Reproductive Health



4 May 2015

Premature birth alters key brain connections


New research from King's College London sheds light on why premature birth is linked to a greater risk of neurodevelopmental problems, including autistic spectrum disorders and attention deficit disorders...

3 November 2014

How common is your sexual fantasy?


What constitutes an "unusual" sexual fantasy? Canadian researchers have just published a study that attempts to answer that question, describing in the Journal of Sexual Medicine exactly how common a variety of sexual fantasies are...

24 June 2014

Software scans family photos to diagnose rare disorders


Software that scans and analyzes family snapshots could help doctors diagnose which rare genetic disorder a child is suffering from, say Oxford University researchers...

7 February 2014

Chlamydia infection? Your gut may be to blame


For many sufferers, the standard treatment regime for chlamydia fails to eradicate the disease, and researchers think the culprit may be the gastrointestinal tract...

30 January 2014

Testosterone fails as menopausal magic bullet


A new study involving women with early onset menopause found no detrimental effects from testosterone supplementation, but there were no significant improvements either; in quality of life, self esteem, or mood...

11 December 2013

Poor diet shown to have dramatic effects on sperm and future health of offspring


A startling new study from McGill University suggests that a father's diet before conception plays a major role in fetus development and the offspring's future predisposition to disease. The researchers say that significant alterations to the sperm epigenome triggered by diet and lifestyle choices should raise serious concerns about the long-term effects of current Western diets...

16 April 2013

Dramatic changes in bacteria following male circumcision could explain HIV protective effect


Removing the foreskin causes significant changes in the bacterial community of the penis, according to a study that also suggests how these changes offer protection from HIV infection...

4 February 2013

TV watching a predictor of sperm count


Healthy young men who watch television for more than 20 hours a week have around half the sperm count of men who watch very little TV, say Harvard researchers...

29 January 2013

Penicillin - not The Pill - drove the sexual revolution, suggests new analysis


The rise in casual sex that marked the swinging '60s actually began a decade earlier, according to a new analysis of the period when penicillin was introduced to treat syphilis...

13 September 2012

Sexual arousal neutralizes disgust response


Dutch researchers have found that natural responses to disgusting stimuli were lessened significantly when female subjects were sexually aroused. The researchers believe the findings may provide new insights into female sexual dysfunction...

28 August 2012

Infant formula found to compromise immune system


Scientists have discovered how breast milk, but not infant formula, fosters colonies of microbiotic flora in a newborn's intestinal tract that aid nutrient absorption and immune system development...

22 August 2012

Semen found to induce ovulation


Previously thought to have no physiological effects, the prostatic fluid component of semen contains a protein that can trigger ovulation and other pregnancy-related hormonal responses in female mammals...

15 August 2012

Precise sexual orientation revealed in pupil dilation study


Researchers have used a specialized camera to measure pupillary changes in people watching erotic videos, the changes in pupil dilation revealing where the participant is located on the heterosexual-homosexual spectrum...

13 June 2012

Sperm quality unaffected by lifestyle choices


Medical advice given to sub-fertile men about smoking, alcohol, drugs and obesity is of little value, say UK medicos who contend that many common lifestyle "risks" appear to have little or no effect on sperm health...

19 March 2012

Exposure to plastic chemical leads to shorter reproductive life


Mice exposed to high doses of a common plasticizing chemical in utero exhibit significant reproductive alterations and precancerous lesions as they grow up, according to a new toxicology report...

13 March 2012

Analysis shows circumcision link to prostate cancer


Observational data from a new study reveal that men who had been circumcised before their first sexual intercourse were 15 percent less likely to develop prostate cancer than uncircumcised men...

16 January 2012

Funding for artificial testicle project will get ball rolling


A joint venture between two US companies to develop an artificial testicle has received funding from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences...

15 December 2011

Protein discovered in semen "attracts HIV like a magnet"


The discoverers of new protein fragments in semen that enhance the ability of HIV to infect new cells say their work could point the way to powerful new microbicides to help curb the global spread of HIV/AIDS...

16 November 2011

Unusual physiological changes observed after adolescent sex


Working with male laboratory animals, researchers have found that sex during adolescence can have effects on the body and the chemistry of the brain that last well into adulthood...

