Why the human penis is unusually large compared to that of other primates is a long-standing evolutionary question. A group of Australian evolutionary biologists and psychologists have studied this question by using computer-generated images to assess female evaluation of male sexual attractiveness and males’ evaluation of a potential rival’s fighting ability and attractiveness to females. […]
Cataract Surgery for Better Sex
A study of 66 Turkish women in their 40s and 50s published in BMC Public Health showed that cataract surgery led to a significant improvement in their sexual desire, lubrication, and self-reported satisfaction (up around 17%); arousal and ability to reach orgasm improved by about a third, and feelings of pain or discomfort during sex […]
Bi-Negativity and Mental Health
As Hard Copy has noted before, bisexuals face unique mental health challenges that often exceed those of other sexual minority populations. It has long been known that bi-sexual men face negative judgments from both straight peers who question their masculinity and from gay peers who question their authenticity. A study of 200 self-identified cisgender bisexual […]
Countering the Myth of Monogamy-Superiority
A meta-analysis of 35 studies just published in the Journal of Sex Research shows that monogamous relationships do not yield greater sexual or relationship satisfaction than is experienced by non-monogamous individuals. Trust, commitment, and intimacy were equal among both monogamous and non-monogamous couples. This result was equally valid for LGBTQ and straight individuals. READ THE […]
Higher Mortality Rates for LGB+
Newly released census data from England and Wales reveals that people who self-identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or another sexual minority group experience higher all-cause mortality than those who identify as heterosexual, and that the disparity is especially pronounced for those in the 25-34 age bracket. Alcohol-related deaths were 1.8 times higher among the LGB+ […]
Bisexuals Score Lowest on Mental Health Indices
A new meta-analysis combining data from 28 studies suggests that sexual and gender minorities are not only at increased risk of mental health problems, but also have more difficulty in regulating their emotions. This is usually ascribed to “minority stress,” but that thesis is undercut by the finding that bisexuals experienced greater problems with emotional […]
New Study of Nonbinary
A growing number of young people today identify as “nonbinary,” but that identity has been little examined by researchers. Popular opinion tends to see “nonbinary” merely as a more tentative version of “trans.” However, it is quite distinct. A team of researchers from Bristol, UK, has undertaken qualitative interviews with 105 self-identified nonbinary persons recruited […]
One-third of Bisexual Men are Autogynephilic
An internet survey of 254 bi-sexual men finds that over one-third of them are not really attracted to men, but to the idea of being treated like a woman by men. They have no desire to penetrate other men, but only to be penetrated in scenarios that are often masochistic. Their conventional attraction to women […]
Pornography Is Not “Inherently Harmful”
A parliamentary report from New South Wales in Australia offers a more nuanced view of pornography than is seen in most politically influenced studies. Although finding that Australian teens first access online pornography at an average age of 13, the report suggests they are more sophisticated consumers than is often recognized: they understand it is […]
Sex Researchers Create Their Own Porn
A research project from Portugal has developed three standardized pornographic film clips meant for use in testing heterosexual male subjects’ ability to recognize and appropriately respond to a woman’s cues expressing consent or non-consent. Each 90-second film clip depicted the face of the same actress experiencing intercourse with an off-camera male: in one she showed […]