Sex, Explained (2020)
From the biology of attraction to the history of birth control, explore the ins and outs of sex in this entertaining and enlightening series.
| Type | TV series |
|---|---|
| First aired | 2 January 2020 |
| Status | Ended, last episode 2 January 2020 |
| Genre | Documentary |
| Starring | Janelle Monáe |
| Seasons | 1 season, 5 episodes |
| Episode length | about 22 min |
| Time to watch it all | about 2 hours |
| Rated | TV-MA |
| Scores | TMDB users 6.6/10 |
Where to watch Sex, Explained
Sex, Explained is streaming on Netflix ($19.99 a month) in the US. At ten hours a week, all of the series takes about 1 month of Netflix, or $19.99 at list price.
We check availability daily. Page last updated 27 October 2026. Prices are standard monthly plans and change often, so check with the service before you sign up.
Where to watch Sex, Explained in 128 other countries
| Country | Streaming on (price a month) |
|---|---|
| Albania | Netflix about |
| Algeria | Netflix about |
| Andorra | Netflix |
| Angola | Netflix about |
| Antigua & Barbuda | Netflix about |
| Argentina | Netflix $8999 ARS |
| Australia | Netflix $20.99 AUD |
| Austria | Netflix €10.99 |
| Azerbaijan | Netflix about |
| Bahamas | Netflix about |
| Bahrain | Netflix about |
| Barbados | Netflix about |
| Belarus | Netflix about |
| Belgium | Netflix €10.99 |
| Belize | Netflix about |
| Bermuda | Netflix about |
| Bolivia | Netflix about |
| Bosnia & Herzegovina | Netflix about |
| Brazil | Netflix R$51.90 |
| Bulgaria | Netflix €5.99 |
| Cameroon | Netflix about |
| Canada | Netflix $18.99 CAD |
| Cape Verde | Netflix about |
| Chad | Netflix about |
| Chile | Netflix $7190 CLP |
| Colombia | Netflix $18900 COP |
| Costa Rica | Netflix about |
| Cuba | Netflix about |
| Cyprus | Netflix €8.99 |
| Czechia | Netflix 259 Kč |
| Côte d’Ivoire | Netflix about |
| Denmark | Netflix 109 kr DKK |
| Dominican Republic | Netflix about |
| Ecuador | Netflix $5.99 |
| Egypt | Netflix E£110 |
| El Salvador | Netflix |
| Equatorial Guinea | Netflix about |
| Estonia | Netflix €7.99 |
| Fiji | Netflix about |
| Finland | Netflix €10.99 |
| France | Netflix €14.99 |
| French Guiana | Netflix |
| French Polynesia | Netflix about |
| Germany | Netflix €15.99 |
| Ghana | Netflix about |
| Gibraltar | Netflix about |
| Greece | Netflix €8.99 |
| Guatemala | Netflix about |
| Guernsey | Netflix |
| Honduras | Netflix about |
| Hong Kong | Netflix HK$78 |
| Hungary | Netflix 3190 Ft |
| Iceland | Netflix about 1636 kr ISK |
| India | Netflix ₹199 |
| Indonesia | Netflix Rp65000 |
| Iraq | Netflix about |
| Ireland | Netflix €11.99 |
| Israel | Netflix ₪32.90 |
| Italy | Netflix €13.99 |
| Jamaica | Netflix about |
| Japan | Netflix ¥1590 JPY |
| Jordan | Netflix about |
| Kenya | Netflix KSh300 |
| Kuwait | Netflix about |
| Latvia | Netflix €7.99 |
| Lebanon | Netflix about |
| Libya | Netflix about |
| Liechtenstein | Netflix |
| Lithuania | Netflix €8.99 |
| Luxembourg | Netflix €10.99 |
| Madagascar | Netflix about |
| Malaysia | Netflix RM33.90 |
| Mali | Netflix about |
| Malta | Netflix €8.99 |
| Mauritius | Netflix about |
| Mexico | Netflix $269 MXN |
| Moldova | Netflix about |
| Monaco | Netflix |
| Montenegro | Netflix |
| Morocco | Netflix |
| Mozambique | Netflix about |
| Netherlands | Netflix €9.99 |
| New Zealand | Netflix $17.99 NZD |
| Nicaragua | Netflix about |
| Niger | Netflix about |
| Nigeria | Netflix ₦4000 |
| North Macedonia | Netflix about |
| Norway | Netflix 119 kr NOK |
| Oman | Netflix about |
| Pakistan | Netflix Rs450 |
