The Checkup: Aspirin Reduces Skin Cancer Risk in Women, Study Finds

• If you pop an aspirin for your headaches every now and then, you may be getting more good out of the pill than you realize. A new study found that women who take aspirin regularly have a lower risk of developing melanoma. The protection, researchers say, appears to be cumulative—in other words, the longer you take it, the better protected your skin is. The study looked at nearly 60,000 women between ages 50 and 79, and followed them for 12 years. “Even after controlling for skin cancer risk factors such as tanning and low use of sunscreen, the women who reported taking aspirin at least twice a week showed a 21% lower risk of melanoma than the women who didn’t take the pain killer,” reports Time.com. So how does it work? It may have to do with aspirin’s anti-inflammatory effects, which could quell processes that cause cells to grow abnormally. The next step in the research process is to confirm the results in a clinical study.

• If you like Mozart and Jon Stewart on Facebook, chances are you’re a smarty pants. A new study of Facebook interests found correlations between digital likes and personality traits. Also associated with higher IQ? Liking curly fries. Read more here.

• Sperm has a season, according to a new study on sperm health. It found that sperm is healthiest in the winter and early spring—which, you know, is like right now. That could explain why you have so many birthday parties to go to in the fall. Read more here.