 Reproductive Health
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...
14 December 2009
Switch that turns male fertility on-and-off discovered
By manipulating testicular hormone receptors, researchers were able to turn male fertility on and off, opening the door for "the pill" for men and novel techniques to boost male fertility...
17 November 2009
Common chemical found to feminize boys' brains
Adding to an earlier investigation that linked two common phthalates to abnormal male genital development, the same researchers now say that those chemicals can also alter masculine brain development, making boys less likely to play with male-typical toys and games...
12 November 2009
Plastics workers risk impotence, ejaculation difficulties
A groundbreaking study into Bisphenol-A exposure amongst Chinese factory workers has found that men working in environments where the chemical was present had quadruple the risk of erectile dysfunction and seven times more risk of ejaculation difficulty...
22 October 2009
Male fertility impacted by stress in the womb
A surprising new study has found that exposure to a combination of excess stress hormones and chemicals while in the womb can affect a man's fertility in later life...
4 September 2009
Y chromosome makes sex disorders a "roulette game," say researchers
The human Y chromosome (the male chromosome) is sometimes referred to as a "hall of mirrors" as the genes essential for sperm production are encoded in long stretches of mirror-image sequence. But a new report reveals a considerable downside to this structure: it can lead to a bewildering array of sex disorders, from sperm failure to sex reversal to Turner syndrome...
20 July 2009
BPA found to have "dramatic" effect on adult hormone levels
As well as its already documented effects on fetuses in the womb, widely used chemical BPA has been found to retard the growth of follicles of adult mice and significantly alter their production of steroid hormones...
1 July 2009
Daily sex boosts male fertility
Fertility experts say that although frequent ejaculation decreases semen volume and sperm concentrations, it significantly increases sperm motility and reduces DNA damage...
29 June 2009
BPA exposure during pregnancy alters offspring's DNA
In animal studies, exposure to BPA (a common chemical found in many plastic household items) during pregnancy is known to cause fertility defects in the offspring, and now researchers have found out how those defects occur...
15 June 2009
Laptop fertility warning
Father's Day has prompted one fertility expert to issue a fresh warning to men who use their laptop computers on, er, their laps. She says that most men underestimate the impact that the heat from laptops can have on sperm production...
1 May 2009
Novel method to induce immunity to chlamydia
Scientists have come up with a unique nanoparticle based method for inducing immunity to infection by chlamydia, work that may accelerate progress toward the development of a vaccine...
30 April 2009
Marriages fixed with oxytocin
Oxytocin - the love hormone - has been found to foster improved communication and lower stress levels in couples engaged in conflict resolution...
20 April 2009
Male impotence drugs may benefit some women
The main drugs used to treat male impotence may also benefit around half of the women who report sexual dysfunction, suggesting that the medical community should perhaps take a second look at their potential as a viable treatment for women...
27 March 2009
Estrogen contamination in bottled water "just the tip of the iceberg," say scientists
The notion that bottled mineral water is clean and without contamination is being challenged by new research that has identified significant levels of estrogen leaching from plastic bottles into the water...
26 March 2009
Compelling new evidence for benefits of circumcision
American and Ugandan scientists working in Africa have found that adult male circumcision significantly decreases infection rates for the two most common sexually transmitted infections – herpes and the human papillomavirus (the virus that causes cervical cancer and genital warts)...
9 March 2009
More evidence for obesity-infertility link
Obese women appear to undergo alterations in their ovaries which might be responsible for an egg's inability to make an embryo, according to a new study...
6 March 2009
Testosterone patch to boost women's sex drive gets thumbs-down
Intrinsa, a recently licensed testosterone patch designed to pep up a woman's flagging sex drive after womb and ovary removal, may not work...
3 March 2009
Truth-in-spam-shock: penis enlargement possible
Contrary to conventional medical dogma, a new European study has found that the mechanical devices known as penile extenders do increase the length of the human penis...
11 December 2008
Brainier men have better sperm, suggests new study
UK researchers have found an unexpectedly close relationship between intelligence and sperm quality...
24 November 2008
Genital birth defect blamed on hairspray
Pregnant women that are exposed to hairspray in the workplace have more than double the risk of having a son with the penile defect hypospadias, where the urinary opening is displaced to the underside of the penis...
2 September 2008
"Master switch" for appetite and reproduction located
Body-weight and fertility have long been known to be related to each other and now a master switch has been found in the brain that controls both...
13 August 2008
Contraceptive Pill Threatening Genetic Diversity?
British researchers have found that the contraceptive pill appears to disrupt women's natural ability to choose a partner genetically dissimilar to themselves...
25 July 2008
Meditation Shown To Slow Progression Of HIV
Researchers at the University of California - Los Angeles report that the practice of mindfulness meditation can halt the decline of CD4-T cells (the "brains" of the immune system) in HIV-positive patients...
15 July 2008
Watermelon: The Fruit Of Lerve
Scientists have been taking a closer look at citrulline, one of the phyto-nutrients in watermelon, and have discovered that one of its effects on the body is to relax blood vessels, much like Viagra does...
10 July 2008
Obesity Linked To Abnormal Sperm
Obese men should consider losing weight if they want to have children, British researchers say, after finding that men with a higher body mass index had lower volumes of seminal fluid and a higher proportion of abnormal sperm...
27 May 2008
Drink-Up For Superior Sperm
Men who drink alcohol regularly are more likely to have better semen quality while men in certain occupations are more likely to have poor semen quality, says a new wide-ranging fertility study carried out by scientists in the UK...
12 May 2008
HIV Prevention Message Failing In Africa
The most common HIV prevention strategies - condoms, HIV testing, treatment of other sexually transmitted infections and abstinence - are having a limited impact on the predominantly heterosexual epidemics occurring in Africa...