2 November 2011

Depo Provera shots linked to memory loss


Depo Provera, the hormonal birth control injection, supposedly offers a convenient alternative for women who don't want to remember to take the Pill daily. Ironically, however, new research indicates that the drug may profoundly impair a person's memory...

25 October 2011

Compelling evidence for autism-antidepressant link


Rodents exposed to a common SSRI antidepressant just before and after birth exhibited distinctive brain abnormalities and behaviors - such as novelty avoidance and social impairment - commonly associated with autism...

13 September 2011

MRI scans reveal diverse female sexual sensory palette


The notion that the clitoris is the major source of female genital sensation has been directly challenged after MRI brain scans revealed that stimulation of the vagina, cervix and nipples strongly activated three separate and distinct sites in the brain's sensory cortex...

12 September 2011

Study confirms Pill's memory altering effects


Women who use hormonal contraceptives such as the Pill experience memory changes where their ability to remember the detail surrounding an emotional event is reduced...

24 August 2011

The harder they (don't) cum


Despite the popularity of erectile dysfunction drugs, findings from the largest-ever study of orgasmic and ejaculatory dysfunction suggest that orgasmic dysfunction could be as prevalent among men as it is among women...

1 August 2011

Antioxidants key to solving reproductive woes, say pharmacologists


A meta-study appearing in the journal Pharmacological Research suggests that antioxidants may be the key to overcoming a number of reproductive problems, including sub-fertility and erectile dysfunction...

11 July 2011

Is Mills and Boon derailing women's health?


Writing in the Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care, pop-psychologist Susan Quilliam argues that idealized romantic fiction has more of an influence on many women than professional clinical advice, a situation that is damaging the effectiveness of a number of family planning and reproductive health initiatives...

23 June 2011

Ovulation puts gaydar into overdrive


Women can more accurately identify a man's sexual orientation when they are closest to their time of peak ovulation...

8 June 2011

No link between age and testosterone levels


A new study from Australia adds weight to earlier European research that found no correlation between men's ages and their testosterone levels, leading the researchers to speculate that poor health is the most likely contributor to reduced libido and fatigue in old age...

18 May 2011

Twin-study findings conflict with sex ed dogma


Current sex education curricula recommend abstinence as a way of reducing sexual risk-taking, but a new US study indicates that early sexual initiation has no effect on an individual's risk-taking behavior...

25 March 2011

Obesity and infertility linked across generations


The hormonal changes which are triggered by obesity can "program" the reproductive systems of the female offspring of obese women and lead to infertility...

11 March 2011

Low birth weight infants "programmed" for obesity


New research shows that when mothers have poor or inadequate nutrition, their newborns are "programmed" to eat more because they develop less neurons in the region of the brain that controls food intake...

9 March 2011

Alarming sperm quality decline in Finland


Over the last 10 years Finnish researchers have charted a dramatic decline in both sperm quality and sperm counts in Finnish men. Additionally, cases of testicular cancer are skyrocketing...

3 March 2011

Aspirin, ibuprofen linked to impotence


Erectile dysfunction is often one of the first symptoms men with cardiovascular disease exhibit, leading researchers to believe that drugs such as aspirin (often taken to prevent heart disease) would benefit erectile function, but instead they found just the opposite...

23 February 2011

Hard evidence on cannabis use and erectile dysfunction


Cannabis and its effects on the brain are relatively well understood, but new research suggests that cannabis receptors also exist in the penis. The antagonizing effect of the drug on these receptors may make it more difficult for a man to achieve and maintain an erection, suggests the study...

11 February 2011

DNA tests create incest dilemma


The use of DNA microarrays to diagnose developmental disabilities and congenital anomalies in children can also unexpectedly identify that some of those children have been conceived through incest, creating social and legal issues that are challenging the medical community...

9 February 2011

Study links morning after pill to jump in STDs


Offering the morning after pill over-the-counter without fee in the UK has not reduced the number of teenage pregnancies and researchers say it may be associated with a 12 percent hike in sexually-transmitted diseases in under-16s...

24 January 2011

Courtship affects gene expression


Some of the mysteries of human mating behavior could now be explained thanks to new research that shows that certain genes become activated in fruit flies when they interact with the opposite sex. Understanding why and how these genes become activated within social contexts may also lead to insights into disorders such as autism...

