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At least 865 records · Page 48Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Sexual behavior and contraceptive risk taking among sexually active adolescent females.

Drawing on DeLamater's conceptual model of premarital contraceptive activity, this study assessed the relationships between various social, developmental, and behavioral variables and contraceptive risk taking by sexually active adolescent females. The hypotheses were tested on a national random sample of unmarried sexually active adolescent females (n = 1512) ages 15-20 years from Cycle III of the National Survey of Family Growth. The number of years the subjects had been sexually active was the strongest predictor of their frequency of sexual intercourse, followed by their frequency of attendance at religious services. The inverse relationship between religious attendance and coital frequency was much stronger among whites than blacks. When the influence of these variables on contraceptive risk taking was assessed, coital frequency explained 7.2% of the variation in contraceptive risk taking, with the number of years the adolescent had been dating explaining a small amount of additional variation. Our data support not only the first stage of DeLamater's conceptual model of premarital contraceptive activity, but also aspects of Jessor's more general theory of adolescent risk taking and problem behavior.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Role of glutamate receptors in the ventromedial hypothalamus in the regulation of female rat sexual behaviors. II. Behavioral effects of selective glutamate receptor antagonists AP-5, CNQX, and DNQX.

Bilateral infusions of glutamate or its selective ionotrophic receptor agonists to the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) produce a rapid inhibition of both appetitive and consummatory sexual behavior in hormone-primed female rats. The present study examined whether infusion of selective ionotrophic glutamate receptor antagonists to the VMH can facilitate female sexual behavior in females treated with estradiol benzoate (EB) and progesterone (P), or EB alone. Ovariectomized, sexually experienced female rats were implanted bilaterally with guide cannulae aimed at the ventrolateral VMH. After recovery from surgery, females were primed either with EB+P or EB alone, and infused with saline, or one of two doses each of AP-5 (to target NMDA receptors), CNQX, or DNQX (to target AMPA/kainate receptors), immediately before tests with sexually vigorous male rats in bilevel chambers. In general, the drug infusions had a more powerful effect in females primed with EB alone compared to females primed with EB+P. AP-5 increased lordosis in females primed with EB alone. CNQX had a similar facilitative effect on lordosis, and also increased solicitations. DNQX increased solicitations in both hormone-priming conditions, increased lordosis quotients and magnitudes, and decreased pacing and defensive responses in the EB-alone condition. These results indicate that antagonism of glutamate receptors in the VMH resembles the effect of P, and that the addition of P to an EB baseline eliminates most of the effects of glutamate receptor antagonists. These data support the notion that glutamate receptors in the VMH contribute a strong inhibitory influence in the control of female sexual behavior.

2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate↗
PubMed1982

On the role of the dorsal mesencephalic tegmentum in the control of masculine sexual behavior in the rat: effects of electrolytic lesions, ibotenic acid and DSP 4.

The work presented here concerns the way in which the dorsal midbrain tegmentum (DMT) participates in the control of sexual behavior. It was first established that electrolytic DMT lesions accelerate mating in the male rat, primarily by abbreviating the post-ejaculatory interval. Since the effective lesions were accompanied by decreases in the in vitro synaptosomal uptake of [3H]noradrenaline (NA) in hippocampus and hypothalamus, the behavioral effects of DSP4 (which elicits degeneration in NA nerve terminals derived primarily from the locus coeruleus) were examined. The long-term behavioral consequences of DSP4, however, were to decrease copulatory rate despite substantial NA denervation of brain and spinal cord. Ibotenic acid-induced neuronal degeneration in the DMT, on the other hand, accelerated copulatory behavior while leaving NA innervation of hippocampus and hypothalamus unaffected. The magnitude of the behavioral effect in ibotenic acid-treated rats was less than that induced by electrolytic DMT lesions. It is tentatively suggested on the basis of these-experiments that DMT cell bodies may form part of a system regulating sexual arousal mechanisms, whilst activity in a non-adrenergic fiber system running in the dorsal tegmental bundle may be required for active inhibition of sexual behavior after ejaculation. In additional experiments it was found that DSP4 treatment of female rats produced negligible effects on sexual behavior, estrous cyclicity and processes related to lactation.

Amines↗
PubMed1993

The effect of prenatal stress on adult sexual behavior in rats depends on the nature of the stressor.

