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At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed2007

Sexual behaviors after universal screening of sexually transmitted infections in healthy young women.

OBJECTIVE: To prospectively study the relationship between diagnosis of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) at entry to U.S. Marines recruit training and subsequent sexual behaviors during vacation. METHODS: Of all women entering recruit training (June 1999-June 2000), 2,157 (94%) voluntarily enrolled. At baseline, women received universal screening for Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Trichomonas vaginalis and treatment and counseling for positive STIs. Recruit training (13 weeks) precluded any social activities. Unrestricted vacation followed (median 10 days). After training resumed (3 weeks), questionnaires and repeat STI screening were administered. Multivariable logistic regression examined STI diagnosis at baseline as a predictor for risky sexual behaviors at vacation and STI-positive diagnosis after vacation. RESULTS: The study was completed by 1,712 (79%) women (median age 18 years); 1,038 reported sexual activity during vacation; 71% used condoms inconsistently; 19% had casual partners. At baseline, 152 (15%) tested STI-positive. Baseline STI diagnosis was unrelated to inconsistent condom use, nonmonogamous partnerships, or multiple partnerships. However, women testing STI-positive at baseline were more likely to test STI-positive after vacation (adjusted odds ratio 3.74, 95% confidence interval 2.10-6.65). Baseline STI diagnosis predicted casual partnerships among women aged 19-21 years (adjusted odds ratio 2.48, 95% confidence interval 1.12-5.50). CONCLUSION: Substantial numbers of women engaged in risky sexual behaviors after universal STI screening and counseling. Compared with STI-negative women, STI-positive women were at increased risk for subsequent STI acquisition regardless of their similar behaviors. As universal STI screening is increasingly implemented, follow-up care will likely be required to further reduce risky behaviors and address network-level factors. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Effects of the antiestrogen, RU 58668, on female sexual behavior in rats.

RU 58668 is a steroidal antiestrogen believed to be devoid of any partial agonist activity. Most of the work with RU 58668 has focused on its potential as an antineoplastic agent in the treatment of breast cancer, but it has not been tested for its effects on the brain and behavior. Other antiestrogens are problematic because most are either partial agonists or do not cross the blood-brain barrier. The purpose of this study was to test if RU 58668 blocks two classic estrogen-dependent behaviors: female sexual behavior and feeding behavior. We used a repeated measures design to examine if RU 58668 reversibly blocked female sexual behavior. RU 58668 significantly reduced both the level of sexual receptivity and the level of proceptivity in a reversible manner. Changes in body and food weight were also measured. Our results show that RU 58668 blocked estrogen's suppressive effects on feeding behavior and body weight. Therefore, RU 58668 is the first antiestrogen that blocks estradiol's effects on female sexual behavior while also inhibiting estradiol's effects on feeding behavior and body weight.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Conditioning and sexual behavior: a review.

Sexual behavior is directed by a sophisticated interplay between steroid hormone actions in the brain that give rise to sexual arousability and experience with sexual reward that gives rise to expectations of competent sexual activity, sexual desire, arousal, and performance. Sexual experience allows animals to form instrumental associations between internal or external stimuli and behaviors that lead to different sexual rewards. Furthermore, Pavlovian associations between internal and external stimuli allow animals to predict sexual outcomes. These two types of learning build upon instinctual mechanisms to create distinctive, and seemingly "automated," patterns of sexual response. This article reviews the literature on conditioning and sexual behavior with a particular emphasis on incentive sequences of sexual behavior that move animals from distal to proximal with regard to sexual stimuli during appetitive phases of behavior and ultimately result in copulatory interaction and mating during consummatory phases of behavior. Accordingly, the role of learning in sexual excitement, in behaviors that bring about the opportunity to mate, in courtship and solicitation displays, in sexual arousal and copulatory behaviors, in sexual partner preferences, and the short- and long-term influence of copulatory experience on sexual and reproductive function is examined. Although hormone actions set the stage for sexual activity by generating the ability of animals to become sexually excited and aroused, it is each animal's unique experience with sexual behavior and sexual reward that molds the strength of responses made toward sexual incentives.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Watching sex on television predicts adolescent initiation of sexual behavior.

