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Biomedical subjects

W R Trevathan

Publications and source records attributed to W R Trevathan.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

Heterosexual activity: relationship with ovarian function.

Previous research demonstrated a relationship between the temporal pattern of heterosexual activity and an index of ovarian functioning. In the current study, this relationship was investigated in 147 menstruating heterosexual women (aged 19-53). They kept prospective daily records of menses, basal body temperature, sexual activity, and other behaviors for three consecutive menstrual cycles. In contrast to previous findings, women with intermediate levels of sexual activity displayed more frequent optimal menstrual cycles. Pheromones, semen absorption, and orgasm-related changes were tested as mediators for a causal influence of sexual activity on ovarian functioning; none was supported. Exploratory analyses tested the hypothesis that anovulatory cycles (with presumably lower progesterone) would display more sexual activity than ovulatory cycles. This hypothesis was supported, and the difference in sexual activity was limited to the second half of the cycle, after ovulation would have occurred. Thus, the findings incorporate temporal precedence of ovulation to support the idea that physiological processes influence the level of sexual activity in heterosexual women.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

No evidence for menstrual synchrony in lesbian couples.

Menstrual synchrony was investigated in a sample of 29 cohabiting lesbian couples, ranging in age from 22 to 48 years. One or both partners kept prospective daily records of variables including menses onset dates, intimate contact, and sexual activity. All women reported daily intimate interaction with their partners; none reported intimate interaction with men. Despite these potentially optimal conditions for the manifestation of synchrony, the differences between dyad members in menses onset dates were distributed randomly, and there was no evidence of convergence. In fact, most dyads exhibited divergence of onset dates. Reasons for lack of synchrony in this sample are discussed; one conclusion is that there is no solid evidence that menstrual synchrony is a stable attribute of past or contemporary human populations.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Heterosexual activity and cycle length variability: effect of gynecological maturity.

Previous studies linking heterosexual activity to women's menstrual cycle variability have failed to take into account the effects of gynecological maturity. One hundred thirty-two women, all at least seven years postmenarche and not using birth control pills, completed daily records of their cycles and their heterosexual behavior. Data from women classified as sexually celibate or as regularly sexually active (having sex at least once per week in every nonmenstruating week) replicated previous findings while controlling for gynecological maturity: Women classified as celibate had more variable cycles than women who engaged regularly in heterosexual activity. An interaction between gynecological maturity and sexual status was also found, precluding a comparison involving women who were sexually active on an irregular basis. The interaction revealed that increased gynecological maturity is associated with less variable cycles in the sexually sporadic women, but is not associated with cycle variability in either celibate or sexually regular women. Possible biological mechanisms for these findings and their implications are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Maternal "en face" orientation during the first hour after birth.

Data are presented on the amount of time that 97 mothers spent in the "en face" position in the first hour postpartum, during which time contact between mother and infant was uninterrupted. The mean times varied with cultural background, relationship with the child's father, attitude toward childbirth, and administration of oxytocics.

Attitude↗
PubMed1981

Maternal touch at 1st contact with the newborn infant.

Human mothers have been reported to exhibit a species-characteristic pattern of tactile contact with their newborn infants that begins with fingertip touch of infant extremities and progresses to palmar massaging of the infant trunk. This study presents data on maternal tactile interaction during 10 min of contact following each of 66 deliveries. Most of the women in the study were of Hispanic origin and delivered with midwives in an El Paso, Texas maternity center. Time-sampling techniques were used with tactile behaviors recorded every 10 sec. Most observations began less than 10 min after birth. The statistical analysis revealed that maternal tactile behavior in the 1st 10 min of active interaction is more variable than previously reported. No evidence was offered of a pattern of touch progression: active tactile exploration appeared to vary with the gender of the infant and parity and socioeconomic or sociocultural background of the mother.

Female↗