Study on evolution of same-sex animal behaviors underscores stigmas in research

By Swati Thapa A new study tracing the evolution of same-sex sexual behavior in mammals, using phylogenetic analyses, suggests these behaviors may have evolved in part to strengthen social bonding and relationships. Same-sex sexual behavior was observed in 261 species, which constitutes 4% of all mammal species; the research adds to a growing list of …

Unequal Chore Division Is Killing Women’s Sex Drives, Research Shows

By Kelly Gonsalves You’re probably familiar with this story: Man and woman meet, fall in love, have fabulous sex. They move in, maybe get married, maybe have kids. Her interest in sex starts to drop; his doesn’t. Tension ensues, spoken or unspoken. He’s always initiating; she’s always turning him down. While that narrative actually isn’t …

Researchers find comprehensive sex education reduces homophobia, transphobia

by Dfusion Can a school-based sexual health education program that effectively reduces the risk of unintended pregnancy and STIs also decrease homophobia and transphobia? That question drove a collaborative effort by researchers conducting a randomized controlled trial of an inclusive comprehensive sex education program—High School FLASH. The study evaluated not just the impact on students’ …

New Research Suggests A Unique Way To Enhance Your Sex Life

— What do women find sexy? By Mark Travers A new study published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior suggests that an unequal division of household labor can explain low sexual desire in women. “The onus to fix women’s low sexual desire with things like medication, testosterone, stress-reduction, or mindfulness therapy can be unhelpful because …

A Sex Researcher Explains Why Open Relationships Might Be The Future For Our Society

By Mark Travers It’s easy to assume that open relationships don’t concern you, especially if you’re in a monogamous relationship or identify as a monogamist. But sex reseacher and NYU professor Dr. Zhana Vrangalova argues there is more to the story than meets the eye. Research by Vrangalova, conducted in collaboration with Ashley Madison, an …

Researchers suggest doctors should start prescribing vibrators to women

by Bob Yirka A team of researchers led by Alexandra Dubinskaya, of Cedar-Sinai Medical Center has found that the medical benefits of women using vibrators are strong enough to warrant doctors prescribing their use to female patients on a regular basis. In their paper published in The Journal of Urology, the group describes their metastudy …

New Research Offers Solutions To Age-Old Relationship Problems

By Mark Travers Most people will tell you about certain challenges that arise sooner or later in long-term relationships. In most cases, it is enough knowing that you are not alone and that rough patches are a completely normal part of intimate relationships. However, there are certain times when an issue prompts you to question …

Researchers suggest doctors should start prescribing vibrators to women

by Bob Yirka A team of researchers led by Alexandra Dubinskaya, of Cedar-Sinai Medical Center has found that the medical benefits of women using vibrators are strong enough to warrant doctors prescribing their use to female patients on a regular basis. In their paper published in The Journal of Urology, the group describes their metastudy …

Research confirms men with older brothers are more likely to be gay, suggesting same-sex attraction has a biological basis

By Francisco Perales, Christine Ablaza, and Jan Kabatek New research shows having a greater number of older brothers increases the probability of a person entering a same-sex union at some point in their lives. This finding, detailed in our paper published today in the Journal of Sex Research, offers a rare insight into the origins …

Why do men search for gym buddies on Grindr? An investigation

Grindr has both defined itself by and come to define the language of queer men. One of the most recent trends to be seen across people’s profiles is the rise of the hunt for ‘gym buddies’. By Louis Staples Downloading Grindr – then deleting it, before re-downloading it, only to delete it again – has …

How lockdown changed the sex lives of young adults – new research

By Liam Wignall & Mark McCormack Lockdown significantly affected our health (for good and bad), our work and how we socialise. These consequences have been widely discussed, but far less attention has been given to the effect on our sex lives. When lockdown came into force in the UK in March 2020, people from outside …