SEX

The symbol for female (left) and male (right).

The Surprising Origins of the Male and Female Symbols

The ♂and ♀ symbols initially had nothing to do with representing human sex or gender.

Aging might seem scary, but you probably don’t have all of the facts.

3 Common Misconceptions About Aging, Debunked

The idea that older people need less sleep is just one common misconception.

The phrase can be traced back to a Romantic poet.

Where Does the Term ‘The Birds and The Bees’ Come From?

Birds and bees get all the action—and Samuel Taylor Coleridge was jealous. Here are the possible origins of the euphemistic phrase.

The seal of Anthony Comstock’s New York Society for the Suppression of Vice.

The Moral Policeman: Anthony Comstock’s War on Sex in 1800s New York

Anthony Comstock would stop at nothing to rid the world of explicit photos, birth control, and anything else he deemed a threat to morals.

A detail of a copy of Michelangelo’s ‘David’

12 Facts About the Penis

The male sexual organ is more complicated than it might seem.

Painting of a brothel by Joachim Beuckelaer, 1652.

Can You Identify the Real Historical Euphemism for Sex?

People in the past had a way with words when it came to describing activity between the sheets.

This green frog could be contemplating a big change.

7 Animals That Can Change Their Sex

In the animal kingdom, it’s not that unusual to start out as one sex and end up as another.

When Schools Made Kids Care for ‘Egg Babies’ to Thwart Teen Pregnancies

To curb teen pregnancies, schools in the ‘80s forced kids to care for another delicate dependent: an egg.

How ‘James at 15’ Helped Teen TV Dramas Come of Age

Airing in 1977, the show was an honest depiction of teen troubles—so honest that some adults couldn’t handle it.

Does this image of overlapping multicolored rings remind you of anything, hm?

A Stimulating History of Free Condoms at the Olympics

Condoms in the Olympic Village have been a tradition—and a public health service—since 1988.

A pixelated version of an illustration by Édouard-Henri Avril from the 1824 book ‘De figuris Veneris.’

The Research Error That Gave Us the Phrase ‘Missionary Position’

The origins of the phrase 'missionary position' involve Alfred Kinsey, some shoddy research, and zero actual missionaries.

6 Misconceptions About Sex

Blue balls? Broken hymens? Popping your cherry? We’re covering all the topics you’ve always wondered about but were too embarrassed to ask.

13 Stripped-Down Facts About ‘Showgirls’

“Showgirls” was one of the biggest box-office bombs of the 1990s, but this 1995 erotic drama about an exotic dancer turned Vegas showgirl has since become the stuff of midnight movie gold.

When Dr. Ruth Doled Out ‘80s-Era Sex Advice

The therapist gave advice about masturbation and contraception at a time those subjects were still taboo.

Turtle mating makes for some funny sound effects.

10 Surprising Facts About Animal Sex

From turtle mating to what really turns big cats on, animal sex can be a lot weirder (and funnier) than you probably expected.

17 Euphemisms for Sex From the 1800s

These 17 synonyms for sex earned a place in the ‘1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue.’

A baby crocodile made for a scientific milestone.

Scientists Marvel at the First ‘Virgin Birth’ Documented in a Crocodile

The baby croc was the product of a mother who has spent her entire life in captivity.

Anglerfish Mating Is Horrific—and Here’s How It Works

If you thought modern-day dating was rough, just wait until you find out how these deep-sea dwellers get it on.

19 Odd Facts About Animal Sex

From critter-killing copulation to beautiful “bladder songs,” here are some of the strangest facts about sex in the animal kingdom.

When Corn Flakes Were Part of an Anti-Masturbation Crusade

In the 18th and 19th centuries, much of the world worked itself into a tizzy over the idea of people touching themselves.

Take a Ride Through the Scandalous History of the Tunnel of Love

You don't see too many Tunnel of Love rides at amusement parks today, but they once served an important—and risqué—social function.

Pheromone Traps Could Eradicate Murder Hornets With the Lure of Sex

A new study is proposing an innovative way to eradicate invasive murder hornets: literal thirst traps laced with pheromones.

Meet the Sea Slug With the Disposable Penis

Fans of '90s alternative music may recall King Missile's big single, "Detachable Penis." While the song may have been silly, it turns out than in the animal world, the idea isn't all that bizarre—at least not to the sea slug Chromodoris reticulata.

What's worse than a single mosquito? Mosquitoes that don't want to be single.

Funnel of Love: Mosquitoes Looking for Mates Formed ‘Mosquito Tornadoes’ in Siberia

A mosquito bite eventually goes away. The image of a mosquito tornado, meanwhile, will live in your brain forever.