Feature Channels: Sex and Relationships

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Being ‘lovesick’ takes on a whole new meaning in a new theory which answers the unsolved fundamental question: why do we have sex?

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Could unique psychological factors that hamper emotional regulation help explain differences in HIV/STI risk-related sexual behaviors among heterosexually active black youth with mental illnesses?

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People who lose a partner to suicide are at increased risk for a number of mental and physical disorders, including cancer, depression, herniated discs and mood disorders than those in the general population, new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research suggests.

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A $1 increase in the minimum wage would likely reduce the U.S. adolescent birth rate by about 2 percent, according to new Indiana University research. That would mean about 5,000 fewer births annually.

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Led by researchers at the University of Kentucky, the study is the largest and longest randomized controlled trial of bystander intervention programs focusing on sexual violence prevention in high schools. Published this week in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, the study reveals the implementation of "Green Dot" in Kentucky high schools decreased not only sexual violence perpetration, but related forms of violence including sexual harassment, stalking and dating violence.

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Across the board, Americans are less sexually active than ever with the sharpest decline among people in their 50s, people with a college degree, people with school-aged children, people in the South, and those who do not watch pornography.

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The last thing you want is a series of "achoos" to interrupt your "I do's," or worse, send someone to the hospital. With these 10 tips from the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, you can limit allergy concerns on your wedding day.

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There is new hope for the hundreds of millions of women worldwide who have been subjected to genital mutilation. A surgeon in Penn Medicine’s Center for Human Appearance has developed a reconstructive procedure that can increase sexual function and, patients’ early experiences suggest, help heal the emotional and psychological wounds associated with the mutilation.

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The need to belong and experience social connections is a fundamental human characteristic. Prior research has shown that social rejection is linked to increases in negative emotions, distress, and hostility. This study examined the impact of social rejection on alcohol use, and whether the impact differed when the social rejection was by close others, such as friends, spouses or family members, or by strangers or acquaintances.

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Power imbalances in heterosexual relationships are common, but having less power takes a greater toll on young women than young men, according to a recently published University at Buffalo study.

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Even the most blissful of couples in long-running, exclusive relationships may be fairly clueless when it comes to spotting the ploys their partner uses to avoid dealing with emotional issues, suggests new research from psychologists at Washington University in St. Louis.“Happier couples see their partners in a more positive light than do less happy couples,” said Lameese Eldesouky, lead author of the study and a doctoral student in Psychological and Brain Sciences at Washington University.

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A person’s sex and running ability play a role in the decline of their performance in marathons as they get older, according to a Georgia State University study.

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Based in Puerto Rico, The Cuídalos project proved the usefulness of a web-based educational module, which aimed to promote communication between parents and their adolescent children on topics related to their sexuality so that they can make good decisions.

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The implementation of state laws legalizing same-sex marriage was associated with a significant reduction in the rate of suicide attempts among high school students – and an even greater reduction among gay, lesbian and bisexual adolescents, new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research suggests.

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But a new study by Arizona State University shows the opposite may be true – that one psychological effect of population density is for those people to adopt a “slow life strategy.” This strategy focuses more on planning for the long-term future and includes tactics like preferring long-term romantic relationships, having fewer children and investing more in education.

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Here, in celebration of Valentine's Day, we present another of the paradoxes, sometimes called the Picky Suitor problem: Can you guess the odds that you will find your one and only among the 9 billion people on the planet?

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Despite the explosion of red and pink merchandise currently promoted in stores, the National Retail Federation reports U.S. consumer spending will be down 10 percent this year compared to Valentine’s Day 2016.

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Feb. 14 was coming up quickly, and the two young lovers’ emotions were heating up the hundreds of miles between them. Their Civil War letters tell of their secret engagement during a tumultuous time in history.

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Since 1990, the divorce rate among adults 50 years and older has doubled. This trend, along with longer life expectancy, has resulted in many adults forming new partnerships later in life. A new phenomenon called ‘Living Apart Together’ (LAT)—an intimate relationship without a shared residence—is gaining popularity as an alternative form of commitment. Researchers at the University of Missouri say that while the trend is well understood in Europe, it is lesser known in the U.S. This means that challenges, such as how LAT partners can engage in family caregiving or decision-making, could affect family needs.

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One of the best gifts a person could give their significant other for Valentine's Day is a discussion on boundaries regarding social media, according to a researcher at Kansas State University.

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Fighting with your sweetie as Valentine’s Day approaches? Consider this as Cupid aims his bow and arrow yet again. “The most common thing that couples want from each other during a conflict is not an apology, but a willingness to give up power,” says Baylor University psychologist Keith Sanford, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology and neuroscience.

