-
Archives of Sexual Behavior May 2020Despite the lack of evidence for negative health effects of masturbation, abstinence from masturbation is frequently recommended as a strategy to improve one's sexual...
Despite the lack of evidence for negative health effects of masturbation, abstinence from masturbation is frequently recommended as a strategy to improve one's sexual self-regulation. We adopted a framework of perceived problems with pornography to collect first hints about whether abstinence from masturbation stems from a psychological and behavioral "addiction" or conflicting attitudes. In an online questionnaire survey recruited via a non-thematic Reddit thread (n = 1063), most participants reported that they had tried to be abstinent from masturbation. As visible from zero-order correlations and multiple linear regression, motivation for abstinence was mostly associated with attitudinal correlates, specifically the perception of masturbation as unhealthy. While there were associations with hypersexuality, no significant correlation with behavioral markers such as maximum number of orgasms was found. Higher abstinence motivation was related to a higher perceived impact of masturbation, conservatism, and religiosity and to lower trust in science. We argue that research on abstinence from masturbation can enrich the understanding of whether and how average frequencies of healthy behavior are pathologized.
Topics: Adult; Female; Humans; Male; Masturbation; Sexual Abstinence; Sexual Behavior; Young Adult
PubMed: 32130561
DOI: 10.1007/s10508-019-01623-8 -
Journal of Neurology May 2020This article reviews the disorders of thunderclap, cough, exertional and sexual headache. These are a group of paroxysmal and precipitated headaches, which often occur... (Review)
Review
This article reviews the disorders of thunderclap, cough, exertional and sexual headache. These are a group of paroxysmal and precipitated headaches, which often occur in bouts with prolonged remissions. Indometacin seems to be the most effective preventative. Each can occur in primary and secondary form. Thunderclap headache is the most frequently reported headache syndrome associated with a secondary pathology. Discussed are the complexities of whether all patients with thunderclap headache should have further investigation if timely computerised tomography is normal and, the relevance of abnormal imaging in these disorders, differentiating what is deemed to be secondary and managing the pain.
Topics: Headache Disorders, Primary; Headache Disorders, Secondary; Humans
PubMed: 32130497
DOI: 10.1007/s00415-020-09728-0 -
Brain and Behavior Dec 2019Sexual desire, arousal, and orgasm are mediated by complex, yet still not fully understood, interactions of the somatic and autonomic nervous systems operating at the... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Sexual desire, arousal, and orgasm are mediated by complex, yet still not fully understood, interactions of the somatic and autonomic nervous systems operating at the central and peripheral levels. Disruption of endocrine, neural, or vascular response, caused by aging, medical illness, neurological diseases, surgery, or drugs, can lead to sexual dysfunctions, thus significantly affecting patients' quality of life.
PURPOSE
This narrative review aims at characterizing the involvement of the central nervous system in human sexual behavior.
METHODS
A literature search was conducted using PubMed in its entirety up to June 2018, analyzing the studies dealing with the neurobiological and neurophysiological basis of human sexuality.
RESULTS
Sexual behavior is regulated by both subcortical structures, such as the hypothalamus, brainstem, and spinal cord, and several cortical brain areas acting as an orchestra to finely adjust this primitive, complex, and versatile behavior. At the central level, dopaminergic and serotonergic systems appear to play a significant role in various factors of sexual response, although adrenergic, cholinergic, and other neuropeptide transmitter systems may contribute as well.
CONCLUSIONS
Providing healthcare professionals with information concerning sexual behavior may overcome useless and sometimes dangerous barriers and improve patient management, since sexual well-being is considered one of the most important aspects of one's quality of life.
Topics: Adult; Arousal; Autonomic Nervous System; Autonomic Nervous System Diseases; Brain; Dopaminergic Neurons; Female; Humans; Male; Neuroanatomy; Orgasm; Quality of Life; Sexual Behavior; Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological; Sexuality; Spinal Cord
PubMed: 31568703
DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1389 -
Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment 2020Any type of sexual dysfunction is an important problem in half of the patients with depressive disorder. On the other hand, one to a quarter of people without any... (Review)
Review
Any type of sexual dysfunction is an important problem in half of the patients with depressive disorder. On the other hand, one to a quarter of people without any depressive disorder experience sexual dysfunction. Antidepressant agents can lead to all types of sexual side effects including arousal, libido, orgasm and ejaculation problems. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are a widely used class of drugs which are prescribed for the treatment of a variety of disorders, including major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and impulse control disorders. It has been reported that one in eight people have utilized one of the SSRIs in the past 10 years. Some studies reported up to 80% of SSRI-induced sexual side effects. Management of SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction seems to be complex and hard. In this paper, SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction and new perspectives in the management of this problem were reviewed.
PubMed: 32368066
DOI: 10.2147/NDT.S185757 -
International Journal of Impotence... Nov 2022As women age, there is an overall decrease in androgen production due to decline of ovarian and adrenal function during menopause. Androgens have been demonstrated to... (Review)
Review
As women age, there is an overall decrease in androgen production due to decline of ovarian and adrenal function during menopause. Androgens have been demonstrated to play an important role in sexual motivation in women. As a result, many postmenopausal women experience Female Sexual Dysfunction (FSD) which are a group of disorders that pertain to sexual arousal, desire, orgasm, and pain. A prevalent manifestation of FSD is Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD) or the absence of sexual fantasies, thoughts, and/or desire for or receptivity to sexual activity. There is gaining interest in the use of Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) for the treatment of HSDD in postmenopausal women. This article reviews the literature on the relationship of androgen decline and HSDD, describes our methodology for evaluation, diagnosis of HSDD, and the use of TRT in treating postmenopausal women with HSDD. Our results conclude that testosterone is a vital hormone in women in maintaining sexual health and function. TRT is an effective treatment option for postmenopausal people with HSDD. There is still limited data on the effectiveness in premenopausal people with HSDD. Further research in the strengths and weaknesses for the long-term effect of TRT in women of all ages is needed.
