The characteristics of sexual behavior in blind men in Ganzhou, China: A cross-sectional study.

Visual stimuli play key roles in influencing men sexual behavior. However, few studies have explored the sexual behavior of blind men. To provide more information about blind men for the study of andrology by surveying the characteristics of their current sexual behavior. A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study design was performed. The questionnaire contained questions regarding demographic characteristics of participants, access to sexual knowledge, perception of the sexual partners' beauty, and sexual arousal. Blind men were interviewed face-to-face by the trained investigator. Complete questionnaires were collected from 54 participants, with an average age of 40.57 ±â€…9.80 years old. Eye diseases were the most frequent cause of blindness. In terms of sexual orientation, all participants were heterosexual. Notably, 90.7% of the participants reported to have had a sexual experience. Among those who had engaged in sexual behavior, 93.6% experienced sexual pleasure and 69.4% had a normal erectile function. Overall, 16.7% of the participants received sex education. The participants obtained sexual knowledge mainly through sounds from mobile phones, peer-to-peer communication, sounds of television and radio. Voice was the most frequent perception of the sexual partners' beauty, followed by figure, skin, and body fragrance. In terms of stimuli of sexual arousal, tactile sensation and auditory sensation in that order were the most frequent stimuli of sexual arousal. Stimuli of sexual arousal in blind men are mainly mediated by sound and touch. Blind men understand their sexual partners' beauty through auditory, tactile, and olfactory sensations. Blind men in Ganzhou lack formal and systematic sex education.

Validity and Reliability Evidence and Norms for the Spanish Version of the Sexual Inhibition/Sexual Excitation Scales-Short Form.

BACKGROUND: The Sexual Inhibition/Sexual Excitation Scales-Short Form (SIS/SES-SF) is a brief instrument for assessing the propensity for sexual excitement and inhibition in men and women. The aim of the present study was to provide evidence for the validity and reliability of the Spanish version of the SIS/SES-SF scores by examining invariance, reliability (information function and internal consistency), the relationship between the scores and sexual functioning, and presenting its standard scores. METHOD: A total of 2,223 Spanish heterosexuals (43.41% men and 56.59% women) aged 18 to 83 years (M = 39.94, SD = 11.95), distributed across age groups (18-34, 35-49, ≥ 50 years old) participated. RESULTS: The three-factor structure of the Spanish version of SIS/SES-SF showed weak measurement invariance by sex and strict measurement invariance by age. The scores explained the dimensions of sexual functioning, especially sexual arousal and erection/lubrication. In addition, men and women without difficulties in sexual functioning demonstrated more propensity for sexual excitation and less sexual inhibition. The standard scores are presented by sex and age group. CONCLUSIONS: The study provides evidence of the validity and reliability of the SIS/SES-SF measures, confirming its usefulness for assessing propensity to sexual excitation and inhibition.

Physiological Synchrony During Partnered Sexual Activity.

Physiological synchrony (PS) refers to the coordination of bodily responses in close relationships. It seems to be linked to relational well-being, satisfaction, closeness, and empathy. Recent research extends these findings to sexual relationships as well, with evidence suggesting that PS may predict attraction and sexual satisfaction. The current study focuses on PS during sexual activity within established couples. Results suggest that PS develops during sexual activity, in certain contexts, and tends to be greater in magnitude during sexual encounters than during non-sexual interactions. Results may shed light on the dyadic psychophysiological factors relevant to sexual experiences.

Auditory Cues Alter the Magnitude and Valence of Subjective Sexual Arousal and Desire Induced by an Erotic Video.

