Male Sexual Arousal Research Articles

Neurophysiology of male sexual arousal—Behavioral perspective

In the presented review, we analyzed the physiology of male sexual arousal and its relation to the motivational aspects of this behavior. We highlighted the distinction between these processes based on observable physiological and behavioral parameters. Thus, we proposed the experimentally applicable differentiation between sexual arousal (SA) and sexual motivation (SM). We propose to define sexual arousal as an overall autonomic nervous system response leading to penile erection, triggered selectively by specific sexual cues. These autonomic processes include both spinal and supraspinal neuronal networks, activated by sensory pathways including information from sexual partner and sexual context, as well as external and internal genital organs. To avoid misinterpretation of experimental data, we also propose to precise the term “sexual motivation” as all actions performed by the individual that increase the probability of sexual interactions or increase the probability of exposition to sexual context cues. Neuronal structures such as the amygdala, bed nucleus of stria terminalis, hypothalamus, nucleus raphe, periaqueductal gray, and nucleus paragigantocellularis play crucial roles in controlling the level of arousal and regulating peripheral responses via specific autonomic effectors. On the highest level of CNS, the activity of cortical structures involved in the regulation of the autonomic nervous system, such as the insula and anterior cingulate cortex, can visualize an elevated level of SA in both animal and human brains. From a preclinical perspective, we underlie the usefulness of the non-contact erection test (NCE) procedure in understanding factors influencing sexual arousal, including studies of sexual preference in animal models. Taken together results obtained by different methods, we wanted to focus attention on neurophysiological aspects that are distinctly related to sexual arousal and can be used as an objective parameter, leading to higher translational transparency between basic, preclinical, and clinical studies.

Comment on “Reboot/NoFap Participants Erectile Concerns Predicted by Anxiety and Not Mediated/Moderated by Pornography Viewing”

Dear Sir, We would like to compliment the authors for questioning the Reboot/NoFap approach to male sexual arousal problems. As clinicians, we see a steep increase of patients asking about the sense or nonsense of trying such an approach. This comment highlights both the strengths of the original paper and poses a number of questions regarding its content and methodology.

How Autogynephilic Are Natal Females?

Blanchard proposed that autogynephilia is a natal male's paraphilic sexual arousal in response to the thought or fantasy of being a woman. Furthermore, based on evidence collected from natal males with gender dysphoria, Blanchard argued that autogynephilia is the fundamental motivation among nonhomosexual males (i.e., those not exclusively attracted to men) who pursue sex reassignment surgery or live as transgender women. These ideas have been challenged by several writers who have asserted, or offered evidence, that autogynephilia is common among women. However, their evidence was weakened by problematic measures and limited comparison groups. We compared four samples of autogynephilic natal males (N = 1549), four samples of non-autogynephilic natal males (N = 1339), and two samples of natal females (N = 500), using Blanchard's original measure: the Core Autogynephilia Scale. The autogynephilic samples had much higher mean scores compared with non-autogynephilic natal males and natal females, who were similar. Our findings refute the contention that autogynephilia is common among natal females.

Inter-sexual multimodal communication during mating in wild geladas: the leading role of females.

Female primates can emit vocalizations associated with mating that can function as honest signals of fertility. Here, we investigated the role of mating calls and visual signals in female geladas (Theropithecus gelada). Because females have a central role in the gelada society and seem to solicit sexual interactions, we answered whether they emit vocalizations in conjunction with gazing to increase mating success probability. Before and during copulations, females can emit pre-copulation calls and copulation calls. For the first time, we identified a new female vocalization emitted at the final stage of copulations (end-copulation call), possibly marking the occurrence of ejaculation. We found that longer pre-copulation call sequences were followed by both prolonged copulations and the presence of end-copulation calls, thus suggesting that females use pre-copulation calls to ensure successful copula completion. Moreover, we found that different combinations of female vocal types and gazing had different effects on male vocal behavior and motivation to complete the copula. The analysis of the vocal and visual signals revealed a complex inter-sexual multimodal chattering with the leading role of females in the signal exchange. Such chattering, led by females, modulates male sexual arousal, thus increasing the probability of the copula success.

