The ladies discuss freezing their eggs and whether they would consider having a child alone. Women are constantly reminded that their biological clock is ticking, putting them under pressure to find a partner and have a baby as young as possible, but are there other options? Is the complex and expensive process of freezing eggs or embryos a luxury for the rich, or something that all women should proactively consider? What is the best age to freeze your eggs and how do you talk to a partner about the decision? Is egg freezing an insurance policy against fertility challenges in later life or does it play on women’s insecurities and offer them false hope? And is the decision to parent solo selfish or do some single parent families do better than traditional nuclear families? In this episode, Monah, Nushy Rose, and Sophie Hannah explore the stigmas attached to women’s fertility, the responsibilities involved in becoming a parent, and the choice to delay having children until later in life.--------------------------------------- FOLLOW THE CONVERSATION #EthnicallySpeakingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/unitedmelanincoYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/UnitedMelaninGroupTikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZM8H5Jx9b/Twitter: https://instagram.com/unitedmelanincoFacebook: https://facebook.com/unitedmelanincoLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unitedmelaninco/Get in touch with us: ethnicallyspeaking@unitedmelaningroup.com---------------------------------------- LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/2020/11/10167327/egg-freezing-uk-cost(Article – Real Talk, Should You Actually Freeze Your Eggs? – Vicky Spratt for Refinery 29)https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/egg-freezing-guide(Article – Everything you need to know about egg freezing to make an empowered decision – Lottie Winter for Glamour)https://www.cosmopolitan.com/health-fitness/a36718692/egg-freezing-tips-cost-faqs/(Article – The No-Bullsh*t, Not-Scary, Actually Helpful Guide to Egg Freezing – Elizabeth Kiefer for Cosmopolitan)https://theconversation.com/six-things-you-should-know-if-you-are-considering-freezing-your-eggs-94039(Article – Six things you should know if you are considering freezing your eggs Kylie Baldwin for The Conversation)https://www.thecut.com/2016/06/best-age-to-freeze-your-eggs.html(Article – Surprisingly, this is the best age to freeze your eggs – Susan Rinkunas for The Cut)https://www.technologyreview.com/2019/08/14/133377/mothers-journey-egg-freezing-parenthood/(Article – Don’t count on having kids if you freeze your eggs – Bonnie Rochman for MIT Technology Review)https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/630e250e-3b65-4e02-a3ec-d562cd8b7868(Article – Should I freeze my eggs for my 30th birthday? – Catriona White for BBC)https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/jun/23/going-it-alone-why-chose-single-motherhood(Article – Going it alone: why I chose single motherhood – Emma Brockes for The Guardian)https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/support-and-services/advice-for-single-parents/(Article – Advice for single parents – NHS)https://graziadaily.co.uk/life/real-life/sperm-donor-baby-solo-parent/(Article – Things you only know if you’ve chosen to have a baby alone – Genevieve Roberts for Grazia)https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/23/opinion/sunday/single-at-38-have-that-baby.html(Article – Single at 38? Have that baby – Emma Brockes for The New York Times)https://www.parents.com/parenting/dynamics/single-parenting/how-to-afford-a-baby-as-a-single-parent/(Article – How to afford a baby as a single parent – Dina Roth Port for Parents.com)https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/the-reality-of-becoming-a-solo-mother-by-choice(Article – I chose to be a solo mum aged 31 and here are the realities of it – Glamour)https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-30/motherhood-is-a-tough-gig-parenting/11704474(Article – Becoming a mother is a tough gig, would you go it alone? – Fiona Blackwood for ABC News)https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/women-single-mum-choice-sperm-donor_uk_5b8fb3a1e4b0511db3dddcbb(Article – Meet The Women Having Kids On Their Own – With The Help Of Sperm Donors – Amy Packham for Huffington Post)----------------------------------------Join Monah, Nushy Rose and Sophie Hannah, three smart, curious and opinionated highly-melanated women, as they discuss life, love and everything in between. No subject is off limits for these ladies, especially when it comes to issues affecting British communities of colour. So get ready to laugh, learn and liberate your mind, because if there’s one thing you can guarantee, it’s that the Ethnically Speaking ladies will be giving it to you straight. New episodes every Thursday.----------------------------------------Music by GC

