Coital Rates and the Pill

James, William H.

doi:10.1038/234555a0

Cited by 11 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 25 publications

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“…James (38) reanalyzed the data of the two studies by McCance et al (39) and Udry and Morris (10) that found ovulatory peaks in sexual behavior. He demonstrated that, in fact, the peaks had occurred in the follicular phase.…”

Section: Self-reported Sexual Arousal In Womenmentioning

confidence: 98%

Sexual Arousability and the Menstrual Cycle1

Schreiner-Engel¹,

Schiavi²,

Smith³

et al. 1981

Psychosomatic Medicine

129

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Using a balanced experimental design, 30 regularly cycling woman not using oral contraceptives, aged 20 to 30 years, were assessed in a laboratory setting during the follicular, ovulatory, and luteal phases. Sexual arousal was measured by self-report and by photoplethysmographic recordings of vaginal vasocongestion. Plasma estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone were determined by radioimmunoassay. There were marked and consistent individual differences among the women in their sexual arousability. Subjective reports of sexual arousal did not differ among menstrual cycle phases, by physiologic arousal did vary with significantly higher mean levels of arousal occurring during the follicular and luteal phases than during the ovulation phase. While hormones fluctuated predictably with menstrual cycle phase, there were wide individual differences in absolute values among women. The correlations between estradiol, progesterone and testosterone and the subjective and objective assessments of arousability were mainly low and insignificant. Some evidence suggestive of a relation between testosterone and sexual arousability was observed with three subgroups of woman were formed on the basis of relative average testosterone concentrations.

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Section: Self-reported Sexual Arousal In Womenmentioning

confidence: 98%

Sexual Arousability and the Menstrual Cycle1

Schreiner-Engel¹,

Schiavi²,

Smith³

et al. 1981

Psychosomatic Medicine

129

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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Hormonal basis of proceptivity and receptivity in female primates

et al. 1977

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The role played by steroid hormones in regulating the sexual behavior of female primates is reviewed, with emphasis placed on experiments using nonhuman species. A distinction is made between the effects of hormones on female proceptivity (i.e., behaviors which incite mounting activity in the male) and receptivity (i.e., willingness to accept male mounting attempts). The rationale for distinguishing between proceptivity and receptivity is discussed, and the methods used for measuring each are described. Evidence shows that estrogen of ovarian origin facilitates sexual interaction primarily by stimulating the emission of non-behavioral cues which increase the female's sexual attractivity (i.e., the value of a female as a sexual stimulant for a male). Evidence is presented suggesting that ostrogen may enhance proceptivity by acting on the female's central nervous system; however, there is no clear demonstration that estrogen affects neural mechanisms controlling receptivity. Experiments show that proceptivity and to a lesser extent receptivity are modulated by adrenal androgens, and the possibility is raised that adrenal androgens may act synergistically with estrogen to facilitate sexual behavior. A disruptive effect of progesterone on sexual interaction is described, and evidence is presented suggesting that this effect of progesterone results primarily from a reduction in sexual attractivity caused by the action of the hormone in the female's vagina. Other literature indicates that proceptivity is often maximal at the periovulatory period of the female primate's menstrual cycle whereas cyclic variations in receptivity occur infrequently. Most hormone-dependent changes in sexual interaction associated with the menstrual cycle seem to result from fluctuations in nonbehavioral attributes of female sexual attractivity. The problem of distinguishing between the effects of steroid hormones on proceptivity and receptivity in human females is discussed.

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