Associations between testosterone secretion and sexual activity in women

doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2007.01.003

Hormones and Behavior

Volume 51, Issue 4, April 2007, Pages 477-482

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2007.01.003 Get rights and content

Abstract

Some studies show an increase in testosterone (T) after sexual activity; this literature has inconsistent findings, focuses mostly on men, and does not employ control activities. The present study examined within-subject effects of intercourse versus control activities (cuddling; exercise) on salivary T. The initial sample included 49 women (mostly heterosexual), though not all participants returned all samples or engaged in all activities, leaving a smaller sample for endocrine analyses (n = 16). Participants attended an initial session in the laboratory where they completed questionnaires, and then engaged in the activities on their own. On three separate nights, they provided pre-activity, post-activity, and next-morning saliva samples and completed brief questionnaires at the last two timepoints. Women's T was higher pre-intercourse than pre-control activity. Women's T was also higher post-intercourse than post-control activity, though the percent change in T from pre- to post-activity was highest for cuddling, then intercourse, then exercise. Next-morning T did not differ by activity. Data pointed to an association between T and orgasming, sexual desire, and relationship commitment. Analyses on post-activity appraisals suggest that the close intimate physicality of a sexual and non-sexual nature can affect T and be beneficial in short-term and perhaps longer-lasting ways for women's sexuality and relationships.

Section snippets

Participants

Participants were recruited through posters at Simon Fraser University (SFU), the University of British Columbia, and the Greater Vancouver Regional District, as well as through the SFU Psychology Participant Pool. Recruitment was aimed at healthy, sexually active people with a regular sexual partner. This research was approved by the SFU Research Ethics Board.

All participants were aware of the sexual nature of the study before they contacted the experimenter for more information. Before

Results

To check that the diurnal rhythm in T (higher T in the morning upon waking, Axelsson et al., 2005) was apparent in our data, we conducted a repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) with time (pre-activity, post-activity, next-morning) and three contexts (exercise, intercourse, cuddling). The overall effect of time was significant for exercise, F(2,28) = 14.68, p < .01, intercourse, F(2,28) = 5.94, p < .01, and cuddling, F(2,28) = 8.79, p < .01, with highest levels in the morning.

Normal female

Discussion

In the present study, we examined how sexual activities relative to control activities might affect testosterone (T) in women. We found that T was higher prior to intercourse compared to cuddling or exercise in women, suggesting anticipatory effects of sexual activity on androgens in women. We also found that T was higher 15 min after intercourse compared to exercise or cuddling and that the percent change in T from pre- to post-activity was higher for cuddling and intercourse than exercise.

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Institutional Grant-Small from Simon Fraser University. S.M. van Anders was supported by scholarships from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and IODE Canada. Salivary assays were conducted by the Core Biomarkers Laboratory at Yerkes Primate Research Center, Emory University. We would like to thank J. Bancroft, K. Zucker, and three anonymous reviewers for their comments on earlier drafts.

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Associations between testosterone secretion and sexual activity in women

Abstract

Section snippets

Participants

Results

Discussion

Acknowledgments

Psychoneuroendocrinology

Physiol. Behav.

Physiol. Behav.

Psychoneuroendocrinology

Psychoneuroendocrinology

Horm. Behav.

Psychoneuroendocrinology

Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol.

Psychoneuroendocrinology

Psychoneuroendocrinology

Psychoneuroendocrinology

Physiol. Behav.

Effects of acute displaced sleep on testosterone

J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab.

Cardiovascular and endocrine alterations after masturbation-induced orgasm in women

Psychosom. Med.

Studies on the relationship between plasma testosterone levels and human sexual activity

J. Endocrinol.

Psychophysiological and endocrine responses to sexual arousal in women

Arch. Sex. Behav.