SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Sexual Behavior”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,117 records · Page 62Linked to original sources

PubMed1984

Sexual behavior and aggression in male mice: involvement of the vomeronasal system.

Recent observations have implicated the vomeronasal (accessory olfactory) system in the chemosensory control of rodent social behaviors. The purpose of this study was to observe the effects of peripheral vomeronasal organ extirpation on sexual behavior, aggression, and urine marking in male mice. Relative to sham-operated control animals, mice lacking vomeronasal organs displayed significantly reduced levels of copulatory behavior and intermale aggression. Urine marking rates were not reduced. The peripheral removal of the vomeronasal organ resulted in complete bilateral deafferentation of the accessory olfactory bulbs but spared the peripheral input to the main olfactory bulbs as evidenced by the lack of anterograde vomeronasal nerve transport but normal anterograde olfactory nerve transport of intranasally applied horseradish peroxidase. Neither body weights, paired testes weights, nor seminal vesicle weights of mice with vomeronasal system lesions differed significantly from those of control animals. Thus, an intact vomeronasal organ is important for the normal display of sexual behavior and aggression in male mice, and the reductions in these androgen-dependent behaviors following peripheral deafferentation of the vomeronasal system cannot be attributed to a chronic reduction of gonadal hormone secretion.

Aggression↗

PubMed1990

Maintenance of safer sexual behaviors and predictors of risky sex: the San Francisco Men's Health Study.

This paper describes the sexual behavior changes made by 686 gay and bisexual men in San Francisco between 1984 and 1988, focusing on the individual maintenance of this behavior change over time. There were drastic reductions in insertive and receptive unprotective anal intercourse over time and the vast majority of subjects were able to maintain these changes for at least 12 months prior to the last interview. A total of 12 percent of participants admitted to relapsing to unprotected receptive anal intercourse following initial behavior change; 10 percent reported engaging in unprotected receptive anal sex during every year of the study period. Men were more likely to practice unprotected anal intercourse in 1988 if at baseline they were younger, practiced unprotected anal intercourse, reported more sex partners, did not have a close friend or lover with AIDS, and engaged in fewer other health-related behaviors.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

SDN-POA volume, sexual behavior, and partner preference of male rats affected by perinatal treatment with ATD.

The present study investigated 1) the importance of the aromatization process during the perinatal period for the development of the sexually dimorphic nucleus in the preoptic area of the hypothalamus (SDN-POA) of male rats, and 2) the relationship between SDN-POA volume and parameters of masculinization in male rats that were treated perinatally with the aromatase-inhibitor ATD. Males were treated with ATD either prenatally or pre- and neonatally, or with the vehicle. Masculine sexual behavior and partner preference were investigated in adulthood. Thereafter, animals were sacrificed and SDN-POA volume was measured. The SDN-POA volume was reduced in both the prenatally and the pre- and neonatally treated group, with a larger reduction in the latter than in the former group. Combined pre- and neonatal ATD treatment resulted in reduced frequency of mounts, intromissions, and ejaculations, as well as a reduced preference for a female over a male. The SDN-POA size was significantly and positively correlated with frequency of masculine sexual behavior, as well as preference for a female over a male.

Androstatrienes↗

PubMed2005

Prospective study on sexual behavior of women using 30 microg ethinylestradiol and 3 mg drospirenone oral contraceptive.

The aim of the study was to determine the changes, if any, on the sexual behavior of women using an oral contraceptive containing 30 microg ethinylestradiol (EE) and 3 mg drospirenone (DRSP). Eighty healthy volunteer women (age range, 19-31 years), with regular menstrual cycle length (mean 27.6+/-3.1) and ovulation, participated in this prospective study. Sexual behavior was assessed using the self-administered Personal Experience Questionnaire, at baseline and at 3, 6 and 9 cycles of pill use. Women reported increased (i) sexual enjoyment (p < .001), (ii) orgasm frequency (p < .05) and (iii) satisfaction with sexual activity (p < .05) during all periods of pill intake with respect to baseline. Both arousal and frequency of sexual activity improved at the sixth and ninth cycle of pill use (p < .05) with respect to baseline. Moreover, women reported decreased genital pain associated with intercourse during pill intake (p < .05). Desire did not change during the use of the pill (p = NS). The mild dose of EE may have improved vaginal lubrication, sexual arousal and decreased dyspareunia. Consequently, women may have experienced increased sexual performance. In addition, improved sexual activity could have been the result of the effects of DRSP, with its antimineralocorticoid effects which could improve pill compliance, with a more satisfied sexual life.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Childhood ADHD predicts risky sexual behavior in young adulthood.

