Sex, features and articles | Educational Science

Nov 30, 2017

When Do Children Develop Their Gender Identity?

This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. Gender is generally thought of as a stable trait: we are born male or female and we stay that way as we grow from small children to adults. It...

Oct 14, 2022

Men's and Women's Personalities: Worlds Apart, or Not So Different?

If men and women at times seem to be from different planets, it may be because there are large differences in their personalities, a new study suggests. The results show that about 18 percent of women share similar personalities with men, and 18 percent of men share similar personalities with...

Nov 9, 2022

In a 1st, scientists counted all 10,000 nerve fibers in the human clitoris

The nerve that enables the human clitoris to detect pleasurable touch contains thousands more nerve fibers than once estimated — about 10,000, rather than 8,000. Medical researchers discovered this by doing something that had never been done before: They actually counted the fibers. Previously, it was widely accepted that the...

Dec 20, 2022

Scientists invent 1st 'vagina-on-a-chip'

Scientists have developed the world's first vagina-on-a-chip, a small device that contains live human cells and replicates the cellular environment found inside the vaginal canal. By adding bacteria to the device, aptly named the Vagina Chip, researchers can study how different microbes affect the health of the vagina, the team...

Feb 14, 2023

6 interesting effects of oxytocin

Oxytocin is colloquially known as the love hormone but that might not be the only thing that it's responsible for. Involved in the human stress response, sleep and social bonding, oxytocin plays an important role in far more than just romance, sex and parenthood. You could even say oxytocin, not...

Mar 15, 2023

Why are sexually transmitted infections on the rise in the US?

Rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), such as syphilis, have been rising over the past few years in the U.S. But why are STI rates surging now, and what can be done to reverse that trend? Reduced public health focus on sexual health has been a big factor in rising...

Aug 16, 2023

'Sex drive switch' discovered in male mouse brain that kicks their libido into overdrive

Scientists may have uncovered the brain's on switch for male libido, a new study in mice suggests. The switch is actually more of a circuit, consisting of a group of neurons that connects multiple regions of the brain. The newly identified circuit not only helps male mice recognize females but...

Nov 27, 2023

Erectile dysfunction risk may rise on lengthy space missions, rat study reveals

Deep space exploration may increase the risk of astronauts developing erectile dysfunction, new research on rats suggests. In experiments in the lab, male rats' exposure to simulated galactic cosmic radiation (GCR) and weightlessness impaired the function of the erectile tissue in the penis, according to a new study published Wednesday...

Feb 8, 2024

Viagra alternatives? Study of mouse erections hints at new ways to treat erectile dysfunction

By studying male mice's erections, scientists discovered that two types of cells in the penis are essential for triggering and maintaining a boner. Although the cells are also abundant in the human penis, their crucial role in erections was previously unknown, according to a new study published Thursday (Feb. 8)...

Mar 4, 2024

Man's years of premature ejaculation had a rare cause

In an unusual case, a man's premature, painful ejaculations turned out to have a rare cause: a cyst interfering with nerves near the base of his spinal cord. According to a description of the case, published in February in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior, the 32-year-old man went to...

Apr 27, 2015

Bruce Jenner's Transition: How Many Americans Are Transgender?

By opening up on national television about identifying as transgender, Bruce Jenner has become one of a small percentage of people who identify with a gender that conflicts with the one they were assigned at birth. The most frequently cited estimate is that 700,000 people in the United States, or...

May 6, 2015

Pausing Puberty with Hormone Blockers May Help Transgender Kids

Transgender adults start as transgender children, and doctors are now poised to help these children cope with their perceived gender identity before they enter the wrong puberty, by postponing puberty's onset. The term transgender refers to people who feel that their gender identity, which is possibly wired into the brain,...

May 13, 2015

When More Sex Can Make You Less Happy

If you're looking for a boost in happiness, having more sex may not be your best bet. New research suggests that upping the frequency of sex can make individuals less happy under some circumstances. Researchers divided couples into two groups, asking one group to double how many times they had...

May 20, 2015

Hormones For Transgender Transition Can Cause Severe Acne

Transgender people who take testosterone as part of a transition from female to male can sometimes experience severe acne as a side effect of the treatment, according to a new report. The report, from researchers at Ramón y Cajal Hospital in Madrid, describes the cases of two transgender men in...

Jun 4, 2015

Why There's (Still) No Viagra for Women

The first female Viagra drug touted as boosting women's sexual desire could be approved today, assuming the Food and Drug Administration decides it's safe and effective. But the odds don't look good, as the FDA has already rejected the drug, called flibanserin, twice. Although some organizations say that sexism is...