The XX Lab

Sarah
  • 4.9 (14)
  • Self-Improvement

Welcome to The XX Lab, where I talk with scientists and top-performing women to give you insights that you can use in everyday life. This is not another health podcast telling women to optimize endlessly or chase extreme longevity. It’s a science+life podcast for women who want to feel better now—not just live longer later.

  1. 1d ago

    What Women Aren't Told About Freezing Their Eggs | Kristen V. Brown #26

    Thinking about freezing your eggs? The ads make it sound simple: a few shots, a quick procedure, and more time on your biological clock. What does it really cost, what does it do to your body, and how often does it lead to a baby? In this episode of The XX Lab, Dr. Sarah Hill sits down with health and science journalist Kristen V. Brown, creator of Misconception, the Bloomberg Prognosis series that followed her own path through the fertility industry. Kristen froze embryos at 36 while reporting the story. They cover whether egg freezing is worth it, the hidden costs, what ovarian stimulation does to your body, egg freezing success rates, AMH and the best age to freeze, how to choose a fertility clinic, and why fertility ads can slide from education into fear. Key Takeaways: - Whether egg freezing is worth it depends on your finances, age, relationship, life plans and how much discomfort you can handle; there is no one answer - The drugs make the ovaries mature many eggs at once, so they swell "to the size of very juicy lemons"; the procedure is low-risk, not zero-risk - In the best study so far, about 40% of women who went back to use their frozen eggs had a live birth, and most women never use their eggs - Eggs are fragile when frozen and thawed; embryos survive freezing better About Kristen V. Brown: Kristen V. Brown is a health and science journalist whose work has appeared in The New York Times and The Atlantic, where she was a staff writer. At Bloomberg News she reported on genetics, biohacking, vaccine psychology and reproductive health. She made Misconception, a four-episode Bloomberg Prognosis series that followed her own path through the fertility industry, and Doubt, a 2021 Bloomberg podcast on vaccine hesitancy that won a Signal Award. Her first book, The Immortal Womb, about the long scientific quest to control the female body and reshape human reproduction, is forthcoming from W.W. Norton. Timestamps Introduction: Why a Health Reporter Decided to Freeze Her Eggs (00:00) The Hidden Costs of Egg Freezing (and What Insurance Covers) (06:51) What Egg Freezing Does to Your Body (13:31) How Many Frozen Eggs Become a Baby? (20:35) How Egg Freezing Created a "Burden of Choice" for Women (24:05) Is There a Best Age to Freeze Your Eggs? (35:21) Egg Freezing Success Rates: 39%, 51% and 70% (37:15) What AMH Can (and Can't) Tell You About Your Fertility (40:33) How Little We Know About Female Reproductive Biology (53:59) The XX Lab is where midlife women come to understand the science of their own biology: hormones, brain chemistry, behavior, and the research that finally makes sense of how you feel. Dr. Sarah Hill breaks down the evidence with rigor and warmth, so you can make decisions rooted in real science, not guesswork. For more research-backed insight on your hormones, brain, and behavior, find Dr. Sarah Hill here: Website: https://www.sarahehill.com Instagram: / sarahehillphd

    What Women Aren't Told About Freezing Their Eggs | Kristen V. Brown #26

  2. Nov 2

    Love Your Partner But Don’t Want Sex? A Kinsey Scientist Explains | Dr. Cynthia Graham #25