Male Condom Has No Influence on Male Physiological Sexual Arousal

Background: Men are not using male condoms because of several reasons, which can result in a public health problem. One of these is connected to Condom-Associated Erectile Problems. Methods: This research aimed to assess the effect of a male condom made of a material other than latex on the arousal response of heterosexual men. A total of 82 young men (Mage = 23.17 years, SD = 3.04, range age = 18-30) participated in this experimental study. Two random groups (i.e., experimental and control, n = 41 each) were compared. The experimental group used condoms while controls did not. Fit and feel condom perceptions, initial erectile scores, age, substance use among other were controlled. Erection was measured while viewing a sexual video by means of penile plethysmography and subjective arousal. Findings: Results showed no significant difference in both, subjective and physiological sexual arousal. Interpretation: There is no evidence that condoms influence erectile response. More research is needed in this area to provide treatments and clinical interventions or sexual and reproductive education to mitigate the occurrence of sexual dysfunction, unplanned pregnancies, or sexually transmitted infections. Funding: Fundacion Universitaria Konrad Lorenz and the Administrative Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (Colciencias). Declaration of Interest: None to declare. Ethical Approval: The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Konrad Lorenz University Foundation.

International overview of phallometric testing for sexual offending behaviour and sexual risk.

Phallometry is an objective method of assessing male sexual arousal. The main applications in forensic psychiatry concern the evaluation of men charged with or convicted of sexual offences, the evaluation of those with suspected paraphilias not subject to the criminal justice system, risk assessment and measurement of response to sex offender treatment. In some jurisdictions, phallometry is incorporated into legal decisions about release from custody or discharge from secure hospitals. This paper provides a brief overview of the international development of phallometry, considers challenges to its broader adoption and discusses future directions for research and clinical practice.

The Politics of Chastity

The Politics of Chastity Edward Feser Reinhard Hütter has authored an excellent and much-needed essay on the virtue of chastity, with a special focus on the unprecedented threat to this virtue posed by contemporary online pornography.1 His essay addresses the moral and spiritual aspects of the issue, as illuminated by both natural law and divine revelation. But there is also a crucial political dimension that the essay does not address, though it too is illuminated by Hütter’s insights. I propose in this essay to supplement Hütter’s account with some remarks on this dimension. Sex and Human Nature The political dimension I want to address is neither peripheral to chastity nor related to it only contingently. For, together with the moral and spiritual aspects of chastity, it follows directly and necessarily from our nature as rational social animals. This is evident from the traditional Thomistic natural law account of the foundations of sexual morality, so I will begin with an exposition of that. The fundamental way in which we are social animals is by being familial animals. And sex—both in the sense of there being two sexes, and in the sense of the sexual act—exists for the purpose of creating new families. In particular, the distinctive physiology and psychology of male human beings exists for the sake of making them fathers, and the distinctive physiology [End Page 1257] and psychology of female human beings exists for the sake of making them mothers. Of course, not all men and women actually become fathers and mothers, but the point is that that is what their being either men or women in the first place is for. If we did not reproduce in a way that required fathers and mothers, there would be no males and no females. Hence there would be no sex organs, no sexual arousal, and no sexual act. Now, the most obvious respect in which sex has this teleology is that male sexual physiology and arousal have the biological function of getting semen into the vagina, whereas female sexual physiology and arousal have the biological function of facilitating reception of the semen, so as to get the sperm it contains into proximity with an ovum, so that pregnancy will result. It is often assumed that getting this plumbing right is the main concern of the natural law theorist. Nothing could be further from the truth. To be sure, the natural law theorist does insist on getting the plumbing right, but that is because the plumbing ultimately exists for the sake of a larger and more important end—just like a beaver’s teeth ultimately exist for the sake of building shelters for beaver families, their function of gnawing trees so as to provide materials for beaver dams (which in turn provide the setting for the shelters) being merely an essential means to that end.2 The locus classicus for Aquinas’s treatment of these matters is the discussion in Summa contra gentiles III, ch. 2, nos. 122–26. There is a little bit there about emissions of semen and the like, but there is much, much more about what children and mothers need in order for family life to be possible, and how fathers have to provide it. That is to say, Aquinas’s treatment of what it is to be a man or a woman goes well beyond having sex organs of a certain kind and using them in a certain way, and that is exactly what we should expect given that we are social animals, and rational social animals. Sex is for making you a father or a mother, with all that that entails given our social and rational nature, and any deliberate use of sex that positively frustrates that end (with all that it entails given our rational and social nature) is as contrary to what is good for us as breaking off teeth or gnawing only rocks rather than trees is contrary to what is good for beavers. Now, one way this might happen is when a man sleeps with a woman to whom he has not committed himself in the way definitive of marriage. For...