The ladies discuss whether women are less happy than they used to be because of unrealistic expectations about life created by social media. Women already feel pressured to “have it all”, but does the content on social media make us feel like we’re not doing enough or falling behind those who appear to be living their best life? How do we define happiness and what do we really need to be happy? Is it possible to be happy all the time and would quitting or taking a break from social media help achieve this? Are the relationships we have on social media authentic or does liking, following, and comparing ourselves to the curated and filtered view of other people’s lives fuel our own unhappiness? In this episode, Monah, Nushy Rose, and Sophie Hannah explore our complicated relationship with social media and look at how we can all take charge of our own future happiness.--------------------------------------- FOLLOW THE CONVERSATION #EthnicallySpeakingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/unitedmelanincoYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/UnitedMelaninGroupTikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZM8H5Jx9b/Twitter: https://instagram.com/unitedmelanincoFacebook: https://facebook.com/unitedmelanincoLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unitedmelaninco/Get in touch with us: ethnicallyspeaking@unitedmelaningroup.com---------------------------------------- LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE https://www.inquirer.com/philly/health/we-arent-as-happy-as-we-used-to-be-heres-what-could-help-20180122.html(Article – We aren’t as happy as we used to be. Here’s what could help – Jean Twenge for The Philadelphia Inquirer)https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomokoyokoi/2021/03/27/pursuing-happiness-in-a-digital-world/?sh=2f0c132d4471(Article – Pursuing happiness in a digital world – Tomoko Yokoi for Forbes)https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/scientists-just-discovered-mid-life-crisis-peaks-at-age-47-heres-how-to-minimize-effect-of-happiness-curve.html(Article– Research Shows People Become Increasingly Unhappy Until Age 47.2. Here's How to Minimize the Negative Effect of the 'Happiness Curve’ – Jeff Haden for Inc.)https://www.healthista.com/reasons-social-media-making-you-unhappy/(Article – 6 reasons social media is making you unhappy (and what to do instead) – Healthista)https://time.com/4882372/social-media-facebook-instagram-unhappy/(Article – You Asked: Is Social Media Making Me Miserable? – Markham Heid for TIME)https://www.forbes.com/sites/petersuciu/2019/12/06/why-quitting-social-media-may-not-make-you-happier/?sh=32e6d5df37c5(Article – Why quitting social media may not make you happier – Peter Suciu for Forbes)https://medium.com/jumpstart-your-dream-life/were-our-ancestors-happier-than-we-are-today-75e8a8035011(Article – Were our ancestors happier than we are today? – Melissa Chu via Medium.com)https://www.ted.com/talks/robert_waldinger_what_makes_a_good_life_lessons_from_the_longest_study_on_happiness?(Video – What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness – Robert Waldinger for TEDxBeaconStreet)https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/basics/hedonic-treadmill(Article – Hedonic Treadmill – Psychology Today)https://stevenfurtick.com/(Website – Steven Furtick, Pastor, Songwriter & Author)----------------------------------------Join Monah, Nushy Rose and Sophie Hannah, three smart, curious and opinionated highly-melanated women, as they discuss life, love and everything in between. No subject is off limits for these ladies, especially when it comes to issues affecting British communities of colour. So get ready to laugh, learn and liberate your mind, because if there’s one thing you can guarantee, it’s that the Ethnically Speaking ladies will be giving it to you straight. New episodes every Thursday.----------------------------------------Music by GC

The ladies debate whether how you lose your virginity affects your attitude towards sex and your future sexual encounters. Society makes us believe the first time we have sex is a monumental moment adding to the pressure, nerves, and fear that already surround the experience, but is the concept of virginity outdated? What changes physically, emotionally, and mentally after you have sex for the first time? Do religions and cultures unfairly link women’s identities or value to their sexual activity? Does it matter how old you are when you become sexually active and do your views on intimacy, casual sex, and celibacy change with age? In this episode, Monah, Nushy Rose, and Sophie Hannah delve deep into what shapes individual perspectives on sex, the reason men are congratulated for losing their virginity while women are shamed, and why the female orgasm and women’s pleasure is rarely prioritised in the bedroom.