    Love your partner but rarely feel like having sex? Most of us were taught that desire should strike out of nowhere, and that if it doesn’t, something is wrong with us. What if desire never worked that way for anyone? In this episode of The XX Lab, Dr. Sarah Hill sits down with Dr. Cynthia Graham, Senior Scientist at the Kinsey Institute and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Sex Research, who has spent decades studying sexual response and about 35 years working with individuals and couples in sex therapy. They talk about why planned sex can be just as satisfying as spontaneous sex, the myth that men always want sex, why desire changes in long-term relationships, what turns women on and off, why you can love your partner and still not want sex, and why low desire without distress isn’t a dysfunction. Key Takeaways: Planned sex can be just as enjoyable and arousing as spontaneous sex, and anticipation is one of the biggest triggers of desireIn a UK study of 15,000+ people, the strongest predictor of losing sexual interest was not being able to share likes and dislikes with a partnerDesire often changes over a long relationship, and that doesn’t mean the relationship or either partner is brokenA sexual difficulty is only a dysfunction when it causes distress, lasts and is severe; counting distress, most sexual problems drop to about 1–4%About Cynthia Graham: Dr. Cynthia Graham is a clinical psychologist, Senior Scientist at the Kinsey Institute and Distinguished Professor of Gender Studies at Indiana University Bloomington. She has been Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Sex Research since 2009, is a past president of the International Academy for Sex Research, and was a member of the DSM-5 Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders Working Group. She earned her PhD at McGill University, worked clinically with individuals and couples for about 35 years, and was previously Professor of Sexual and Reproductive Health at the University of Southampton. Kinsey Institute: https://kinseyinstitute.org/about/profiles/cgraham.phpIndiana University: https://gender.indiana.edu/about/faculty/graham-cynthia.htmlTimestamps Introduction: Is Spontaneous Sexual Desire a Myth? (00:00) What “Context” Really Means for Sexual Desire (13:49) How Much Does Emotional Connection Matter for Sex? (22:23) The #1 Predictor of Losing Sexual Interest (28:14) Why Desire Fades in Long-Term Relationships (36:31) Why a Little Distance Keeps Desire Alive (45:59) Mismatched Libidos: Is It a Deal Breaker? (52:27) What Turns Women On and Off: Inside Her Most-Cited Study (1:07:04) How Body Image Distracts Women During Sex (1:21:50) Sexual Difficulty vs. Dysfunction: Why Distress Matters (1:29:16) What Sex Researchers Are Studying Now (1:40:01) The XX Lab is where midlife women come to understand the science of their own biology: hormones, brain chemistry, behavior, and the research that finally makes sense of how you feel. Dr. Sarah Hill breaks down the evidence with rigor and warmth, so you can make decisions rooted in real science, not guesswork.

    Love Your Partner But Don’t Want Sex? A Kinsey Scientist Explains | Dr. Cynthia Graham #25

  3. Oct 29

    Lost the Attraction to Your Partner? How to Tell If It's Hormones | Dr. Sarah Hill

    Can the birth control pill change who you’re attracted to? If you’ve been on social media lately, you’ve probably heard some version of this: go on the pill and you’ll pick the wrong partner, or come off it and suddenly realize you’re not attracted to the person you’re with. In this video, I explain how estrogen, progesterone and the pill shape what you notice in a partner, why there’s no hormone-free “real you” hiding underneath, how to tell low libido from lost attraction, how to track your own patterns, and how to work with your hormones instead of being surprised by them. Timestamps Introduction: Can the Pill Change Who You’re Attracted To?(00:00) How Hormones and the Pill Shift Attraction(00:50) Low Libido or Lost Attraction? How to Tell the Difference (05:48) How to Track Your Cycle, Desire and Attraction (07:58) How to Work With Your Hormones, Not Against Them (11:35) The XX Lab is where midlife women come to understand the science of their own biology: hormones, brain chemistry, behavior, and the research that finally makes sense of how you feel. Dr. Sarah Hill breaks down the evidence with rigor and warmth, so you can make decisions rooted in real science, not guesswork. For more research-backed insight on your hormones, brain, and behavior, find Dr. Sarah Hill here: Website: https://www.sarahehill.com Instagram:   / sarahehillphd   LinkedIn:   / sarahehillphd   Go deeper with Dr. Sarah Hill's books, both science-backed guides to understanding your own biology: The Period Brain: the new science of why we PMS and PMDD, and how to feel your best all month long  https://www.amazon.com/Period-Brain-S... This Is Your Brain on Birth Control: how the pill shapes mood, attraction, and behavior in ways most women are never told  https://www.amazon.com/This-Your-Brai...

    Lost the Attraction to Your Partner? How to Tell If It's Hormones | Dr. Sarah Hill

