Nice guys do finish last at least when it comes to procreation, according to a new study that answers the question of why women choose bad boys. New research has demonstrated that hormones associated with ovulation influence women's perceptions of men as potential fathers.

A study conducted in Chile has found that the most important factor in reducing maternal mortality is the educational level of women.

Researchers are hoping to better understand why the mutated genes for breast and ovarian cancer are not passed on more frequently from one generation of women to the next.

Fears that sex-linked chromosomes, such as the male Y chromosome, are doomed to extinction have been refuted in a new genetic study which examines the sex chromosomes of chickens.

Scientists have shed new light on how sperm navigate the female reproductive tract, "crawling" along the channel walls and swimming around corners -- with frequent collisions.

A new study has identified the risk of major birth defects associated with different types of assisted reproductive technology. In the most comprehensive study of its kind in the world, researchers compared the risk of major birth defects for each of the reproductive therapies commonly available internationally, such as: IVF (in vitro fertilization), ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection) and ovulation induction. They also compared the risk of birth defects after fresh and frozen embryo transfer.

Insect glands are responsible for producing a host of secretions that allow bees to sting and ants to lay down trails. New research focuses on secretions from glands in the reproductive tract that help sperm survive and guide the sperm on the trip to fertilize an egg. The gene that controls the development of these glands in fruit flies provides important information about gland development in all insects, as well as potential clues to similar human reproductive glands.

A new study suggests that exposure to estrogenic chemicals in the womb or during childhood could have a long-term effect on female fertility. Limiting such exposures, including minimizing use of soy-based baby formula, would be a step toward maintaining female reproductive health.

Researchers report that male pseudoscorpions treated with the antibiotic tetracycline suffer significantly reduced sperm viability and pass this toxic effect on to their untreated sons. They suggest a similar effect could occur in humans and other species.

A U.S. national study suggests that a significantly greater number of highly educated women in their late 30s and 40s are deciding to have children - a dramatic turnaround from recent history.