BACKGROUND: Early sexual initiation is an important social and health issue. A recent survey suggested that most sexually experienced teens wish they had waited longer to have intercourse; other data indicate that unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases are more common among those who begin sexual activity earlier. The American Academy of Pediatrics has suggested that portrayals of sex on entertainment television (TV) may contribute to precocious adolescent sex. Approximately two-thirds of TV programs contain sexual content. However, empirical data examining the relationships between exposure to sex on TV and adolescent sexual behaviors are rare and inadequate for addressing the issue of causal effects. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: We conducted a national longitudinal survey of 1792 adolescents, 12 to 17 years of age. In baseline and 1-year follow-up interviews, participants reported their TV viewing habits and sexual experience and responded to measures of more than a dozen factors known to be associated with adolescent sexual initiation. TV viewing data were combined with the results of a scientific analysis of TV sexual content to derive measures of exposure to sexual content, depictions of sexual risks or safety, and depictions of sexual behavior (versus talk about sex but no behavior). OUTCOME MEASURES: Initiation of intercourse and advancement in noncoital sexual activity level, during a 1-year period. RESULTS: Multivariate regression analysis indicated that adolescents who viewed more sexual content at baseline were more likely to initiate intercourse and progress to more advanced noncoital sexual activities during the subsequent year, controlling for respondent characteristics that might otherwise explain these relationships. The size of the adjusted intercourse effect was such that youths in the 90th percentile of TV sex viewing had a predicted probability of intercourse initiation that was approximately double that of youths in the 10th percentile, for all ages studied. Exposure to TV that included only talk about sex was associated with the same risks as exposure to TV that depicted sexual behavior. African American youths who watched more depictions of sexual risks or safety were less likely to initiate intercourse in the subsequent year. CONCLUSIONS: Watching sex on TV predicts and may hasten adolescent sexual initiation. Reducing the amount of sexual content in entertainment programming, reducing adolescent exposure to this content, or increasing references to and depictions of possible negative consequences of sexual activity could appreciably delay the initiation of coital and noncoital activities. Alternatively, parents may be able to reduce the effects of sexual content by watching TV with their teenaged children and discussing their own beliefs about sex and the behaviors portrayed. Pediatricians should encourage these family discussions.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Risky sexual behaviors, alcohol use, and drug use: a comparison of Eastern and Western European adolescents.

PURPOSE: The current study examined to what extent cultural context moderated developmental processes, namely the patterns of association between low self-control, family processes and three indicators of health-compromising behaviors (risky sexual behaviors, alcohol and drug use) in two Eastern European and two Western European adolescent samples. METHODS: School-based questionnaire data were collected from n = 7291 middle and late adolescents in Hungary, Slovenia, The Netherlands, and Switzerland. Students rated measures of self-control, family processes (closeness, support, and monitoring), and health-compromising behaviors. The data were analyzed by a series of set hierarchical regression analyses as well as follow-up z-tests for comparisons of individual regression coefficients. RESULTS: Findings provided evidence that low self-control was positively associated with all three measures of health-compromising behaviors in a largely invariant fashion across countries. Differences were found in developmental processes, where low self-control was more weakly associated with risky sexual behaviors in samples of both Eastern European countries as compared with Western European ones, thus providing some evidence of idiosyncratic cultural norms. Results also provided evidence of mostly direct effects by family processes on measures of health-compromising behaviors. With two exceptions, no differences were observed in these effects across the four samples. CONCLUSION: Low self-control explains variability in health-compromising behaviors, especially in alcohol and drug use. The observed differences in the link between low self-control and risky sexual behaviors may provide some evidence of distinct norms and values among Eastern European youth in comparison with Western European adolescents related to these behaviors.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Experimental avoidance and high-risk sexual behavior in survivors of child sexual abuse.

