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PubMed1982

[Influence of primary hyperprolactinemia on human sexual behavior].

Eighty per cent of men with hyperprolactinaemia are impotent. Sexual deficiency, which for a long time is the only sign of the disease, is partly due to inhibition of testosterone secretion by high prolactin levels but also, probably, to reduced conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone and, perhaps, to a direct effect of prolactin on the neurotransmitters involved in sexual activity. Eighty per cent of women with hyperprolactinaemia have reduced sexual drive and inability to reach orgasm; the underlying mechanisms are as yet unknown. In women, however, the initial symptoms are menstrual disorders. Most sexual disorders in both sexes regress after return to normal of plasma prolactin levels.

Female↗
PubMed1982

Reported sexual behavior in late pregnancy. Selected associations.

The time intervals prior to delivery both for the last reported sexual intercourse and for the last reported orgasm were considered in terms of several variables in 413 puerperas. Although there were no significant differences in the reported time of last intercourse in terms of any of the demographic factors studied, orgasm in the absence of intercourse (reported events within seven days of delivery) was relatively more common and intercourse in the absence of orgasm relatively less common in study subjects with more years of formal education (p less than 0.01). Reported sexual behavior did not differ in respect to the length of gestation at delivery, selected pregnancy complications or the immediate condition of the newborn.

Coitus↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Ethnicity and sexual behavior in Ghana.

Using data from the 1993 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey, this study explores the relationship between ethnicity and sexual behavior: having sex before age 17 and premarital sexual experience. All ethnic groups show substantial sexual experience before age 17 and premarital sexual engagement. Logistic regression analyses reveal that in general ethnicity influences the behaviors studied, especially for ever-married women. The data suggest that groups that practice matrilineal and patrilineal systems show differences in the likelihood of having sex before age 17. Contrary to expectation, there is an inverse relationship between education and sexual experience before age 17. The findings highlight the importance of group-specific programs in Africa.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Coercive sexual behavior among Mexican-American college students.

This study investigates the self-reported occurrences of coercive sexual behavior among Mexican-American college students and compares the results with Anglo-American college students. College class standing, income, total number in the household, the presence of male siblings, and age were used as independent variables. Two hundred and forty-two female college students (53% Mexican-American, 47% Anglo-American), from introductory psychology classes completed a survey concerning violence occurring in dating situations. Being the victim of date rape was reported by 11.4% of the Mexican-American students, while Anglo-Americans reported 16.4% incidence, this was not a statistically significant difference. Unwanted sexual advances, other than intercourse, were reported by 36.6% of all female respondents, and 48.8% had experienced at least one kind of physical violence or threat in dating situations. Similarities with other researchers' findings and implications are reported.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Substance-abusing adolescents at varying levels of HIV risk: psychosocial characteristics, drug use, and sexual behavior.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the relationship of various psychosocial factors on HIV sexual risk behavior in a sample of 169 "inner city" male and female adolescents mandated into in court-ordered substance abuse treatment. METHOD: The Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory (MACI) and measures of sexual behavior, condom attitudes and skills, HIV knowledge, and substance abuse were administered. Data were evaluated according to five HIV risk groups: abstinent (n = 37); monogamous and practicing only protected sex (n = 19); monogamous and practicing unprotected sex (n = 45); multiple partners and practicing only protected sex (n = 11); and multiple partners and having only unprotected sex (n = 57). RESULTS: Significant main effects were found for impulsive propensity, submissiveness, marijuana and alcohol use, condom attitudes, and intentions to engage in safer sex. Protective behavior was directly associated with submissiveness and inversely associated with impulsive personality profiles, with increased marijuana use emerging as a significant predictive factor in the choice for sexual activity vs. abstinence. More alcohol use was predictive of choosing multiple partners vs. monogamy. IMPLICATIONS: Factoring risk variation into the design of HIV psychosocial research may enhance the tailoring of effective prevention strategies.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Relationship of alcohol use and risky sexual behavior: a review and analysis of findings.

