Science Uncovers Clues About Male and Female Dysfunction
The future of sex is fabulous, if the great strides made in sex research during just the past year are any indication. Here's a 10-strong sampling of recently discovered scientific clues about men's and women's sexual function ... and dysfunction.
Impotence ... Signal of Some Heart Trouble?Erectile dysfunction could be linked with a threefold increase in heart attack risk, according to findings reported at the November 2003 conference of the American Heart Association. A study by the Mayo Clinic that included 2,000 male participants suggests impotence can be a signal of poor heart health in men, but researchers stopped short of trying to define the exact relationship between impotence and heart trouble.
Dropping Pounds ... Effective Against Impotence?In a study in Italy of about 100 obese men who suffered from erectile dysfunction, almost a third got back normal sexual function after joining an intensive weight-loss program. The men meanwhile lowered their blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Hysterectomy ... Helpful for Sex Function?Two new studies with results reported in OB GYN News near the end of 2003 show that sexual function isn't hurt — and might be improved — after hysterectomy, regardless of surgical approach for removal of the uterus. In the first study of 70 women, 70 percent said they had no change or an increased desire for sex about half a year after their hysterectomy. In the second study of 352 women, sexual satisfaction increased significantly from a preoperative average of 7 on a scale of 1 to 10 to 7.5 six months after the operation.
DHEA ... Taking Over Testosterone's Role?Australian researchers have determined that the natural steroid hormone DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) might be a better predictor of low sexual desire in young women than testosterone. Young women with the lowest levels of desire and arousal also tested lowest for DHEA levels in blood samples, while testosterone levels did not correlate with extent of sexual dysfunction.
Propecia for Hair Loss ... No Sexual Side Effects?The prescription hair-loss drug Propecia — a male hormone blocker used at higher doses to treat prostate enlargement — has been thought to cause erection difficulties in some men taking it. The bald truth, according to a study completed by Italian researchers earlier this year: Propecia does not seem to be associated with significant changes in overall sexual satisfaction or in erectile function, orgasmic function or sexual desire.
Clues About Sexual Dysfunction
Buproprion ... Least Likely to Depress Sexual Function?Among six new-generation antidepressants — bupropion (Wellbutrin), citalopram (Celexa), fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem), paroxetine (Paxil), sertraline (Zoloft) and venlafaxine (Effexor) — sexual dysfunction was least common in women taking bupropion, according to a study reported in late 2003 at a meeting of the North American Menopause Society. More than 95 percent of women taking one of the six new antidepressants experienced at least one type of sexual dysfunction, with most reporting trouble in the arousal and desire phases.
Jellyfish ... Cure for Impotence?An Australian researcher says toxins from the potentially deadly Irukandji jellyfish cause prolonged erections in male stinging victims. The toxins, which can cause excruciating pain, paralysis and a potentially deadly blood pressure spike, are far from a point of being tamed for marketing as a sex enhancer, though.
Urinary Tract Trouble and Male Sex Dysfunction ... Common Cause?A Mayo Clinic study suggests a link between lower urinary tract symptoms and sexual dysfunction in older men. The most common urinary tract symptoms associated with sexual dysfunction included urgency to urinate, weak urine stream, straining to start urination, and the need to get up many times each night. Researchers hope that the finding of a connection will lead to the development of medical treatments for both conditions.
Women With Genital Pain ... Sensitive to All Pain Stimuli?Women who experience painful discomfort in the vulva, known as vulvodynia, may be especially sensitive to pain in general, according to researchers from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. The fact that women with vulvodynia also felt more pain from pressure applied to the shin, thumb and deltoid (shoulder muscle) supported this conclusion: Some women who suffer from pain during sex might benefit from treatments focusing on general pain control.
Women's Sexual Arousal ... Bisexual by Nature?A mid-2003 Northwestern University study finds that women have a bisexual arousal pattern when watching erotica — heterosexual women were just as sexually aroused by watching female-only sex as by watching males. This is fundamentally different from men's patterns, researchers say, which track sexual orientation: Gay men are aroused by images of men, and heterosexual men by images of women.