19 January 2011

Antioxidants causing fertility problems


Antioxidants are a popular dietary supplement but new research warns about a possible unexpected side effect of antioxidants: they may cause fertility problems in women...

15 December 2010

Male circumcision for HIV prevention creates new dilemmas


An increase in high risk behaviors and a false belief in HIV immunity are just two of the issues that health agencies are facing in the wake of preventative male circumcisions in Africa...

7 December 2010

Mating choices driven by bacteria?


In a discovery that has implications for our understanding of natural selection, scientists have shown that symbiotic bacteria can greatly influence a host body's choice of mate...

3 November 2010

BPA levels in US foods assessed for first time


Concerns over the gender-bending effects of plastic food packaging may be overstated. Measuring Bisphenol A (BPA) levels in a range of canned and plastic-wrapped foodstuffs, scientists found amounts that were almost 1,000 times lower than the "tolerable daily intake" levels set by the EPA and the European Food Safety Authority...

1 October 2010

Sex, Lies and Pharmaceuticals


Female sexual dysfunction is a construct of the pharmaceutical industry, asserts a new book that claims "drug marketing is merging with medical science in a frightening way..."

6 August 2010

Sperm quality found to plummet with BPA exposure


In the first human study of its kind, researchers have found that the controversial plastics chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) appears to be linked to decreased sperm quality and concentration...

28 July 2010

Primates on The Pill find it hard to pull


Hormonal contraceptives change the ways in which captive ring-tailed lemurs relate to one another sexually, leading the researchers to speculate that The Pill could also be influencing human mate choice...

26 July 2010

HIV preventative effect too small to justify circumcision, claims new study


Previous studies carried out in Africa indicated circumcision to be effective in limiting the spread of HIV, but new research suggests circumcision would have a very small effect on reducing HIV incidence in the United States...

6 July 2010

Adult testicular function affected by exposure in womb to BPA


Low-level exposure in the womb to the plastic chemical bisphenol A (BPA) can harm testicular function into adulthood, according to a new study that adds to the growing list of concerns about the ubiquitous chemical...

21 June 2010

Male menopause mostly mythical


Although there has been a 400 percent surge in testosterone therapy prescriptions, European researchers say that the so-called male menopause is relatively rare, affecting only 2 percent of men, and that most symptomatic men are simply in poor health...

15 June 2010

Autism risk tripled with IVF


IVF and other assisted fertility treatments may be solving one problem by creating another, suggests a researcher from Tel Aviv University who found a strong link between IVF and mild to moderate cases of autism...

10 June 2010

Personality traits predict fertility


The reproductive success of both men and women is influenced by our personality traits, say scientists who found that women with higher levels of neuroticism were likely to give birth to a larger number of children...

13 April 2010

"Striking" link between omega-3 fatty acid and male fertility


The dramatic effect that a little-known omega-3 fatty acid has on sperm may have important implications for treating male infertility, say University of Illinois scientists...

5 April 2010

Gonorrhea set to attain superbug status


Sexual health experts say the increase of multidrug resistance in gonorrhea raises the very real possibility that strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae resistant to all current treatment options could emerge in the near future...

16 March 2010

Chemical in bananas inhibits HIV infection


The lectin found in bananas is a potent inhibitor of HIV, a discovery that may yield new treatments to prevent the sexual transmission of HIV, say University of Michigan Medical School researchers...

26 February 2010

Plastic chemical BPA found to induce epigenetic changes


Scientists from Yale have shown how the ubiquitous chemical bisphenol A (BPA) induces epigenetic changes in pregnant mice that trigger hormonal imbalances in the later life of female progeny...

17 February 2010

Size does matter, say condom boffins


Nearly half the men who took part in a survey on condom use said they had recently experienced a badly fitting condom that resulted in breakage, slippage or penile irritation. The answer, say medicos, is to sell smaller condoms but label them as "large"...

28 January 2010

Sub-fertility linked to flame retardant exposure


The first study to investigate the impact of flame retardants - commonly found in household consumer products - on human fertility has linked exposure to the chemicals with reduced fertility in women...

14 January 2010

Male testosterone levels surge with ovulation


Instead of using perfume to attract a mate, women may be better off going au naturel, say researchers who observed surges in testosterone when men were exposed to ovulatory odors...

More Reproductive Health...
Related:
Diet
Emerging Threats
Environmental Factors
News From The Lab
Mental Health