Ch5: Sex Hormones & Human Sexuality Flashcards
Etymology of hormone
Greek “ormao” = to excite or arouse
Organs that secrete hormones into blood, affecting distant tissues!!
Endocrine organs
TRUE/FALSE: you need a shit ton of hormones to kick-start puberty
False!!! Small traces of hormones kick-start puberty!
Main sex hormones??? (3)
Androgens, estrogens, progestogens
~ the master gland~ that controls most other endocrine glands
Pituitary!
Birth rates highest in which season?
Late summer & early autumn
Birth rates lowest in???
Late winter;;;; early spring;;;;
What people doing in the darkest winter months?
Conceiving babies
What people doing in late summer and early autumn?
Giving birth
Menstrual cycle has 3 phases;;; what they called?
Follicular, ovulatory, luteal
Follicular phase is also the _____ phase.
Proliferative
What happens during the follicular phase?
(Same as proliferative phase)
Menstruation occurs at the very beginning
Also buildup of endometrium stimulated by estrogen
What happens during the ovulatory phase?
Spike in 2 hormones, promoting ovulation and ovaries’ production of estrogen and progesterone
What hormones increase during ovulatory phase?
Spike in 2 hormones
- luteinizing hormone
- follicle stimulating hormone
What happens during the luteal phase?
Progesterone increases complexity of endometrium
without conception, period will occur in next phase (which is follicular)
How does hormonal contraceptive work?
- Combination pills: suppress hormones that occur during ovulation: luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone
- Stops ovulation, may also change cervical mucous and lining of the womb to prevent implantation
PMS/PMDD: negative mood most commonly reported during _______ phase of menstrual cycle
Luteal
Has a direct relationship between ovarian hormones and mood been established?
No
True or false: administering estrogen has a consistently negative effect on people’s mood.
False: administering estrogen has mixed effects
Luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone have a role in male development and reproduction as well. Describe these roles. (2 points)
Luteinizing hormone binds to cells inside testes, sends signal to secrete testosterone. Testosterone is needed for sperm production.
Levels of luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone remain relatively constant in boys/men following puberty.
What are secondary sexual characteristics? 2 pts
Developed during puberty
Triggered by activation of HPG axis
What’s that HPG axis again?
Hypothalamus pituitary gonadal axis
Hypothalamus role in sex
Highly responsive to hormones!
PRODUCES sex hormones
Influences sexual acts
Influences people’s perception of sexuality?
Male secondary sex characteristics (4)
Increased muscle mass
Facial hair
Growth of testes
Lowering of voice
Female secondary sex characteristics
Widening of hips and pelvis
Growth of breasts
Increased fat tissue in arms, thighs, and buttocks
HOW HORMONES AFFECT SEXUALITY
Title card
What hormone, when administered, increases genital sexual arousal?
Testosterone
What hormone, when administered, increases vaginal wall thickness, elasticity, lubrications, and vasocongestion?
Estradiol
There is a certain type of hormones that is thought to be linked to sex drive and desire…what is it?
Androgens
True or false: sexual activity increases levels of testosterone
True for women! “Probably true” for men
For women, what actions impact sex-related hormones? 2points
Intimate physical contact, even of a non-sexual nature, can increase testosterone in women.
Sexual arousal decreases cortisol and increases estradiol.
In men, do T levels always change in response to sexual context?
Their T levels MAY vary in response to sexual context.
Hormonal changes in response to your romantic partner just being there
Lowers testosterone, both in same-sex relationships and mixed-sex relationships
Sexual hormones change in response to both actions and thoughts! What are the hormonal changes experienced in response to sexual thoughts? (1 per gender)
Men: increase testosterone
Women: increase estradiol
OXYTOCIN AND VASOPRESSIN
Title card
Oxytocin is associated with… (MANY THINGS! 6 things!)
Bonding, childbirth, lactation, and maternal behaviour
Increase in affiliating behaviour, psychologically lubricating the way for sexual contact
Being in love!
What happens when u administer oxytocin
Increased perception of a potential partner’s trustworthiness and attractiveness
Vasopressin is associated with…
Fluid balance, heart rate, cardiovascular autonomic regulation, and multiple aspects of social and sexual functioning.
Pheromones are produced in what gland?
Apocrine glands (armpit and pubic areas)
True/false: do pheromones influence sexual behaviour of insects?
True!
What other species are impacted by pheromones?
Fish, reptiles, amphibians, mammals
What are the 4 types of pheromones?
Territorial
Menstrual/fertile
Sexual
Maternal/infant
So menstrual synchrony IS a thing. What happens?
Menstrual pheromones cause women to sync up
MHC
Title card
Who can detect armpit compounds better, men or women?
Women
When can women best detect armpit compounds?
During fertile phase of menstrual cycle
When do men find women’s scent more attractive
When she’s in fertile phase
Do women prefer similar or dissimilar t-shirt scent?
Dissimilar overall, but when they’re on hormonal contraceptive, similar!
MHC & Cheating behaviour
Women with similar major histocompatibility complex to husbands are more likely to have sex outside of the relationship than men who have a dissimilar MHC :’(
The cheating behaviour usually happens during the fertile phase of the menstrual cycle
Perimenopause
occurs PRIOR to menopause
Usually late forties
Why does perimenopause happen?
Decline in estrogen and progestogen
What symptoms of perimenopause may be experienced?
Hot flashes, sleep disruption, night sweats, joint pain, irritability
Postmenopausal
A woman who has not hard a period in one year or more
Generally, how old are postmenopausal women?
45-55
What hormonal changes occur to postmenopausal women?
Declining estradiol > change in libido
How can menopause affect ppl
Lower arousal, enjoyment, and ability to orgasm, sexual activity & responsiveness
Perception of herself, her sexuality, and body can change
Most common sexual disorder among women of all ages?
“Low desire!”
The most common sexual disorder among women of all ages is _________ and occurs at a prevalence of _________ in Western countries.
Low desire
34-43% of women in Western countries!!
In postmenopausal women, what treatmen can be administered to increase sexual behaviour
Injecting estradiol-androgen
Perhaps maybe CBT to relieve stress?
Andropause
Men: testosterone dropping
Non-sexual symptoms of andropause (5)
Decreased strength and energy
Increased irritability
Decreased well-being
Changes in cognitive function
Bone and muscle loss
Controversy within andropause discourse…
It’s likely not all because of testosterone loss!
Testosterone administration does not fix this, unless there is HYPOGONADISM
Hypogonadism
Condition where gonads produce little to no hormone