--------------------------------------- FOLLOW THE CONVERSATION #EthnicallySpeakingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/unitedmelanincoYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/UnitedMelaninGroupTikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZM8H5Jx9b/Twitter: https://instagram.com/unitedmelanincoFacebook: https://facebook.com/unitedmelanincoLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unitedmelaninco/Get in touch with us: ethnicallyspeaking@unitedmelaningroup.com---------------------------------------- LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODEhttps://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/01/study-how-we-lose-our-virginity-shapes-our-entire-sexual-life/272596/(Article – Study: How we lose our virginity shapes our entire sexual life – Lindsay Abrams for The Atlantic)https://www.her.ie/life/these-are-the-side-effects-of-losing-your-virginity-later-in-life-309078(Article – The age at which you lose your virginity can have a huge impact on your sexual enjoyment – Cassie Delaney for Her)https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130128104732.htm(Article – 'First time' may predict lifelong sexual satisfaction – University of Tennessee at Knoxville via Science Daily)https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/apr/18/genes-influence-the-age-at-which-you-lose-your-virginity-first-sex-dna(Article – Genes influence the age at which you lose your virginity, study shows – Ian Sample for The Guardian)https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2018/10/sexual-partners-and-marital-happiness/573493/(Article – Fewer sex partners means a happier marriage – Olga Khazan for The Atlantic)https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/2019/01/221739/losing-your-virginity-stories(Article – Women Are Losing Their Virginity Before They're Ready. We Recall Our First Times – Natalie Gil for Refinery 29)https://helloclue.com/articles/culture/let's-lose-virginity-once-and-for-all(Article – Let’s lose “virginity”, once and for all – Jennifer Neal for Hello Clue)https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/full-frontal-psychology/virginity-and-promiscuity-evidence-for-the-very-first-time.html(Article – Virginity and promiscuity: Evidence for the very first time – Association for Psychological Science)https://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-sex/what-happens-when-you-lose-your-virginity(Article – 27 Things You Should Know Before You “Lose” Your Virginity – Annamarya Scaccia with medical review by Janet Brito, Ph.D., LCSW, CST for Healthline)https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/2020/10/10132156/losing-virginity-not-important-young-people(Article – Losing It: Does Virginity Even Matter Anymore? – Lydia Wang for Refinery 29)https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-46794269(Article – What is the right age to lose your virginity? – Michelle Roberts for BBC News)https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/jan/28/the-power-of-celibacy-giving-up-sex-was-a-massive-relief(Article – The power of celibacy: “Giving up sex was a massive relief” – Lizzie Cernik for The Guardian)https://www.thecut.com/2018/02/7-women-on-choosing-to-be-celibate.html(Article – 7 People on Choosing to Be Celibate – Tessa Miller for The Cut)----------------------------------------Join Monah, Nushy Rose and Sophie Hannah, three smart, curious and opinionated highly-melanated women, as they discuss life, love and everything in between. No subject is off limits for these ladies, especially when it comes to issues affecting British communities of colour. So get ready to laugh, learn and liberate your mind, because if there’s one thing you can guarantee, it’s that the Ethnically Speaking ladies will be giving it to you straight. New episodes every Thursday.----------------------------------------Music by GC

Monah, Nushy Rose, and Sophie Hannah discuss female friendships and why some women find it hard to make friends with other women or, in some cases, pride themselves on being one of the boys. For centuries society has pitted women against one another, causing them to see each other as competition in a narrative that some say was created by men. Are some women projecting their own insecurities onto other females? Are women able to have deeper friendships than men because they’re more vulnerable with each other? Would you trust your partner around a woman who only has male friends? In this episode, the ladies explore the beauty of female friendships, how they change with age, why they need just as much maintenance as romantic relationships, and how to deal with conflict to repair broken friendships. How important are your gal pals? Let us know in the comments below.--------------------------------------- FOLLOW THE CONVERSATION #EthnicallySpeakingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/unitedmelanincoYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/UnitedMelaninGroupTikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZM8H5Jx9b/Twitter: https://instagram.com/unitedmelanincoFacebook: https://facebook.com/unitedmelanincoLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unitedmelaninco/Get in touch with us: ethnicallyspeaking@unitedmelaningroup.com---------------------------------------- LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE https://www.thezoereport.com/living/why-dont-i-have-female-friends-relationship-experts-explain-their-theories-15909633(Article – This Issue Could Be Why You Have A Hard Time Making Girlfriends – Karen Tietjen for The Zoe Report)https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2018/06/womens-friendships-are-complicated/563945/(Article – Why women’s friendships are so complicated? – Alia Wong for The Atlantic)http://www.styleofthecitymag.co.uk/the-art-of-female-friendship-fighting-the-stereotype-that-women-cant-get-along/(Article - The art of female friendship: Fighting the stereotype that women can’t get along – Caitlin Sloman for Style of the city)https://aliceinwonderlustcom.wordpress.com/2017/09/10/why-its-hard-to-make-good-female-friends/(Blog – Why it’s hard to make good female friends – Alice in Wonderlust)https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/2019/12/8725819/importance-of-female-friendships(Article – Our Expectations Of Millennial Friendships Don’t Prepare Us For The Reality – Poorna Bell for Refinery 29)https://www.elitedaily.com/women/why-i-never-trust-a-girl-with-no-girlfriends(Article – Why You Should Never Trust A Girl With No Girlfriends – Elite Daily)https://medium.com/@MissChampagneB/why-the-phrase-i-dont-have-any-female-friends-is-toxic-to-women-75450377c5a1(Article – Why the phrase “I don’t have any female friends” is toxic to women – Payne Well via Medium.com)https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/how-to-make-female-friends-as-an-adult(Article – Female Friendship Has Never Been More Important. Here's How To Find Your Girl Gang – Leigh Weingus for Mind Body Green)https://www.nbcnews.com/better/lifestyle/i-hired-friendship-coach-help-me-make-friends-here-s-ncna1141571(Article – I hired a friendship coach to help me make friends. Here's what happened – Jen Glantz for NBC News)----------------------------------------Join Monah, Nushy Rose and Sophie Hannah, three smart, curious and opinionated highly-melanated women, as they discuss life, love and everything in between. No subject is off limits for these ladies, especially when it comes to issues affecting British communities of colour. So get ready to laugh, learn and liberate your mind, because if there’s one thing you can guarantee, it’s that the Ethnically Speaking ladies will be giving it to you straight. New episodes every Thursday.----------------------------------------Music by GC

Monah, Nushy Rose, and Sophie Hannah discuss whether they would ever "reverse migrate" and move to the country their parents and grandparents call home. Many families moved to the UK in search of a better life for their children but in a growing trend this generation is choosing to return to the motherland for the same reason. Are there better job prospects and more opportunities to build businesses in Africa and Asia than there are in the UK? Would you feel more accepted in the countries where you have heritage and the people look like you or be “othered” for being British? Do incentives like Ghana’s Year of Return put local people at a disadvantage? And what creature comforts would you miss if you moved? The ladies explore all angles in this episode of Ethnically Speaking and we want to hear your opinions in the comments below.--------------------------------------- FOLLOW THE CONVERSATION #EthnicallySpeakingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/unitedmelanincoYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/UnitedMelaninGroupTikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZM8H5Jx9b/Twitter: https://instagram.com/unitedmelanincoFacebook: https://facebook.com/unitedmelanincoLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unitedmelaninco/Get in touch with us: ethnicallyspeaking@unitedmelaningroup.com---------------------------------------- LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE https://www.forbes.com/sites/meghanmccormick/2019/01/12/want-to-move-to-africa-follow-these-3-tips-from-someone-who-did/?sh=939f2444a574(Article – Want to move to Africa? Follow these 3 tips from someone who did – Meghan McCormick for Forbes)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ri6TuuTTGs0(Video – Why we left America to live in Africa – BBC Africa documentary – via BBC News Africa YouTube channel)https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-19992062(Article – Why would you leave the West for India? – BBC News)https://www.fastcompany.com/90321591/my-parents-moved-to-the-us-for-a-better-life-and-im-returning-to-asia-for-jobs(Article – My parents moved to the U.S. for a better life, but I’m returning to Asia for job opportunities – Pavithra Mohan for Fast Company)https://www.vice.com/en/article/43kgzn/the-hidden-stress-of-growing-up-a-child-of-immigrants-v26n3(Article – The hidden stress of growing up a child of immigrants – Nicole Clark for VICE)https://www.theguardian.com/money/2021/jun/29/children-of-immigrants-held-back-by-employer-discrimination-in-uk(Article – Children of immigrants ‘held back by employer discrimination’ in UK – Rachel Hall for The Guardian)https://www.yearofreturn.com/(Website – Year of Return) https://ksr.hkspublications.org/2020/01/29/the-year-of-return-and-the-unintended-consequences-for-ghanaians/(Article – The “Year of Return” and the unintended consequences for Ghanaians – Aaryan Morrison for Kennedy School Review)----------------------------------------Join Monah, Nushy Rose and Sophie Hannah, three smart, curious and opinionated highly-melanated women, as they discuss life, love and everything in between. No subject is off limits for these ladies, especially when it comes to issues affecting British communities of colour. So get ready to laugh, learn and liberate your mind, because if there’s one thing you can guarantee, it’s that the Ethnically Speaking ladies will be giving it to you straight. New episodes every Thursday.----------------------------------------Music by GC