Use of penile plethysmography in the court: A review of practices in Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Penile plethysmography (PPG) is an objective measure of male sexual arousal in response to the presentation of a series of erotic and neutral stimuli. This measure is now widely recognized as the most reliable means of objectively measuring male sexual arousal to specific stimuli. Many clinicians and researchers consider PPG to be a vital contribution to the assessment and treatment of adult men with paraphilic interests and men who have committed sex crimes. PPG contributes to the clinical assessment of paraphilic interests, appraisal of risk of recidivism, and provides an objective measurement of changes in sexual arousal in response to treatment. There is strong support for the utility of PPG within clinical and legal contexts. This article addresses ways in which PPG has been utilized in the courts as part of expert clinical opinion. History of its use, details regarding admissibility in court, and case law are explored within the legal systems of Canada, the UK and the USA. Support for the inclusion of PPG as expert evidence is provided and judicial misunderstandings on the rationale for PPG use and its clinical utility in forensic assessments are discussed.

Does the horny man think women want him too? Effects of male sexual arousal on perceptions of female sexual willingness

ABSTRACT Disputes over acquaintance rape typically center on the issue of whether the alleged victim consented to sex. Disputed sexual encounters often take place when one or both involved parties is sexually aroused, and this arousal might influence the extent to which the parties perceive sexual consent. Two studies tested the effects of men’s sexual arousal on their interpretations of the extent to which 25 hypothetical female behaviors reflected sexual willingness. Arousal was manipulated via written fantasies (Study 1) or exposure to erotic material (Study 2). Manipulated arousal and individual differences in rated arousal were each associated with greater perceptions of female sexual willingness. Manipulated arousal was significant only for single men in Study 2. Findings suggested present-state sexual arousal affects single men’s interpretations of women’s sexual willingness. Men’s sexual arousal might prominently contribute to misunderstandings in sexual communication.

Concurrent Assessment of Penile Blood Flow and Circumference as Indicators of Male Sexual Arousal

IntroductionThe current study aims to validate a new imaging tool to assess men’s sexual psychophysiological responding: laser Doppler imaging (LDI), which directly measures subcutaneous genital blood flow. In this study, we concurrently assessed genital sexual arousal in a sample of men using the LDI and the current gold standard of male sexual psychophysiology, the penile strain gauge (PSG). AimTo (i) assess the validity of the LDI as a measure of male sexual arousal, (ii) evaluate the relationship between the LDI and PSG, and (iii) compare sexual concordance produced by the LDI and PSG. MethodsA total of 25 male participants (Mage = 24.28 years, SD = 6.10, range 18–37) watched 4 experimental films (ie, anxiety-provoking, humorous, erotic, neutral nature content) while their sexual arousal was assessed. Genital sexual arousal was assessed using the LDI (blood perfusion) and PSG (penile tumescence) concurrently. Subjective sexual arousal was assessed using continuous and discrete self-reported measures. Main Outcome MeasureResults demonstrate the validity of the LDI as an imaging-based measure of male genital arousal, and one that is comparable to the PSG. ResultsSignificant increases in genital blood flow assessed via the LDI were observed for erotic, but not anxiety-provoking, humorous, or neutral films (F[1.65, 39.57] = 18.23, P < .001, ηp2 = .43). A moderate, positive correlation between genital arousal measured via the LDI and PSG concurrently was observed (r = .40), despite considerable across-participant variability. In the current sample, the LDI and PSG both produced strong sexual concordance estimates (r = .51 and r = .46, respectively). When all LDI and PSG concordance estimates were correlated, a moderate relationship was revealed (r = .37). Clinical ImplicationsAs a new imaging tool for male sexual psychophysiological arousal, the LDI holds promise for improving our understanding of issues related to men’s sexual health. Strength & LimitationsMovement artifacts produced by penile engorgement were a limitation to the LDI as an imaging technique. Further, the LDI used in the current study was a discrete measure of arousal, whereas the PSG was continuous; future research would benefit by using continuous measurement capabilities of contemporary LDI systems. ConclusionAs a valid measure of genital sexual arousal in men, the LDI holds promise as a tool that can be used to explore more nuanced questions about human sexuality, including cross-gender comparisons and real-time exploration of genital arousal patterns.Bossio JA, Singh M, Pukall CF. Concurrent assessment of penile blood flow and circumference as indicators of male sexual arousal. J Sex Med 2018;15:1570–1578.

