Size isn’t everything. For decades, we’ve known that bigger balls are a sign that there is strong sperm competition between males. But now a laboratory experiment has shown that when many male mice mate with the same females, their descendants can quickly evolve testes that can produce more sperm even though they’re not any larger.
Month: January 2015
Birth Control Pill May Be Linked to Rare Brain Tumors
The risk for developing a rare form of brain cancer known as glioma appears to go up with long-term use of hormonal contraceptives such as the Pill, new Danish research suggests.
BPA Exposure May Change Stem Cells, Lower Sperm Production
BPA and other estrogenic compounds hamper development of the stem cells responsible for producing sperm in mice, which suggests such exposure could contribute to declining sperm counts in men, according to a new study.
Microchip And Male Birth Control — Here’s The Exciting Future Of Contraception
Ladies, our days of setting an alarm so we remember to take our trusty little pill may soon be over. We previously introduced you to Vasalgel — a form of male birth control that blocks sperm from travelling through guys’ tubes — which is expected to hit the market later this year. Turns out Vasalgel might just be the first of several revolutionary contraceptives on the way.
New Drug Compounds Show Promise Against Endometriosis
Two new drug compounds – one of which has already proven useful in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis – appear to be effective in treating endometriosis, a disorder that, like MS, is driven by estrogen and inflammation, scientists report in Science Translational Medicine.
Should More Young Women Consider Freezing Their Eggs?
It’s a complex and rather fraught issue that has many women wondering whether they should put all their eggs into (fate’s) one basket or take advantage of available technology.
Politics and Women’s Fertility
We are used to public discussions about contraception and abortion; in those areas, there are strong opinions and often vehement disagreement about women’s decisions. There is, however, much less information and discussion in the public square about declining fertility; in fact, there is appalling ignorance about women’s “window of fertility.”
Japan Not So Easy: Half the Country’s Not Having Sex
Nearly half of the adult population in Japan is not having sex, a new study conducted by the Japan Family Planning Association reported.
School of Medicine Scientist Finds the Cause of ‘Headless’ Sperm in Male Infertility
Male infertility affects one out of 20 adult men worldwide, and headless sperm are often seen in the semen of male infertility patients. In some infertile males, all their sperm are headless, a condition called “acephalic sperm.”
Injecting Sperm into Egg Doesn’t Guarantee Pregnancy
The use of the new IVF procedure has doubled in prevalence over the past decade without evidence of reproductive outcome.