Sexual Arousability and the Menstrual Cycle1

Abstract

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.

Sex Differences in Response to Visual Sexual Stimuli: A Review

“…Many studies in women find increased sexual desire, masturbation, and sexual initiation during the ovulatory period that fluctuate over the cycle (Harvey, 1987;Tarin & Gomez-Piquer, 2002;Wallen, 2001). However these menstrual cycle effects are often subtle (Tarin & Gomez-Piquer, 2002) and some studies do not show any change in subjective levels of arousal across the cycle or increases in arousal outside ovulation (Schreiner-Engel, Schiavi, Smith, & White, 1981).…”

The Effects of Increasing Neutral Distraction on Sexual Responding of Women With and Without Sexual Problems

“…No significant differences in sexual responding were found between women using hormonal contraceptives and women using none or nonhormonal contraceptive devices (Laan et al, 1993;Laan, Everaerd, & Evers, 1995a; but see Slob, Ernste, & van der Werff, 1991). Participants using nonhormonal or no contraceptives were all tested in the follicular phase of their menstrual cycle to avoid confounding due to differences in sexual responding between the phases of the menstrual cycle (Schreiner-Engel, Schiavi, Smith, & White, 1981;Slob, Bax, Hop, Rowland, & van der Werf ten Bosch, 1996;Slob et al, 1991). Testing took place 6-10 days after the first day of menstruation.…”

Monthly Patterns of Testosterone and Behavior in Prospective Fathers

“…Furthermore, unconscious autoejaculations during phases of sexual inactivity are common. Finally, physical welfare, concentration, mood, and aggressive as well as sexual motivation may vary noticeably in men (van Niekerk, Huppert, and Herbert, 2001;Zitzmann and Nieschlag, 2001), as observed throughout the female monthly cycle (Schreiner-Engel, Schiavi, Smith, and White, 1981;Kemnitz, Gibber, Lindsay, and Eisele, 1989;Van Goozen et al, 1997). Alternatively, men may be reactive to the hormonal fluctuations and sexual responsivity of their wives (Persky, Lief, Strauss, Miller, and O'Brien, 1978) rather than exhibiting a regular internal cycle themselves (Rowe, Lincoln, Racey, Lehane, Stephenson, Shenton, and Glover, 1974).…”