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A double-blind study of citalopram versus placebo in the treatment of compulsive sexual behaviors in gay and bisexual men.

OBJECTIVE: Compulsive sexual behavior (CSB) is a condition characterized by loss of control over sexual behavior and repeated negative consequences, including unsafe sex. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors have been found to reduce CSB symptomatology in open-label trials. The objective of this study was to conduct a preliminary double-blind, placebo-controlled evaluation of the efficacy, acceptability, and tolerability of citalopram in the treatment of CSB. METHOD: Twenty-eight men who have sex with men who met the threshold for CSB on the basis of existing validated measures participated in a 12-week, double-blind trial of citalopram 20 to 60 mg/day to evaluate its effects on CSB symptoms. The primary efficacy measure was the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale-Compulsive Sexual Behavior. The study was conducted from June 2002 to April 2004. RESULTS: Significant treatment effects were obtained for sexual desire/drive (p < .05) and frequency of masturbation (p < .01) and pornography use (p < .05). Both groups reduced sexual risk, but did not differ significantly. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides partial support for the effectiveness of citalopram for reducing symptoms of CSB in this population. Larger-scale trials are recommended to determine the public health benefits of this treatment.

Adult↗

Prevalence of unsafe sexual behavior among HIV-infected individuals: the Swiss HIV Cohort Study.

Sexual contact is the major mode of HIV transmission. Increased sexual risk taking has been described in HIV-infected individuals receiving potent antiretroviral therapy. A new questionnaire on sexual behavior was introduced into the Swiss HIV Cohort Study on April 1, 2000. We evaluated sexual behavior in all individuals who completed the questionnaire for the first time within 1 year after its introduction. Our primary hypothesis was that self-reported unsafe sexual behavior would be more prevalent among individuals with optimal viral suppression. On April 1, 2000, 4948 individuals were registered in the study, and 4723 (95%) completed the questionnaire. Of these individuals, 12% reported unsafe sex, 78% received antiretroviral therapy, and 25% had optimal viral suppression (HIV RNA level always <50 copies/mL during the preceding 12 months). During the preceding 6 months, 55% of individuals had stable and 19% had occasional partners, and 6% had both types of partners. Sexual intercourse was reported by 82% of individuals with stable and 87% of individuals with occasional partners, and of those reporting sexual intercourse in each group, 76% and 86%, respectively, said that they always used condoms. After adjustment for covariates, reported unsafe sex was not associated with optimal viral suppression (odds ratio, 1.04; 95% confidence interval, 0.81-1.33) or antiretroviral therapy (odds ratio, 0.83; 95% confidence interval, 0.65-1.07), but it was associated with gender, age, ethnicity, HIV transmission group, HIV status of partner, having occasional partners, and living alone. There is no evidence that self-reported unsafe sexual behavior is more prevalent among HIV-infected individuals with optimal viral suppression. However, unsafe sex is associated with other factors.

Adult↗

A comparison of perceived and actual sexual behaviors of college students.

This study investigated the relationships between reported sexual behaviors of college students and their perceptions of sexual behaviors of peers. Seventy-four subjects completed the survey instrument. Chi-square comparisons determined the relationship between reported sexual behaviors and perceived sexual activities. Males were more accurate than females in perceiving sexual activities of males but not of females. Females were unable to perceive accurately male or female behaviors.

Adult↗

Psychosocial factors and high-risk sexual behavior: race differences among urban adolescents.

Adolescence is a period of sexual experimentation. We examined psychosocial predictors of high-risk sexual behavior and condom use. The sample included 824 ninth-graders, most of whom are African American. We conducted separate analyses for whites and African Americans. Predictors included alcohol and substance use, delinquency, prosocial behaviors, and family and peer influences. We found that problem behaviors predicted high-risk sexual behavior, but the effects were stronger for white youth. We also found that friends' behaviors were more predictive than family influences, except for family conflict. In general, the models explained more variance for white youths than for African-American youths. The results suggest that problem behavior theory and social interactions theory may be most relevant for white youth and that other models may be necessary to explain high-risk sexual behavior among African-American youths.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Testosterone control of male-type sexual behavior in the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii).