This study compared young adults (ages 18 to 26) with and without childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) on self-reported risky sexual behaviors. Participants were 175 men with childhood ADHD and 111 demographically similar men without ADHD in the Pittsburgh ADHD Longitudinal Study (PALS). Childhood ADHD predicted earlier initiation of sexual activity and intercourse, more sexual partners, more casual sex, and more partner pregnancies. Although childhood conduct problems did contribute significantly to risky sexual behaviors among participants with ADHD, there was also an independent contribution of ADHD, suggesting that the characteristic deficits of the disorder or other associated features may be useful childhood markers of later vulnerability.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Affect and sexual behavior in adolescents: a review of the literature and comparison of momentary sampling with diary and retrospective self-report methods of measurement.

OBJECTIVE: Assessment of mental health is important in understanding sexual risk behavior in adolescents, yet few studies have examined how affect is directly related to sexual behavior. Momentary sampling (MS) methods permit real-time assessment of affect in relation to specific events and embed the collected data in the context of the respondent's moment-to-moment life. The objectives of this study were to review the literature on affect and sexual behavior and to compare the feasibility and acceptability of MS with diaries and retrospective self-report as a means of collecting temporally relevant data on affect and sexual behavior in adolescents. METHODS: Sexually active, nondepressed adolescent outpatients who were aged 15 to 18 years were randomly assigned to a schedule of the 3 methods of data collection for 2 weeks each. All participants completed a retrospective self-report by interview at the end of each 2-week period. In the diary arm, participants completed twice-daily paper-and-pencil diary cards, which were returned by mail. In the MS arm, participants used 2-way pagers to respond to several random pages per day. Primary outcomes included rates of completion (diaries vs MS reports) and the participants' tolerance of and preferences for the methods. A secondary outcome was the agreement in means for positive and negative affect and in report of days on which substance use and sexual activity occurred. Associations of affect with contextual factors and with sexual activity were also explored in the MS arm. RESULTS: Ten youths completed 30 of 30 retrospective self-reports (100%, 3 per participant, by design), 254 of 280 diaries (91%; mean: 25.4 per participant), and 442 of 600 MS reports (74%; mean: 44.2 per participant). Most participants preferred the MS method to the diaries or retrospective self-report. Affect scores and reports of sexual activity and substance use were correlated among the methods. Measured with MS, affect was found to differ by location, companionship, and thoughts when paged; notably, positive affect was highest when participants reported thoughts about sex. There was no difference in affect before versus after coitus. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that MS in adolescents is feasible and preferred and provides contextual, temporally relevant, event-level data on affect and sexual activity that are not readily measured with traditional methods. Future research using MS methods will be important in increasing our understanding of the link between affect and sexual behavior and inform the development of improved risk reduction interventions for adolescents.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

Self-reports of alcohol use, drug use and sexual behavior: expanding the Timeline Follow-back technique.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to compare reports of alcohol use, drug use and sexual behavior from 30-day Summary measures with an expanded version of a Timeline Follow-back (Timeline) interview technique among gay/bisexual men entering outpatient substance abuse treatment at a gay-identified agency. METHOD: Respondents (N = 418) first completed self-administered questionnaires covering the 30-day period prior to their last use of alcohol or drugs. Summary measures included alcohol use, number of days of use for five categories of drugs and number of episodes of anal intercourse (with and without condoms) by partner type (primary or secondary). Participants then completed the Timeline interview procedure to recall their daily drinking, drug use and sexual behavior during the same 30-day period. RESULTS: The findings indicate that the Timeline method yielded significantly lower estimates of mean number of drinks consumed when heavier than usual drinking days is included in the Summary measure (124.0 vs 147.0 drinks), mean number of days drugs were used (9.3 vs 10.7) and mean number of episodes of anal intercourse with a primary partner (1.2 vs 2.2). Differences generally remained significant when assessed by length of time between the study interview and last use of alcohol or drugs, with the exception of number of anal sex episodes with primary partners. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that Timeline estimates are lower than estimates using a more standard method (Summary measures). Discrepancies between these findings and those reported by other researchers indicate a need for further exploration of the effects of the mode of administration on various populations.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Effects of progesterone on the sexual behavior of castrated, testosterone-treated male cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis).

