Arousal and Response

Lighting the fire, Stoking the flame

The Essential Hormones

Two basic types Steroid & Neuropeptide
Steroid Hormones secreted by the
gonads and adrenal glands

Examples: testosterone, estrogen, etc. Not simply male or female both sexes
produce each, but in varying amounts

Neuropeptide Hormones
Produced in the brain, they influence
sexuality and behavior

Perhaps the most significant: Oxytocin the love hormone, it

influences our erotic and emotional bonds

Testosterone the motivator

Men have 20 to 40 times

more Effects desire (libido) more than function But deficiencies do decrease sensitivity and desire Castration the surgical removal of the testes causes dramatic reductions in sexual interest and desire

Testosterone uses

Less Testosterone
Antiandrogens drugs which reduce
testosterone levels

Occasionally given to sex offenders Usually decreases sexual interest and

activity But sometimes offenders assault for other reasons , such as anger, power and

control

 Hypogonadism testosterone deficiency

due to diseases of the endocrine system

If it begins before puberty, development is

slowed

If it starts after puberty, a marked

decrease in desire follows

Estrogens and Desire

Their influence is undeniable but
exact role is unclear

Research findings differ as to whether

they increase desire

Females & Testosterone

Testosterone clearly increases female
sexual desire, sensitivity and activity True even for women after menopause or removal of the ovaries

 Women with normal levels of sexual

activity and hormones who receive additional testosterone show significant increases in sexual arousal, sensation and even lust

Theresa Crenshaw . when a womans

testosterone dwindles, so does her sex life.

More On Testosterone
Women have much less testosterone, but
are much more sensitive to its effects For women, too much testosterone causes problems, such as unwelcome changes to secondary sexual characteristics Women see levels fall more rapidly after menopause than males more gradual decline

 If measured, it is free (unattached)

testosterone that matters, not total

Testosterone Replacement Therapy

commonly available for men now, slowly becoming an option for women

Marketing Testosterone

oxytocin
A neuropeptide from the hypothalamus
Bonding occurs through its release
that effects sexual response and attraction

mother/child breast feeding sexual partners arousal and response Autistic children have low levels and corresponding difficulties forming bonds and expressing love

Oxytocin and Love

Release is triggered by touch Its circulation increases the skins

sensitivity to touch Levels increase within us as we go through the cycle of arousal to orgasm Presence remains in blood stream after orgasm facilitating pair bonding

The Brain Our Most Sexual Organ?

Our cerebral cortex stores memories and
images producing powerful fantasies

Our culture has conditioned us to have

certain preferences for what we consider physically attractive World-wide prototypes?

Exemplars of Beauty
A 2005 poll of plastic surgeons revealed
the following as possessing the most desired: Nose Nicole Kidman Eyes Catherine Zeta Jones Lips Angelina Jolie

Nose

Eyes

Lips

The Limbic System

A subcortical brain system of several
related structures that impact sexual behavior

Investigated through a number of studies

Olds (1950s)
Implanted electrodes in rats limbic system Allowed them to control stimulation When given the chance, rats will dial
their own number until they reach exhaustion, even up to several thousand times an hour pleasure centers

Heath (1972)
Humans with a variety of disorders were
allowed to self-stimulate their limbic system One man pushed his button over 1500/hr, described intense sexual pleasure, and complained whenever a session ended A woman reported similar experiences, even multiple orgasmic responses

The Hypothalamus
Stimulation greatly arouses rats Its destruction crushes response Apparently, the medial preoptic area
(MPOA) is especially sensitive Heroin, morphine and other opiates
suppress activity of the MPOA Dopamine and testosterone excite it

Serotonins Influence
Presence inhibits sexual activity Seems to have the opposite effects of Released after males ejaculate and blocks
or dampens sensitivity to dopamine and

dopamine oxytocin

SSRIs have many negative effects on

sexuality

The Senses
Many sources of erotic stimulation Their influence leads to tremendous
variety and amazing sexual complexity

Touch
Our nerve endings are unevenly
Primary Erogenous Zones, which include our genitals, lips, buttocks, inner

distributed, locations which are most sexually responsive are called our

thighs, neck, mouth, perineum

But we find tremendous variability

 Secondary Erogenous Zones

other areas touched within the context of sexual intimacy

Could be anywhere on the body

Established through classical conditioning?

