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PubMed1996

Sexual behavior in pregnancy among Hong Kong Chinese women.

Sexual behavior during pregnancy was examined in a retrospective study of 150 Hong Kong Chinese women interviewed in the immediate postpartum period. Sexual activity was found to decline abruptly during the first trimester of pregnancy, and continued to decrease in frequency as the pregnancy advanced. The frequency of intercourse was lower both before and during pregnancy than has been reported in similar studies among Western populations. There was no consistent relationship between age, parity, level of education, or employment status and sexual behavior either before or during pregnancy. These results suggest that a relatively conservative attitude toward sexual activity persists within this population.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1993

Hypothalamic but not cortical grafts induce recovery of sexual behavior and connectivity in medial preoptic area-lesioned rats.

We have previously shown that hypothalamic fetal brain grafts induced recovery of sexual behavior in medial preoptic area (MPOA)-lesioned male rats. In the present series of experiments, male rats with completely abolished sexual behavior by MPOA lesions received either hypothalamic or frontal cortical fetal grafts. The animals that received hypothalamic grafts showed a gradual recovery of sexual behavior. In contrast, those animals who received cortical grafts did not recover sexual behavior during the 15 weeks after the graft. In addition, to evaluate the connectivity of the grafted tissue with the host brain, a retrograde tracer, fluorogold, was injected in the dorsal tegmental area. Fluorogold-labeled cells were found in the hypothalamic, but not in the cortical grafts. These results suggest that specificity of the grafted tissue and connectivity between brain grafts and host tissue are necessary for the recovery of male sexual behavior in MPOA-lesioned rats.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

The association between substance use and risky sexual behaviors among incarcerated adolescents.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between substance use and risky sexual behaviors and having acquired a sexually transmitted disease. METHODS: The sample consisted of 210 incarcerated adolescents ages 12-17. Data were collected through 40-min interviews administered by trained research assistants. Multivariate analysis was used to examine the relationship between risky sexual behaviors and substance use when adjusting for other covariates. RESULTS: Almost three-quarters (70.6%) of these incarcerated adolescents regularly use one or more substances. Inconsistent condom use and sex with multiple partners (>2) was reported by approximately 70% of those surveyed. The regular use of substances elevated the odds of having sex with multiple partners (OR = 11.88), exchanging sex for money or drugs (OR = 4.64). and inconsistent condom use (OR = 3.06). CONCLUSION: Given strong associations between risky sexual behavior and substance use, interventions should be more multiproblem-focused. Health interventions should attempt to address common causes of both behaviors. Effective interventions will be those that can successfully demonstrate effects on outcomes that measure both the intervention effects on substance use and risky sexual behaviors.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1989

Antagonism by pindolol, but not betaxolol, of 8-OH-DPAT-induced facilitation of male rat sexual behavior.

8-OH-DPAT (0.25 mg/kg s.c.) produced a facilitation of the male rat sexual behavior, characterized by a decrease in the number of intromissions preceding ejaculation and in the time to ejaculation. This facilitation of the sexual behavior was antagonized by administration of the 5-HT and beta-adrenoceptor antagonist pindolol (4 mg/kg i.p.), but not by the selective beta-adrenoceptor antagonist betaxolol (4 mg/kg i.p.). Neither pindolol (2-8 mg/kg), nor betaxolol (2-8 mg/kg), produced any statistically significant effects per se on the male rat sexual behavior, as observed here (mounts, intromissions, ejaculation latency or the post-ejaculatory interval). A higher dose (16 mg/kg) of betaxolol produced a statistically significant reduction in the number of intromissions preceding ejaculation and in the ejaculation latency. The antagonism by pindolol of 8-OH-DPAT-induced effects on male rat sexual behavior suggests an involvement of 5-HT1A receptors in the facilitation of this behavior produced by 8-OH-DPAT.

8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin↗

PubMed1978

Sexual behavior of Colombian female university students.

The results of a survey of sexual behavior conducted among 113 female students of Caldas University, Manizales, Colombia, are reported. Among other findings, cumulative incidence of masturbation was 68.1% and that of premarital coitus 33.6%. On the other hand, 56.4% of the nonvirgins professed to have had oral-genital contacts and 28.2% of them said that they had experienced anal coitus. While 96.5% of the students admitted contact with pornographic materials and 40.4% had been sexually aroused by these materials, 18% of those subjects who had been exposed to "romantic" (nonsexually explicit) materials professed to have been sexually aroused. As to contraceptive practices, many students never used any contraceptive methods, and 11.4% of the coitally experienced respondents admitted to having had an induced abortion. This study also shows a negative correlation between religiosity and the subjects' sexual behavior. Highly significant sex differences in sexual behavior among Colombian university students are also revealed when this study's findings are compared with data from male medical students.