Although women and men rate their subjective arousal similarly in response to "female-centric" erotic videos, women rate their subjective arousal lower than men in response to "male-centric" videos, which often end with the male's ejaculation. This study asked whether ratings of subjective sexual arousal and desire using the Sexual Arousal and Desire Inventory (SADI) would be altered if this ending was present or absent, and whether including or excluding the accompanying soundtrack would influence the magnitude and direction of the responses. A total of 119 cis-gendered heterosexual undergraduates (59 women and 60 men) viewed an 11-min sexually explicit heterosexual video that ended with a 15-s ejaculation scene. Two versions of the video were created, one with the ejaculatory ending (E+) and one without (E-). Participants were assigned randomly to view one of the two versions with (S+) or without (S-) the accompanying soundtrack, after which they completed the state version of the SADI. Women and men found both sequences without sound less arousing on the Evaluative, Motivational, and Physiological subscales of the SADI relative to the S+ sequences. However, on the Negative/Aversive subscale, women found the E + S- sequence more negative than did men, whereas this difference was not found with sound. Thus, women and men were sensitive to the auditory content of sexually explicit videos, and scenes of sexual intercourse ending with explicit ejaculation increased the Evaluative and Motivational properties of subjective sexual arousal and desire. However, this occurred in women only when the auditory cues signaled a clear and gratifying sexual interaction.

Real is the new sexy: the influence of perceived realness on self-reported arousal to sexual visual stimuli.

As state-of-art technology can create artificial images that are indistinguishable from real ones, it is urgent to understand whether believing that a picture is real or not has some import over affective phenomena such as sexual arousal. Thus, in two pre-registered online studies, we tested whether 60 images depicting models in underwear elicited higher self-reported sexual arousal when believed to be (N = 57) or presented as (N = 108) real photographs as opposed to artificially generated. In both cases, Realness correlated with significantly higher scores on self-reported sexual arousal. Consistently with the literature on downregulation of emotional response to fictional works, our result indicates that sexual images that are perceived to be fake are less arousing than those believed to portray real people.

The Diagnostic Spectrum of Sexual Hallucinations.

ABSTRACT: Sexual hallucinations are little known, yet often extremely burdening, phenomena. In this systematic review, we summarize what is known about their phenomenology, prevalence, etiopathology, ensuing distress, and treatment options. Sexual hallucinations can be experienced as genital or orgasmic sensations, although other sensory modalities can also be involved. With the notable exception of orgasmic auras in the context of epilepsy, sexual hallucinations tend to be distressing and embarrassing in nature. Our analysis of 79 studies (together describing 390 patients) indicates that sexual hallucinations are more frequent in women than in men, with a sex ratio of 1.4:1, and that they are most prevalent in schizophrenia spectrum disorders, with rates ranging from 1.4% in recently admitted patients to 44% in chronically hospitalized patients. Other underlying conditions include epilepsy, the incubus phenomenon (possibly the most prevalent cause in the general population, associated with sleep paralysis), narcolepsy, and sedative use. As regards the sedative context, we found more medicolegal than purely medical cases, which sadly underlines that not all sexually explicit sensations experienced in anesthesia practice are indeed hallucinations. In the absence of evidence-based treatment protocols for sexual hallucinations, practice-based guidelines tend to focus on the underlying condition. Further research is needed, especially in the fields of substance abuse, posttraumatic stress disorder, and borderline personality disorder, where only anecdotal information on sexual hallucinations is available. Moreover, awareness of sexual hallucinations among health professionals needs to be improved in order to facilitate counseling, diagnosis, and treatment.

Alcohol, Sexual Arousal, and Partner Familiarity as Predictors of Condom Negotiation: An Experience Sampling Study.

Numerous contextual factors contribute to risky sexual decision-making among men who have sex with men (MSM), with experimental laboratory-based studies suggesting that alcohol consumption, sexual arousal, and partner familiarity have the potential to impact condom negotiations during sexual encounters. The purpose of the current study was to extend this line of inquiry outside of the laboratory and into the everyday lives of MSM. We collected six weeks of daily data on alcohol consumption and sexual behaviors from 257 moderate- and heavy-drinking MSM to examine the within- and between-subjects effects of alcohol consumption, average daily sexual arousal, and partner familiarity on condom negotiation processes during sexual encounters. We hypothesized that alcohol consumption, higher levels of average daily sexual arousal, and greater partner familiarity would all contribute to a reduced likelihood of condom negotiation prior to sexual activity, and that they would also affect the difficulty of negotiations. Contrary to hypotheses, none of these three predictors had significant within-subjects effects on condom negotiation outcomes. However, partner familiarity and average daily sexual arousal did exert significant between-subjects effects on the incidence of negotiation and negotiation difficulty. These findings have important implications for risk-reduction strategies in this population. They also highlight the challenges of reconciling results from experimental laboratory research and experience sampling conducted outside of the laboratory on sexual risk behavior.