In the tammar wallaby, Macropus eugenii, the expression of male-type sexual behavior is apparently determined by the activating effects of testicular hormones in adulthood. The incidence of male-type copulatory behavior and sexual checking behavior was compared in intact (control) males, control females, testosterone-treated females, and three groups of males castrated either postnatally (24-26 days of age), prepubertally (14.5 months of age), or in adulthood. All three groups of castrated male wallabies showed a very low incidence of male sexual behavior in adult life, comparable to that shown by the untreated females. Adult female wallabies with 100-mg testosterone implants showed a high incidence of male sexual behavior which was indistinguishable from that shown by intact males. The results suggest that sex differences in male-type behavior in the tammar wallaby are due to short-term inductive effects of testosterone acting on a sexually indifferent brain. There is no evidence of any long-term organizational effects of testosterone acting in fetal or neonatal life on the neural pathways controlling male-type sex behavior in this marsupial mammal.

Animals↗

Dopamine D5 receptor modulates male and female sexual behavior in mice.

RATIONALE: Dopamine exerts its actions through at least five receptor (DAR) isoforms. In female rats, D5 DAR may be involved in expression of sexual behavior. We used a D5 knockout (D5KO) mouse to assess the role of D5 DAR in mouse sexual behavior. Both sexes of D5KO mice are fertile and exhibit only minor disruptions in exploratory locomotion, startle, and prepulse inhibition responses. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to characterize the sexual behavior of male and female D5KO mice relative to their WT littermates. METHODS: Female WT and D5KO littermates were ovariectomized and given a series of sexual behavior tests after treatment with estradiol benzoate (EB) and progesterone (P). Once sexual performance was optimal the dopamine agonist, apomorphine (APO), was substituted for P. Male mice were observed in pair- and trio- sexual behavior tests. To assess whether the D5 DAR is involved in rewarding aspects of sexual behavior, WT and D5KO male mice were tested for conditioned place preference. RESULTS: Both WT and D5KO females can display receptivity after treatment with EB and P, but APO was only able to facilitate receptivity in EB-primed WT, not in D5KO, mice. Male D5KO mice display normal masculine sexual behavior in mating tests. In conditioned preference tests, WT males formed a conditioned preference for context associated with either intromissions alone or ejaculation as the unconditioned stimulus. In contrast, D5KO males only showed a place preference when ejaculation was paired with the context. CONCLUSIONS: In females, the D5 DAR is essential for the actions of dopamine on receptivity. In males, D5 DAR influences rewarding aspects of intromissions. Taken together, the work suggests that the D5 receptor mediates dopamine's action on sexual behavior in both sexes, perhaps via a reward pathway.

Animals↗

Sexual behavior change among human immunodeficiency virus-infected adolescents with hemophilia. Adolescent Hemophilia Behavioral Intervention Evaluation Project Study Group.

PURPOSE: To determine the factors associated with the adoption or maintenance of consistent safer sexual behaviors among human immunodeficiency virus-positive adolescents and young adults with hemophilia. METHODS: One hundred eleven adolescents at 10 hemophilia care sites participated in an intervention program designed to increase safer sexual behaviors (abstinence, condom use, or nonpenetrative behavior). The theory-based intervention spanned 1 year. Adolescents attended individual sessions, small group activities, and an intensive group retreat. RESULTS: Patients who maintained or improved safer sexual behaviors were compared with those who relapsed or did not improve. Logistic regression analyses found that improvement and maintenance of safer sexual behavior were significantly associated with perceived peer support for outercourse (odds ratio [OR]: 5.47; confidence interval [CI]: 1.4-20.8), perceived peer support for abstinence (OR: 5.08; CI: 1.2-20.1), and decreased general emotional distress (OR: 4.65; CI: 1.04-20.6). Perceived health status and previous sexual behavior were unrelated to change in safer sexual behavior. CONCLUSIONS: These longitudinal data indicate that improvement and maintenance of safer sexual behavior among adolescents during an intervention is strongly associated with perceptions of peer support for safer sex and lesser degrees of emotional distress. Programs for human immunodeficiency virus-infected adolescents may require developmentally appropriate social and psychological approaches to impact peer norms and emotional well-being.