Ethnically Speaking is back for Season 2 and the ladies are finally all in one room! In this episode, Monah, Nushy Rose, and Sophie Hannah discuss whether women are forcing monogamous relationships on men. Are there different expectations for men and women when it comes to monogamy? What role does sex play and are men using polyamorous relationships as an excuse to sleep around? Does science say humans are meant to be monogamous or is having one partner at a time an outdated concept dreamed up by society? The ladies are exploring all angles in this episode of Ethnically Speaking and we want to hear your opinions in the comments below!--------------------------------------- FOLLOW THE CONVERSATION #EthnicallySpeakingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/unitedmelanincoYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/UnitedMelaninGroupTikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZM8H5Jx9b/Twitter: https://instagram.com/unitedmelanincoFacebook: https://facebook.com/unitedmelanincoLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unitedmelaninco/Get in touch with us: ethnicallyspeaking@unitedmelaningroup.com---------------------------------------- LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SA5sj_j726A(Video – Why do women make men be in monogamy relationships? – kmoorethegoat YouTube channel)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSLw76kxEQM(Video – Does your relationship with your parents change with age? | ETHNICALLY SPEAKING 74 – United Melanin Group channel)https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/between-the-sheets/201904/is-monogamy-natural(Article – Is monogamy natural? – Lawrence Josephs, Ph,D. for Psychology Today)https://www.vox.com/conversations/2017/2/23/14684236/monogamy-valentines-day-polyamory-marriage-love(Article – A philosopher makes the case for polyamory – Sean Illing for Vox)https://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/why-are-we-so-obsessed-with-monogamy-cmtt/(Article – Why are we so obsessed with monogamy? – Ravishly for The Good Men Project)https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/11/study-oxytocin-the-love-hormone-makes-men-in-relationships-want-to-stay-away-from-other-women/265314/(Article – Study: Oxytocin (‘ the Love Hormone’) makes men in relationships want to stay away from other women – Lindsay Abrams for The Atlantic) https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/straight-men-dating-women-polyamory-bumble-a8294796.html(Article – Straight men need to stop using polyamory as an excuse to manipulate women into casual dating – Jasmine Andersson for The Independent)https://ifstudies.org/blog/is-monogamy-unnatural/(Article – Is monogamy unnatural? – Robert VerBruggen for Institute for Family Studies)https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/women-who-stray/201805/monogamy-and-violence(Article – Monogamy and violence – Would “enforced monogamy” reduced male violence? – David J. Ley Ph.D for Psychology Today)----------------------------------------Join Monah, Nushy Rose and Sophie Hannah, three smart, curious and opinionated highly-melanated women, as they discuss life, love and everything in between. No subject is off limits for these ladies, especially when it comes to issues affecting British communities of colour. So get ready to laugh, learn and liberate your mind, because if there’s one thing you can guarantee, it’s that the Ethnically Speaking ladies will be giving it to you straight. New episodes every Thursday.----------------------------------------Music by GC

Ethnically Speaking is back for Season 2! Join Monah, Nushy Rose and Sophie Hannah, three smart, curious and opinionated highly-melanated women, as they discuss life, love and everything in between. No subject is off limits for these ladies, especially when it comes to issues affecting British communities of colour. So get ready to laugh, learn and liberate your mind, because if there’s one thing you can guarantee, it’s that the Ethnically Speaking ladies will be giving it to you straight. New episodes every Thursday – subscribe so you don't miss out!--------------------------------------- FOLLOW THE CONVERSATION #EthnicallySpeakingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/unitedmelanincoYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/UnitedMelaninGroupTikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZM8H5Jx9b/Twitter: https://instagram.com/unitedmelanincoFacebook: https://facebook.com/unitedmelanincoLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unitedmelaninco/Get in touch with us: ethnicallyspeaking@unitedmelaningroup.com----------------------------------------