Sexual Desire Emerges from Subjective Sexual Arousal, but the Connection Depends on Desire Type and Relationship Satisfaction.

According to models of responsive sexual desire, desire emerges from sexual arousal. This study examined how sexual desire type (dyadic-partner, dyadic-other, solitary) and relationship satisfaction affect the connection between subjective sexual arousal (SSA) and desire. Women (N = 100; 27% with sexual interest/arousal disorder symptoms) reported SSA while viewing a sexual film. Solitary and dyadic responsive sexual desire were assessed immediately before and following the film (immediate desire) and three days later (delayed desire). SSA predicted higher immediate solitary desire. SSA also predicted higher immediate dyadic desire, and this link was stronger for those with higher relationship satisfaction; for those with low relationship satisfaction, SSA was unrelated. For delayed desire, SSA predicted higher dyadic-partner desire, regardless of relationship satisfaction. SSA also predicted higher dyadic-other desire, yet this association was stronger for those with low relationship satisfaction; for those with high relationship satisfaction, SSA was unrelated to dyadic-other desire. Findings support the theoretical premise that desire emerges from arousal, but that this connection is dependent upon additional factors, specifically the target and timing of desire and participants' current relationship quality. Relationship satisfaction may affect the motivational value of sex with (and without) a current partner.

Reduction in genital sexual arousal varies by type of oral contraceptive pill.

BACKGROUND: Although oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) have been associated with decrements in self-reported genital arousal and vaginal lubrication, 1,2 little is known about how these outcomes vary across types of OCPs. AIM: The present study examined differences in physiological lubrication and vaginal blood flow, as well as rates of self-reported vulvovaginal atrophy and female sexual arousal disorder, among women using OCPs with varying androgenic properties. METHODS: Participants in this study were 130 women: 59 naturally cycling control women, 50 women taking androgenic OCPs, and 21 women taking antiandrogenic OCPs. Participants watched sexual films while their sexual arousal responses were measured, completed questionnaires, and participated in a clinical interview. OUTCOMES: Vaginal blood flow, vaginal lubrication, self-reported vulvovaginal atrophy, and female sexual arousal disorder were assessed. RESULTS: Results indicated deficits in vaginal pulse amplitude and lubrication for women taking either form of OCP, with marked inhibitory effects found in women taking antiandrogenic OCPs. Rates of self-reported vulvovaginal atrophy and female sexual arousal disorder were also significantly greater in the antiandrogenic group compared with the control group. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: It is recommended that prescribing clinicians consult patients on such physiological effects of OCPs. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS: To our knowledge, this was the first study to compare multiple measures of physiological sexual arousal across groups of women taking OCPs with varying hormonal profiles. Because all OCPs included in this study contained low doses of ethinylestradiol, we were able to identify the specific effects of the androgenic properties on women's sexual arousal responses. However, the self-administered lubrication test strip was subject to user error. Additionally, the generalizability of findings is limited by the largely heterosexual and college-aged sample. CONCLUSION: Compared with naturally cycling women, women taking OCPs that contain antiandrogenic progestins experienced decreased vaginal blood flow and lubrication as well as higher rates of self-reported vaginal bleeding and female sexual arousal disorder.

The way you make me feel: an ecological momentary assessment study on couple similarity in sexual arousal and its sexual, relational, and affective correlates.

