sexuality

A jury awarded Sgt. Keith Wildhaber nearly $20 million in a discrimination lawsuit against the St. Louis County Police Department.

National

Missouri Cop Who Says He Was Told 'Tone Down Your Gayness' Wins Discrimination Case

4:11pm October 30, 2019

by Rachel Treisman

Sgt. Keith Wildhaber sued the St. Louis County Police Department in 2017, alleging he was passed over for promotions because he is gay. A jury agreed and awarded him nearly $20 million on Friday.

Researchers looked for genetic variants linked to sexual behavior in new genetic research that analyzed DNA from donated blood samples from nearly half a million middle-aged people from Britain who participated in a project called UK Biobank.

Health & Safety

Search For 'Gay Genes' Comes Up Short In Large New Study

6:51pm August 29, 2019

by Richard Harris

Researchers have long hoped to find out if genes contribute to sexual orientation. A new study of genetic data from thousands of people hints there may be some link, but it's still far from clear.

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Sarah Spiegel, a third-year student at New York Medical College, pushed for more education on LGBT health issues for students.

Medical Students Push For More LGBT Health Training To Address Disparities

8:02am January 20, 2019

by Rachel Cohen

One in 5 LGBT adults has avoided medical care for fear of discrimination, according to a recent survey, and 80 percent of physicians surveyed say they feel "not competent" to treat LGBT patients.

Studying the penis of a thistle tortoise beetle may lead to a better design for medical catheters.

Beetle Penises May Hold Clues For Better Medical Devices

4:20pm December 20, 2017

by Rebecca Hersher

Thistle tortoise beetles have enormously long, hooked penises that are rigid in some parts and soft in others. Scientists hope studying the beetle penises could help people design better catheters.

Close up low section of two girls sitting side by side

'Girls & Sex' And The Importance Of Talking To Young Women About Pleasure

2:59pm March 29, 2016

Author Peggy Orenstein says that when it comes to sexuality, girls hear that "they're supposed to be sexy, they're supposed to perform sexually for boys, but ... their sexual pleasure is unspoken."

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A daily pill called Addyi is the first medicine to be approved for the purpose of boosting women's sexual desire.

FDA Approves First Drug To Boost Women's Sexual Desire

4:58pm August 20, 2015

by Rob Stein

The daily pill, called Addyi, modestly increased women's interest in sex in clinical tests. The approval was praised by some women's advocates as a milestone and condemned by others as irresponsible.

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The experimental drug flibanserin, made by Sprout Pharmaceuticals, is at the center of a regulatory controversy.

Health & Safety

Advisers To FDA Recommend Agency Approve Drug To Boost Female Libido

4:13pm June 05, 2015

by Rob Stein

Proponents claim the Food and Drug Administration is applying a double standard to its review of a drug some call the female Viagra. Critics say flibanserin hasn't been proved safe or effective.

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Can A Person With Dementia Consent To Sex?

12:29am April 27, 2015

by Ina Jaffe

A jury in Iowa acquitted a man who had been criminally charged for having sex with his wife, who had Alzheimer's. Very few care facilities have policies on dementia, sex and consent.

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National

Justice Department Moves To Further Rein In Racial Profiling

9:45am December 08, 2014

by Carrie Johnson

New guidelines being unveiled today will broaden rules for the FBI, ATF, DEA and other federal agencies, that will ban — or nearly ban — profiling by race, gender, religion or sexual orientation.

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The Colorado Rush, a gay rugby team in Denver, at practice. "I've always thought of myself as ... the rugby player that happens to be gay," says Skyler Meyer. "I never want to be the gay man who happens to play rugby."

National

In Changing America, Gay Masculinity Has 'Many Different Shades'

8:09pm August 22, 2014

by Luke Runyon

As attitudes toward homosexuality shift in the U.S., many gay men say that's created not just more legal freedoms but also greater freedom to express their gender identities.

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