Adult↗

PubMed1988

Administration of gonadotropin-releasing hormone to pregnant rats inhibits postpartum sexual behavior.

Administration of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) can both facilitate sexual behavior in estrogen-primed, ovariectomized rats and induce numerous antifertility effects in pregnant rats. The present study was undertaken to determine the effect of GnRH treatment on 1) sexual behavior of rats during late pregnancy and at postpartum and 2) plasma levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and progesterone (P), two hormones implicated in the regulation of sexual behavior during pregnancy. Rats were given either 4 micrograms or 12 micrograms GnRH or no treatment on day 18 of pregnancy. On days 18 (4 hr posttreatment) and 19 of pregnancy, the day of parturition and the day following parturition, each rat was tested for lordosis response to male mounts and subsequently bled from the jugular vein for determination of plasma DHT and P levels by radioimmunoassay. Both doses of GnRH significantly inhibited lordosis at postpartum estrus and failed to induce lordosis on days 18 and 19 of pregnancy and the day following parturition. DHT was suppressed on day 19 and at postpartum; P was elevated on the day following parturition. Our data demonstrate that as little as 4 micrograms GnRH can induce postpartum "behavioral antifertility" effects without apparent detriment to the pregnancy.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Alcohol consumption, strength of religious beliefs, and risky sexual behavior in college students.

Relationships among alcohol use, strength of religious convictions, and unsafe sexual practices of 210 students at a large public university in the "bible belt" were examined. The women with strong religious beliefs consumed less alcohol and were less likely to engage in risky sexual behavior than were female participants with weaker religious convictions. Among the men, religious conviction was not significantly correlated with alcohol consumption or risky sexual behavior, but alcohol consumption and inconsistent use of condoms and multiple sexual partners were significantly correlated. Men had higher rates of alcohol consumption and unprotected sexual activity than women did, yet the two groups did not differ in overall frequency of sexual activity. Future research is needed to (a) provide greater understanding of gender differences in alcohol use, risky sexual behavior, and religious beliefs of college students in the region and (b) determine whether similar correlations exist in other areas of the country.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Regional brainstem expression of Fos associated with sexual behavior in male rats.

This study utilized Fos expression to map the distribution of activated cells in brainstem areas following masculine sexual behavior. Males displaying both appetitive and consumatory sexual behaviors (Cop) were compared to animals prevented from copulation (NC) and to socially isolated (SI) animals. Following copulation, Fos was preferentially augmented in the caudal ventral medulla (CVM), a region mediating descending inhibition of penile reflexes, and which may be regulated by a forebrain circuit that includes the medial preoptic area (MPOA). Copulation-induced Fos was observed in the medial divisions of both the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DC) and trapezoid bodies (Tz), areas which are part of a circuit processing auditory information. In addition, the medullary linear nucleus (Li) displayed comparable amounts of Fos in Cop and NC as compared to the SI animals. Other regions of the pontomedullary reticular system, which may mediate sleep and arousal, did not exhibit Fos expression associated with consumatory sexual behavior. We suggest that Fos is associated with the inhibition of sexual behavior following ejaculation in the CVM, and that auditory information arising from the DC and Tz is combined with copulation-related sensory information in the subparafasicular nucleus and projected to the hypothalamus. In addition, equal amounts of Fos expression observed in the Li in both the Cop and NC animals suggests that this region is involved in sexual arousal. Overall, the data suggest that processing by brainstem nuclei directly contributes to the regulation of mating behavior in male rats.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Sexual behavior among adolescents in Uppsala, Sweden.

The purpose of this study was to compare the sexual behavior of Swedish teenagers in the late 1980s with that in the late 1970s, when a similar study was performed in the same city. Another aim was to discover differences between boys and girls, smokers and nonsmokers, and pupils in theoretical and practical classes. A total of 383 high-school students answered a questionnaire about their sexual behavior, education, and attitudes. Almost one-half of the teenagers had already had intercourse. The median age at sexual debut was about 17 years. Among girls who had had intercourse, the median age at debut was lower than 10 years ago. A majority stated that their sexual behavior had been affected by the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) debate. This was, however, not clearly seen in their sexual behavior. Intercourse seemed to take place earlier in the relationship than 10 years ago, and the wish for more sexual experience had increased. The use of alcohol at the time of first intercourse had decreased significantly. Only 2% thought that they had too much sex education at school. As many as 41% felt they could not talk about sex with their parents. Efforts should be made both to enhance the quantity of sex education at school and to improve its quality. This might increase the chances of young people avoiding unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed1989

Effects of prenatal diphenhydramine administration on sexual behavior in rats.

