Lectures

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  1. Evolutionary Psychology

  In our introductory lecture, Dr. Sarah Hill sets the stage for our course through an exploration of evolutionary psychology and explains how natural and sexual selection shape human behavior, with a focus on sex differences in mating and reproduction. Drawing on Trivers’ parental investment theory, she shows how women’s greater obligatory investment in reproduction leads to greater sexual selectivity, while men tend toward more opportunistic strategies. She demonstrates how the brain is wired to reward behaviors that helped our ancestors survive and reproduce and explains why women across cultures prioritize partners offering resources, protection, and commitment—establishing the basis for later discussions of hormones and hormonal contraception.
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  2. Hormones and Mating

  In lecture two, we study the evolutionary basis of sex differences in mate preferences, focusing on how reproductive biology shapes psychological traits. We examine how women's preference for resource-rich partners persists across cultures, and how men prioritize physical attractiveness and youth as indicators of fertility and reproductive value. The lecture also details how sex hormones regulate reproductive behaviors, with testosterone coordinating male mating effort, while women's estrogen and progesterone cycle to optimize both attraction/mating and pregnancy preparation throughout the menstrual cycle.
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  3. The Menstrual Cycle

  In lecture three, we examine hormonal changes across the menstrual cycle, focusing on estrogen’s role in driving attraction and mating behaviors during the follicular phase, and progesterone’s role in preparing the body for potential pregnancy during the luteal phase. We discuss how these shifts influence sexual desire, mood, metabolism, immune function, and food intake, showing that women cycle between two physiological states optimized for reproduction. The lecture concludes by highlighting that understanding these changes is crucial for women's well-being, and that denying the importance of biological sex differences has ultimately been harmful to women's health.
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  4. Sex Differences

  In lecture four, we investigate how science has historically ignored biological sex differences, treating women as "small, less-hairy versions of men" despite fundamental physiological and psychological differences. We examine how research predominantly conducted on men has led to serious consequences for women, including adverse drug reactions, diagnostic delays, and inappropriate treatment protocols. Dr. Hill concludes by discussing how assumptions of sameness between sexes create problems in legal standards, workplace policies, and medical treatments, emphasizing the need for sex-differentiated research and recognition that biological differences don't imply inequality.
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  5. Birth Control Basics

  In lecture five, we learn how hormonal birth control affects women's bodies and brains by preventing ovulation and natural hormone production. Synthetic progestins differ from natural progesterone, lacking neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, and mood-stabilizing effects, and creating a flattened hormonal profile that influences sexual desire, stress response, and more. While birth control offers benefits like pregnancy prevention and symptom management for conditions such as endometriosis, it also carries costs, including decreased sexual function, altered immune response, and broader physiological changes beyond reproduction.
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  6. Birth Control Effects

  In lecture six, we explore how hormonal birth control affects sexual desire, partner attraction, and mood in women. We examine research showing that birth control use can dampen preferences for masculine features in partners and may lead women to prioritize different qualities when choosing mates, such as provisioning ability over sexual attractiveness. The lecture also addresses the significant mental health implications of hormonal birth control, including increased risks of depression and suicide, particularly among teenagers, highlighting the need for better informed consent and awareness of these potential side effects.
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  7. Birth Control & Mental Health

  In lecture seven, Dr. Hill continues elucidating the complex relationship between hormonal birth control and mental health, highlighting an increased risk of depression, especially in adolescents. We explore mechanisms behind these mood changes, including altered neurotransmission (serotonin and GABA), reduced amygdala activity, blunted cortisol responses, and increased inflammation. The lecture also covers risk factors such as age, personal history, and product type, as well as potential long-term developmental effects of adolescent use and the distinction between synthetic progestins and natural progesterone in hormone therapy.
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  8. Birth Control & Choice

  In our eighth and final lecture, we consider practical considerations for choosing hormonal birth control, including the four generations of progestins and their varying effects, from androgenic side effects to anti-acne benefits. We discuss how delivery methods—pills, IUDs, and implants—affect side effects even with the same hormone, and stress the value of journaling to track personal responses. Dr. Hill concludes our course by examining birth control’s societal impact, including lower costs of sex, delayed marriage, declining birth rates, gender shifts in education, and potential evolutionary effects on reproductive preferences.