Male Sexual Arousal and Orgasms—New Enigmas of Their Activation

Male Sexual Arousal and Orgasms—New Enigmas of Their Activation

A botanical nano ozonated erotic oil composition with maximum bioavailability for men

The present patent pending invention relates to a topical pharmaceutical nano ozonated composition with maximum bioavailability for male sexual response including male sexual dysfunction such as male sexual arousal vitality erection disorders premature ejaculation and sexual pain disorders and enhancing male sexual pleasure and satisfaction of the male sexual experience as well as penis enlargement The composition for treating this problem preferably formed of a natural oil mix fenugreek oil watermelon oil ginger oil and ozonated olive oil In particular the composition is applied on penis and testicles to enhance pleasure and delay ejaculation for men during intercourse Observed results showed excellent results for all ages of men with no adverse or side effects

Neural pathways in processing of sexual arousal: a dynamic causal modeling study.

Three decades of research have investigated brain processing of visual sexual stimuli with neuroimaging methods. These researchers have found that sexual arousal stimuli elicit activity in a broad neural network of cortical and subcortical brain areas that are known to be associated with cognitive, emotional, motivational and physiological components. However, it is not completely understood how these neural systems integrate and modulated incoming information. Therefore, we identify cerebral areas whose activations were correlated with sexual arousal using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging and used the dynamic causal modeling method for searching the effective connectivity about the sexual arousal processing network. Thirteen heterosexual males were scanned while they passively viewed alternating short trials of erotic and neutral pictures on a monitor. We created a subset of seven models based on our results and previous studies and selected a dominant connectivity model. Consequently, we suggest a dynamic causal model of the brain processes mediating the cognitive, emotional, motivational and physiological factors of human male sexual arousal. These findings are significant implications for the neuropsychology of male sexuality.

Phenotyping the males of mouse and rat strains with genetically defined behavioral disturbances in a model of sexual activation

Sexual behavior is one of the biologically highly relevant types of behavior. Sexual arousal, or the initial stage of sexual behavior, is of particular interest since it triggers all the following events, but still remains the least known element of this behavior. Sexual dysfunctions are caused by aging, stress, or the side effects of psychotropic drugs; they are symptoms of a variety of neurological and psychiatric disorders. Therefore, the study of sexual behavior appears to be an important step in modeling various animal pathologies and the effects of psychotropic drugs. We have phenotyped animals with a hereditary predisposition to catalepsy using our previous development, a model of male sexual arousal, and examined the relationship between catalepsy and sexual arousal. The major gene for a high predisposition to catalepsy was shown to be associated with the expression of sexual motivation, but not with the hormonal component of sexual arousal (increase in the plasma testosterone levels following exposure to a receptive female). ASC (Antidepressant Sensitive Catalepsy) mice, proposed as a model of depression, had a decreased manifestation of sexual motivation, while male GC (Genetic Catalepsy) strain rats had enhanced sexual motivation. We note that the highly excitable GC strain animals corresponding to the manic pole of bipolar disorders prevail at the current stage of breeding. Our results are in good agreement with the clinical data that indicate reduced libido in depressed patients and hypersexuality in people with bipolar disorder.

