Everything We Learned From The Sexologist On Last Night's Tommy Tiernan Show

Last night the second episode of this season's Tommy Tiernan show aired, and it was a corker. Kerry politician Michael Healy-Rae as well as Irish writer Michael Harding were surprise guests and made for some fascinating discussions but perhaps the most interesting segment was that containing clinical Sexologist Emily Power Smith where she educated Tommy and the public on her vocation as well as common problems that people come to her with.

Power Smith is the only Sexologist in Ireland and here are the seven things we learned from her appearance on the chat show.

1. The main issues she deals with in men are erectile difficulties and premature ejaculation

Maybe not the bombshell ever.

2. The main issue for women is painful sex and not being able to orgasm

She also mentioned that different levels of desire in a relationship can be an issue.

3. There's loads you can do without an erect penis

Power Smith told the audience that men can orgasm without ejaculation: Because we're so focused on the penis we think that sex has to end because erections aren't working so well.

4. Sex is like Tapas

Power Smith made an amusing analogy on the show saying that sex isn't like a three course meal but more like going to a Tapas restaurant: instead of a three course meal, bit of foreplay as your starter and then the penetration as your main course and then a cuddle, it's more akin to the Spanish cuisine:

I like to think of it more as a table of Tapas and so the penetration is one dish, it might be your favourite, but if you go to your Tapas bar and your favourite Tapa isn't on that night you don't leave hungry, do you? You have something else.

5. Orgasm and ejaculation are two separate things

The clinical sexologist explained to Tiernan that orgasm and ejaculation are two separate phenomenona that just happen to usually occur together and that men can actually have several 'dry' orgasms if they learn the skill. Now she didn't get into any details on that, perhaps you have to book a consultation at her Dún Laoghaire clinic for her to divulge that information.

6. Sex for women doesn't have to be painful

Power Smith laid out one of the most common problems she faces in women that experience pain during sex:

Women somehow learn that our first time is going to be really painful, everybody's first experience is different, that's a myth. That's because we didn't know what to do to make it not painful.

A lot of young women come to me... they have stopped having sex completely in their mid twenties. They've given up, they've gone to all these different specialists who have said that they can't help them.

So you trace back to their first time, they didn't know what they were doing as most people don't, they didn't know that they should be lubricated, they've had very painful first experiences and then they just keep having that experience.

She went on to say that people who have had a couple of bad experiences with sex can develop a 'pain pattern' and a 'pain expectation' the muscles at the entrance of the vagina start to close to protect them. She explains that it's not a bad thing that it's happening but the reason is lack of education.

7. Men need more physical stimulation on their penis as they get older

To get the blood flowing Power Smith said that older penises need more 'attention'. Power Smith said that men "expect it to be handsfree like it was in their twenties".

The interview was in equal parts hilarious, embarrassing and insightful and cemented the show as must watch television.

@tommedian talks to Sexologist @empowersme about what it's like for men who have problems downstairs! The #TommyTiernan Show airs Wednesdays at 9.35 and Tommy doesn't know who the guests are till they walk out on stage! pic.twitter.com/mftzMEIG3k

— RTE One (@RTEOne) January 10, 2018