BACKGROUND: Although sexual arousal is commonly experienced in the daily context of relationships, most of what we know about sexual arousal comes from studies on individuals, often conducted in a laboratory context. AIM: To explore to what extent similarity in levels of sexual arousal during nongenital physical intimacy (ie, cuddling and kissing) was associated with each partner's affect as well as sexual and relationship satisfaction. METHODS: Ninety-four cohabitating couples (mean ± SD age, 26.30 ± 7.60; 88 mixed gender, 6 same gender) completed 6 ecological momentary assessments a day for 10 consecutive days. We used response surface analysis to examine the associations among the degree and direction of similarity in partners' sexual arousal and affective, sexual, and relational outcome variables. OUTCOMES: Sexual satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, and positive and negative affect. RESULTS: Sexual arousal levels covaried only when partners engaged in physically intimate behaviors, unlike affective responses, which covaried within couples more globally over time. Within-couple similarity at high levels of sexual arousal was positively associated with women's sexual satisfaction but unrelated to men and women's relationship satisfaction and affect. Individual- and couple-level sexual arousal was positively associated with men's sexual satisfaction and women's sexual and relationship satisfaction. Couple-level sexual arousal was relevant to men's affect such that positive affect was higher when sexual arousal levels within the couple were high. Our analyses also revealed a discrepancy effect in that women's positive affect was higher when their own sexual arousal levels were higher than those of their partners. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: These findings suggest that as long as sexual arousal levels within a couple are sufficiently high, sexual arousal similarity and discrepancy can be beneficial to one's well-being, supporting the relevance of therapeutical techniques aimed at increasing arousal levels to promote a better affective and relational climate for couples. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS: This study is the first to test the daily associations among sexual arousal similarity and its correlates in a sample of cohabitating couples, providing a more comprehensive view of the interpersonal dynamics through which sexual arousal may influence individual, relational, and sexual well-being. Given our sample's relatively young age, as well as high sexual and relationship satisfaction, the results may not generalize to couples experiencing sexual or relational distress. CONCLUSION: Within the context of daily relationships, individual- and couple-level dynamics of sexual arousal were associated with sexual and relationship satisfaction, as well as with affective responses of relationship partners.

Bidirectional relationship between sexual arousal and (sex-related) disgust.

Sexual stimuli provoke both sexual arousal and disgust, and the coaction between these emotions determines sexually behavioral outcomes. The current research includes two experiments to explore the bidirectional relationship between sexual arousal toward erotic stimuli and disgust induced by sexual body fluids. Study 1 presented 234 participants (117 women) with sexual body (vs. neutral) fluids followed by erotic stimuli, and Study 2 presented 235 participants (117 women) with erotic (vs. neutral) videos followed by sexual body fluids (and a non-sex-related stimulus). Study 1 showed that exposure to sexual body fluids reduced sexual arousal and the likelihood of sexual engagement toward erotic stimuli in participants with high sexual disgust sensitivity but increased sexual arousal and the likelihood of sexual engagement in participants with low sexual disgust sensitivity, while Study 2 suggested that men exposed to erotic (vs. neutral) stimuli reported lower disgust, stronger sexual arousal state, and higher willingness to interact with the sexual body fluids. There was no relationship between subjective feelings of sexual arousal and disgust in these experiments, while the balance of sexual arousal and disgust toward sexual body fluids and erotic stimuli had a positive association. Also, exposure to erotic stimuli had no effect on reactions to generally disgusting stimulus, but feelings of sexual arousal toward erotic stimuli were positively associated with disgust induced by generally disgusting fluid. These findings suggest that Behavior Immune System regulates disgust to establish a balance between benefit and cost related to sex as well as provide insight into the process underlying sexual dysfunctions.

Effect of prefrontal transcranial direct current stimulation on sexual arousal: A proof of concept study.

There is preliminary evidence that high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation targeting the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) could reduce cue-induced sexual arousal. Here, we aimed to replicate this finding by using transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). In a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled crossover study design, 24 healthy male participants received anodal tDCS over right DLPFC, anodal tDCS over left DLPFC, and sham tDCS with exposure to neutral and sexual video cues before and after each intervention. None of the interventions significantly reduced subjective sexual arousal. Stimulation parameters should be varied in further studies to identify factors relevant to the intended effect.