In male cynomolgus monkeys the synthetic progestin, medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), decreases testosterone (T) levels and sexual behavior, binds to progestin receptors in brain, and reduces by about 70% the uptake of [3H]androgens by both brain and genital tract tissues. To examine the behavioral effects of progesterone (P) itself, eight castrated, T-treated males were each tested twice weekly with an estrogenized female before, during, and after they were treated with two SC Silastic P implants. Data from six 4-week treatment periods were analyzed to facilitate comparisons with our previous data using MPA: i) baseline, ii) weeks 4-7 of P treatment, iii) weeks 8-11 of P treatment, iv) weeks 1-4 after P implants were removed, v) weeks 5-8 after P withdrawal, and finally vi) weeks 9-12 after P withdrawal (384 1 h behavior tests). Weekly blood samples (N = 192) were analyzed by radioimmunoassay to determine plasma levels of both T and P. P treatment, which resulted in high plasma P levels (about 44 ng/ml), produced decrements in measures of male sexual behavior and motivation that were both qualitatively and quantitatively similar to those produced by MPA treatment but, unlike MPA, P did not decrease plasma T levels or change them in any way (about 850 ng/100 ml throughout). The findings suggest that P implants may be preferable to weekly MPA injections in the treatment of male sex offenders because they require less patient compliance and may not have MPA's troubling side effects.

Animals↗

PubMed1986

Abbreviation of the period of sexual behavior in female guinea pigs by the progesterone antagonist RU 486.

In previous studies we have tested the hypothesis that the termination of the period of sexual behavior in female guinea pigs results from the loss of progestin receptors from hypothalamic cell nuclei. We have shown that hormonal manipulations that delay heat termination also delay loss of hypothalamic nuclear progestin receptors. In order to determine if accelerated nuclear receptor loss results in abbreviation of the period of sexual behavior, we tested the effect of 17 beta-hydroxy-11 beta-(4-dimethylaminophenyl)-17 alpha-(1-propyl)-estra-4,9-diene-3-one (RU 486), a progesterone antagonist, on heat termination. Ovariectomized guinea pigs were treated with estradiol benzoate. Forty hours later, they received progesterone followed 4 h later by injection of RU 486 or vehicle. RU 486 injected 4 h after progesterone caused heat abbreviation. We have found that RU 486 administration to estradiol-treated guinea pigs causes accumulation of progestin receptors in cell nuclear extract. Because this accumulation can be detected only when assay conditions are used that promote exchange of RU 486 progestin receptor complexes (15 degrees C incubation rather than 0 degree C); our routine assay conditions (at 0 degree C) can be used to measure primarily receptors that are occupied by progesterone. In order to confirm that RU 486 decreased progesterone-occupied nuclear progestin receptor levels when injected 4 h after progesterone, animals treated as in the behavioral experiment were killed 6 or 10 h after progesterone injection (2 or 6 h after RU 486), and nuclear progestin receptor levels were measured. RU 486 treatment resulted in lowered nuclear concentrations of hypothalamic progestin receptors at both times. These results support our hypothesis that the termination of the period of sexual receptivity in female guinea pigs is the result of loss of progestin receptors from hypothalamic cell nuclei.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Sexual behavior and selected health measures: men and women 15-44 years of age, United States, 2002.

OBJECTIVE: This report presents national estimates of several measures of sexual behavior among males and females 15-44 years of age in the United States in 2002, as collected in the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG). These data are relevant to demographic and public health concerns, including fertility and sexually transmitted diseases among teenagers and adults. Data from the 2002 NSFG are compared with previous national surveys. METHODS: The 2002 NSFG was conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) and is based on in-person, face-to-face interviews with a national sample of 12,571 males and females in the household population of the United States. The measures of sexual behavior presented in this report were collected using Audio Computer-Assisted Self-Interviewing (ACASI), in which the respondent enters his or her own answers into a laptop computer without telling them to an interviewer. RESULTS: Among adults 25-44 years of age, 97 percent of men and 98 percent of women have had vaginal intercourse; 90 percent of men and 88 percent of women have had oral sex with an opposite-sex partner; and 40 percent of men and 35 percent of women have had anal sex with an opposite-sex partner. About 6.5 percent of men 25-44 years of age have had oral or anal sex with another man. Based on a differently worded question, 11 percent of women 25-44 years of age reported having had a sexual experience with another woman. The public health significance of the findings is described.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1994

Males located caudally in the uterus affect sexual behavior of male rats in adulthood.

It has been suggested that the sexual differentiation of female rats is affected by androgens from male fetuses in the uterine horn (intra-uterine position phenomenon). Effects of adjacent males, as well as of males located caudally in the uterus have been reported. The present study investigated whether male rats, like females, are affected by the presence of either caudal or adjacent male littermates. When tested in adulthood for sexual behavior, males that had male fetuses located caudally in the uterine horn showed shorter latencies to the first mount or intromission and shorter latencies to ejaculation, and exhibited more mounts and intromissions per minute than males that lacked caudal male siblings in the uterus. The presence of adjacent males did not significantly affect the parameters studied in this experiment.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

Changes in sexual behavior in Bulgarian women after the menopause.

