Australian podcast host and model Steph Claire Smith has sparked widespread conversation after candidly sharing an intimate detail about her marriage to husband Josh Miller.
Speaking on KICPod alongside co-host Laura Henshaw on Monday, June 29, the mother of two admitted that while she was happy to engage in oral activities early in her relationship, her feelings have changed over time.
Highlights
- Steph Claire Smith revealed that her feelings about oral intimacy have changed since the beginning of her relationship with her husband.
- Many women said they related to Smith's experience, while relationship coach Lana Hall explained that changing preferences over time is common in long-term relationships.
- The conversation also reignited debate over entitlement, infidelity, and HPV-related health risks.
Smith noted the shift hasn't gone unnoticed by her husband and is a source of disappointment for him.
Her confession quickly resonated with several women, who flooded social media with comments ranging from "TBH, hard agree" to "This is such a common tale."
Steph Claire Smith’s honesty about changing intimacy preferences has struck a chord with her female fans
Image credits: stephclairesmith/Instagram
“It’s really important, those things that we set out at the start of the relationship, isn’t it?” Smith asked Henshaw, adding, “Because I honestly think that’s why Josh has such a problem with my lack of bl**jobs that I give him.”
Smith said that she was the one who convinced her now-husband, then-boyfriend, to try the act, explaining to him in detail “how they were going to turn out.”
Because of how enthusiastic she was, Miller had gotten the impression that she “really loved them,” while the reality was that it simply gave her a “sore jaw.”
Image credits: itsjoshmiller/Instagram
Several women admitted to going through similar experiences with their respective partners.
“I couldn’t agree with you more, Steph!” one wrote, while another remarked, “Howling at this one, ladies.”
“It’s time-consuming and draining, and sure hurts the jaw,” a third said.
Image credits: pucko_ns/Adobe Stock (Not the actual photo)
On June 30, Lana Hall, a relationship coach, weighed in on the matter in an interview with news.com.au.
People often oversell their preferences at the start of the relationship, as they are presenting the “best parts of themselves.”
“But once we feel the relationship is secure and, as time goes by, most people can’t maintain that all the time, and they fall back into more of their old self.”
Hall said that it’s possible to stay more like the “best self,” but it takes conscious work and focus.
“Steph Claire Smith could keep or increase the oral s** frequency if that was a goal for her right now — but she’s got other priorities,” she added, explaining she’s prioritizing taking care of her two children, aged 5 and 1, respectively.
Some male listeners voiced that a lack of oral intimacy could justify infidelity, but they were quickly challenged
Image credits: kicpod/Instagram
“If she stops putting in the effort, don't be surprised if he finds it somewhere else,” one said.
“Cheating is a choice, and I will make it mine,” asserted a third, while a fourth remarked, “Divorce incoming.”
Women pushed back against the narrative, claiming oral acts are cancer-causing and that no one should feel entitled to them.
Image credits: kicpod/Instagram
“Men carry HPV and cannot be tested for it, unlike women via Pap smears. Why subject yourself to throat cancer? If a man will cheat because you don’t want to get cancer, good riddance,” a comment read.
HPV, for those unversed, stands for Human Papillomavirus, which spreads through skin-to-skin contact.
High-risk strains of the virus, primarily HPV-16, according to the Cleveland Clinic, are cancer-causing.
According to a 2023 study conducted by researchers at the University of Birmingham, there has been a rapid increase in throat cancer in the US and the UK over the past two decades, with HPV being the main cause.
Those with six or more lifetime oral activity partners were noted to be 8.5 times more likely to develop oropharyngeal cancer than those who did not practice the act.
The HPV vaccine is the most effective prevention tool.
According to Dr. Brandon Prendes, a cancer treatment specialist from Cleveland, three rounds of the HPV vaccine taken between the ages of 9 and 45 can ward off the infection and decrease one’s chances of developing related cancer.
This was not the first time Steph Claire Smith resonated with her female followers when it came to intimate practices
Image credits: stephclairesmith/Instagram
In January 2023, the influencer revealed that watching adult content does nothing to get her going in the bedroom.
But she went on to recall that reading Colleen Hoover’s Ugly Love had a positive impact on her intimate life.
“As I was reading this novel, I realized that this is my kind of adult content. It did some things to me,” she told Henshaw.
“Basically, what happened was that I was reading this book in bed with Josh, and he was trying to give me the eyes that he wanted something,” she elaborated.
“And I was looking at him like, no, this book is way too good, and I was right in the middle of one of those chapters.”
Henshaw then interjected, pointing out that Smith was imagining herself in the book.
Smith pleaded guilty, adding, “I kept reading, and it got me so excited that I put the book down and did the deed.”
“He was like, wow, what book are you reading?”
Hundreds of her female followers shared their feelings on the matter.
“I felt the same way reading the first chapter of Layla by Colleen Hoover. And this is now next on my list,” one said.
“Finally, I understand why Colleen Hoover is all over my news feed,” added another.
Social media users continued to debate Steph Claire Smith's candid confession
