Sex

The Biggest Party of 2021 Is About to Start

Billions of bugs will soon burst out of the ground to begin the mass gathering of a lifetime. It’s hard not to feel jealous.

• Katherine J. Wu
• April 5, 2021

‘To Me, This Penis Is Out of Control’

The Danish series John Dillermand makes a very big deal about a very big body part.

• Katherine J. Wu
• February 26, 2021

The RNC Is Terrified of Losing Women Voters

GOP leaders sold a female-friendly version of Donald Trump at the convention, despite dark parts of the president’s history.

• Emma Green
• August 27, 2020

Kirsten Gillibrand Targets Biden’s Views on Women

The senator from New York tried to paint the former vice president as regressive, tapping into bigger questions about the Democratic Party’s identity heading into 2020.

• Emma Green
• July 31, 2019

Why Democrats Ditched the Hyde Amendment

There used to be a middle ground in the national conversation on abortion. Not anymore.

• Emma Green
• June 14, 2019

A Pastor’s Case for the Morality of Abortion

Jes Kast, a minister in the United Church of Christ, believes the procedure should be fully legal and accessible. Her path to that position has been complicated.

• Emma Green
• May 26, 2019

So Is Living Together Before Marriage Linked to Divorce or What?

Why researchers can't agree after decades of studies

• Ashley Fetters
• October 24, 2018

Sperm Counts Continue to Fall

Scientists are coming to a consensus that men in America and Europe are experiencing a worsening decrease in fertility. They disagree, however, about why.

• Ashley Fetters
• October 12, 2018

Big Mouth Grows Up (Kinda)

In Season 2, the teen-centric series tackles adult concerns—notably the importance of nuanced sex education—with both didacticism and humor.

• Hannah Giorgis
• October 9, 2018

Why Are STDs on the Rise If Americans Are Having Less Sex?

The CDC found that reported cases of three STDs hit an all-time high in 2017, suggesting that while sexual activity is decreasing in the U.S., it’s getting riskier.

• Ashley Fetters
• August 29, 2018

The Doctor Doesn’t Listen to Her. But the Media Is Starting To.

Physicians have long dismissed or downplayed women's sexual- and reproductive-health concerns—but in 2018, stories about "health-care gaslighting" are consistently breaking through to the mainstream.

• Ashley Fetters
• August 10, 2018

Americans Have Some Pretty Vanilla Sexual Fantasies

A new book on the science of sexual desire finds Americans are surprisingly romantic and loyal to their partners when they fantasize about sex.

• Ashley Fetters
• July 19, 2018

The Rebirth of America's Pro-Natalist Movement

Activists on the right and left want policies that will reverse the country’s baby bust. But the broader culture—and Congress—don’t seem to care.

• Emma Green
• December 6, 2017

Trump's Battle Over LGBT Discrimination Is Just Beginning

The Trump administration steps into an on-going legal battle over civil rights—and steps on another agency’s turf.

• Emma Green
• July 28, 2017

What America Lost as Women Entered the Workforce

Civic organizations were built on the voluntary labor of women. As the demands on women's time increase, communities are suffering.

• Emma Green
• September 19, 2016

Why the Male Pill Still Doesn't Exist

Despite decades of research, it’s still only women who deal with the daily annoyances of contraceptive medication.

• Andy Extance
• July 13, 2016

How to Play Like a Girl

For toymakers like Lego, where is the line between making products children love and telling kids how they should play?

• Adrienne LaFrance
• May 25, 2016

The Federal Government Quietly Expands Transgender Rights

In a new ruling Friday, the Department of Health and Human Services said Obamacare outlaws discrimination on the basis of gender identity.

• Emma Green
• May 16, 2016

The Challenge of Genderless Characters

What a 30-year-old novel reveals about hidden biases

• Stephanie Hayes
• May 11, 2016