Sexual Stimuli Cause Behavioral Disinhibition in Both Men and Women, but Even More So in Men.

In our society men are considered more impulsive than women, especially in the violent and sexual domain. This correlation of sex and impulsivity might trace back to enhanced male impulsivity in general or a domain specific effect of emotions on impulsivity. The evidence for sex differences in the interaction of emotional or sexual stimuli and impulsivity has been relatively inconclusive so far. In this study, we investigated the effects of various emotional stimuli on responsivity in a Go/No-Go task. Participants had to respond quickly to a visual cue and withhold their response to another visual cue, while different emotional pictures were presented in the background, including sexual stimuli, non-sexual positive stimuli and negative stimuli. Both men (N = 37) and women (N = 38) made most commission errors in the sexual condition, indicating a disinhibiting effect in both genders. On top of this, men made even more commission errors than women, specifically in the sexual condition and not in other conditions. Men rated sexual stimuli as more positive, but did not differ from women in arousal ratings and pupil dilation. These findings may partly indicate increased impulsive behavior under sexual arousal in men, most likely driven by enhanced approach motivation due to more positive value but not higher arousal of sexual stimuli. The results are consistent with the theory of evolutionarily based concealment of sexual interest in women.

The Effect of Alcohol and Sexual Arousal on Explicit and Implicit Condom Attitudes and Intentions to Use a Condom.

Alcohol and sexual arousal are contextual determinants of condomless sex. Dual-process theory postulates that two types of cognitive processing contribute to the regulation of behavior: one that is fast, intuitive and automatic, and another that is slower and deliberative. This study applied a dual-process model to investigate condomless sexual behavior, highlighting the potential importance of implicit attitudes in condomless sex. We investigated whether the impact of alcohol and sexual arousal on condom use-related attitudes and intentions was explained by diminished working memory capacity, as dual-process models suggest. We also investigated whether this effect could be explained by implicit and explicit attitudes toward condom use. Male participants (N = 30) were randomized using a 2 × 2 within-subjects design that manipulated alcohol intoxication (placebo vs. alcohol beverages) and sexual arousal (neutral vs. erotic movie clips). We measured participants' working memory capacity, intentions to use a condom, and explicit and implicit attitudes toward condom use. Significant main effects of alcohol intoxication and sexual arousal on working memory capacity were found. No significant interaction was found for the combined effect of alcohol intoxication and sexual arousal on intentions to use a condom. There was no significant effect of implicit attitudes on intentions to use a condom, although a trend toward significance (p = 0.06) was found for the effect of implicit attitudes on intentions to use a condom when participants were in a state of alcohol intoxication. Theoretical and practical implications of this study are discussed.

Patterns of Genital and Subjective Sexual Arousal in Cisgender Asexual Men.

Human asexuality has been defined as a lack of sexual attraction to others, although its nature is not well understood. Asexual men's genital and subjective sexual arousal patterns were compared to sexual men's to better understand asexual men's sexual response patterns. Using a penile plethysmograph to measure genital arousal, 20 asexual, 27 heterosexual, and 22 gay cisgender men (M age = 28.28, SD = 9.41) viewed erotic films depicting sexual activity or masturbation, and a subsample engaged in sexual fantasy of their choosing. Questionnaires assessing sexual function and behavior were also completed. Asexual men scored lower on sexual desire and orgasmic function, higher on sexual aversion, and did not differ on overall sexual satisfaction. Compared with gay and heterosexual men, asexual men demonstrated lower genital and subjective sexual arousal to the erotic films but displayed similar sexual arousal when engaging in sexual fantasy. Asexual men's lower levels of sexual excitation rather than their higher levels of sexual inhibition were associated with lower responses to the erotic films. These findings suggest asexual men have preferred sexual stimuli that differ from sexual men and have a similar capacity for sexual arousal as sexual men. Collectively these findings add to a growing literature aiming to understand the nature of asexuality.

