Feature Channels: Sex and Relationships

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How we feel about ourselves and those we love depends in large part on the assumptions and expectations we hold about romantic relationships. It turns out that many of our beliefs about intimate relationships aren't backed up by science. Binghamton University psychology professor Matthew D. Johnson has debunked 25 of the biggest myths out there.

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Many organisms including insects, amphibians and yeasts use sex pheromones for attracting individuals of the opposite sex, but what happens to sex pheromones as new species emerge? New research publishing January 22 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology from Taisuke Seike and Hironori Niki at the National Institute of Genetics, Japan and Chikashi Shimoda at Osaka City University, Japan studies sex pheromones in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, revealing an “asymmetric” pheromone recognition system in which one pheromone operates extremely stringently whereas the other pheromone is free to undergo a certain degree of diversification, perhaps leading to a first step towards speciation.

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Today we have a good understanding of the pattern of dangerous behaviors abusive men use to manipulate their partners. However, most women, their friends, and their family members do not have access to safety information. Dirty John presents an opportunity for women in abusive relationships to learn more about developing a personalized, practical safety plan for when in danger.

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A study published in the February 2019 “Pediatrics” journal suggests the majority of gay fathers and their children continue to experience stigma with potentially harmful physical and psychological effects, despite legal, media and social advances. Study participants specifically cited structural stigma, such as state laws and beliefs of religious communities, as affecting their experiences in multiple social contexts.

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A new long-acting contraceptive designed to be self-administered by women may provide a new family planning option, particularly in developing nations where access to healthcare can be limited, a recent study suggests. The contraceptive would be delivered using microneedle skin patch technology originally developed for the painless administration of vaccines.

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If teen partner rape could be predicted, it could be better prevented. Social scientists from Michigan State University are helping close that gap by identifying risk factors linked to sexual violence in young women’s first relationships in life.

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Study suggests that the oral medication Gabapentin can reduce pain and increase sexual desire and satisfaction

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Covered on NBC and CBS

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It is difficult to comprehend declining fertility rates without a deeper understanding of the underlying perceptions that drive fertility-related behaviors. In a recent study published in Archives of Sexual Behavior, Robin E. Jensen, professor of communication at the University of Utah, surveyed 990 U.S. adults about their perceptions of human fertility.

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Can being in a strong committed relationship reduce the risk of suicide? Researchers at Michigan State University believe so, especially among members of the National Guard.

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People who value following purity rules over caring for others are more likely to view gay and transgender people as less human, which leads to more prejudice and support for discriminatory public policies, according to a new study published by the American Psychological Association.

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Of the 34 million people worldwide with HIV, and the 200 million with schistosomiasis, the majority live in Africa— where millions of people are simultaneously infected with both diseases. Now, researchers reporting in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases have shown that schistosomiasis infections are associated with increased HIV onward transmission, HIV acquisition in HIV negative women with urogenital schistosomiasis, and progression to death in HIV positive women.

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New non-invasive treatment for stress urinary incontinence helps strengthen the pelvic floor, and shows more than 87 percent of patients were dry or had mild leakage after a 12-week treatment period, with 93 percent of patients experiencing improvement in just four weeks.

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A longer duration of infertility was associated with lower sperm count and other parameters of impaired sperm in a BJU International study of 1644 infertile men. Also, older age and higher body mass index were associated with a longer duration of infertility.

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Two-Thirds of Women Did Not Receive Their Desired Contraception at the Six-Week Postpartum Visit, Increasing Risk of Unintended Pregnancy.

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Researchers examined the social composition of raiding parties and their relationship to marriage alliances in an Amazonian tribal society, the Waorani of Ecuador. The Waorani formerly practiced lethal raiding, or small-scale warfare, as part of their social fabric. The anthropologists spoke in detail with tribal members in an attempt to understand what drives individuals to participate in acts of war.

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Two new grants totaling $2.2 million will fund Johns Hopkins School of Nursing Professor Nancy Glass, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN, in the development of nationally accessible, culturally diverse, and age-appropriate resources to help protect survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault across the lifespan.

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Casual sex among emerging adults can be a source of intimacy, and often is, according to a new study conducted by an interdisciplinary team of researchers including Binghamton University faculty and members of Indiana’s Kinsey Institute.