While many long-term correlates of child sexual abuse (CSA) have been identified, theories to explain the development of these correlates have received little empirical validation. The process of experiential avoidance is one theory that has been proposed to account for many of the correlates of CSA. The purpose of the current study was twofold: (1) To attempt to develop a more complex measure of experiential avoidance in women with and without a CSA history, and (2) to explore variables related to two of the long-term correlates of CSA, general psychological distress and high risk sexual behavior. Levels of current distress, high-risk sex, and experiential avoidance were examined in 257 undergraduate females (mean age 20.0) using self-report questionnaires. The results of the current study indicate that CSA survivors report higher levels of experiential avoidance and high-risk sexual behavior with persons other than their primary partners. Implications of these findings for theory development, therapy with CSA survivors, and HIV prevention programs are discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1992

Impact of HIV testing and counseling on subsequent sexual behavior.

To assess sexual behavior changes after voluntary HIV testing and routine counseling, we interviewed 235 persons at 2 anonymous test sites in North Carolina. Among the 57 (24%) persons returning for follow-up 1 year later, 70% were male; 44% were black, 37% were homosexual, 10% were bisexual; and 16% were HIV positive. Overall, 28% of returnees at the initial visit and 33% on the follow-up visit admitted to having 2 or more sexual partners in the past month. At the initial interview and at follow-up, 21% of returnees reported condom use in the past month. Homosexual men were significantly less likely to use condoms during anal sex over time (58% non-use initially vs. 74% non-use at follow-up, p = 0.04). No significant net change in high-risk sexual behaviors was found at follow-up. Overall findings indicate that the standard HIV testing and counseling provided by health departments anonymously and free of charge does not result in elimination of high-risk sexual behaviors or initiation of safer sex behaviors among those at high risk for HIV infection.

AIDS Serodiagnosis↗
PubMed1991

[Modification of undesirable sexual behavior in hospitalized sexual offenders within the framework of a comprehensive cognitive-behavior therapy program. I].

A comprehensively conceived behaviourally oriented therapeutic programme of influencing undesirable sexual behaviour with creation of socially acceptable patterns of sexual behaviour, using in addition to group, regime and sociotherapeutic methods and individual behavioural techniques, (frequently under phallographic control, described in the paper), appears to be most effective in the framework of institutional treatment as regards rate of relapses and economic effectiveness. This is confirmed by ten years of experience with this therapeutic approach at the sexuological department of the psychiatric sanatorium (comparable with results of similar departments abroad), achieved despite difficulties as regards personnel and shortage of professional information. The relapse rate of sexual delinquency during the ten-year investigation, assessed by available methods, was only 9% of all treated subjects.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy↗
PubMed1990

Multisensory regulation of maternal behavior and masculine sexual behavior: a revised view.

Frank Beach's view of the multisensory regulation in Norway rats of copulation in males (12) and of pup retrieval in females (23) is critically analyzed and revised in terms of Lashley's influence, Beach's other work, and current neurobiological knowledge. Beach's view was that no single sensory stimulus is essential to elicit these behaviors, but that all relevant stimuli available summate in the neocortex; consequently, (a) sexual "arousal" is increased in males, leading to copulation, and (b) the "efficiency," or likelihood, of retrieval is increased in postpartum mothers. The revised view is based on a component analysis in which each of these behaviors consists of a chain of motoric responses elicited by somatosensory stimulation. Distal stimuli emanating from the female or pups induce proximity by provoking orientation, attention and arousal; the meaning of these stimuli is largely learned by conditioned associations during the initial executions of the behavior, although odors may have a prepotent influence for some individuals. Stimuli are integrated in a multisensory manner by both subcortical and neocortical mechanisms. Generalizations concerning the reproductive behavior of other mammalian species are suggested.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Effects of prepartal stress on postpartal nursing behavior, litter development and adult sexual behavior.

Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to the stress of restraint, heat and bright lights three times daily from Days 14 to 22 of gestation. Because prepartal stress did not markedly disturb the mother's retrieving and crouching behavior, disturbances in postpartal nursing behavior do not seem to account for the abnormal sexual behavior of male offspring as adults. The most significant finding was that litter weights were reduced, not only at birth, but for 3 weeks thereafter, suggesting that prepartal stress not only altered the pups in utero but also affected postpartal milk synthesis. The possibility emerges that prepartal stress may alter adult sexual behavior in males by modifications in fetal and/or maternal pituitary glands.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Core group evolution over time: high-risk sexual behavior in a birth cohort between sexual debut and age 26.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Among the limitations of the concept of a sexually transmitted disease core is uncertainty about the stability of sexual behavior over time. The objective was to shed light on characteristics and stability of the core group by assessing sexual behavior longitudinally in a birth cohort. GOALS: The goals were to describe group size and characteristics of people who report 5 or more heterosexual partners per year (a surrogate for the core group) at ages 18, 21, and 26 years. STUDY DESIGN: We used a prospective cohort study with a computer-presented questionnaire on sexual behavior. RESULTS: Of the original cohort members, 991 (97.3% of those believed to be alive) responded at at least one age. A total of 14.7% of women and 26.0% of men were in the core group at either age 18 or 21 or 26, but only 0.5% and 0.9% of women and men, respectively, were in the core group at all ages. Those in the core group were significantly more likely to report concurrent partnerships and higher sexually transmitted disease (STD) rates. Early age at first sex was consistently associated with being in the core group, whereas those with less education were more likely to be in the core group at age 18 but not at later ages. CONCLUSION: The high degree of variability in sexual behavior over time of individuals adds another degree of complexity to the identification of a core group for STD transmission.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Sexual behavior in children: normal or not?

Sexual abuse is a problem of epidemic proportions in the United States. Given the scope of the problem of sexual abuse and the amount of media attention it receives, it is not unusual for parents or caretakers who witness a child exhibiting sexual behavior to become alarmed. Primary care providers, including pediatric nurse practitioners, may be the first professional parents contact with concerns regarding a child's sexual behavior. It is imperative that primary care providers understand childhood sexuality and respond appropriately when confronted with child sexual behaviors in their practice. Although the literature includes little research on the subject of normal child sexual development, certain guidelines have been identified to describe normal child sexual behaviors and those of concern. Case studies illustrate the response of two primary care providers when they are confronted with sexual behaviors in their patients. Implications for practice are discussed, with examples and guidelines provided for primary care providers to use when evaluating sexual behavior in their pediatric patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Perceptions about sexual behavior: findings from a National Sex Knowledge Survey--United States, 1989.

Perceptions of specific risk behaviors for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) can influence socially accepted norms of sexual behavior and knowledge of STD risk among different demographic groups. This report summarizes findings from a national survey (conducted by The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction at Indiana University) that addressed perceptions regarding the prevalence of high-risk sexual behaviors.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Hormonal regulation of brain circuits mediating male sexual behavior in birds.

