. But growing evidence shows that sexual health is a critical component of well-being, even in later life.

“As people age, their need for connection remains strong…”

Fantastic article in @forbes.com highlighting our latest research around #menopause and our upcoming symposium on sex & #aging 📝

www.forbes.com/sites/sophie...

@cygraham.bsky.social @justinlehmiller.bsky.social

Beyond The Bedroom: The Truth About Sexual Health, Intimacy, And Aging Sex and older adults remain taboo subjects in many societies. But growing evidence shows that sexual health is a critical component of well-being, even in later life.

Great article featuring our just published OA article in journal
Menopause @justinlehmiller.bsky.social
@kinseyinstitute.bsky.social
www.forbes.com/sites/sophie...

Construction and Validation of a Questionnaire on Kinky and BDSM Fantasies and Activities in Portuguese Adults
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
@justinlehmiller.bsky.social
@sexsciencesociety.bsky.social
@kinseyinstitute.bsky.social

Interdependence and Sexual Health: Relationship factors associated with sexual behavior among sexual minority males in non-monogamous relationships who use drugs Sexual HIV transmission risk among sexual minority men (SMM) in relationships has been the focus of considerable research informed by interdependence theory. We tested a hypothesized model that sit...

Just published: Relationship factors associated with sexual behavior among sexual minority males in non-monogamous relationships who use drugs
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
@sexsciencesociety.bsky.social
@kinseyinstitute.bsky.social

Bigger is always better - and 10 other sex myths busted Think only men suffer performance anxiety, your libido is set in stone or porn destroys intimacy? Experts debunk the most common misconceptions about your sex life

“Yes, sex changes as we age: we just need to learn to explore new ways of making sexual arousal work for us” -- including taking turns ("double the pleasure") and incorporating vibrators. I'm quoted in @theguardian.com, 7/11/25: www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

I was interviewed for this @advocate.com article - a response to the #HHS new guidance on the Teen Pregnancy Program
@kinseyinstitute.bsky.social
@liamwignall.bsky.social

‘Shar pei sex’, swinging, and 10 orgasms in an afternoon: This is sex after 60 ‘Many older couples find greater satisfaction than when they were younger,’ says the National Institute on Aging

I was interviewed for this @theguardian.com article on sex after 60 @kinseyinstitute.bsky.social @jessicajhille.bsky.social
@justinlehmiller.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/wellness/202...

I worked at Planned Parenthood.

They diagnose cancers while still treatable. They help women decide what birth control works for them. They help those working through mental health challenges.
 
Defunding them just harms people who already struggle to find places to get care.

From the pandemic to porn, here's how norms around sex are shifting for Gen Z Journalist Carter Sherman says that members of Gen Z are having less sex than previous generations — due in part to the political and social climate. Her new book is The Second Coming.

Journalist Carter Sherman says that members of Gen Z are having less sex than previous generations — due in part to the political and social climate. Her new book is The Second Coming.