Chicago: In an era where popular culture is increasingly recognized for its impact on lay understanding of health and medicine, few scholars have looked at television’s powerful role in the creation of patient expectations, especially regarding pregnancy and birth.

Chicago: Why do unmarried women tend to be more liberal and Democratic than their married counterparts? A key reason is because unmarried women — those who have never been married and those who are divorced — are more concerned about the status of women as a collective group, suggests a new study that will be presented at the 110th Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association.

Binghamton: Women experience more emotional pain following a breakup, but they also more fully recover, according to new research from Binghamton University.

Bronx: If a pregnant woman with high blood pressure and no history of headache suddenly develops a headache that quickly gets worse, she could be at risk for pregnancy complications, including preeclampsia, which put both the mother and fetus at risk. 

St. Louis: Women who have gastric bypass surgery to lose weight should keep a close eye on their alcohol consumption, according to new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Columbus: New mothers take a close look at their personal relationship with their husband or partner when deciding how much they want him involved in parenting, new research finds.

Shanghai: Women who exercised during their teen years were less likely to die from cancer and all other causes during middle-age and later in life, according to a new study by investigators at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the Shanghai Cancer Institute in China.

Washington: Scientists have shown that women may not need to “eat for two” during pregnancy because the body adapts to absorb more energy from the same amount of food. The findings may also help to explain why some women struggle to lose weight after giving birth.

St. Louis: A woman’s weight during her first pregnancy can affect how her second baby fares, Saint Louis University research finds.

Austin: Sexual dysfunction in women can be linked to low resting heart rate variability, a finding that could help clinicians treat the condition, according to a study by psychologists from The University of Texas at Austin.