Pain from inflammation may greatly reduce sexual motivation. The direct impact of pain on sexual behavior was studied, possibly for the first time in any species, and reported by researchers in Canada. They found that pain due to inflammation greatly reduced sexual motivation in female mice in heat--but had no such effect on male mice.
"Chronic pain is very often accompanied by sexual problems in humans," says Professor Yitzchak Binik at McGill University. This animal study creates a model for exploring pain-inhibited sexual desire that can help researchers eventually apply to human research.
The study is a classic example of why sex-based research should start at the animal level (when it is cheaper) to determine if a condition may have underlying sex differences that can apply to humans. The Women's Health Research Institute at NU has been an outspoken advocate for sex based research from the bench to the bedside!
Source: McGill University
It’s 2014 and women are still getting paid less than men in the workforce. While we’re all aware that this is happening, what’s less clear is why it’s happening. Earlier this month, some politicians voted down the equal pay bill by saying “There’s a disparity not because female engineers are making less than male engineers at the same company. The disparity exists because a female social worker makes less than a male engineer.” This statement implies that women get paid less than men because they choose to work in lower-paying jobs—but this is wrong. The majority of the pay gap between men and women “comes from differences within occupations, not between them.” Harvard University labor economist and scholar, Dr. Claudia Goldin calculated that placing more women into higher-paying occupations would “erase just 15 percent of the pay gap for all workers,” and the rest of the pay gap problems stem from within the workplace. In the medical industry, for example, women doctors and surgeons earn only 71% of men’s wages, even when controlling for age, race, hours, and education!
Depression, especially in pregnancy, is a sensitive subject. It impacts the woman, her child and her family and it affects between 14 and 23% women during pregnancy. Because of hormonal changes during pregnancy, a woman may not realize she is suffering from depression. A new, comprehensive guide about this condition that discusses symptoms and treatment to help women and their family members understand and cope with this issue is now available from the a site called PsychGuides. For a helpful resource visit 
Most women think menopause means low estrogen, hot flashes, and the end to regular and monthly periods. This may not be the case, however. Researchers have found that women may experience an increase in the amount and duration of bleeding, which may occur sporadically throughout the transition of menopause.
A surprising new strategy for managing your weight? Bright morning light!! A new Northwestern Medicine® 
Loss of bladder control, or urinary incontinence, is a problem that millions of women face. The involuntary loss of urine can range in presentation; it can be minimal, from a few drops when you laugh, exercise, or cough. Or, it can be an accident when you suddenly urge to urinate and can't keep it in. Most episodes of urinary incontinence are the result of altered pressures or stress on the muscles and nerves that help you pass or hold urine in. Hormone changes can also affect muscle strength. Like your vaginal tissue, the muscle tissue in and surrounding the bladder and urethra (the short tube that passes urine from the bladder out the body) requires estrogen to remain supple and strong. When estrogen levels drop in menopause, the tissue around the bladder and urethra thin and weaken,which can lead to incontinence.
Dental health is often overlooked or thought of once a year in our annual cleaning in the dentist’s office. But practicing good oral care can save you expensive dental repair procedures down the road! Three simple steps can help you keep your mouth healthy.
The increased risk of death associated with alcohol intake is not the same for men and women. A study that compared the amount of alcohol consumed and death from all causes among nearly 2.5 million women and men showed that the differences between the sexes became greater as alcohol intake increased, as described in an article in Journal of Women’s Health, a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the