We think a lot about sex. From deodorant commercials promising immediate stud-status, to lipsticks guaranteeing superior kissability, our daily lives are saturated with questions of sexual attraction and arousal.
An obvious scientific question arises: what’s happening in the brain and body when we’re sexually aroused, and what are the implications?
The primary brain region responsible for sexual arousal is the hypothalamus, an area that regulates many of the hormones in the body. The hypothalamus stimulates the genitals to release sex hormones—in this case, testosterone in men and estrogen in women. The resulting sexual response consists of four phases: excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution, and is characterised by changes in the genital areas. Men and women exhibit differences in their response to each phase. For example, after an orgasm, men experience a refractory period during which they cannot have a second orgasm. Since women do not have this refractory period, they can experience multiple orgasms in sequence.
The neurotransmitter dopamine stimulates the reward centres of the brain, giving us the sensation of pleasure during an orgasm. This reward system is also associated with feeding and drugs like cocaine, nicotine, and amphetamines. One Dutch scientist recently conducted a study where he scanned participants’ brains while they climaxed. The results showed that their brain activity resembled that of a heroin rush.
Sexual attraction is also—as you’ve probably noticed—a critical factor in mate selection. But something you might not expect is that women tend to select different mates depending on where they are in their menstrual cycle. In the long-term, women tend to select caring and responsible mates, while at the most fertile periods of their menstrual cycle, they choose partners deemed virile, commanding, and “masculine.” In other words, relationships are for nice guys, but leave the procreation part to manly men. UK scientists attribute this pattern to women’s unconscious drive to produce healthy, physically fit offspring, while retaining a caring mate who will help raise the family.
But once in the bedroom, arousal can be a whole other story. The use of Viagra to treat erectile dysfunction has revolutionized the pharmaceutical sex industry, although the drug itself was actually discovered by mistake. The chemical sildenafil, now sold as Viagra and Revatio, was originally formulated to treat high blood pressure and angina pectoris, a form of severe chest pain that usually results from coronary artery disease. When Pfizer first held clinical trials, researchers found little effect on patients’ angina condition, but noted that the drug could induce marked penile erections. Pfizer decided to leave the treatment of heart disease behind in order to market their newly found drug as the first oral treatment for erectile dysfunction.
With the success of Viagra, pharmaceutical researchers are desperately looking for its female equivalent. The so-called “pink Viagra” aims to boost low libido in women, via pill, skin patch, injection, or nasal spray. But the current research race for a female sexual stimulant also has its critics. Some doctors and psychologists make the case for couple therapy to help patients understand the underlying psychological issues that cause their lack of sexual desire, rather than a quick-fix pharmaceutical option.
Whatever the case may be, sex is serious business. And oh yes, it’s business time.