  4. Oct 26

    Why You Assume the Worst About the People You Love | Dr. Yael Schonbrun #24

    Why do we feel so misunderstood, even by the people closest to us? Clinical psychologist Dr. Yael Schonbrun says it’s because we’re trying to fix misunderstanding with the wrong tool. Communication happens between people, but understanding happens inside them. It’s shaped by overconfidence, mood, hunger, history and the stories we tell about each other. Most of us are certain we understand other people, and just as certain they don’t understand us. That math doesn’t work out. Our brains are built to feel sure of what we perceive, and even Nobel Prize - winning psychologist Danny Kahneman wrote that he still falls for cognitive bias. Talking more won’t change that on its own. Awareness, curiosity and a little more generosity can. In this episode of The XX Lab, Dr. Sarah Hill sits down with Dr. Yael Schonbrun, a clinical psychologist at Brown University and author of Why Don’t You Understand Me?, to explore what drives understanding and misunderstanding beneath the words. They cover why overconfidence is the bias that rules all others, how naive realism makes our own view feel like the truth, why we cast people as villains, how keeping score wears down relationships, why understanding someone isn’t agreeing with them, and what to ask when the same fight keeps coming back. KEY TAKEAWAYS: Misunderstanding usually starts inside us, in how we interpret what others say and do, not in the words themselvesOverconfidence is “the bias that rules all others”: feeling certain about what someone meant isn’t the same as knowingWe notice what we give more than what we receive, so being a little more generous than feels fair keeps relationships in a positive cycle, without becoming a doormatIn a recurring fight, ask: “What do you think I’m missing?”Guest Bio Dr. Yael Schonbrun is a clinical psychologist at Brown University with more than 20 years of clinical experience, specializing in the treatment of couples and relationships. She writes for media outlets including The Washington Post and is the author of Why Don't You Understand Me?, which looks at the processes inside people that drive understanding and misunderstanding. Connect with Dr. Yael Schonbrun Website: https://www.yaelschonbrun.com Timestamps Introduction (00:00) Overconfidence Is the Bias That Rules All Others (05:50) When Should You Stop and Get Curious? (10:40) The Villain-Victim Story We Tell Ourselves (22:10) Strategic Generosity: Stop Assuming the Worst (34:09) Why It's So Hard to Stop Seeing Someone as the Villain (46:22) Understanding Someone Isn't Agreeing With Them (51:55) What to Ask When You Keep Having the Same Fight (58:31) The XX Lab is where midlife women come to understand the science of their own biology: hormones, brain chemistry, behavior, and the research that finally makes sense of how you feel. Dr. Sarah Hill breaks down the evidence with rigor and warmth, so you can make decisions rooted in real science, not guesswork. For more research-backed insight on your hormones, brain, and behavior, find Dr. Sarah Hill here: -Website: https://www.sarahehill.com -Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahehillphd -LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahehillphd

    Why You Assume the Worst About the People You Love | Dr. Yael Schonbrun #24

  5. Oct 19

    Too Young for Perimenopause? The Early Signs Most Women Miss | Dr. Mariza Snyder #23

    What if the reason you don't feel like yourself isn't stress or burnout, but a hormonal transition that started years before your cycle ever changed? For many women, early perimenopause begins in the late 30s or early 40s with brain fog, poor sleep, and mood changes, while periods and labs still look completely normal. In this episode of The XX Lab, I sit down with Dr. Mariza Snyder, women's hormone expert, host of the Energized podcast, and author of The Perimenopause Revolution. We explore early perimenopause symptoms, why midlife weight gain comes down to insulin resistance and not willpower, how to use a continuous glucose monitor, the simple daily habits that move the needle, and how this transition can become an awakening rather than a loss of self. Key Takeaways:  -Early perimenopause symptoms can start in your late 30s, even with regular periods. - Perimenopause weight gain is driven by insulin resistance, not willpower. - A short walk after meals helps lower blood sugar spikes. - Perimenopause is a window to protect your bone, heart, and brain health. Timestamps: Dr. Mariza Snyder on The Perimenopause Revolution (00:00) What Is Perimenopause? Early vs. Late Perimenopause Explained (02:00) Early Perimenopause Brain Fog With Normal Periods and Labs (06:30) Perimenopause and Identity: Feeling Like You've Lost Yourself (11:20) A Mother's Perimenopause Story: From Burnout to Marathons (15:40) Early Perimenopause Signs and How to Track Your Symptoms (21:20) Perimenopause Weight Gain: Estrogen, Insulin Resistance, and Belly Fat (30:00) How to Use a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) in Perimenopause (35:20) How to Lower Blood Sugar Spikes: Post-Meal Walks and Exercise Snacks (42:00) Perimenopause Morning Routine for Energy, Sleep, and Blood Sugar (46:50) How to Find a Perimenopause Doctor and Which Tests to Ask For (59:00) Best Perimenopause Lifestyle Changes: Sleep, Movement, and Friendship (1:03:30) Is HRT Safe? Hormone Therapy, Testosterone, and Breast Cancer Risk (1:06:40) Perimenopause Myths and What Really Changes After Menopause (1:10:10) Guest Bio Dr. Mariza Snyder is a functional practitioner and women's hormone expert with more than 17 years of experience helping women navigate perimenopause and beyond. She holds a Doctor of Chiropractic degree, hosts the top-rated Energized with Dr. Mariza podcast, and is the bestselling author of several books, including The Perimenopause Revolution, which offers a five-week reset for hormones, metabolism, and energy. - https://drmariza.com/book - https://www.instagram.com/drmariza - https://www.amazon.com/dp/1401997406 *** The XX Lab is where midlife women come to understand the science of their own biology: hormones, brain chemistry, behavior, and the research that finally makes sense of how you feel. Dr. Sarah Hill breaks down the evidence with rigor and warmth, so you can make decisions rooted in real science, not guesswork. For more research-backed insight on your hormones, brain, and behavior, find Dr. Sarah Hill here: -Website: https://www.sarahehill.com -Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahehillphd -LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahehillphd

    Too Young for Perimenopause? The Early Signs Most Women Miss | Dr. Mariza Snyder #23

  6. Oct 12

    Why Is It So Hard to Say No? The Psychology Behind People-Pleasing | Dr. Vanessa Bohns #22

    What if saying yes when you mean no isn't a boundary problem, but a predictable feature of how your brain protects your place in the group? "No is a complete sentence" sounds simple, but the research says the moment of being asked is anything but. In this episode of The XX Lab, I sit down with Dr. Vanessa Bohns, social psychologist, Cornell professor of organizational behavior, and author of the new book Should I Say Something? We explore compliance vs consent, why we underestimate how often people say yes, the persuasion tactics salespeople use, how to say no to a boss or a date, and when it's worth speaking up. KEY TAKEAWAYS: Compliance is just behavior. Consent means you truly felt free to say no and understood what you were agreeing to.We consistently underestimate how likely others are to say yes to our requests, and how much pressure our asks put on them.Buying time with "let me think about it and get back to you" moves you out of the hot emotional moment and into a clearer decision.In social situations, we underestimate how much people like us, notice us, and want our honest feedback.Timestamps Introduction: Dr. Vanessa Bohns on Why Saying No Is So Hard (00:00) Compliance vs Consent: What's the Difference? (02:55) Why Women Say Yes When They Want to Say No (04:00) Why We Underestimate How Often People Say Yes (09:05) Persuasion Tactics: Reciprocity, Authority and Social Proof (11:00) What Happens in Your Brain When Someone Asks You for a Favor (19:10) What Genuine Consent Actually Requires (25:30) How to Ask for a Favor Without Pressuring Someone (28:45) How to Say No to Your Boss Without Looking Lazy (34:35) How to Politely Turn Down a Date (37:50) How to Buy Time Before You Say Yes (41:10) Should I Say Something? When to Speak Up and When to Stay Quiet (48:40) Why You Shouldn't Tell Your Boss You Love Your Job (54:20) Why We Underestimate How Much People Like Us (57:20) Guest Bio Dr. Vanessa Bohns is a social psychologist and the Braunstein Family Professor and Chair of Organizational Behavior at Cornell University's ILR School. She holds a PhD in psychology from Columbia University and an AB from Brown University. An expert on help-seeking, social influence, compliance, and consent, her research explores why it's so hard to ask for things and so hard to say no, and has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and on NPR's Hidden Brain. She is the author of You Have More Influence Than You Think and Should I Say Something?: The Science of What to Share and What to Keep to Yourself. -Website: https://www.vanessabohns.com -Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/profbohns -Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0306835703 The XX Lab is where midlife women come to understand the science of their own biology: hormones, brain chemistry, behavior, and the research that finally makes sense of how you feel. Dr. Sarah Hill breaks down the evidence with rigor and warmth, so you can make decisions rooted in real science, not guesswork. For more research-backed insight on your hormones, brain, and behavior, find Dr. Sarah Hill here: -Website: https://www.sarahehill.com

    Why Is It So Hard to Say No? The Psychology Behind People-Pleasing | Dr. Vanessa Bohns #22