| Palestinian Territories | Netflix about |
| Panama | Netflix $5.99 |
| Paraguay | Netflix about |
| Peru | Netflix S/28.90 |
| Philippines | Netflix ₱279 |
| Poland | Netflix 37.00 zł |
| Portugal | Netflix €8.99 |
| Qatar | Netflix about QR32.72 |
| Romania | Netflix about 32.08 lei |
| San Marino | Netflix |
| Saudi Arabia | Netflix ﷼35.00 |
| Senegal | Netflix about |
| Serbia | Netflix about 705 din |
| Seychelles | Netflix about |
| Singapore | Netflix $15.98 SGD |
| Slovakia | Netflix €9.49 |
| Slovenia | Netflix €5.99 |
| South Africa | Netflix R99 ZAR |
| South Korea | Netflix ₩13500 |
| Spain | Netflix €14.99 |
| St. Lucia | Netflix about |
| Sweden | Netflix 129 kr SEK |
| Switzerland | Netflix CHF14.90 |
| Taiwan | Netflix NT$290 |
| Tanzania | Netflix about |
| Thailand | Netflix ฿169 |
| Trinidad & Tobago | Netflix about |
| Tunisia | Netflix about |
| Turks & Caicos Islands | Netflix |
| Türkiye | Netflix ₺259.99 |
| Uganda | Netflix about |
| United Arab Emirates | Netflix AED35.00 |
| United Kingdom | Netflix £13.99 GBP |
| Uruguay | Netflix about $U481 |
| Venezuela | Netflix about |
| Yemen | Netflix about |
| Zambia | Netflix about |
| Zimbabwe | Netflix |
Subscription, free and ad-supported services we track; prices where Binge Boss has a price list for the country. "About" marks a price the service bills in another currency, converted at the day's rate. All countries as data.
What kind of watch this is
Sex, Explained is a 5-episode documentary series that treats the subject with the same casual curiosity you bring to a new recipe. Janelle Monáe guides the viewer through the biology of attraction and the history of birth control, stripping away the awkward silences that usually accompany these topics. The series runs a total of 2 hours, a tidy amount of time to clear up decades of misconceptions. It is the kind of watch that makes you feel slightly smarter by the end, without requiring you to hold a book open with one hand.
What the critics said
Rotten Tomatoes reports a 100% approval rating based on 5 reviews. That is a small sample, but a perfect one. The reception is generally positive, with critics noting the show’s utility rather than its heat. Jordan Julian of The Daily Beast calls it "a valuable supplement" to what most adults learned in school. Ashlie D. Stevens of Salon finds it "smarter than it is steamy," a distinction that likely pleases the Explained franchise. It is a tidy, low-stakes win.
How it did with audiences
On TMDB, users rate it 6.6 out of 10. That is a solid middle-of-the-road score. It sits comfortably in the category of "watched it, understood it, moved on." For a show that dissects the mechanics of intimacy, the audience response is predictably un-erotic.
What came next for the cast
Janelle Monáe arrived from Hidden Figures and Moonlight, then moved to Glass Onion. DJ Khaled stepped in from Pitch Perfect 3 and Popstar, then headed toward Bad Boys. Margaret Cho came from Face/Off and Bright, before tackling Good on Paper, Sex Appeal, and Fire Island. The credits list these shifts. They do not claim the 2020 film caused them.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched Sex, Explained.
Sources
- Sex, Explained on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q81562219 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “Sex, Explained” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
Watch it without paying for the whole year
Binge Boss tracks the series you are on and tells you which services you need this month, and which you can cancel.
Add Sex, Explained to your list