Articles tagged as Sex | Smithsonian Magazine

After a 2011 version of this statue was installed outside the Japanese embassy in Seoul, they began to pop up around the world.

She’s a silent reminder of the plight of hundreds of thousands of women forced into sexual slavery by Japan during World War II

January 3, 2017

Hair removal is personal—but it may be time to bring science to the party.

Bare Down There? New Study Suggests You’re More Susceptible to STIs

Your pubic preferences could be linked to your sexual health

December 8, 2016

Showy traits, like the large antlers of these bull moose, can be detrimental to an animal's health.

New Research

Go Big or Go Generic: How Sexual Selection Is Like Advertising

When it comes to attracting mates, it pays to either go all out—or not try at all

December 6, 2016

Conforming to masculine norms can leave men isolated and unable to cope with the stresses of life.

New Research

Sexism Sucks for Everybody, Science Confirms

Adhering to masculine norms can be toxic for men, not to mention everybody else

Updated: November 22, 2016 | Originally Published: November 21, 2016

Scientists are using genetic sequencing to reconstruct how AIDS hit the United States in the 1970s and 1980s.

New Research

Genetic Sleuthing Clears ‘Patient Zero’ of Blame for U.S. AIDS Epidemic

Scientists debunk the myth of the man once thought to have brought the virus to the states

October 27, 2016

Fans cheer for Team Korea at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

New Research

Athletes Rejoice: Study Shows Sex Before Competitions Is Probably Fine

There’s no evidence that getting down and dirty before sporting events has negative effects—and it may have benefits

October 11, 2016

The male brown widow spider may not be as unlucky in love as we once thought.

Male Widow Spiders Prefer Younger Ladies—So They Don’t Get Eaten

This strategy means they live to mate again, upending assumptions about these arachnids

September 20, 2016

A nesting male with a female in his nest.

New Research

Give it Up, Sneaky Males: These Lady Fish Have You Outwitted

Female ocellated wrasses have developed a surprising trick to control who fathers their offspring

August 16, 2016

Under a new rule, attorneys could be fined or suspended for using derogatory language while they practice law

August 10, 2016

New Research

The Evolutionary Reason Why Women Orgasm

New research suggests the female orgasm is tied to ovulation, not reproduction

August 1, 2016

A pair of Scinax alcatraz frogs discreetly lay their eggs in a water-filled plant.

When Frogs Pull the Curtain: The Benefits of Mating in Secret

Smithsonian’s new curator of frogs explains why some frogs seek privacy when they mate

August 1, 2016

A male Bombay night frog getting his call on.

The Frog Kamasutra Gains a Chapter, Thanks to Camera-Wielding Biologists

One newly described sexual position for frogs could mean one giant leap for frog conservationists

June 14, 2016

Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the bacterium responsible for the sexually transmitted infection gonorrhea.

And public health officials are scared of what comes next

December 29, 2015

An 89 year-old Korean 'comfort woman' Kim Bok-Dong protests in front of the embassy of Japan in Berlin to demand an official apology from Japan in September, 2015.

Even with this agreement in place, many are still seeking a better resolution

December 28, 2015

This yellow-bellied watersnake gave birth without male contact in the last eight years.

Cool Finds

In Nature, Virgin Births Are Pretty Common

Fish do it, bugs do it, even some species of snakes do it

December 23, 2015

Male or female? Turns out there's no distinction.

New Research

There’s No Such Thing as a Male or Female Brain

When it comes to sex traits, brains are consistently inconsistent

December 2, 2015

New Research

Could Climate Change Mean Less Sex and Fewer Babies?

Even if it does, perhaps that’s not a bad thing

November 9, 2015

Cool Finds

Some Sexually Transmitted Microbes Might Be Good for You

There’s a whole lot of bacteria and viruses that pass from person to person, using any means they can find

August 31, 2015

New Research

Want a Satisfying Sex Life? Try Being a Better Parent

Data suggest that splitting childcare duties often produces happier, more sexually satisfied couples

August 23, 2015

A satirical 16th-century print showing a chastity belt

Cool Finds

Medieval Chastity Belts Are a Myth

People probably chuckled just as much then about the idea as they do today

August 20, 2015