Sexual dysfunction is frequently observed in postmenopausal women but there are few epidemiological studies of the relationship between the menopause and sexual functioning. An epidemiological study of sexual function was performed among 619 Bulgarian women aged between 40 and 58 years. Two hundred and eighty-five (46%) had a normal menstrual cycle (group A) and 334 (54%) were postmenopausal. Of these, 302 (group C) did not use hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and 32 were on HRT (group B). Many women feel uneasy and are unwilling to talk about their sexual problems even with medical professionals. This fact warranted the implementation of an anonymous questionnaire. There were significant differences in all sexual function parameters reported between groups C and A (p < 0.001), as well as between groups C and B (p < 0.05). These results suggest that HRT restores the dynamics of sexual life in postmenopausal women and brings them closer to those of normally menstruating middle-aged women.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

Persistent sexual behavior in castrated, recombinant inbred mice.

In contrast to other male mice, many hybrid B6D2F1 males continue to mate after being castrated in adulthood. This persistent sexual behavior in the castrated hybrids presumably is based upon heterozygosity that might occur within individual loci or between different loci. Those possibilities were discriminated by studying BXD recombinant inbred mice. In BXD strains, individual loci are homozygous, but heterozygosity has arisen between separate loci. Males in two of six BXD strains persisted in copulating for 5 mo after being castrated. Thus, it is concluded that retention of masculine sexual behavior in castrated mice is a function of heterozygosity between loci.

Animals↗

PubMed1986

Effect of medial preoptic lesions on sexual behavior of female rats is determined by test situation.

The sexual behavior of female rats with bilateral lesions in the medial preoptic area (MPOA) was examined in two testing conditions. In the first condition, in which the female could not leave the vicinity of males (no-exit test), lordosis quotients (LQs) were elevated in relation to baseline levels. In the second condition, in which the female could control her proximity to males (exit test), LQs were not different from control levels, and experimental subjects permitted fewer copulatory contacts, exhibited less frequent solicitational behavior, and spent less time with males than the controls did. These findings suggest that the higher LQs seen in no-exit tests as a result of MPOA damage are not due to a lesion-induced potentiation in the females' preference to engage in sexual contacts with males.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Adverse effects of ethanol upon the adult sexual behavior of male rats exposed in utero.

The effect of fetal and neonatal exposure of male rat pups to alcohol on subsequent growth and development of the testes is examined. In addition, the consequences of such alcohol exposure upon the sexual behavior and performance of these same rats during their adult life is reported. The data suggest that fetal and neonatal alcohol exposure adversely affects gonadal growth and development as well as disturbing adult sexual behavior and performance.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Influence of exogenous GnRH on sexual behavior and frozen/thawed semen viability in stallions during the non-breeding season.