In order to study the involvement of the brain histamine system on the sexual behavior of rats prenatally exposed to the histamine H1 receptor blockader, diphenhydramine (DPD), the female lordotic response and male sexual behavior were analyzed. The results show that the lordotic response in the prenatal DPD-treated rats was increased in relation to control animals. Impairment of male sexual behavior was indicated by an increase in ejaculation latency, in the number of mounts and a decrease in the number of ejaculations up to 30 min after the first intromission. Prenatal exposure to DPD thus appears to alter female and male sexual behavior on reaching adulthood.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Sexual motivation--an inquiry into events determining the occurrence of sexual behavior.

For the individual engaged in it, sexual behavior has no finality or purpose other than its own execution. Data are presented showing that the execution of sexual reflexes can promote learning, i.e. it functions as reinforcement. Furthermore, positive affect is generated. Based on these principles, a model of sexual motivation has been elaborated. The conceptual framework is the incentive motivation theory previously proposed by Bindra D, A motivational view of learning, performance, and behavior modification, Psychol Rev 1974: 81:199-213; A Theory of Intelligent Behavior, New York: Wiley, 1976; How adaptive behavior is produced: a perceptual-motivational alternative to response reinforcement, Behav Brain Sci 1978; 1:41-52. Although the model is intended for application to most mammals, the rat is used as example. Essentially, sexual approach behaviors are activated by appropriate incentives (conditioned in the male, unconditioned in the female). Approach is, in the inexperienced male, followed by the execution of copulatory reflexes as a consequence of accidentally obtained tactile stimulation of the perineal region. In the female, copulatory acts are activated by tactile stimulation of the flanks and hinds provided by the mounting male. The role of conditioning for the execution of copulatory reflexes and for the acquisition of incentive value of neutral stimuli is analyzed. It is also shown that the incentive properties of sexual acts are not substantially different from those of other incentives. Sexual exhaustion is suggested to be either a case of negative alliesthesia or of stimulus habituation and the Coolidge effect is, in consequence, an example of dishabituation. Studies in women and men support this proposal. It is emphasized that sexual behavior is best understood as being entirely mechanistic albeit not deterministic.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

The immunobiology of sexual behavior: gender differences in the suppression of sexual activity during illness.

Following infection or injury, sick individuals experience profound psychological and behavioral changes, such as anorexia, depressed activity, and reduced self-care behavior. In the present review, we present evidence for a gender-difference in the behavioral response to sickness. Specifically, following immune activation, sexual activity is suppressed in female, but not in male rats. This gender difference is specific to sexually related responses, because other behaviors, such as locomotion, are equally affected by immune challenges in males and estrous females. The suppression of female sexual behavior, induced by either endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide), or the cytokine interleukin-1 (IL-1), are mediated by central mechanisms that are independent of alterations in ovarian hormone secretion. Furthermore, synergistic effects of the cytokines IL-1 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) are involved in modulating sexual behavior in sick females, and prostaglandins synthesis is required for the effects of IL-1 on female sexual behavior. The gender difference in the behavioral response to immune activation may be related to the findings that at the same doses and timing in which IL-1 suppressed sexual activity in female but not in male rats, females produced more prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in the brain, and less corticosterone than males. Finally, we are suggesting that the suppressive effect of cytokines on female reproductive behavior may serve as a mechanism to reduce conception during infection, which exposes the mother and the fetus to dangers such as spontaneous abortions, preterm labor and maternal mortality.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

The GABAB antagonist CGP 35348 inhibits the effects of baclofen on sexual behavior and motor coordination.

The intraperitoneal injection of 100 mg/kg of CGP 35348 completely blocked the effects of 2.5 mg/kg of (R)-baclofen on sexual behavior and motor coordination in male rats. Doses of 50 and 25 mg/kg partially blocked the effects of (R)-baclofen on sexual behavior but not those on motor coordination. The antagonist itself had no effect on these behaviors. These observations confirm previous data suggesting that the inhibitory effect of (R)-baclofen on sexual behavior is not only a consequence of motor deficiencies and indicates that this effect is due to an action at GABAB receptors. The lack of effect of CGP 35348 on sexual behavior when the drug was administered alone may suggest that GABAB receptors are not important for the physiological control of sexual behavior.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Interactions between aromatase (estrogen synthase) and dopamine in the control of male sexual behavior in quail.