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With Valentine’s Day approaching, it’s a good time to turn to behavioral science for some well-researched relationship advice. Here are a few findings, based on studies from the Center for Decision Research, that may help make your Valentine’s Day just a bit sweeter.

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Shakespeare said our lips were made for kissing and if you ask Texas A&M University Professor of Anthropology Vaughn Bryant about it, he’ll tell you all you need to know and more about this age-old pastime.

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In what is believed to be the first study of its kind, researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center’s Institute for Reproductive Health (IRH) announced today the launch of a year-long study to measure the efficacy of a new app, Dot™, for avoiding unintended pregnancy as compared to efficacy rates of other family planning methods.

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The marriage rate in the U.S. continues to decline and the view that marriage entails a “lack of freedom” is becoming more entrenched, particularly among younger men, according to researchers Nicholas H. Wolfinger and W. Bradford Wilcox.

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For women who marry later in life, a few extra pounds may accompany their nuptials, a new study led by the University of Arizona suggests. On the other hand, older women who go through a divorce or separation may lose weight and see some positive changes in their health, according to the research.

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The difference between men and women with respect to their age preferences, when it comes to sexual partners, is smaller than earlier believed. A recent study shows that also men become interested in older and older women as they themselves age.

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In a video interview, Thomas O’Halloran discusses the roles of metals in the body with a focus on how zinc regulates egg cell maturation and fertilization.

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Cocaine use has long been tied anecdotally to higher-than-usual rates of impulsive behavior, including risky sex, but the tie-in has been difficult to study with any scientifically controlled rigor.

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A recent study conducted by researchers at Indiana University found that older men and women are maintaining sexual relationships into their 80s and beyond and are often ignored in sexual health education, increasing the possibility for HIV transmission.

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Where a shift in cultural behaviors and beliefs typically takes three generations, new research has found that among African immigrant mothers, cultural views regarding sex are rarely passed down to their children, indicating change after a single generation.

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If you want to plan the perfect Valentine’s Day for your sweetheart, keep their allergies and asthma in mind.

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Offering your spouse what you believe to be positive support could have negative physiological effects on them, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York.

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University of Iowa researchers have found a protein that regulates how chromosomes pair up and pass genetic information. FDK-6 dictates the speed at which maternal and paternal chromosome strands move and join in roundworms. The findings were published online this month in The Journal of Cell Biology.

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Northwestern Medicine will host a symposium Jan. 25 to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the implementation of the National Institutes of Health’s landmark sex-inclusion policy. The NIH is revolutionizing the future of medicine by mandating that research funding is contingent upon the inclusion of female cells or animals in scientists’ studies.

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How we feel after 1-night stands has a lot to do with our gender -- and evolution.

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Drugs used to treat HIV could affect how the body responds to syphilis, inadvertently contributing to a current outbreak, a new study suggests.

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African-American women in abusive relationships use a variety of strategies pulled from three general categories to survive intimate partner violence (IPV), according to a new University at Buffalo study recently published in the journal Social Work.

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In-vitro gametogenesis is an experimental technique that allows scientists to grow embryos in a lab by reprograming adult cells to become sperm and egg cells.

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Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone Medical Center is again joining with each of the 69 National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer centers in issuing a joint statement to increase vaccination against the human papillomavirus (HPV).

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Is Virginia really for lovers? Other states may have something to say about that. In the first nationwide study of positive relationships, a Michigan State University researcher found that Mississippi, Utah and Wisconsin were actually the top states for lovers. Virginia finished mid-pack.

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Sacred thinking isn't limited to political conservatives, according to a new report from researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Winnipeg. The findings are from four related studies that examine how liberals and conservatives justify their political attitudes on same-sex-marriage and the Keystone XL oil pipeline.

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Johns Hopkins researchers who conducted a dozen focus groups with 70 straight and gay/bisexual Hispanic and African-American males ages 15 to 24 report that gaining a better understanding of the context in which young men grow up will allow health care providers to improve this population’s use of sexual and reproductive health care.

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Sexual preference is influenced by males’ adolescent social stress history and social status, according to a research team including Nicole Cameron, assistant professor of psychology at Binghamton University, State University of New York.

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Health care blogger Laura Offutt MD writes about Teen Health Week and what health care professionals can do to promote the week that starts January 9.

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A new grant will help researchers with the Center of Gender Equity and Health to continue efforts to raise awareness about violence against women worldwide. The award will support measurements of issues that will help change.

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A new Northwestern Medicine study offers a bleak assessment in a rare look at the outcomes of delinquent youth five and 12 years after juvenile detention. Central to poor outcomes for the youth post detention are stark and persistent racial, ethnic and gender disparities, according to the massive study that began in the mid-1990s.