In this review article, three methodologic approaches that have been used to examine the association between adolescents' alcohol use and their involvement in risky sex are discussed: global correlation studies, situational covariation studies, and event analyses. The strengths and limitations of each of these research methods are discussed. An extensive review of the most rigorous studies, which used event analysis to examine the alcohol-risky sex link, reveals positive results for first-time sexual events but equivocal findings for other types of sexual relationships. It is argued that differences in the types of sexual relationships studied have been confounded, limiting our ability to evaluate the extent to which alcohol has a causal influence on adolescents' condom use. It is suggested that future investigations consider the nature of the sexual relationship, and go beyond studying the length or status of the relationship to explore how variation in relationship dimensions such as trust and intimacy affect adolescents' sexual behavior.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

The impact of paternal alcoholism and maternal social position on boys' school adjustment, pubertal maturation and sexual behavior: a test of two competing hypotheses.

Two competing hypotheses concerning the effects of stressful environments on the onset of puberty were tested using longitudinal data for a sample of boys from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Paternal alcoholism and maternal social position were used as indicators of family stress. School placement was monitored from school entry to 14 years of age. Teachers rated the boys' disruptive and anxious behaviors, while the boys reported on parenting behaviors at 10 years of age. Pubertal maturation, age of first sexual intercourse and sexual behavior were assessed between 11 and 14 years of age. The prepubertal data indicated that boys with an alcoholic father, or a mother from a low social position, were more stressed and had more behavior problems: the boys with alcoholic fathers perceived their parents as being more punitive, and as setting fewer rules concerning their behavior; those who had at least one maladjusted parent were more often placed out of an age-appropriate regular classroom, and were rated more disruptive and more anxious by their teachers. Paradoxically, the results for the onset of puberty gave support to the two rival hypotheses. Paternal alcoholism led to a delay of male pubertal onset, as suggested by the hypothesis that stress activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and inhibits the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. However, sons of alcoholic fathers had more frequent sexual intercourse and more sexual partners, as suggested by the evolutionary theory of socialization. High maternal social position acted as a protective factor for school placement of boys with an alcoholic father. These results challenged a key hypothesis of the evolutionary theory of socialization for males. They indicated that the link between childhood family environment, behavior development, pubertal maturation and sexual promiscuity are more complex than anticipated.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Patterns of condom use and sexual behavior among never-married women.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Use of condoms is one of the main methods sexually active persons may choose to prevent infection with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Little is known about patterns of condom use among women in the United States. We provide a conceptualization of patterns of condom use and factors associated with these patterns. GOAL OF THIS STUDY: To examine patterns of condom use and associated characteristics among sexually active, never-married women in the United States. STUDY DESIGN: Analysis of data from the 1988 National Survey of Family Growth, which is a nationally representative sample of women in their childbearing years. RESULTS: Only a minority of sexually active, never-married women report using condoms, and even fewer report using them consistently. Women with characteristics traditionally associated with increased risk of infection with STD and HIV appear to be less likely to report using condoms and to report using them consistently. Women who report use of condoms to prevent STDs are more likely to report consistent condom use; less likely to cease using condoms; and more likely to initiate consistent condom use. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest the need for innovative programming targeted for specific sexually active populations to promote both initiation and maintenance of use of condoms.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Progesterone and sexual behavior in males.