31 January 2008
Plastic Bottles And Hot Liquids A Bad Combo
Bisphenol A, an environmental estrogen that is thought to cause reproductive disorders, is released 55 times more rapidly from polycarbonate plastic bottles when they are exposed to hot water...
18 December 2007
Menopause Exclusively Human
Human females are rare or even unique among primates in experiencing a lengthy post-reproductive lifespan...
26 September 2007
Huntington's Disease Sufferers Get Reproductive Boost
People with Huntington's disease have more children than the general population because they are healthier during their peak reproductive years...
13 September 2007
Newly Identified Protein Offers Clue To Immune Infertility
A previously unknown protein could be to blame for immune infertility disorder, which affects both men and women. The disorder causes their immune systems to "declare war" on sperm, which effectively renders them infertile...
21 June 2007
New Study Slams Male Circumcision As HIV Preventative
Male circumcision, which had previously been found to lessen the risk of contracting HIV, is largely irrelevant, suggests new research. Rather, it is the number of prostitutes in a country that is the determinant of new HIV infections...
1 June 2007
Small Penis Syndrome A Big Problem?
A review of 60 years worth of research into penile size found that nearly half of the men in the studies were affected by small penis syndrome, although most were average in size...
15 May 2007
Pesticide Contamination Ubiquitous In Pregnant Women
A Spanish study into the environmental contaminants that cause malformations in the genito-urinary system found organochlorine pesticides in all the pregnant women that were assessed...
10 May 2007
HPV Now Implicated In Throat Cancers
As well as cervical cancer, HPV has now been linked to throat cancer; with researchers claiming that oral HPV infection is the strongest risk factor for HPV-linked cancer - regardless of tobacco and alcohol use...
3 May 2007
Diabetes Damages Sperm DNA
Diabetic men have greater levels of DNA damage to their sperm, a finding that could have far-reaching impacts given the rapidly growing incidence of obesity-related diabetes...
23 February 2007
African Trial Shows Circumcision "Can Save A Lot Of Lives"
After years of controversy, it seems that the evidence is now irrefutable that circumcision significantly reduces the risk of HIV infection...
3 January 2007
Menstrual Suppression OK, Say Doctors
Birth control pills cycle through three weeks of active contraception followed by one week of placebo, but many gynecologists now believe the week break - when a faux period occurs - isn't necessary...
12 December 2006
Modestly Endowed Indian Men Causing Condom Failures
A new study suggests that the high rate of condom failure in India could be attributed to condom manufacturers overestimating the size of the average Indian penis...
21 September 2006
HIV Prefers Smokers
Smoking tobacco appears to trigger changes in the immune system, which can place smokers at a greater risk of HIV infection...
31 July 2006
Intestines Act As HIV Reservoir
Gut-associated lymphoid tissue accounts for 70 percent of the body's immune system and should be a priority target for HIV treatments, say researchers...
23 June 2006
Up, Up And Away For Athletes Taking Viagra
Scientists conducting tests on athletes at high altitude have found that cyclists perform nearly 50 percent better (at cycling!) after taking the erectile dysfunction drug...
4 May 2006
Race On To Grow Sperm In Lab
Two European laboratories report intriguing results in coaxing testicle stem cells to grow into sperm outside the human body...
28 April 2006
 Sexual Success And The Schizoid Factor
Ever wondered why scruffy rock chicks are pursued by legions of doting male fans? Or why women threw themselves at Pablo Picasso? Well, a new study suggests that creativity may confer an evolutionary advantage in finding a mate. But creativity often comes with traits predictive of schizophrenia - a condition not normally associated with evolutionary fitness. Is there enough evidence to support the idea that artistic creativity is an evolutionarily beneficial effect of schizoid tendencies?
19 August 2005
Canadian Men An Endangered Species
A community in Ontario, Canada has seen a massive decline in male births. Could it have anything to do with the adjacent petrochemical, polymer, and industrial chemical plants?
27 April 2005
Environmental Factors Damaging Men's Reproductive Health
New European studies seem to indicate that environmental pollutants are affecting men's reproductive systems and the sex chromosomes in their sperm...
20 April 2005
Bacteria May Protect Against HIV
Lactobacillus, bacteria commonly found in the oral and vaginal cavities of humans, targets HIV because the virus is coated with the sugar mannose, which the bacteria use as a food source...
10 December 2004
Fertility Risk From Laptop Computers
Fertility experts in the U.S. have warned teenage boys and young men to consider limiting the time that they use laptop computers positioned on their laps, as long-term use may affect the health of their sperm...
22 October 2004
Male Scientists Not So Manly
A survey of academics suggests that male scientists are good at research because they have the hormone levels of women...
6 August 2004
Big Rise In Younger Men Using Viagra
A new study shows younger men are the fastest growing group of Viagra users, suggesting increased use of the treatment as a recreational drug...
2 June 2004
Oral Bacteria Can Block HIV Infection
Oral biology researchers have found that certain strains of bacteria that occur naturally in the mouth can snare the HIV virus and the cells it has infected...
26 March 2004
Reproductive Problems Linked To High Plasticiser Levels
Suspected of causing low sperm counts and genital deformities, Phthalates - used as plasticisers - are present in humans at higher than expected levels...
Visit Our Sister Sites For More Health News And Research
Aphrodite Women's Health
News covering topics such as menopause, infertility, diet and weight loss, breast cancer, female sexuality and general wellbeing.
AltPenis
Addresses men's reproductive health related concerns such as prostate health, erectile dysfunction, penis size, AIDS/HIV, genital conditions, sexually transmitted diseases, fertility, adolescence and male menopause.
Related:
Diet
Emerging Threats
Environmental Factors
News From The Lab
Mental Health
| 