Adolescent↗

A correlational and factor analysis of anticipatory and consummatory measures of sexual behavior in the male rat.

This study investigated the relationship among measures of anticipatory and consummatory sexual behavior displayed by male rats in the bilevel chambers designed by Mendelson and Gorzalka (1987). Normative data from a standard test of sexual behavior were gathered from 80 intact, sexually experienced male Long-Evans rats and subjected to multiple correlational and factor analyses. The correlational analysis confirmed that several consummatory measures of copulation were related significantly, whereas the anticipatory measure, level changing, was statistically independent of consummatory measures. Factor analysis using orthogonal rotations revealed five factors that accounted for 95% of the intersubject variance for all measures: Copulatory Rate, Initiation, Hit Rate, Mount Count, and Anticipation. These results indicate that at least five conceptual mechanisms are required in any theoretical description of male sexual behavior in the bilevel chamber. In particular, the extraction of separate anticipation and initiation factors indicates that these aspects of male sexual behavior are distinct. The use of bilevel chambers thus may facilitate the identification of potential neurochemical or endocrine mechanisms associated with different aspects of male sexual motivation. In addition, several statistical techniques are discussed with the aim of reducing the elevated experiment-wise error that can occur when related measures of sexual behavior are analyzed independently.

Animals↗

The effects of isosexual rearing on adult sexual behavior in captive male rhesus macaques.

The sexual competence of males reared only with other males (isosexually reared) was compared to the sexual competence of males reared in mixed-sex peer groups (heterosexually reared). All subjects were pair-tested with the same 11 females. Isosexually reared males tended to be less sexually active than heterosexually reared males, but the differences were not pronounced. Heterosexually reared males took less time to ejaculate than isosexually reared males, but their ejaculatory frequencies were comparable. Among one peer group of isosexually reared males, their level of sexual competence conformed with their dominance ranks when immature. These results suggest that growing up with female peers is not a prerequisite for the expression of adult sexual behavior among male rhesus macaques and that adult male sexual behavior may be influenced by relative dominance status when immature.

Animals↗

HIV testing and counseling among men attending sexually transmitted disease clinics in Pune, India: changes in condom use and sexual behavior over time.

OBJECTIVES: To describe changes in sexual behavior and condom use among male heterosexual clients at two public sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics in Pune, after exposure to HIV testing, counseling, and condom promotion. DESIGN: From 13 May 1993 to 11 April 1997, 6819 heterosexual men were screened for HIV infection as part of the HIV Network for Prevention Trials study. A total of 1628 HIV-seronegative men agreed to return at 3-month intervals for repeated HIV counseling and testing. Counseling at each visit focused on reinforcing messages of monogamy, condom use with sexual partners, and provision of government-provided condoms. METHODS: Data were collected at baseline and at subsequent 3-month intervals, on demographics, previous STD diagnoses, medical history, sexual behavior, knowledge of HIV/AIDS, and practices related to the prevention of HIV. STD were assessed through physical examination and specimen collection, and blood was drawn for HIV-1 and HIV-2 antibody testing. RESULTS: The level of consistent condom use with sex workers increased proportionately with follow-up time: at 6 months men were 2.8 times more likely to consistently use condoms (P < 0.001), at 18 months they were 3.6 times more likely (P < 0.001), and after 24 months they were 4.7 times more likely to be using condoms every time. The risk of HIV seroconversion in men was lowest for those who reported 'always' using condoms (adjusted relative risk, 0.68; P = 0.42; HIV incidence, 4.0) compared with those who reported 'never' using a condom (adjusted relative risk, 2.94; P < 0.001; HIV incidence, 14.0). CONCLUSION: Ongoing counseling and testing was positively associated with risk-reduction behaviors amongst a large proportion of men recruited for this study.

Adult↗

The relationship of moral reasoning and AIDS knowledge to risky sexual behavior.