The influence of sexual arousal on subjective pain intensity during a cold pressor test in women.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Pain can be significantly lessened by sex/orgasm, likely due to the release of endorphins during sex, considered potent analgesics. The evidence suggests that endorphins are also present during sexual arousal (that is, prior to sex/orgasm). It follows then that pain can be modulated during sexual arousal, independent of sex/orgasm, too. Accordingly, sexual arousal induced by erotic slides has been demonstrated to lessen pain in men, but not in women. One explanation could be that for women, the erotic slides were not potent enough to elicit a lasting primed state of sexual arousal by the time pain was induced. Thus, the current study aims to optimize the means of inducing a potent state of sexual arousal and subsequently examine the potentially analgesic influence of sexual arousal on pain in women. As a subsidiary aim, the study also assesses whether the anticipated analgesic effect of sexual arousal would be stronger than that of distraction or generalized (non-sexual) arousal. METHODS: Female participants (N = 151) were randomly distributed across four conditions: sexual arousal, generalized arousal, distraction, neutral. Mild pain was induced using a cold pressor while participants were concurrently exposed to film stimuli (pornographic, exciting, distracting, neutral) to induce the targeted emotional states. A visual analogue scale was utilized to measure the subjective level of pain perceived by the participants. RESULTS: Sexual arousal did not reduce subjective pain. Generalized arousal and distraction did not result in stronger analgesic effects than the neutral condition. CONCLUSION: The present findings do not support the hypothesis that sexual arousal alone modulates subjective pain in women. This might be due to the possibility that genital stimulation and/or orgasm are key in pain reduction, or, that feelings of disgust may inadvertently have been induced by the pornographic stimulus and interfered with sexual arousal in influencing pain.

A Penny for Your (Sexual) Thoughts: Qualitative Analysis of Women's Self-Described Reactions to Sexual and Nonsexual Stimuli.

Women display a wide range of subjective (self-reported), physiological (genital response), and emotional responses to sexual stimuli. Sexual responses are often assessed using quantitative methodologies; qualitative data can corroborate quantitative data and reveal novel information and avenues for discovery for understanding variations in patterns of sexual response. The current study examined women's (n = 148) responses to various sexual and non-sexual stimuli through open-ended, free response thought journals immediately after watching various neutral (nature themed) and sexually explicit video clips (e.g., solitary masturbation, intercourse). A qualitative content analysis of 842 responses was conducted by five independent coders to determine participants' thoughts immediately after viewing stimuli. Prominent themes included: (1) stimulus appraisals; (2) emotional expressions; and (3) self-reflections and disclosures, which further included participants' sexual-self-disclosures; (4) various degrees of sexual arousal (or lack thereof); and (5) sexual and non-sexual desires. Additional analyses include frequencies and comparisons of specific themes between stimulus types. Findings contribute to understanding cognitive and emotional components of sexual response.

Increased Urination Urgency Exacerbates Sexual Risk-Taking Through Heightened Sexual Arousal.

Increased urination urgency has been shown to facilitate impulse control in cognitive domains, but its effects in other areas are unknown. We examined whether inhibitory spillover effects would replicate and extend to close relationships-specifically, influencing decision making related to sexual risk-taking. Across three studies, we either measured (Studies 1 and 3) or manipulated (Study 2) participants' bladder pressure and assessed sexual self-control using a questionnaire of sexual risk-taking intentions (Study 1) or a simulated semi-behavioral sexual risk-taking (Choose Your Own Sexual Adventure) task (Studies 2 and 3). Study 1 (N = 44 men, 59 women) showed greater urination urgency was associated with greater sexual risk-taking. Study 2 (N = 65 men, 91 women) showed that increasing urination urgency led to greater sexual risk-taking, but only among men. Study 3 (N = 86 men, 183 women) showed elevated urination urgency was associated with an increase in sexual arousal, which accounted for the greater sexual risk-taking.