Endocrinologic Control of Men's Sexual Desire and Arousal/Erection.

Several hormones and neurotransmitters orchestrate men's sexual response, including the appetitive (sexual desire) and consummative (arousal and penile erection) phases. To provide an overview and recommendations regarding endocrinologic control of sexual desire and arousal and erection and their disturbances. Medical literature was reviewed by the subcommittee of the International Consultation of Sexual Medicine, followed by extensive internal discussion, and then public presentation and discussion with other experts. The role of pituitary (prolactin, oxytocin, growth hormone, and α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone), thyroid, and testicular hormones was scrutinized and discussed. Recommendations were based on grading of evidence-based medical literature, followed by interactive discussion. Testosterone has a primary role in controlling and synchronizing male sexual desire and arousal, acting at multiple levels. Accordingly, meta-analysis indicates that testosterone therapy for hypogonadal individuals can improve low desire and erectile dysfunction. Hyperprolactinemia is associated with low desire that can be successfully corrected by appropriate treatments. Oxytocin and α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone are important in eliciting sexual arousal; however, use of these peptides, or their analogs, for stimulating sexual arousal is still under investigation. Evaluation and treatment of other endocrine disorders are suggested only in selected cases. Endocrine abnormalities are common in patients with sexual dysfunction. Their identification and treatment is strongly encouraged in disturbances of sexual desire and arousal.

The time interval between sequential mating affects the response of male meadow voles to previous mates

Male meadow voles differed in their copulatory behaviour, mating and reproductive success, and odour preferences for successively encountered mates, when the interval between pairing with two females was 1 h, 1 day, 4 days, 7 days or 10 days. Male voles had shorter latencies to first ejaculation with female 2 than with female 1 when the interval was 1 h, which may be attributed to heightened sexual arousal in males for female 2. Males also had shorter copulatory bouts with female 2 than with female 1 when the intervals between pairings were 1 h and 1 day. Shorter copulation bouts may allow more mating opportunities for both sexes and encourage multiple mating. Male voles also preferred the scent marks of female 2 to those of female 1 when the interval between pairing was 7 or 10 days, suggesting that these females were treated as distinct entities.

Aberrant Topological Patterns of Structural Cortical Networks in Psychogenic Erectile Dysfunction.

Male sexual arousal (SA) has been known as a multidimensional experience involving closely interrelated and coordinated neurobehavioral components that rely on widespread brain regions. Recent functional neuroimaging studies have shown relation between abnormal/altered dynamics in these circuits and male sexual dysfunction. However, alterations in the topological1 organization of structural brain networks in male sexual dysfunction are still unclear. Here, we used graph theory2 to investigate the topological properties of large-scale structural brain networks, which were constructed using inter-regional correlations of cortical thickness between 78 cortical regions in 40 patients with psychogenic erectile dysfunction (pED) and 39 normal controls. Compared with normal controls, pED patients exhibited a less optimal global topological organization with reduced global and increased local efficiencies. Our results suggest disrupted neural integration among distant brain regions in pED patients, consistent with previous reports of impaired white matter structure and abnormal functional integrity in pED. Additionally, disrupted global network topology in pED was observed to be primarily relevant to altered subnetwork and nodal properties within the networks mediating the cognitive, motivational and inhibitory processes of male SA, possibly indicating disrupted integration of these networks in the whole brain networks and might account for pED patients' abnormal cognitive, motivational and inhibitory processes for male SA. In total, our findings provide evidence for disrupted integrity in large-scale brain networks underlying the neurobehavioral processes of male SA in pED and provide new insights into the understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms of pED.

