Why Women Have Sex (49 page)
Read Why Women Have Sex Online
Authors: Cindy M. Meston,David M. Buss
11. S
EXUAL
M
EDICINE
The release of endorphins: Couch, J., and Bearss, C. (1990). “Relief of Migraine with Sexual Intercourse,” | |
Some headache researchers believe: Weiller, C., May, A., et al. (1995). “Brain Stem Activation in Spontaneous Human Migraine Attacks,” | |
And during orgasm itself: Whipple, B., and Komisaruk, B. R. (1985). “Elevation of Pain Threshold by Vaginal Stimulation in Women,” | |
With the help of a speculum device: Cited in Levin, R. (2007). “Sexual Activity, Health and Well-being—The Beneficial Roles of Coitus and Masturbation,” | |
Researchers at Yale University School of Medicine: Meaddough, E. L., Olive, D. L., et al. (2001). “Sexual Activity, Orgasm and Tampon Use Are Associated with a Decreased Risk for Endometriosis,” | |
According to Pliny: Cited in O’Dowd, M. J., and Philipp, E. E. (2000). | |
Masters and Johnson termed this “spectatoring”: Masters, W., and Johnson, V. E. (1970). | |
Interestingly, research has shown that there is a 400 percent: Brody, S., and Kruger, T.H.C. (2006). “The Post-orgasmic Increase Following Intercourse Is Greater than Following Masturbation and Suggests Greater Satiety,” | |
In one study, women watched a travel documentary: Palace, E. M., and Gorzalka, B. B. (1990). “The Enhancing Effects of Anxiety on Arousal in Sexually Dysfunctional and Functional Women,” | |
In the Meston . . . Lab, we decided to look: Meston, C. M., and Gorzalka, B. B. (1995). “The Effects of Sympathetic Activation on Physiological and Subjective Sexual Arousal in Women,” | |
A few years ago, the Meston Lab research team: Meston, C. M., and Frohlich, P. F. (2003). “Love at First Fright: Partner Salience Moderates Roller Coaster–Induced Excitation Transfer,” | |
“Women stood up in the stands drumming”: Mannix, D. P. (1958). | |
Over a lifetime, approximately 20 percent: Weissman, M. M., and Olfson, M. (1995). “Depression in Women: Implications for Health Care Research,” | |
Researcher Thomas Wehr and his colleagues: Cited in Leibenluft, E. (1998). “Why Are So Many Women Depressed?” | |
Also, given that sexual arousal and orgasm: Exton, M. S., Bindert, A., et al. (1999). “Cardiovascular and Endocrine Alterations after Masturbation-induced Orgasm in Women,” | |
In a recent study conducted in the Meston Lab: Hamilton, L. D., Rellini, A. H., and Meston, C. M. (2008). “Cortisol, Sexual Arousal, and Affect in Response to Sexual Stimuli,” | |
In another study conducted in the Meston Lab: Frohlich, P. F., and Meston, C. M. (2002). “Sexual Functioning and Self-Reported Depressive Symptoms Among College Women,” | |
At times masturbation may provide benefits: Gallup, G. G., Burch, R. L., and Platek, S. M. (2002). “Does Semen Have Antidepressant Properties?” | |
In fact, some of the hormones: Benziger, D. P., and Edelson, J. (1983). “Absorption from the Vagina,” | |
Both of these hormones have been shown: Abdullah, Y. H., and Hamadah, K. (1975). “Effect of ADP on PGE1 Formation in the Blood Platelets from Patients with Depression, Mania and Schizophrenia,” | |
. . . and estrogen has been shown: Coope, J. (1996). “Hormonal and Non-Hormonal Interventions for Menopausal Symptoms,” | |
Among younger women: Roy-Byrne, P. P., Rubinow, D. R., Gold, P. W., and Post, R. M. (1984). “Possible Antidepressant Effects of Oral Contraceptives: Case Report,” | |
As we saw earlier, low testosterone levels: Wester, R. C., Noonan, P. K., and Maibach, H.I. (1980). “Variations in Percutaneous Absorption of Testosterone in the Rhesus Monkey Due to Anatomic Site of Application and Frequency of Application, | |
Using duplex ultrasonography: Becher, E. F., Bechara, A., and Casabe, A. (2001). “Clitoral Hemodynamic Changes After a Topical Application of Al-prostadil,” | |
And in a later study: Padma-Nathan, H., Brown, C., Fendl, J., Salem, S., Yeager, J., and Harning, R. (2003). “Efficacy and Safety of Topical Alprostadil Cream for the Treatment of Female Sexual Arousal Disorder (FSAD): A Double-blind, Multicenter, Randomized, and Placebo Controlled Clinical Trial,” | |
