Health - Reproductive Health (pre 2010)

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

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...

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