It is well known that prenatal stress induces behavioral demasculinization and/or feminization in male offspring during adulthood. In this study, four different stressors were prenatally applied to rats. Pregnant rats were subjected to immobilization, unavoidable electric foot shocks, rapid eye movement sleep deprivation (REMd), or immersion in cold water. During adulthood, male offspring were tested for masculine and feminine sexual behavior. The results corroborated the fact that immobilization induced an impairment of masculine sexual behavior and a facilitation of feminine sexual behavior. Electric shocks showed only minor differences in masculine behavior when compared to intact controls, and no signs of lordosis behavior were observed. The REMd group displayed a major impairment of masculine behavior, even greater than that observed within the immobilization group. However, lordosis behavior was only induced with estradiol. On the other hand, water immersion seems to have a facilitatory effect on several parameters of masculine behavior and did not show lordosis behavior even with hormonal treatment. These results strongly suggest that changes in sex behavior induced by prenatal stress are linked to the nature of the stressor.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of neonatal administration of an antidopaminergic drug (metoclopramide) on sexual behavior of male rats.

Metoclopramide is an antidopaminergic drug that binds D2 receptor at the central nervous system and peripheral levels. Recent studies have demonstrated the presence of a sexually dimorphic nucleus in the anterior hypothalamus of rats and humans. The sexual differentiation of brain and its expression on sexual behavior is directed by catecholamines and steroids, which in turn will determine the masculinization of the preoptic area of the hypothalamus. Metoclopramide blocking dopaminergic receptor inhibits dopamine action and therefore brain masculinization. To determine the effects of the administration of this antidopaminergic drug in neonatal male rats, the design of the study considered measurements of mounts, penis intromission, and ejaculation in adult male rats treated neonatally with 100 microg metoclopramide. The administration of the drug or the vehicle (control) was by subcutaneous route during the third and fifth days of postnatal life. Six of 10 neonatally treated rats did not express male sexual activity in adulthood, while all control rats showed the characteristic pattern of male sexual behavior. Frequency of ejaculation in the rats treated with metoclopramide was 1.5 +/- 1 as compared to 5.0 +/- 0.9 in control rats (p < .01). There were meaningful differences with respect to the frequency of intromission in experimental rats (16 +/- 8) compared to control rats (115 +/- 18; p < .01). There is strong evidence that metoclopramide neonatally administered inhibits male sexual behavior in adult rats. Dopamine may be implicated in the process of neonatal brain sexual differentiation.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Sexual behavior and exposure to HIV infection: estimates from a general-population risk index.

OBJECTIVES: The spread of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the general population has been a much debated topic in the mass media. The aim of this study was to create an approach to estimating the risk of exposure to HIV resulting from sexual behaviors. METHODS: A theoretical estimate was applied to data obtained from a large-scale risk factor survey carried out in Britain. An HIV infection-exposure risk index was constructed by ranking different sex-related categorizations derived from variables in the survey. RESULTS: The risk index involved a Delphi-based assessment of self-reported behavioral factors associated with HIV exposure and subsequent transmission. Roughly 85% of the adult population aged 18 to 50 were estimated to be at some risk for behavioral exposure to HIV virus with regard to reported sexual behavior. Over time, those who could be considered at no risk have declined as a proportion of the population. CONCLUSIONS: The estimates appear to refute commonplace assertions that exposure to HIV through sexual behavior is not a problem for general populations.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Effects of medroxyprogesterone acetate on socio-sexual behavior of stumptail macaques.

Two studies assessed (1) the effect of medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), Depo-Provera, on socio-sexual behaviors, and (2) the interaction between socio-environmental conditions and MPA treatment effects. Study One utilized two males and eight female members of a semi-free-ranging island colony. Females received 30 or 100 MPA IM or were untreated. Study Two used three laboratory-housed pairs of tubal-ligated females, observed during 30 min behavior tests with one of three males. Sexually preferred females received 30 mg MPA IM. Semi-free-ranging treated females received fewer ejaculations than untreated females and did not copulate for up to 68 days post-treatment. Rates of grooming were not affected. In the laboratory tests, mean rates of ejaculations per test were reduced for treated females but increased for untreated females, and untreated females groomed males more than did treated females. Contrary to previous studies, these results suggest that stumptail macaque sexual behavior can be influenced by hormones but this influence is modulated by socio-environmental factors.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

A battery of olfactory-based screens for phenotyping the social and sexual behaviors of mice.

We provide a battery of screens that reflect the social and sexual behavior displayed by both captive and feral mice. Some screens focus on measuring aspects of chemical communication, providing information about whether or not mice will interact and if they do so, predict the nature of the interaction. Other screens measure direct interactions between target mice and same- and opposite-sex conspecifics, providing an indication of the social status and sexual responsiveness, respectively, of target mice. The battery of screens yields a high-throughput bioassay of a mouse's relative social status, competitive ability, social discrimination, and sexuality. These traits are essential elements of the socio-sexual behavior of mice as well as humans. Thus, by identifying phenotypic deviants for complex behaviors we will allow geneticists to map behavioral abnormalities onto specific chromosomes and increase the efficacy of genetically altered mice as models for human behavioral disorders.

Agonistic Behavior↗
PubMed1991

Intracranial dialysis and microinfusion studies suggest that morphine may act in the ventromedial hypothalamus to inhibit female rat sexual behavior.