Previous investigations into the effects of progestins on copulatory behavior have suggested that progesterone inhibits the expression of androgen-dependent sexual behaviors in males. However, virtually all of those studies utilized pharmacological dosages of progesterone. Such experiments, although essential for understanding the behavioral effects of progesterone, yield little insight into the function of endogenous progesterone in masculine sexual responses. In this brief review, attention is focused on the role of physiological levels progesterone in copulatory behavior in male reptiles and mammals. Efforts are made to promote a reevaluation of the behavioral effects of progestins in males, similar to ongoing studies which are reexamining neural mechanisms involved in progestin-mediated reproductive behavior in the female.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Dual contraceptive method use for pregnancy and disease prevention among HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected women: the importance of an event-level focus for promoting safer sexual behaviors.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Many women who report condom use also use other methods of birth control such as oral contraceptive pills. The use of 2 or more contraceptive methods often results in less consistent condom use. GOAL: This study sought to document the prevalence and patterns of such dual contraceptive use among HIV-seropositive and HIV-seronegative women, and to assess factors associated with condom-only versus dual contraceptive use. STUDY DESIGN: At 6 months postpartum, 361 sexually active women were interviewed regarding sexual behavior, male condom and other contraceptive use, and psychosocial factors. RESULTS: Dual contraceptive method use was reported by 39% of sexually active women; 30% reported using condoms only. Almost two thirds of dual method users (64%) reported always using these methods together (ie, simultaneously) during vaginal sex. Among dual users, those who used methods simultaneously were more likely to be HIV-seropositive (odds ratio [OR], 2.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2-6.5), to believe that a pregnancy would be very upsetting should it occur in the next 6 months (OR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.1-5.4), and to report no alcohol use (OR, 3.7; 95% CI, 1.5-9.2). CONCLUSION: Dual contraceptive users should be encouraged to use methods together at every episode of vaginal sex. Interventions promoting simultaneous use should include pregnancy attitudes and the role of alcohol use, as well as a consideration of HIV serostatus as it impacts on dual use.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

Sexual behavior in the cockroach genera Periplaneta and Blatta. IV. Interspecific interactions.

As part of a study of sexual behavior in 6 species of closely related and often sympatric cockroaches, interspecific interactions among the various species were examined. To some degree males of nearly all species court females of a second species. Females almost always rejected these courtship attempts. Experimental evidence indicates that the volatile female sex pheromone of each species is attractive to males of most of the other species. Rejection of heterospecific males appears to be due to species specific male pheromones. These pheromones also appear to mediate the formation of homospecific clusters of courting males in time or space.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Increased estrogen receptor binding in amygdala correlates with facilitation of feminine sexual behavior induced by olfactory bulbectomy.

In this experiment we tested the hypothesis that the potentiation of feminine sexual behavior following olfactory bulb removal in female rats would be associated with increased ovarian steroid receptor binding in brain. Ovariectomized adult female rats underwent either bilateral olfactory bulb removal (BOB) or a sham operation and were exposed to 100% estradiol (E2) in silastic capsules for 4 or 6 h. Following behavior testing, either cell nuclear estrogen receptor levels were measured in amygdala, hypothalamus, preoptic area and pituitary, or cytosol progestin receptors levels were determined in cortex, preoptic area and hypothalamus. After 6 h E2 exposure, BOB females showed increasing lordosis responding with increasing progesterone (P) doses, at levels significantly higher than those of sham-operated rats. After 4 h E2 exposure bulbectomized rats showed both a facilitation of lordosis and elevated estrogen receptor levels in amygdala. Sham-operates showed neither response to the 4 h E2 stimulus. For both BOB and sham groups, progestin receptors were induced after 6 h E2 exposure, but were uninduced after 4 h E2 exposure. Additional rats were exposed to 5% E2 for 24 or 48 h, followed by P. Lordosis was potentiated in BOB rats at 24 h; sham-operates showed high levels of lordosis only after 48 h of 5% E2 exposure. Proceptivity was enhanced in BOB rats after both 24 and 48 h of 5% E2 exposure. In contrast, proceptivity was rarely observed in sham-operates, or in either group after 4 or 6 h E2 exposure. We propose that increased estrogen receptor binding in the amygdala may provide a biochemical basis for the increased estrogen sensitivity found in olfactory bulbectomized female rats.

Amygdala↗
PubMed2001

Sub-second changes in accumbal dopamine during sexual behavior in male rats.