Vision
Very important in our society
Emphasis on physical attractiveness,
grooming, clothes and cosmetics

Are males more aroused by visual stimuli?

 Kinseys survey said, YES!

But once women were presented with the:
1) right stimuli, 2) in the right settings, and 3) measured the right way, STRONG similarities between men and women were found though womens self-reports say no

Smell
Are genitals smells arousing or awful? Depends largely on where you live
and your acceptance or rejection of fragrance claims.

Pheromones
Odors secreted by the body which relate
to reproduction

Common for mammals The vomeronasal system relates to their

use Present in humans, But is it functional?

What Works
Smells that arouse
Women licorice,
banana nut bread, cucumbers Men lavender, pumpkin pie, doughnuts

What Doesnt
Women
barbecued meat, mens colognes

Men Nothing

Aphrodisiacs
Substances that
supposedly increase sexual desire and capacity

Do They Deliver?
Many claims little evidence Alcohol, amphetamines, barbiturates,

cocaine and marijuana reduce inhibitions but also sexual response The power of suggestion seems key

Hope on the Horizon?

One substance,
yohimbine hydrochloride (sap

of the tropical evergreen) does

increase desire and performance

Anaphrodisiacs
Substances which inhibit sexual desire
Many things work Drugs such as opiates, tranquilizers, and
antidepressants inhibit ejaculation and
cause erectile problems in males and decrease orgasmic capacity for females

and performance

Other Anaphrodisiacs
Birth control pills decrease free
testosterone levels

Nicotine both decreases vasocongestion

and reduces testosterone levels

Sexual Response
A highly individualized process Research has revealed common
patterns of physiological changes

Kaplans Three Stages

Desire a prelude to physical sexual Excitement Organism
response, ignored by Masters and Johnson

 Masters and
Johnson Sexology Trailblazers Direct Observation

Masters and Johnsons Four Phases

Excitement
both men and women: muscle tension, anatonia increased heart rate/blood pressure engorgement sex flush

More Excitement
Women:
engorgement lubrication enlargement Men: erection enlargement/elevation

Stage II - Plateau
The acceleration of processes begun in
the excitement phase Females the orgasmic platform the

significantly engorged outer 1/3 of the vagina

Lasts from a few seconds to a few minutes

Phase III - Orgasm

Involuntary muscle spasms Blood pressure, respirations, heart
rate peaks Males emission then expulsion

 Are the males and females

experiences different ?

Descriptions are indistinguishable.

Are some Orgasms superior ?

Freud thought so, claiming that vaginal
orgasms are more mature than clitoral This view, influential for decades, has been abandoned Masters and Johnson established that there is just one kind of female orgasm, though most arise from clitoral stimulation

Return to the G Spot

Once found, manual stimulation produces
variable sensations Intense pleasure and orgasm usually follows Some women even experience ejaculation But the source of the fluid is uncertain

Finally, Resolution
Process through which sexual systems
return to a nonexcited state

While in most respects the sexes

experience this process similarly, men go through a refractory period during which they cannot experience another orgasm

Aging and the Response Cycle

Function continues but intensity declines Older women longer for lubrication
Occasional decreases in desire, sensitivity, and capacity Older men longer for erection/orgasm greater control longer refractory period

Where the Sexes Differ

Despite surprising similarities, some
distinctions remain

Variability
Women have three patterns within the sexual response cycle Men just one

The Male Refractory Period

Why? Evolution based ? Give another guy a
chance ?

Dependent on midbrain-

hypothalamus pathway ?

Multiple Orgasms
Women can have several, in succession But just 14 to 16% ? Masters and Johnson say most can have
5-6 !

Men can too ?!?