The present investigation examined the neural sites and mechanisms of opiate inhibition of female sexual behavior. Systemic administration of morphine (10 mg/kg) significantly reduced ovarian steroid-induced estrous behavior in female rats. This behavioral inhibition was prevented when the opiate receptor antagonist naloxone (5 mg/kg) was administered 30 min prior to morphine. Bilateral infusion of morphine directly into the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) also inhibited hormone-dependent estrous behavior for at least 2 hr. Furthermore, naloxone infusion into the VMH 20 min before behavior testing reduced the inhibitory effects of systemically administered morphine on lordosis. These results suggest that morphine may inhibit female sexual behavior by acting directly on the VMH, the primary site at which ovarian steroids facilitate this behavior. In a separate experiment we used in vivo brain microdialysis to test the hypothesis that morphine inhibits lordosis by interfering with norepinephrine (NE) neurotransmission in the VMH. In control rats, the onset of mating was associated with increased NE release in the VMH. Morphine-treated animals displayed neither behavioral estrus nor elevated NE release from the VMH when tested with stimulus males. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that morphine suppresses NE release in the VMH. Nevertheless, mechanisms other than or in addition to attenuation of hypothalamic NE release may contribute to the inhibitory effects of morphine on lordosis.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Quality of parent communication about sex and its relationship to risky sexual behavior among youth in psychiatric care: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: The number of HIV infections among adolescents is increasing, and youth in psychiatric care are at particular risk because of their high rates of risky sexual behavior. METHODS: As part of a larger longitudinal study examining AIDS-risk behavior among adolescents in psychiatric care, this pilot study investigated the relationship between parent communication about sex and sexual risk-taking among treatment-seeking adolescents. Adolescents reported their risky sexual behavior (e.g., inconsistent condom use, sex with multiple partners), and parents reported how frequently they bring up topics related to sex, HIV/AIDS, and birth control. Parents and adolescents participated together in videotaped discussions of fictional vignettes describing situations related to sex, birth control, and AIDS/HIV. Quality of the parent-teen discussions was coded based on a system developed by Whalen, Henker, Hollingshead, and Burgess (1996) to code AIDS-related discussions. RESULTS: Quality but not frequency of parent-teen communication was associated with adolescent sexual risk-taking, and ethnic differences in communication were found. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this pilot investigation underscore the importance of studying the relationship between parent-teen communication and risky sexual behavior among troubled youth and provide direction for the development of family-based intervention programs that focus on parental behavior during conversations with teens.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

High rates of sexual behavior in the general population: correlates and predictors.

We studied 2450, 18-60-year-old men and women from a 1996 national survey of sexuality and health in Sweden to identify risk factors and correlates of elevated rates of sexual behavior (hypersexuality) in a representative, non-clinical population. Interviews and questionnaires measured various sexual behaviors, developmental risk factors, behavioral problems, and health indicators. The results suggested that correlates of high rates of intercourse were mostly positive, whereas the correlates of high rates of masturbation and impersonal sex were typically undesirable. For both men and women, high rates of impersonal sex were related to separation from parents during childhood, relationship instability, sexually transmitted disease, tobacco smoking, substance abuse, and dissatisfaction with life in general. The association between hypersexuality and paraphilic sexual interests (exhibitionism, voyeurism, masochism/sadism) was particularly and equally strong for both genders (odds ratios of 4.6-25.6). The results held, with a few exceptions, when controlling for age, being in a stable relationship, living in a major city, and same-sex sexual orientation. We conclude that elevated rates of impersonal sex are associated with a range of negative health indicators in the general population.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Effects of selective dopamine D1 and D2 antagonists on male rat sexual behavior.

The effects of selective dopamine (DA) D1 and D2 antagonists on male rat sexual behavior were investigated. The D1 antagonist (+)SCH-23390, 25-100 micrograms kg-1 s.c. -20 min, and the D2 antagonist raclopride, 0.1-1.6 mg kg-1 s.c., -20 min, decreased both the number of mounts and intromissions preceding ejaculation. No statistically significant effects in the time up to ejaculation or in the time up to the first intromission were noted, whereas both compounds produced a statistically significant increase in the post-ejaculatory interval. The effect can generally be characterized as psychomotor inhibition, and no evidence was obtained for a specific role of DA D1 or D2 receptors in the mediation of male rat sexual behavior.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Evidence for a role of testosterone-androgen receptor interactions in mediating masculine sexual behavior in male rats.

