Sexual Arousal
Sexual Arousal
Sexual Arousal
Pheromones
• Pheromones are biochemicals that are
secreted outside the body.
– In research on animals, some pheromones
appear to be important in sexual
communication and even have been called sex
attractants.
– Menstrual synchrony in humans is the
convergence over several months of the dates
of onset of menstrual periods among women
who are in close contact with each other.
Anaphrodisiacs
• Substances that decrease sexual
desire
• Examples:
– Potassium nitrate (saltpeter)
– Cyproterone acetate
Aphrodisiacs
• There is no known substance that works
well as an aphrodisiac.
• Myths: oysters, bananas, powdered
rhinoceros horn, bull’s testicles, amyl
nitrite, butyl nitrite.
• So-called natural aphrodisiacs include
yohimbe, cayenne, argininer, aventa sativa,
and damiana.
• Viagra and Cialis have been approved for
use in treating male sexual dysfunction.
The Sexual Response Cycle:
Definitions
• Vasocongestion occurs when a great deal of
blood flows into the blood vessels in a region,
in this case the genitals, as a result of the
dilation of the blood vessels in the region.
• Myotonia occurs when the muscles contract,
not only in the genitals but also throughout the
body.
The Sexual Response Cycle:
Stages of Sexual Response
• Masters and Johnson described four
stages of sexual response:
– Excitement
– Plateau
– Orgasm
– Resolution
The Sexual Response Cycle:
Excitement Phase
• The excitement phase is the beginning
of erotic arousal.
– Erection is the obvious arousal response in
the male.
– Lubrication of the vagina is an important
response of females.
– Both result from vascongestion.
The Sexual Response Cycle:
Plateau Phase
• Vasocongestion reaches its peak during the
plateau phase.
– The penis is completely erect, the glans swells,
and the testes are pulled higher and closer to
the body.
– The orgasmic platform is a tightening of the
outer third of the vagina and the elevation of
the clitoris.
The Sexual Response Cycle:
Orgasm
• In both males and females, there are sharp
increases in pulse rate, blood pressure, and
breathing rate during orgasm.
– For males “ejaculatory inevitability” is a
sensation that ejaculation is just about to
happen and cannot be stopped.
– For women the main feeling begins around the
clitoris and then spreads outward through the
whole pelvis.
The Sexual Response Cycle:
Resolution Phase
• Following orgasm is the resolution phase,
during which the body returns
physiologically to the unaroused state.
– Men enter a refractory period during
which they are incapable of being aroused
again.
– Women do not enter into a refractory
period, and some can have multiple
orgasms.
Multiple Orgasms in Women
• If stimulated again, a female can immediately be
aroused & move back into the excitement or
plateau phase & have another orgasm.
• Multiple orgasm is more likely to results from
hand-genital or mouth-genital stimulation than
from intercourse.
• Masters & Johnson found that women in
masturbation might have 5 to 20 orgasms.
• When a vibrator is used, some women were
capable of having 50 consecutive orgasms.