  7. Oct 5

    The Hormone-ADHD Connection Women Aren’t Told About | Dr. Jolene Brighten #21

    You've been told midlife brain fog is just stress. What if perimenopause is actually revealing a brain you've been masking your whole life? In this episode of The XX Lab, I sit down with Dr. Jolene Brighten, board-certified naturopathic endocrinologist and author of Beyond the Pill, to talk about her new book, ADHD and Women. We explore why perimenopause unmasks ADHD, how to tell it apart from brain fog, the birth control connection, and what actually supports the ADHD brain. Whether you're curious about ADHD in women, hormones and the brain, or the hidden side effects of hormonal birth control, I think you'll find this conversation to be a science-backed, deeply validating look at how hormones shape who we are at every life stage. KEY TAKEAWAYS: ADHD isn't a deficit of attention. It's difficult to regulate attention, and hormones influence how it shows up across a woman's life.The highest rates of new ADHD diagnoses are in middle-aged women, a group that was missed for decades, not a sign that ADHD is new.Perimenopause can cause ADHD-like symptoms in women who don't have ADHD. True ADHD has been present since childhood.Diet, sleep, and daily movement don't cause or cure ADHD, but they strongly influence how severely symptoms are expressed.Timestamps What Happened When She Questioned The Pill (00:00) Birth Control Myths And The Hidden ADHD Risk (06:26) Late ADHD And Autism Diagnosis: The Signs She Missed (15:44) How Perimenopause Unmasks ADHD In Women (26:42) What ADHD Actually Feels Like For Women (34:32) Perimenopause Or ADHD? How To Tell The Difference (42:07) Pharma Skepticism, Hormones And ADHD Stimulants (54:20) Is ADHD Rising Or Just Diagnosed More? (1:11:47) ADHD Meds For Kids, Creatine And Omega-3s (1:22:48) Why She Regrets Starting The Pill At 17 (1:37:55) PMDD Isn't Just Progesterone: Histamine And Inflammation (1:44:49) Guest Bio Dr. Jolene Brighten is a board-certified naturopathic endocrinologist, certified menopause specialist, and nutrition scientist known for translating complex hormone science into practical care. She is the bestselling author of Beyond the Pill and Is This Normal?, and her new book, ADHD and Women, explores how hormones shape ADHD across a woman's life. She hosts The Dr. Brighten Show, a top-rated women's health podcast. Website: https://drbrighten.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjolenebrightenBook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/059398160X *** The XX Lab is where midlife women come to understand the science of their own biology: hormones, brain chemistry, behavior, and the research that finally makes sense of how you feel. Dr. Sarah Hill breaks down the evidence with rigor and warmth, so you can make decisions rooted in real science, not guesswork. For more research-backed insight on your hormones, brain, and behavior, find Dr. Sarah Hill here: Website: https://www.sarahehill.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahehillphdLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahehillphd

    The Hormone-ADHD Connection Women Aren’t Told About | Dr. Jolene Brighten #21

  8. Sep 28

    Your Relationships Are Affecting Your Health More Than You Think | Dr. Rich Slatcher #20

    What if the strongest predictor of how long you live has nothing to do with your diet, your sleep, or the gym? I have spent my career studying hormones and behavior, and this one still stops me: the quality of your relationships predicts mortality at roughly double the effect of exercise. In this episode of The XX Lab, I sit down with Dr. Rich Slatcher, Gail M. Williamson Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of Georgia and director of the Close Relationships Lab. Rich and I were in the same graduate program at UT Austin, so this is part science, part reunion. We cover why social connection predicts mortality, how partner responsiveness shapes health, why men benefit more from marriage than women do, and what makes a first date work. Key Takeaways: - Social integration predicts mortality at roughly double the effect of exercise - Opening up only helps your health if the person listening actually responds - Men route nearly every emotional need through a spouse; women keep wider networks - Where you have a first date matters far less than how open the conversation gets Timestamps How Relationships Shape Health With Dr. Rich Slatcher (00:00) Expressive Writing Can Boost Your Immune System (01:25) Why Men Rarely Open Up To Friends (07:50) From Anthropology To Evolutionary Psychology (11:30) Strong Relationships Help You Live Longer (20:15) Is The Cortisol Link To Health Overhyped? (26:35) How Your Partner's Response Shapes Your Health (33:30) Does Conflict Outweigh Support In Your Relationship? (40:15) Marriage Helps Men's Health More Than Women's (48:55) Are Couple Friends Worth The Risk? (55:35) Conversation Beats Romantic Settings On First Dates (01:04:40) 3 Signs Someone Is Really Listening To You (01:13:45) Do Men Need Face To Face Friendships? (01:23:45) Studies mentioned in this episode - House, Landis and Umberson (1988), Science: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3399889/ - Holt-Lunstad meta-analysis: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000316 - Slatcher and Selcuk, strength and strain model: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28367003/ Guest Bio Dr. Rich Slatcher is the Gail M. Williamson Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of Georgia, where he directs the Close Relationships Lab. He earned his PhD at UT Austin with James Pennebaker and completed an NIMH postdoctoral fellowship in health psychology at UCLA. His research examines self-disclosure, partner responsiveness, and how close relationships shape physical health and wellbeing.  Website: https://www.richslatcher.com

    Your Relationships Are Affecting Your Health More Than You Think | Dr. Rich Slatcher #20
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4.9
out of 5
14 Ratings

About

Welcome to The XX Lab, where I talk with scientists and top-performing women to give you insights that you can use in everyday life. This is not another health podcast telling women to optimize endlessly or chase extreme longevity. It’s a science+life podcast for women who want to feel better now—not just live longer later.

Information

  • Creator
    Sarah
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    28
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Sarah
  • Show Website
    The XX Lab

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