It's obvious why only men develop prostate cancer and why only women get ovarian cancer. But it is not obvious why women are more likely to recover language ability after a stroke than men or why women are more apt to develop autoimmune diseases such as lupus. Sex differences in health throughout the lifespan have been documented. Exploring the Biological Contributions to Human Health begins to snap the pieces of the puzzle into place so that this knowledge can be used to improve health for both sexes. From behavior and cognition to metabolism and response to chemicals and infectious organisms, this book explores the health impact of sex (being male or female, according to reproductive organs and chromosomes) and gender (one's sense of self as male or female in society). Exploring the Biological Contributions to Human Health discusses basic biochemical differences in the cells of males and females and health variability between the sexes from conception throughout life. The book identifies key research needs and opportunities and addresses barriers to research. Exploring the Biological Contributions to Human Health will be important to health policy makers, basic, applied, and clinical researchers, educators, providers, and journalists-while being very accessible to interested lay readers.

"Examines why some men are prone to rape, offers probable causes for this inclination, and provides a comprehensive review of scientific studies of coercive sex. The authors look at evidence from studies in developmental criminology, evolutionary psychology, psychopathology, and psychophysiology and examine the situational and social factors that influence the likelihood of rape. Theories about rape have an unfortunate history of being unconstrained by empirical knowledge, sometimes with the harmful consequence that solutions to the problem of rape are ineffectual. The authors address this situation with a fact-based exploration of this phenomenon, beginning with a review of coercive sex among animal species and an account of rape throughout history and across culture, moving through a discussion of current research on rape, and culminating with a synthesis of research findings that points toward a new explanation of why some men rape. The authors also discuss the practical implications of their research on the assessment and treatment of men who rape. This empirically exhaustive book will be the new standard text on the phenomenon of rape and will help psychologists, social workers, and legal professionals to develop a better understanding of sexual aggression"--Publicity materials. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2005 APA, all rights reserved)

More than 1 million teenage girls in the United States become pregnant each year; nearly half give birth. Why do these young people, who are hardly more than children themselves, become parents? This volume reviews in detail the trends in and consequences of teenage sexual behavior and offers thoughtful insights on the issues of sexual initiation, contraception, pregnancy, abortion, adoption, and the well-being of adolescent families. It provides a systematic assessment of the impact of various programmatic approaches, both preventive and ameliorative, in light of the growing scientific understanding of the topic.

Across the world, the story is the same. Sex scandal. Media frenzy. Another prominent man caught with his pants down. So why do men take such risks for sex? Sex therapist Bettina Arndt's new book is all about why sex matters so much to men. More than 150 men kept diaries for her, talking about what it is like to live with that constant sparking sexual energyandmdash;relentless, uncontrollable, all-consuming. Their painfully honest, confronting, often hilarious stories explain their quest for sexual adventure, their secret delights, the thrill of giving pleasure, why some men turn to pornography and men's delight in the Viagra revolution. With every second man over fifty dealing with erection problems, Bettina offers advice on the wondrous new treatments giving men a new lease of sexual life. Her diarists reveal what it is like to pop little blue pills, or inject their best friend, or face impotence after prostate cancer treatments, or use treatments with a reluctant partner. What Men Want: In Bed lifts the lid on men's longings, frustrations, their fears and their intense joy in making love.

Anthropology, Sexual Studies, Psychology, Sociology, Gender and Cultural Studies

Sexual aggression is a pervasive societal problem with devastating and sometimes permanent effects on its victims. Approximately one in four adults has been either a victim or perpetrator of sexually aggressive behavior. Until now, a disproportionate amount of attention has been paid to victim-based methods of prevention with a corresponding lack of emphasis on the perpetrators of sexual aggression, whose rate of recidivism is quite high. As psychologists and mental health professionals turn their attention to the assessment and treatment of sexual offenders, the need for practical, scientifically based information on sexual aggression has become clear. In this book, Gordon Hall offers suggestions based on state-of-the science theory and research. Using the Quadripartite Model of sexual aggression to provide a framework for causes and possible solutions, it breaks new ground by proposing preventive intervention with potential perpetrators. It is a valuable resource for anyone involved in mental health, criminology, and the judicial system.

American culture is more sexually liberal than ever. But compared to men, women's sexual pleasure has not grown: Up to 40 percent of American women experience the sexual malaise clinically known as low sexual desire. Between this low desire, muted pleasure, and experiencing sex in terms of labor rather than of lust, women by the millions are dissatisfied with their erotic lives. For too long, this deficit has been explained in terms of women's biology, stress, and age. In The Pleasure Gap, Katherine Rowland rejects the idea that women should settle for diminished pleasure; instead, she argues women should take inequality in the bedroom as seriously as we take it in the workplace and understand its causes and effects. Drawing on extensive research and interviews with more than one hundred women and dozens of sexual health professionals, Rowland shows that the pleasure gap is neither medical malady nor psychological condition but rather a result of our culture's troubled relationship with women's sexual expression. This provocative exploration of modern sexuality makes a case for closing the gap for good.

Punctuated with remarkable case studies, this book explores extraordinary encounters between hermaphrodites--people born with "ambiguous" sexual anatomy--and the medical and scientific professionals who grappled with them. Alice Dreger focuses on events in France and Britain in the late nineteenth century, a moment of great tension for questions of sex roles. While feminists, homosexuals, and anthropological explorers openly questioned the natures and purposes of the two sexes, anatomical hermaphrodites suggested a deeper question: just how many human sexes are there? Ultimately hermaphrodites led doctors and scientists to another surprisingly difficult question: what is sex, really? Hermaphrodites and the Medical Invention of Sex takes us inside the doctors' chambers to see how and why medical and scientific men constructed sex, gender, and sexuality as they did, and especially how the material conformation of hermaphroditic bodies--when combined with social exigencies--forced peculiar constructions. Throughout the book Dreger indicates how this history can help us to understand present-day conceptualizations of sex, gender, and sexuality. This leads to an epilogue, where the author discusses and questions the protocols employed today in the treatment of intersexuals (people born hermaphroditic). Given the history she has recounted, should these protocols be reconsidered and revised? A meticulously researched account of a fascinating problem in the history of medicine, this book will compel the attention of historians, physicians, medical ethicists, intersexuals themselves, and anyone interested in the meanings and foundations of sexual identity.

Carefully organized and tightly edited, this insightful book considers potential causes of men′s violence against women, utilizing a variety of theoretical perspectives. It summarizes what is known about the multiple causes of men′s violence against women and the importance of identifying men′s risk factors in order to prevent future violence. The editors′ approach is unique but systematic. In chapter 2, the editors present a preliminary multivariate model that explains men′s violence against women by identifying four content areas: macrosocietal, biological, gender role socialization, and relation factors. Within these four areas, the editors develop thirteen preliminary hypotheses about the causes of men′s violence against women. In the subsequent chapters the contributing authors critique or react to specific parts of the multivariate model and address one or more of the 13 hypotheses in the presentation of their own ideas about the causes of men′s violence against women. In the concluding chapter, the editors summarize the contributors′ reactions to the original hypotheses by creating a revised multivariate model of risk factors for men′s violence against women. The final model includes biological, socialization, psychological, psychosocial, relational, and macrosocietal factors. Furthermore, the model is explained through 13 theoretical propositions, 40 research hypotheses, and over 60 risk variables related to men′s violence against women. The book closes with a discussion of men′s protective, resiliency, and vulnerability factors as well as future directions for theory development, advocacy, and the prevention of violence against women.