Topics: Humans; Female; Androgens; Libido; Postmenopause; Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological; Testosterone
PubMed: 36198811
DOI: 10.1038/s41443-022-00613-0 -
Archives of Sexual Behavior Aug 2022Despite many benefits related to masturbation, we know surprisingly little about how solo sex is associated with sexual satisfaction. Using questionnaire data from a...
Despite many benefits related to masturbation, we know surprisingly little about how solo sex is associated with sexual satisfaction. Using questionnaire data from a probability-based sample of 4,160 Norwegians aged 18-89 years, we explored subgroups of women and men that differed in their masturbation-sexual satisfaction typology and examined whether sociodemographic, psychological, and sexual behavioral characteristics were associated with distinct masturbation-satisfaction patterns. A cluster analysis revealed four similar groupings for women and men, reflecting sex lives characterized by high masturbation/sexual satisfaction, low masturbation/sexual satisfaction, high masturbation/sexual dissatisfaction, or low masturbation/sexual dissatisfaction. While being younger, higher pornography consumption, and sexual variety were primarily associated with increased masturbation frequency, sexual distress and a negative body and genital self-image were more clearly associated with sexual dissatisfaction. Predicting different masturbation-satisfaction groupings also revealed some gender-specific findings in the use of pornography, and in the association between masturbation and intercourse frequency, which suggested a complementary pattern for women and a compensatory pattern for men. Our findings emphasize that the linkage between masturbation and sexual satisfaction warrants closer focus.
Topics: Erotica; Female; Humans; Male; Masturbation; Norway; Orgasm; Personal Satisfaction; Sexual Behavior
PubMed: 35790612
DOI: 10.1007/s10508-022-02305-8 -
Cureus Jan 2022Priapism is defined as an erection that lasts longer than four hours, is unrelated to sexual interest or stimulation, and is unrelieved by orgasm. The ischemic subtype...
Priapism is defined as an erection that lasts longer than four hours, is unrelated to sexual interest or stimulation, and is unrelieved by orgasm. The ischemic subtype is a urologic emergency and is often caused by medication side effects, most notably selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and trazodone. We present the case of ischemic priapism thought to be caused by the recent initiation of gabapentin.
PubMed: 35174036
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.21241 -
Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery :... Apr 2022The treatment of gender dysphoria consists of psychiatric evaluation, initiation of hormonal therapy, and the final step in an individual's transition, performing... (Review)
Review
The treatment of gender dysphoria consists of psychiatric evaluation, initiation of hormonal therapy, and the final step in an individual's transition, performing gender-affirming surgery. Construction of the neophallus is one of the most demanding tasks in genital affirming surgery of transgender men. The main objectives of phalloplasty are to achieve a cosmetically acceptable and functional phallus, with a neourethra that allows voiding in standing position, sufficient length and strength for possible penetrative intercourse, preserved tactile and orgasmic sensation, and acceptable donor site morbidity. The musculocutaneous latissimus dorsi flap has reliable and suitable anatomy (good size, volume, and length of neurovascular pedicle) to meet the esthetic and functional requirements of neophallus reconstruction. Despite many advantages, the main disadvantage of this flap is the lack of sensitivity. Although the radial free forearm flap technique is the most commonly performed procedure, musculus latissimus dorsi flap is an acceptable choice in gender-affirming surgery.
PubMed: 36017409
DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1740382 -
International Journal of Environmental... Apr 2020The effect of pornography on sexual response is understudied, particularly among women. A multinational, community-based sample of 2433 women at least 18 years of age...
The effect of pornography on sexual response is understudied, particularly among women. A multinational, community-based sample of 2433 women at least 18 years of age completed a 42-item, opt-in questionnaire collecting information on demographic and sexual history characteristics, use of pornography during masturbation, frequency of pornography use, and sexual response parameters. Pornography use and average frequency were compared across demographic variables. We also examined how pornography frequency predicted differences in self-reported arousal difficulty; orgasmic difficulty, latency, and pleasure; and the percent of sexual activities ending in orgasm during both masturbation and partnered sex. On average, women using pornography were younger, and reported more interest in sex. Pornography frequency differed significantly by menopausal status, sexual orientation, anxiety/depression status, number of sexual partners, and origin of data collection. During masturbation, more frequent pornography use predicted lower arousal difficulty and orgasmic difficulty, greater pleasure, and a higher percentage of masturbatory events leading to orgasm. Frequency of pornography use predicted only lower arousal difficulty and longer orgasmic latencies during partnered sex, having no effect on the other outcome variables. Pornography use frequency did not predict overall relationship satisfaction or sexual relationship satisfaction. Overall, more frequent pornography use was generally associated with more favorable sexual response outcomes during masturbation, while not affecting most partnered sex parameters. Several demographic and relationship covariates appear to more consistently and strongly predict orgasmic problems during partnered sexual activity than pornography use.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Demography; Erotica; Female; Humans; Male; Masturbation; Middle Aged; Sexual Behavior; Sexual Partners; Young Adult
PubMed: 32365874
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17093130