The purpose of this study was 2-fold: 1) to use gonadal steroid hormone exposures in the physiological range to assess the relative roles of testosterone (T), estradiol (E2), and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in the expression of male sexual behavior, and 2) to determine whether androgen receptor (AR) or estrogen receptor (E2R) occupation is increased after exposure to these various gonadal steroid hormones. Sexually experienced, castrated male rats implanted sc with Silastic capsules containing T, 10% E2, DHT, 10% E2 plus DHT, or blanks provided hormone levels in the physiological range. Copulatory behavior was measured on days 2-4, 5-7, 10-12, and 14-16 of steroid treatment. Although T, E2, and E2 plus DHT treatments all activated mounting, only T was effective in restoring ejaculation in 100% of the males. DHT alone had no effect on any aspect of male sexual behavior. Brains of males given these various hormone treatments were assayed for both cell nuclear AR and cell nuclear E2R binding in the hypothalamus, preoptic area, amygdala, and septum. Results indicate that when hormone levels in the physiological range were employed, T and DHT bind primarily to AR, whereas E2 binds to E2R. In a second experiment, 0.5% E2 plus DHT was found to yield AR and E2R levels comparable to those in rats receiving T capsules. Male rats bearing these capsules showed virtually no sexual behavior, demonstrating that elevation of AR and E2R levels comparable to those generated by T is not sufficient to induce male sexual behavior. We then measured intact AR and E2R levels and determined that in intact males E2R levels were higher than in T-treated males. These E2R levels could be replicated using 1.0% E2. Males exposed to 1.0% E2 plus DHT failed to display male sexual behavior. These data suggest that 1) relatively high and prolonged levels of E2R occupation are required for estrogen activation of male sexual behavior, 2) high levels of AR occupation induced by DHT are not sufficient to activate male sexual behavior, and 3) in intact male rats T, acting via androgen receptors, plays a primary role in mediating the expression of masculine sexual behavior.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Testosterone is required for the stimulatory effects of 8-OH-DPAT on sexual behavior in castrated male rats.

The stimulatory effects of 8-OH-DPAT (8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin) on male sexual behavior in the absence and presence of testosterone were investigated. Male rats (n = 12) were castrated and tested for sexual behavior (15 min, with an estrous female) up to 1 year after castration. Castration caused an abrupt decrease (50%) in the number of intromissions before first ejaculation, and the number remained stable for about 8 weeks. Between 8-12 weeks after castration, when ejaculation frequency was low, 0.2 or 0.4 mg/kg 8-OH-DPAT had no effect on ejaculation frequency, but significantly decreased the number of intromissions before first ejaculation. In weeks 17-18 after castration, 0.4 mg/kg 8-OH-DPAT no longer affected copulatory behavior. A 5-mm testosterone-filled Silastic capsule (implanted at week 19 after castration) resulted in subnormal plasma testosterone levels (mean 4.4 nmol/l) and did not fully restore male copulatory behavior. Administration of 8-OH-DPAT (0.2 and 0.4 mg/kg) was followed by an increase in ejaculation frequency and a decrease in ejaculation latency. Five months later, when plasma testosterone levels were very low (mean 0.6 nmol/l), 8-OH-DPAT (0.4 mg/kg) significantly increased the mean number of intromissions and ejaculations and decreased the number of intromissions before first ejaculation, intromission latency and ejaculation latency (borderline). The present results suggest that testosterone is required for the activating effects of 8-OH-DPAT on sexual behavior in castrated male rats, tested 17-52 weeks after castration.

8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin↗
PubMed1995

Compulsive sexual behaviors.

CSBs constitute a wide range of complex sexual behaviors that clinicians are increasingly encountering. This article has set forth four models of CSBs: compulsive, affective, addictive, and impulsive. Some of the CSBs appear to fit rather neatly into one of the models, whereas others have features of two or more of them. The identification of these various features has important treatment implications. Although a scientific demarcation of these sexually compulsive disorders awaits further research, clinicians should be aware of the growing number of assessment and treatment approaches for these disorders, as well as of the specialists in the field who can be turned to for consultation and referral depending upon the complexities and dangerousness of the case.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

A theory-based approach to understanding sexual behavior at Mardi Gras.

Using the Triandis Model of Interpersonal Behavior (TIB), we considered the unique context of Mardi Gras, the annual festival in New Orleans, Louisiana, and how it might influence sexual behavior. This study utilized a two-stage, qualitative and quantitative methodological framework. Focus groups of past Mardi Gras participants were held to gather data to inform the development of the study instruments, and data were subsequently collected from 300 Mardi Gras participants in February 2004 using a pencil-and-paper questionnaire. For women, the TIB model did not significantly predict intentions to engage in sexual behavior at Mardi Gras. Cognitive beliefs and subjective social norms predicted intentions to engage in oral and vaginal sex among male participants. For men and women, peer sexual activity, intentions, and previous sexual experience predicted engaging in sexual behaviors at Mardi Gras. Situational conditions related to Mardi Gras culture predicted anal sex behavior. The TIB, as a guiding framework for the study, makes apparent the importance of cultural context when developing interventions related to sexuality that are to be implemented in a specific setting like Mardi Gras.

Adult↗