Two hypotheses were tested in this study: (a) moral reasoning and risky sexual behaviors are inversely correlated; (b) the relationship between AIDS knowledge and sexual behavior is mediated by moral reasoning such that AIDS knowledge and risky sexual behaviors are inversely correlated for higher-level moral reasoners but not for lower-level reasoners. Subjects were 103 undergraduate students who completed an instrument assessing moral reasoning, the Defining Issues Test, and two questionnaires assessing sexual behavior and knowledge about AIDS. Factor analysis identified five sexual risk-taking factors with alphas of .60 or higher. Results supported both hypotheses: (a) Risk taking during sexual intercourse (i.e., lower likelihood of using condoms) and risk taking during anal sex were significantly inversely correlated with moral reasoning; (b) For high moral reasoners, two measures of sexual risk taking were significantly negatively correlated with knowledge about AIDS: as knowledge increased, risk taking during sexual intercourse and engagement in a variety of sexual experiences decreased. The reverse relationship was true for low moral reasoners. Implications for moral development theory and research as well as for AIDS prevention campaigns are discussed.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

The effects of early sexual abuse on adult risky sexual behaviors among persons with severe mental illness.

OBJECTIVE: There were two aims: first, to examine the relationship between prior sexual abuse and three types of adult risky sexual behaviors [(1) ever traded sex for drugs or money, (2) had unprotected sex in the past 6 months, and (3) frequency of unprotected sex in the past 6 months] among persons with severe mental illness (SMI), and second, to examine the potential mediating effects of adult rape, substance use, and PTSD. METHOD: Using a pooled sample of individuals with SMI (N=609), logistic and negative binomial regression analyses were used to investigate the impact of prior sexual abuse on these adult risky sexual behaviors. RESULTS: Childhood sexual abuse was associated with having ever traded sex for money and having engaged in unprotected sex in the past 6 months. However, childhood sexual abuse was inversely associated with the number of times males had unprotected sex in the past 6 months. Results differed between males and females and the impact of potential mediators also varied by gender and type of outcome studied. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest a complex link between childhood sexual abuse and adult risky sexual behaviors in persons with SMI. Clinical assessments of child abuse sequelae should include a variety of indicators and parameters of adult risky sexual behavior, as persons with SMI are at an increased risk of engaging in high-risk sexual behaviors and tend to have a higher exposure to childhood sexual abuse than does the general population.

Acute Disease↗

Sexual behavior in male rats after nitric oxide synthesis inhibition.

The influence of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) on the copulatory behavior of sexually experienced male Wistar rats was investigated. L-NAME was injected i.p. 10 min before the onset of a session using a dose of 30 mg/kg (L-NAME 30 group), or 60 mg/kg (L-NAME 60 group). The copulatory sessions were terminated after the third ejaculation in the control group or after 1500 s in the L-NAME 30 and L-NAME 60 groups. L-NAME administration reduced the number of rats that achieved ejaculation by 43% and 86% in the L-NAME 30 and 60 groups, respectively. In both experimental groups only a few intromissions and an increased number of mountings were observed. An increase in the number of ultrasonic vocalizations in the 50 kHz band, a dose-dependent effect, was observed. The level of sexual motivation evaluated by mount latency was not influenced by inhibition of NO synthesis.

Animals↗

[Assessment of the effect of sex steroids on the sexual behavior of the rat at late periods of observation].

A study was made of sexual behavior of male rats exposed to prolonged (4 months) metandrostenolone (MAS) inhalations at the level Limch spec as of the effect of methyltestosterone (MT) on sexual behavior of the progeny following drug applications to the skin of pregnant rats in a dose at the level Limac spec. Methodological approaches to the appraisal of sexual behavior of rats are described. MAS (0.01 mg/m3) did not produce any deviations in sexual behavior of males. MT (1 mg/kg) applied during pregnancy had a masculinizing effect on the progeny females, that manifested in anatomical disorders of the urogenital area, thereby giving rise to alterations in sexual behavior of the progeny females and in that of their partners--intact males. The conclusion is made about high risk of the manifestations of specific effects of sexual steroids applied to the skin in the doses approximating the Limac spec.

Administration, Topical↗