Women’s ideal durations of foreplay: Miller, S. A., and Byers, E. S. (2004). “Actual and Desired Duration of Foreplay and Intercourse: Discordance and Misper-ceptions Within Heterosexual Couples,” | |
The average is somewhat higher: Laumann, E. O., Gagnon, J. H., et al. (1994). | |
One study that questioned men and women repeatedly: Palmore, E. B. (1982). “Predictors of the Longevity Differences: A 25-Year Follow-up,” | |
A recent study of nearly 2,500 elderly Taiwanese: Chen, H., Tseng, C., et al. (2007). “A Prospective Cohort Study on the Effect of Sexual Activity, Libido and Widowhood on Mortality Among the elderly People: 14-Year Follow-up of 2453 elderly Taiwanese,” | |
One study showed that nuns: Meurer, J., McDermott, R. J., and Malloy, M. J. (1990). “An Exploratory Study of the Health Practices of American Catholic Nuns,” | |
But once a woman goes through menopause: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (1988). | |
Even younger women who have had both of their ovaries removed: Stampler, M. J., Colditz, G. A., and Willett, W. C. (1990). “Menopause and Heart Disease: A Review,” | |
In contrast, there is an abundance of research: Stampler, M. J., and Colditz, G. A. (2004). “Estrogen Replacement Therapy and Coronary Heart Disease: A Quantitative Assessment of the Epidemiologic Evidence,” | |
But men and women in poor relationships: Kiecolt-Glaser, J. K., Glaser, R., et al. (1998). “Marital Stress: Immunologic, Neuroendocrine, and Autonomic Correlates,” | |
To examine whether how often a person has sex: Charnetski, C. J., and Brennan, F. X. (2004). “Sexual Frequency and Salivary Immunoglobulin A (IgA),” | |
. . . but one study found that too much opioid peptide: Van Epps, D. E., and Saland, L. (1984). “Beta-endorphin and Metenkephalin Stimulate Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell Chemotaxin,” | |
One study found that postmenopausal women: Leiblum, S., Bachman, E., et al. (1983). “Vaginal Atrophy in the Post Menopausal Woman: The Importance of Sexual Activity and Hormones,” |
Cindy M. Meston
My parents did not have great expectations for me. My mother wanted me to marry the manager of Safeway so that she could get a 10 percent discount at the meat counter, and my father wanted me to marry someone who could fix my carburetor. They were from a time and place that valued hard work and self-sacrifice, but not education. For giving me the confidence to forge my own path in life, I will forever be grateful to the late Maradine Portt and to my lifelong cheerleader, Claudia McNeil. For laughing at my every stupid story, believing in my every new plan, and standing by me through every heartache since we first became friends in Miss Funk’s grade 2 class, I am indebted to Sherry Rempel (p.s., I’m sorry for all the times I tormented you as a child—especially when I dressed you up as a Christmas tree and plugged you in at my parent’s dinner party).
There are several people who have had an enormous impact on my academic career. Thanks to Boris Gorzalka, my graduate supervisor, whose amazing teaching skills lured me from the world of sewing machines to the field of psychology. Thanks to Julia Heiman, my postdoctoral
supervisor, for your continued sage mentorship and support, to Irwin Goldstein for your unbridled enthusiasm for my research, and to Sandra Leiblum, Ray Rosen, and Lorraine Dennerstein for saying all the right things. I am hugely grateful to the psychology department at the University of Texas at Austin for the support I have received over the past eleven years. Special thanks to Randy Diehl, the dean of liberal arts; Jamie Pennebaker, the chair of the psychology department; and Caryn Carlson, the clinical area head: Your continuous support and guidance have made all the difference. For the energy, enthusiasm, creativity, and intellectual stimulation that they have brought to my lab over the past decade, I thank my former and current graduate students: Penny Frohlich, Alessandra Rellini, Katie McCall, Annie Bradford, Brooke Seal, Lisa Dawn Hamilton, Christopher Harte, Tierney Arhold, Yasisca Pujols, Kyle Stephenson, and Cory Ann Pallatto.