Transient (200--900 ms), high concentrations (200--500 nM) of dopamine, measured using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry, occurred in the nucleus accumbens core of male rats at the presentation of a receptive female. Additional dopamine signals were observed during subsequent approach behavior. Background-subtracted cyclic voltammograms of the naturally-evoked signals matched those of electrically-evoked dopamine measured at the same recording sites. Administration of nomifensine amplified natural and evoked dopamine release, and increased the frequency of detectable signals. While gradual changes in dopamine concentration during sexual behavior have been well established, these findings dramatically improve the time resolution. The observed dopamine transients, probably resulting from neuronal burst firing, represent the first direct correlation of dopamine with sexual behavior on a sub-second time scale.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Racial differences in sexual behaviors related to AIDS in a nineteen-city sample of street-recruited drug injectors. NADR Consortium.

Questionnaire data from almost 12,000 street-recruited drug injectors in 19 cities were analyzed to determine racial differences that may affect transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Self-reported sexual behaviors of drug injectors differ by city-type. White male drug injectors reported less unprotected vaginal sex than black or Latino males in multicultural--black/white/Mexican-origin and biracial cities. Black drug users of both sexes were less likely than white or Latino drug users to report unprotected and sex in multicultural--black/white/Mexican-origin and multicultural--black/white/Puerto Rican cities. The reported percentage of sex acts in which a condom was used was similar for black, white, and Puerto Rican men, and for black and white women, in all city types, but Puerto Rican women reported more condom use than black women. Mexican-origin drug injectors of each gender were least likely to report using condoms in multicultural--black/white/Mexican-origin cities. Black drug injectors are particularly likely to report having sex partners who do not inject drugs, as are Puerto Rican men and as are whites in multicultural--black/white/Mexican-origin cities. High-risk sex without condoms is widely reported among all groups of drug injectors studied: Each racial/gender group in each city-type averaged 15 or more episodes of unprotected vaginal sex per month, and 10% of most subgroups report having anal sex within the past 6 months. At least 45% of subjects in each city-type reported sex with noninjectors of the opposite gender. Without continued and expanded intervention, these data are consistent with HIV spreading to drug injectors, their sexual partners, and their future children, in all racial/ethnic groups.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1996

Signal processing in the vomeronasal system: modulation of sexual behavior in the female rat.

Chemosensory cues detected by the vomeronasal (VN) organ modulate a variety of social interactions in many species. In particular, activation of the VN system by pheromones regulates sexual behavior in the rodent. Although the exact nature of stimulus access to the organ is not clearly defined, the neuroanatomical pathway connecting the VN organ to hypothalamic centers controlling reproductive function is well established and relatively straightforward. Electrophysiological techniques have provided insight into the signal transduction process throughout the VN system. Combining behavioral studies with immunocytochemical detection of immediate early genes and neuropeptides reveals that gonadotropin hormone releasing hormone (GnRH)-containing neurons are specifically activated by stimulation of the VN organ. Furthermore, some of the activated GnRH neurons project to the ventromedial hypothalamus where they are hypothesized to induce sexual responsiveness. Early anecdotal evidence of an influence of the VN organ on human reproductive events has been substantiated by more recent anatomical, behavioral, and electrophysiological studies. Thus, further deciphering of the signal transduction process within the VN system of the rodent may yield unique insights into behaviors associated with human reproduction.

Amygdala↗
PubMed2006

Self-esteem, risky sexual behavior, and pregnancy in a New Zealand birth cohort.

This study examined the relationship between self-esteem in adolescence and later risky sexual behavior and pregnancy in late adolescence and early adulthood. The investigation analyzed data from a birth cohort of over 1,000 New Zealand young adults studied to the age of 25. Lower levels of self-esteem at age 15 were associated with greater risks of engaging in unprotected sex (sexual intercourse with either an opposite- or same-sex partner without using a condom), a greater number of sexual partners, and a greater risk of pregnancy at ages 15-25. Adjustment for potentially confounding factors, including family socioeconomic background, family functioning, child abuse, and individual characteristics and behavior, reduced the strength of these associations to statistically non-significant levels. It was concluded that the effects of self-esteem during adolescence on later risky sexual behavior and pregnancy were weak and largely explained by the psychosocial context within which self-esteem develops.

Adolescent↗