Sex

A surprising finding from researchers in Japan has shown how an environmental factor can influence the development of sex organs in unborn mice. The discovery challenges the longstanding belief that sex is determined purely by genetic factors.

A fascinating new look into the private lives of apes has found that chimps settle conflict with friends with genital contact, much like their bonobo cousins. This sheds light on where our own sexual behavior originates, some six million years ago.

A study estimating the number of under-50s worldwide who are living with genital herpes has highlighted changing sexual behaviors and the need for many countries to consider more effective ways of curbing the transmission of this incurable disease.

Upending long-held beliefs that testosterone levels fuel sexual desire, a new study has found that while the hormone plays a key role in reproductive success, elevated concentrations may instead drive 'courtship' efforts – particularly in single men.

New research has found that men’s and women’s metabolisms favor eating different foods at breakfast time and could be key to developing personalized nutrition strategies that help to address health issues or lose weight.

Lab-grown testicle organoids that closely resemble the real thing provide a promising model for research that may help our understanding of testicular development and translate into therapeutic applications for male infertility.

Scientists have uncovered how the brain's far-reaching Behavioral Activation System, along with chemical drivers, can override other cognitive processes when we experience romantic love, driving that all-consuming focus on the object of our affection.

Almost 25 years since scientists first identified a difference in anesthetic sensitivity in males and females, a new study reveals how sex hormones make men more responsive to going and staying under. Yet dosage is still decided on by a patient's size.

Male serotine bats living in a Dutch church attic have been captured on camera engaging in marathon sessions of non-penetrative sex, while armed with a heart-shaped penis that's seven times longer than the female's vagina. Yes, this is a true story.

During the European frog's 'explosive breeding' sessions, it's not uncommon to see multiple males pile on a single female. Now, they're fighting back, performing some Oscar-worthy acting to convince their pushy mates that the coupling is a dead end.

Believe it or not, male sexual desire actually begins in the brain. Scientists have found the neural circuit that triggers mating behaviors and the ensuing pleasure and reward feedback in mice. They hope it can lead to new drugs to treat dysfunction.

In what might be a surprise for some, the male sex chromosome is far more complex than its female counterpart. This is why it’s taken scientists so long to work out exactly what makes a male a male. Now, they've completed the elusive Y chromosome map.