Culture Apothecary with Alex Clark Why Record Amounts Of Young People Are Saying No To Marriage AND Sex | Dr. Debra Soh, PhD
Mar 3, 2026
Dr. Debra Soh, neuroscientist and author who studies human sexuality and biological drivers of behavior. She explores why fewer young people choose sex or marriage. She discusses declining testosterone, rising SSRI use and sexual dysfunction, porn’s impact on consent norms, reproductive tech limits, and cultural shifts in dating and intimacy.
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SSRIs Are Widespread And Often Numb Sexual Function
- One in five college students are on SSRIs, which commonly cause reduced libido and can produce long-lasting sexual dysfunction.
- Soh warns this is under-recognized, with prescribers often not fully informing patients about sexual side effects.
Post SSRI Sexual Dysfunction Can Be Persistent And Undisclosed
- Post-SSRI sexual dysfunction can numb emotions and orgasm and may persist without a clear cure, yet regulatory warnings remain limited.
- Soh emphasizes lack of informed consent and that many prescribers (including OBGYNs) routinely prescribe these drugs.
Sexual Choking Became Normalized Among Gen Z
- Choking during sex has surged; older millennials often reported it as non-consensual, while Gen Z more often frames it as consensual or requests it.
- Soh connects early exposure to violent porn with normalization of rough sexual acts among Gen Z.