Twelve fertile stallions were divided into two groups, either receiving gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) (n = 6) or Placebo (n = 6). Based on the history of frozen/thawed semen characteristics three stallions within each group were assigned as being "good freezers" [GnRH (+); Placebo (+)] and three stallions were assigned as being "poor freezers" [GnRH (-); Placebo (-)]. The study was performed as a "blinded" investigation and stallions were treated twice daily by an intramuscular injection of 1 ml GnRH (Buserelin), 50 microg) or Placebo. The experiment was divided into three time periods. Period A (pre-treatment) was performed between 16 November and 20 December; Period B (treatment) was performed during 6 weeks between 21 December and 31 January; and Period C (post-treatment) was performed between 1 February and 12 February. Semen was collected every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and analysed for motion characteristics by the use of a computerized semen analyser, and sperm morphology immediately after collection. The spermatozoa were cryopreserved, stored in liquid nitrogen, and evaluated for motility (computer assisted semen analysis), membrane integrity (carboxyfluoresceine diacetate (CFDA) combined with propidium-iodide (PI), CFDA/PI), viability and sperm morphology (Eosine-Nigrosine, EN), and osmotic reactivity (hypo-osmotic swelling test, HOS) following thawing in a water bath. The viability of spermatozoa was expressed as the difference between pre-freeze and post-thaw values. A libido score of 1-4, the number of mounts on the phantom before ejaculation, and ejaculation latency were used to evaluate the stallions sexual behavior. Effect of treatment was analysed by comparing time intervals within groups as well as comparing groups within time intervals using SAS statistics software. GnRH treatment decreased the number of mounts before ejaculation (GnRH (total): 2.5 +/- 1.14 versus 1.8 +/- 1.06, P < 0.05), and shortened ejaculation latency. Cessation of treatment increased ejaculation latency in the GnRH group (4.7 +/- 4.98 min versus 7.2+/-7.88min, P<0.05). With the exception of libido score all parameters of sexual behavior were superior in the GnRH (+) group compared to the Placebo (-) group during the treatment period (P < 0.05). GnRH administration increased progressive motility (GnRH (+): 30.7 +/- 10.74% versus 38.4 +/- 15.1%, P < 0.05; GnRH (total): 24.9 +/- 11.80% versus 31.9 +/- 14.68%, P < 0.05), membrane intact spermatozoa CFDA/PI (GnRH (-): 16.8 +/- 7.17% versus 26.2 +/- 7.02%, P < 0.05; GnRH (total): 23.1 +/- 12.33% versus 29.5 +/- 10.77%, P < 0.05) and HOS positive spermatozoa (GnRH (+): 33.2 +/- 11.29% versus 42.2 +/- 10.36%, P < 0.05; GnRH (total): 32.9 +/- 10.23% versus 40.1 +/- 10.30%, P < 0.05) of frozen/thawed spermatozoa. Following cessation of treatment, the viability of frozen/thawed spermatozoa decreased. GnRH treated stallions had lower losses of live stained spermatozoa (EN) compared to the Placebo group (GnRH (total): 17.6 +/- 4.77 versus Placebo (total): 27.2 +/- 5.44, P < 0.05). This was particularly observed in the "poor freezer" group (GnRH (-): 16.6 +/- 4.35 versus Placebo (-): 31.3 +/- 5.87; P < 0.05). In conclusion, exogenous GnRH was shown to improve sexual behavior and increase the quality of frozen/thawed spermatozoa in fertile stallions during the non-breeding season. Nevertheless, it seems that, although significance was achieved relative to improvement to post-thaw sperm quality, that the "real" change in sperm quality seems negligible in fertile stallions. The mechanism of GnRH effect was not determined but this study may support the possibility of a direct gonadal or epididymal effect of exogenous GnRH in the stallion.

Animals↗

PubMed1982

Effects of ibotenic acid-induced neuronal degeneration in the medial preoptic area and the lateral hypothalamic area on sexual behavior in the male rat.

It is well known that electrolytic lesions in the medial preoptic area (MPOA) and the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) seriously impair masculine sexual behavior in the rat. We here report that bilateral infusions of the neurotoxin, ibotenic acid (IBO), in the MPOA were as effective as electrolytic lesions in eliminating copulation whereas no behavioral effects were detected following similar infusions in the LHA. Histological examination of MPOA and LHA following IBO exposure revealed extensive degeneration of neuronal cell bodies with little evidence of non-specific damage. Also, immunohistochemical studies suggested that the serotonergic innervation of the MPOA remained largely intact in spite of IBO treatment; similarly, the damage inflicted by IBO in LHA on tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive fibers in the medial forebrain bundle was insignificant. These data suggest that: (i) the functional integrity of MPOA nerve cell bodies is necessary for the expression of sexual behavior, and (ii) disruption of mating produced by electrolytic LHA lesions is due to disruption of medial forebrain bundle fiber systems. Behavioral observations of non-copulating males suggested that the MPOA injury did not interfere with all aspects of their sexual interaction with the estrous female; rather, they appeared specifically unable to perform the reflexive pelvic thrust pattern normally associated with mounting. We here report, however, that the ability to perform mounts with pelvic thrusts was temporarily restored in the vast majority of MPOA-injured males by the i.p. administration of the ergot derivative, lisuride. About 50% of these MPOA-damaged males even ejaculated, often after a low number of intromissions and short ejaculation latencies. On the other hand, injections of naloxone (an opiate receptor antagonist) failed to activate mounting in MPOA-lesioned or castrated rats. On the basis of these findings the possible ways in which steroid hormone-sensitive brain areas might interact with monoamine-containing pathways are discussed.U

Animals↗

PubMed2000

Adolescent sexual behavior in two ethnic minority groups: a multisystem perspective.

Adolescents are at high risk for a number of negative health consequences associated with early and unsafe sexual activity, such as infection with HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, as well as unintended pregnancy. In the present study, a multisystem model was applied to one adolescent sexual behavior, penile-vaginal intercourse. Nine hundred seven Black and Hispanic adolescents (aged 14 to 17 years) and their mothers were interviewed. Factors from three systems (self, family, and extrafamilial) that are influential in the lives of adolescents were evaluated using four outcome measures. Factors from most or all systems emerged as predictors of each outcome measure. A cumulative risk index suggested a linear relationship between the number of systems identified as being at risk and indicators of adolescent sexual behavior. The implications for prevention are discussed.

Adolescent↗