After finding an investigational drug to be safe and well-tolerated by human subjects in Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials, Merck Sharp & Dohme, a subsidiary of Merck & Co, is beginning two Phase 3 clinical trials to study the drug’s efficacy in preventing HIV-1 infections in both African women and an international sample […]
“Treat Me Like a Bitch!” Gay Men’s Misogynistic Rape Fantasies
A study of profiles composed by middle-aged gay and bi-sexual men in Spain who used the hook-up app Scruff reveals that those who characterize themselves in feminine terms use rhetoric implying passivity and openness to degrading or even violent treatment. It correspondingly found that dominant partners express a desire to treat other men this way. […]
Condoms Go Up Due to Iran War
Karex, which produces about five billion condoms a year, has warned they will be raising prices by up to 30% because of supply chain disruptions caused by the chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz. The company blamed the war for the rising cost of the raw materials needed to produce condoms, including nitrile and synthetic […]
Good News for African Gays
So much of what we hear from the African continent with regard to the rights of LGBTQ people is discouraging. Hard Copy has run stories about severe legal persecution in Uganda, Nigeria, and Senegal, among others. However, Africa is not a monolith: South Africa has long maintained very progressive policies in defense of its LGBTQ […]
The Gen Z Divide
Religion, age, and politics are the biggest influences on a person’s opinion regarding abortion and reproductive rights, but gender is also a component. There is a sharp divide between Gen Z women and men over reproductive rights. In a recent survey, 76% of Gen Z women believe that abortions should be legal while only 59% […]
Trans Inmate Wins Big Legal Settlement
The Oregon Department of Corrections has agreed to pay $295,000 (well, $200,000 will go to her lawyers…) to a transgender woman for the mistreatment she endured by prisoners and guards alike while she was incarcerated in a men’s prison. She filed her federal lawsuit in 2021 and was later moved to a women’s facility. The […]
New Contraception on the Block
Vasalgel is a non-hormonal and long-lasting male contraceptive that has just entered human clinical trials. It works via an injection into the vas deferens, aka the “sperm duct”, a long, muscular tube that transports sperm from the epididymis to the ejaculatory duct and urethra prior to ejaculation. Vasalgel blocks sperm while allowing other fluids to […]
Sex Please, We’re British
Labour MP Sarah Niblett has won parliamentary debate time next Fall for her proposal to fund lifelong adult sex education, with the goal of fostering better understanding of consent, abuse, toxic masculinity, and how childbirth, menopause, and medical conditions can affect sexual pleasure. In anticipation of that debate, she has announced a campaign for a […]
Rehabilitation or Castration?
A poll by a Fox station in Fresno shows 79% of the public thinks sex offenders can be rehabilitated. But this appears not to have been noticed by the California legislature, which thinks they can always gain votes by demonizing sexual misconduct. Alarmed because parole had been granted to two elderly sex offenders, both of […]
Teen Boys and Their AI Girlfriends
Hard Copy has previously reported on the rise of AI “dating” and “relationships”. Researchers and academics are reporting that teen boys are increasingly turning to AI “girlfriends” for companionship. Experts warn that if young people start replacing real relationships with AI interactions, they may end up building fewer real-world connections. These real connections are important […]