Male sexual behavior in both field and laboratory settings has been studied in birds since the 19th century. Birds are valuable for the investigation of the neuroendocrine mechanisms of sexual behavior, because their behavior can be studied in the context of a large amount of field data, well-defined neural circuits related to reproductive behavior have been described, and the avian neuroendocrine system exhibits many examples of marked plasticity. As is the case in other taxa, male sexual behavior in birds can be usefully divided into an appetitive phase consisting of variable behaviors (typically searching and courtship) that allow an individual to converge on a functional outcome, copulation (consummatory phase). Based primarily on experimental studies in ring doves and Japanese quail, it has been shown that testosterone of gonadal origin plays an important role in the activation of both of these aspects of male sexual behavior. Furthermore, the conversion of androgens, such as testosterone, in the brain to estrogens, such as 17beta-estradiol, is essential for the full expression of male-typical behaviors. The localization of sex steroid receptors and the enzyme aromatase in the brain, along with lesion, hormone implant and immediate early gene expression studies, has identified many neural sites related to the control of male behavior. The preoptic area (POA) is a key site for the integration of sensory inputs and the initiation of motor outputs. Furthermore, prominent connections between the POA and the periaqueductal gray (PAG) form a node that is regulated by steroid hormones, receive sensory inputs and send efferent projections to the brainstem and spinal cord that activate male sexual behaviors. The sensory inputs regulating avian male sexual responses, in contrast to most mammalian species, are primarily visual and auditory, so a future challenge will be to identify how these senses impinge on the POA-PAG circuit. Similarly, most avian species do not have an intromittent organ, so the projections from the POA-PAG to the brainstem and spinal cord that control sexual reflexes will be of particular interest to contrast with the well characterized rodent system. With this knowledge, general principles about the organization of male sexual circuits can be elucidated, and comparative studies relating known species variation in avian male sexual behaviors to variation in neural systems can be pursued.

Androgens↗
PubMed2000

Serotonin and sexual behavior in the male rabbit.

Sexual behavior was evaluated in sexually experienced male rabbits after the administration of different serotonergic drugs. The serotonin1A receptor agonist 8-OH-DPAT, 1 mg/kg, inhibited male rabbit sexual behavior when animals were tested 15 min after subcutaneous (SC) administration of this compound. Lower doses, 0.25 and 0.5mg/kg, were ineffective at a test 30 min after drug injection. Furthermore, 8-OH-DPAT, 0.25mg/kg, failed to revert the inhibitory effects upon sexual behavior produced by lidocaine application to the rabbit penis. Stimulation of 5-HT1B/2C receptors by TFMPP, at doses between 0.625 and 2.5 mg/kg, produced a drastic inhibition of sexual behavior when the drug was administered SC 30 min before behavioral observation. Doses below 5mg/kg were ineffective when given intraperitoneally 15 min before test. When the 5-HT1D/2C receptors were stimulated by the agonist mCPP a reduced number of mounts and ejaculations was observed after the SC administration of 1.25 and 2.5 mg/kg. Similarly, the mixed 5-HT agonist/antagonist lisuride reduced the percentage of rabbits displaying mounting behavior at doses of 0.25 and 0.5 mg/kg SC. All compounds tested produced a clear inhibition of male rabbit sexual behavior independently of the receptor subtype activated. These results are at variance with previous observations in rats where 8-OH-DPAT and lisuride produced a drastic facilitation of masculine coital behavior. Moreover, while the inhibition of male sexual behavior in rats produced by TFMPP and mCPP is associated with a disruption of the execution of this behavior, in rabbits these compounds reduced sexual motivation. These results indicate that the effects of serotonergic drugs on sexual behavior are species specific.

8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin↗
PubMed2000

Pain sensitivity and individual differences in self-reported sexual behavior.

The relationship between sexual behavior and pain sensitivity was assessed in 27 heterosexual men and 20 heterosexual women. Sexual behavior measures included sexual motivation and ratings of subjective sexual arousal to and enjoyment of an auditory stimulus. Pain sensitivity measures were pain threshold and pain tolerance in a cold pressor task. Participants were tested after exposure to a neutral or a sexual audio stimulus. Exposure to the sexual stimulus increased pain sensitivity in women but not in men. However, sexual behavior measures were correlated with pain threshold for both men and women. Specifically, higher pain thresholds were associated with weaker sexual motivation, lower enjoyment potential for sexual interaction, and increased inhibition during intercourse. These results are consistent with findings in laboratory animals, suggesting that differences in sexual behavior may reflect differences in responsiveness to a variety of stimuli.

Adolescent↗