Chapter 6

Sexual Arousal and Response

 Myth or fact?
1. Sex burns a ton of calories and can help with
weight loss
2. You can’t get pregnant while on your period
3. All women orgasm during vaginal sex
4. Condoms make sex less enjoyable
5. You can’t get pregnant from pre-cum
6. If you’re aroused, you shouldn’t need lubricant
7. You can’t get pregnant using the withdrawal
8. Oral and anal sex are safe alternatives to vaginal
sex
 Introduction
• Different cultures and spiritual traditions treat
human sexual response in different ways.
• There are many individual differences in
human sexual response and good
communication is essential in developing
mutual understanding in a sexual relationship.
• Sexual response must be activated by some
mechanism of sexual arousal. Several models
have been proposed.
• Sexual arousal and sexual response in humans
are influenced by
1. Hormones-testosterone, estrogen,
2. Our brains capacity to create images and
fantasies (erotic images or sexual interludes)
3. Our emotions-love, affection, euphoria
4. Sensory processes
5. Level of intimacy between two people
 Testosterone-In Men
• Arousal and Desire: responsible for male sexual desire (libido). It
stimulates the brain's sexual centers and is crucial for initiating and
maintaining sexual interest.
• Erection and Physical Response: It directly influences the ability to
get and maintain an erection by regulating nitric oxide production,
which helps increase blood flow to the penis.
• Orgasm and Pleasure: It plays a role in the intensity of orgasm. It is
thought to enhance pleasure during sexual activity and support the
physical changes during orgasm, like muscle contractions and
ejaculation.
• Sexual Frequency: Higher testosterone levels are generally
associated with a higher frequency of sexual activity. Testosterone
has a cyclical effect on sexual drive, often increasing desire during
certain periods of the day or phases of life (highest in morning).
 Estrogen-women
• Enhances vaginal lubrication and genital
sensitivity, particularly in women.
• Regulates arousal by supporting mood,
emotional connection, and response to sexual
stimuli.
• Plays a key role in orgasm intensity for women
and contributes to overall sexual function in
both men and women.
 Oxytocin
• Oxytocin is a hormone and neurotransmitter
that plays a significant role in various
physiological processes, including social
bonding, reproductive functions, and
emotional regulation. I
• t is often referred to as the "love hormone" or
"cuddle hormone" because of its association
with affection, empathy, and social
connection.
 Function of oxytocin
1. Release of oxytocin during breastfeeding facilitates
mother child bonding.
2. Its release during sexual arousal and response may
have a similar bonding effect on sexual partners
(cuddling/physical intimacy) triggered by touch
3. Oxytocin increases skin sensitivity to touch
facilitating affectionate behavior
4. High levels of oxytocin are associated with
orgasmic release in both sexes
5. Stimulates contractions of the uterine wall during
orgasm
 The Brain and Sexual Arousal

• The brain plays an important role in human sexual

arousal by mediating thoughts, emotions,
memories and fantasies.
• When the mind ascribes sexual meaning to some
stimulus, the genital physiological response may
be quite automatic.
• Neurotransmitters
– Dopamine facilitates sexual arousal in men and
women
– Serotonin inhibits sexual arousal in both sexes.
 The Senses and Sexual Arousal
• All sensory systems can contribute to arousal
• Touch is the dominant “sexual sense”
– Primary erogenous zones (dense nerve endings) include
Genitals, buttocks, anus, breasts, inner thigh, armpits,
navel, neck, ears, mouth
– Secondary erogenous zones (all other body regions that
when touched during sexual interlude may be
transformed into an erogenous zone.
• Vision is usually next in dominance
– Visual stimuli
• Men self-report higher arousal than women
• Women and men have similar physiological responses
 Other Senses and Sexual Arousal
• Smell may arouse or offend depending on ones sexual
history and cultural conditioning
– Pheromones are produced by humans but it is not clear
whether they act as sexual attractants
• Taste plays a minor role in human sexual arousal
• People associate some tastes with sexual intimacy e.g.
vaginal secretions and semen.
• Hearing plays a variable role in sexual arousal
• It is informative and helpful
• Do men and women differ regarding which sense
predominates during sex?
 Aphrodisiacs
• Substances believed to arouse sexual desire or increase capacity for
sexual activity
– Food that resembles the male sex organ, oysters, shellfish,
bananas, ground-up horns of animals e.g. rhino, reindeer (horny).
– Drugs e.g ecstasy, cocaine, marijuana, Viagra
– Alcohol, wine, -conflicting information (p.146)
– Yohimbine p. 148-commonly used to address sexual dysfunction
e.g. erectile dysfunction, weight loss and fat-burning purposes.
• No clear evidence of genuine aphrodisiac qualities
– Role of expectations (faith and suggestions)
– Love is the best aphrodisiac
 Anaphrodisiacs