Phenotyping the males of mouse and rat strains with genetically defined behavioral disturbances in a model of sexual activation

Sexual behavior is one of the biologically highly relevant types of behavior. Sexual arousal, or an initial stage of sexual behavior, is of particular interest since it triggers all the following events but still remains the least known element of this behavior. Sexual dysfunctions are caused by aging, stress, or side effects of psychotropic drugs; they are symptoms of a variety of neurological and psychiatric disorders. Therefore, the study of sexual behavior appears to be an important step in modeling various animal pathologies and the effects of psychotropic drugs. We have performed phenotyping of animals with hereditary predisposition to catalepsy using our previous development, a model of male sexual arousal, and examined the relationship between catalepsy and sexual arousal. The main gene for a high predisposition to catalepsy was shown to be associated with the expression of sexual motivation, but not with the hormonal component of sexual arousal (increase in plasma testosterone levels following exposure to a receptive female). ASC (Antidepressant Sensitive Catalepsy) mice, proposed as a model of depression, had a decreased manifestation of sexual motivation, while male GC (Genetic Catalepsy) strain rats had enhanced sexual motivation. Noteworthy, highly excitable GC strain animals corresponding to the manic pole of bipolar disorders prevail at the current stage of breeding. Our results are in a good agreement with clinical data that indicate reduced libido in depressed patients and hypersexuality in people with bipolar disorder.

Structural insights into aberrant cortical morphometry and network organization in psychogenic erectile dysfunction.

Functional neuroimaging studies have revealed abnormal brain dynamics of male sexual arousal (SA) in psychogenic erectile dysfunction (pED). However, the neuroanatomical correlates of pED are still unclear. In this work, we obtained cortical thickness (CTh) measurements from structural magnetic resonance images of 40 pED patients and 39 healthy control subjects. Abnormalities in CTh related to pED were explored using a scale space search based brain morphometric analysis. Organizations of brain structural covariance networks were analyzed as well. Compared with healthy men, pED patients showed significantly decreased CTh in widespread cortical regions, most of which were previously reported to show abnormal dynamics of male SA in pED, such as the medial prefrontal, orbitofrontal, cingulate, inferotemporal, and insular cortices. CTh reductions in these areas were found to be significantly correlated with male sexual functioning degradation. Moreover, pED patients showed decreased interregional CTh correlations from the right lateral orbitofrontal cortex to the right supramarginal gyrus and the left angular cortex, implying disassociations between the cognitive, motivational, and inhibitory networks of male SA in pED. This work provides structural insights on the complex phenomenon of psychogenic sexual dysfunction in men, and suggests a specific vulnerability factor, possibly as an extra "organic" factor, that may play an important role in pED.

Understanding ‘The Panty Shanty’: off-campus house signs as cultural texts on gender and sexuality

Students at a large, prestigious, public university in the Midwestern region of the USA have a long-standing tradition of naming their rented houses off campus and communicating those names to the student body through displaying prominent and eye-catching house signs. Examples of signs names and visual characteristics are: ‘Betty Ford Clinic’ (featuring an image of a martini glass); ‘Morning Wood’ (referencing male sexual arousal and depicting a tent with a man's legs sticking out); ‘Time Well Wasted’ (written in pink over a beach scene and a martini glass); ‘Fox Den’ (images of a fox tail and a well-known sorority symbol); ‘Tequila Mockingbird’ (a play on words); and ‘Down on U’ (the sign references a sexual act for a house located on University Avenue). Through a socio-feminist and social constructionist perspective, the researchers use content analysis to explore how these house signs serve as cultural texts on gender and sexuality norms in the American undergraduate college setting. Based on our data, house signs reinforce dominant forms of gender ideologies, including hegemonic masculinity and emphasized femininity, both of which are associated with upholding and promoting institutionalized patriarchy (Connell, R. W., & Messerschmidt, J. W. (2005). Hegemonic masculinity: Rethinking the concept. Gender & Society, 19, 829–859). These house signs are also shown through the data to promote a campus culture of heteronormativity where partying, drinking, and casual sex are standards for social belonging, and where high rates of sexual assault persist. As opposed to viewing house signs as simply manifestations of student wit and harmless humor, the researchers critically evaluate if and how these visual displays serve as a mechanism through which gender and sexuality-related inequalities are perpetuated within a higher education institutional setting. Implications for students and their college campuses are discussed.