Sex, features and articles | Educational Science

Jun 9, 2015

Can a Pill Increase a Woman's Libido? 5 Things That Affect Female Sex Drive

Women with low libido could soon get a little pill of their own that aims to improve their sex life. Last week, an expert panel voted to recommend that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approve a drug called flibanserin, which is touted as boosting women's desire for sex. If...

Jun 10, 2015

iPhone Will Track Your Sex Life: Is That Helpful?

An update to Apple's Health app that is set for release this fall will let users track their sex lives, but experts say this tracking feature alone has little value for people's health. Rather, it's only when information on sexual activity is integrated with other measures — such as the...

Jun 12, 2015

Nobel Scientist's Claim Examined: Do Women Actually Cry More?

The world recoiled as soon as it heard Nobel Laureate Tim Hunt's now infamous quote about women in science: Three things happen when they are in the lab: You fall in love with them, they fall in love with you, and when you criticize them they cry. Although the general...

Jul 24, 2015

Being Transgender Has Nothing to Do with Hormonal Imbalance

Caitlyn Jenner's very public transition from man to woman has raised awareness about the concept of hormone therapy for transgender individuals. Long-term hormone therapy is needed to create, and then maintain, the desired physical gender attributes — for Jenner, fuller breasts, curvier hips, thinner body hair and a higher-pitched voice....

Aug 14, 2015

Why Do Breakups Hurt More for Women? Blame Evolution

Think back to your last breakup. Did you bounce right back or mope around for weeks? Did you feel pretty much OK or deeply hurt? Your answers to those questions may depend on your gender, a new study finds. Women tend to feel the emotional pain associated with a breakup...

Aug 20, 2015

Women's Libido Pill Faces Skepticism After Approval

Some health professionals are reacting with more enthusiasm than others about the first approved drug aimed at increasing women's sexual desire. Known generically as flibanserin and sold under the brand name Addyi, the medication could be prescribed as early as Oct.17, said Sprout Pharmaceuticals, the company that developed the so-called...

Aug 26, 2015

Insecure Men May Be More Prone to Violence

Although it’s often assumed that males who feel they are manly men are more likely to engage in violence than those who are less concerned about their masculinity, men who feel they don't meet perceived masculine gender norms and are stressed about it may be equally prone to violent acts,...

Sep 21, 2015

'Guevedoces': Rare Medical Condition Hides Child's Sex Until Age 12

Some children with a rare genetic condition appear female at birth but later develop a penis and testes around the time puberty begins. But what causes this to happen? A new article in BBC Magazine tells the story of some children in the Dominican Republic with this condition, who are...

Oct 16, 2015

Gay Conversion Therapy Harms Minors, Government Says

A supposed treatment, called gay conversion therapy, that aims to change the same-sex attractions of gay people should not be offered to minors as it can cause serious psychological harm, according to a newly released federal agency report. Advocates of such conversion therapy hold that people can change their sexual...

Dec 7, 2015

Women in Combat: Physical Differences May Mean Uphill Battle

The Pentagon announced last week that it would open up all positions in the military to women — including combat positions. But science, and history, suggest the road to combat equality may be a difficult one. As long as they qualify and meet the standards, women will now be able...

Mar 1, 2016

Sex Tied to Better Brain Power in Older Age

People over age 50 who are more sexually active also have better memory and cognitive skills than people who get busy less often, a new study from England suggests. Sex appeared to give men's brains a bigger boost than women's: Men who were more sexually active showed higher scores on...

Mar 14, 2016

Spines and Genital Warfare: How Neil deGrasse Tyson Got Sex Wrong

On March 11, astrophysicist and Cosmos host Neil deGrasse Tyson tweeted what was perhaps meant as an amusing quip, but instead served up a dismaying animal biology fail. If there were ever a species for whom sex hurt, it surely went extinct long ago, Tyson tweeted. See more The idea...

Mar 17, 2016

New Theory on Why Men Love Breasts

Why do straight men devote so much headspace to those big, bulbous bags of fat drooping from women's chests? Scientists have never satisfactorily explained men's curious breast fixation, but theorists are gonna theorize. So let's take a tour of the sexy speculation surrounding the human bosom — with a few...

May 9, 2016

The Weird History of Gender-Segregated Bathrooms

In North Carolina and other states, a new culture war has erupted. This time, the battlefield is bathrooms. In March, North Carolina enacted a law (colloquially known as HB2) that requires that people use only bathrooms that correspond to the gender on their birth certificates. The law affects transgender individuals,...

May 23, 2016

Income Inequality: Is There a Grooming Gap?

When it comes to your wages, do looks matter? A new study says yes. However, in one aspect of appearance — being well groomed — there was a gender gap, according to the study. The researchers found that overall, men and women who were considered more attractive earned more money...