• Inhibits sexual behavior

– Drugs (e.g., opiates, tranquilizers)-reduce sexual
motivation, impair erection and delay orgasm
– Antihypertensive, antidepressants, and antipsychotics –
inhibit erection, ejaculation, reduce sexual interest
– Birth control pills-reduced blood levels of testosterone
– Nicotine –retards sexual motivation and function
• Constricts blood flow
• Possibly reduces circulating testosterone
 Kaplan’s three stage model
• Human sexual response is a highly individual
physical, emotional and mental process
• Kaplan’s three stage model-desire (psychological-
level of interest), excitement (arousal), orgasm (a
rush of pleasurable physical sensations associated
with the release of sexual tension)
• Sexual difficulties occur in any one of these stages
• It is possible for one to have difficulty in one stage
while continuing to function normally in the other
two
• Not all sexual expression is preceded by desire
Sexual Response
 Sexual Response

• Masters and Johnson’s four phases

– Excitement-arousal stage: erection of penis and clitoris,
vaginal lubrication
– Plateau-stable, leveled off stage of arousal
– Orgasm/climax lasts a few seconds to slightly less than a
minute. Thought is suspended
– Resolution-body relaxes and begins to return to its
unexcited state
• Males experience refractory period (recovery stage which is
a temporary inability to reach orgasm) in the resolution
phase
 Sexual Response
– Two basic physiological processes
• Vasocongestion -engorgement of blood vessels
in particular body parts in response to sexual
arousal
• Myotonia-increased muscle tension that occurs
throughout the body during sexual arousal e.g
facial grimaces, spasmodic contractions of the
hands and muscular spasms during orgasm
Sexual Response Cycle
 Orgasm

• Shortest phase of sexual response cycle

– Men and women’s subjective descriptions of
orgasm are similar
– Most female orgasm during partnered sex result
from stimulation of the clitoris or oral sex
– Grafenberg spot
• Area on lower front wall of vagina
• Sensitive to pressure
• Sometimes results in “ejaculation”
Locating the Grafenberg Spot
 Aging and the Sexual Response Cycle

• Older women
– Response cycle continues but with decreased intensity
– Excitement
• Vaginal lubrication begins more slowly, reduced amount
– Plateau
• Decreased vagina flexibility
– Orgasm
• Number of uterine contractions decrease
• Need longer stimulation to reach orgasm
– Resolution
• Occurs more rapidly
 Aging and the Sexual Response Cycle

• Older men
– Response cycle continues, with changes in intensity and duration
of response
– Excitement
• Lengthened time to erection
• Erection less firm
– Plateau
• Able to sustain plateau phase longer
– Orgasm
• Reduced muscular contractions and force of ejaculation
– Resolution
• Occurs more rapidly
• Refractory period lengthens
 Age-Related Changes
in the Sexual Response Cycle
 Sex Differences in Sexual Response

• Greater variability in female response

• Females have a wider range in female response (3
for females, one for males)
• Male refractory period-minimal time needed after
an orgasm before experiencing another
• Women can experience multiple orgasms-up to 6
within a short period of time while men 2-3