In male quail, like in other vertebrates including rodents, testosterone acting especially through its estrogenic metabolites is necessary for the activation of male sexual behavior. Also, the administration of dopamine agonists and antagonists profoundly influences male sexual behavior. How the steroid-sensitive neural network and dopamine interact physiologically, remains largely unknown. It is often implicitly assumed that testosterone or its metabolite estradiol, stimulates male sexual behavior via the modification of dopaminergic transmission. We have now identified in quail two possible ways in which dopamine could potentially affect sexual behavior by modulating the aromatization of testosterone into an estrogen. One is a long-acting mechanism that presumably involves the modification of dopaminergic transmission followed by the alteration of the genomic expression of aromatase. The other is a more rapid mechanism that does not appear to be dopamine receptor-mediated and may involve a direct interaction of dopamine with aromatase (possibly via substrate competition). We review here the experimental data supporting the existence of these controls of aromatase activity by dopamine and discuss the possible contribution of these controls to the activation of male sexual behavior.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Effects of neonatal clomiphene citrate on fertility and sexual behavior in male rats.

In order to investigate the participation of estrogen during the period of brain sexual differentiation, male rats were treated with clomiphene citrate in the neonatal phase. Fertility and sexual behavior were assessed during adult life. Sexual maturation, body weight, and wet weight of the testes were unchanged. Although the adult male rats treated with clomiphene in the neonatal phase presented a significant reduction in the frequency of mounts, 90% of these rats were able to mate with normal females, which became pregnant. However, these females exhibited a significantly increased number of pre- and post-implantation losses. When these adult male rats were castrated and received estrogen, 60% presented female sexual behavior (receptive behavior and acceptance of mount). Thus, treatment of pups with clomiphene immediately after birth has a long-term effect on the reproductive physiology and sexual behavior of male rats.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Assessment of non-response bias in a probability household survey of male same-gender sexual behavior.

OBJECTIVE: To assess non-participation bias in a survey of male sexual behavior. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A household survey was carried out in 1992-1993 using a probability sampling frame in Mexico City. Demographic variables were available for all eligible men. The extent of non-participation bias was estimated using a version of the Heckman method, which utilizes two equations, one to predict participation and the other to predict reports of same-gender sexual behavior. RESULTS: A total of 8,068 of the 13,713 eligible men completed a face-to-face questionnaire (response rate 59%); 173 men (2.1%) reported bisexual behavior in their lifetime, and 37 (0.4%) reported only male partners. Survey participation was predicted using demographic variables: 67% of the observations were correctly predicted by a probit regression model: 82% of participants and 53% of non-participants (pseudo-r2 = 0.13). Same-gender sexual behavior was predicted by variables indicating attachment to gay/bisexual social networks, history of sexually transmitted diseases, positive attitudes towards gay and bisexual males, and lack of support from male relatives. Ninety-seven per cent of the cases was correctly predicted by the probit model (pseudo-r2 = 0.14). The correlation between these two equations was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that prevalence estimates of same-gender sexual behavior among Mexico City men were not biased by selective survey participation. Careful selection and training of household interviewers may have assisted in minimizing potential bias.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

Female sexual behavior is inhibited by short- and long-term food restriction.

In female musk shrews, sexual receptivity is not restricted to the periovulatory period. Several copulatory bouts that occur over a number of days are required to induce the first ovulation. We tested the hypothesis that food restriction would have a minimal impact on female musk shrew sexual behavior because mating behavior may be uncoupled from ovulation in this species. Three testing conditions were used. In the first study, food-restricted females were maintained at their weaning day weight for 17 days. Food restriction resulted in a significant reduction in the number of females that allowed males to mount, intromit, or ejaculate compared with ad lib-fed controls. In the second experiment, sexually experienced females that were food-restricted for 2 weeks also displayed reduced sexual behavior compared to that in ad lib-fed controls. In the last study, we examined the effects of short-term food fluctuations on sexual behavior. Females food-restricted for 48 h showed reduced mating behavior compared to that in ad lib-fed controls. This was reversed after 24 h of refeeding. These studies show that, even under conditions where copulation does not lead to pregnancy, small reductions in food availability can inhibit female sexual behavior.

Animals↗

PubMed1987

Opioid kappa-receptor agonists suppress sexual behaviors in male rough-skinned newts (Taricha granulosa).

Four experiments were performed to evaluate a possible opioid involvement in the regulation of sexual behavior (amplectic clasping of a female) in intact adult male rough-skinned newts (Taricha granulosa) during the breeding season. It was found that an ip injection of bremazocine, a kappa-receptor opiate agonist, can markedly reduce sexual activity and that an ip injection of naloxone can reverse this inhibition in a dose-dependent fashion. In contrast, in male newts that were sexually inactive before treatment, injections of naloxone failed to induce sexual behavior, suggesting that opioid mechanisms do not normally exert a tonic inhibition of amphibian sexual behavior. In addition, an injection of ethylketocyclazocine (another kappa-receptor agonist), but not morphine (a mu-receptor agonist) suppressed sexual behaviors of male newts. These results indicate that opioid mechanisms that include kappa-type opioid receptors may contribute to the regulation of sexual behavior in nonmammalian vertebrates.

Analgesics↗