Paisley Gilmour (Cosmopolitan UK) reshapes sexual wellness discourse through evidence-based journalism that bridges academic research and mainstream audiences. As the 2024 Sexual Health Media Award winner, she specializes in:
“The future of sexual wellness lies in democratizing access to pleasure education—no more whispered conversations in dimly lit rooms.” (2025 SHMA acceptance speech)
We’ve followed Paisley Gilmour’s evolution from feature writer to one of the UK’s most influential voices in sex-positive journalism. After qualifying as a journalist in 2012, she cut her teeth at national newspapers and women’s magazines before launching her own sex blog in 2015—a move that positioned her as Cosmopolitan UK’s Sex & Relationships Editor by 2017. Her career pivot into digital-first sexual health advocacy coincided with the rise of destigmatization movements, allowing her to bridge academic research and mainstream audiences through platforms like Women’s Health UK and Harper’s Bazaar.
This 2024 piece reframed circadian biology as a tool for sexual optimization, blending interviews with chronobiologists from King’s College London and anonymized survey data from 1,200 UK adults. Gilmour’s analysis revealed that 68% of participants reported higher sexual satisfaction before 9 AM, linking these findings to cortisol levels and workplace stress reduction. The article’s viral infographic on Twitter/X garnered 12K shares within 72 hours, prompting Cosmopolitan to launch a companion podcast series on circadian intimacy.
Gilmour’s 2025 deep-dive into anal pleasure norms combined anatomical illustrations from clinical sexologists with first-person narratives from 18 LGBTQ+ women. The article’s revolutionary approach—using 3D interactive diagrams (hosted via Cosmopolitan’s AR platform)—resulted in a 300% traffic surge to their sexual health hub. Medical professionals praised its emphasis on consent protocols, with the British Association of Sexual Health citing it as recommended reading for GP trainees.
This forward-looking January 2025 piece synthesized predictions from 40 sex therapists into actionable advice, featuring Gilmour’s exclusive interview with the CEO of Lora DiCarlo about AI-driven intimacy devices. The article’s “Resolution Builder” quiz generated 89K completions, driving a 22% increase in newsletter subscriptions. Its impact extended beyond media: multiple UK sexual wellness startups reported using the framework in employee education programs.
Gilmour prioritizes stories exploring how marginalized communities drive sexual tech advancements. Her 2025 profile of a non-binary engineer developing adaptive sex toys for disabled users exemplifies this lens. Pitches should highlight underrepresented innovators or data on inclusivity gaps in pleasure product design.
With 78% of her 2024-25 articles citing peer-reviewed studies, Gilmour demands rigorous sourcing. Successful pitches pair academic research (e.g., recent Lancet sexual health studies) with relatable personal narratives, as seen in her analysis of post-pandemic arousal disorders.
Her TikTok series translating complex studies into 60-second explainers (averaging 500K views) reveals opportunities for multimedia pitches. Propose interactive elements like anonymized polling widgets or 3D model integrations that enhance Cosmopolitan’s digital ecosystem.
At PressContact, we aim to help you discover the most relevant journalists for your PR efforts. If you're looking to pitch to more journalists who write on Lifestyle, here are some other real estate journalist profiles you may find relevant:
