Study: Sex Makes People Feel Sexier

March 1, 2007 — Sexual activity for men and women, straight or gay, raises testosterone levels, which, at least in women, fuels the desire for intercourse, increases the likelihood of experiencing an orgasm and heightens the individual’s belief in her own sexiness, recent studies have found.

The findings are among the first to suggest that men and women can alter their own hormone levels based on how often they cuddle or copulate, both of which can lead to testosterone rises.

The hormone testosterone usually is associated with the development and maintenance of male sex characteristics, but all women possess this secreted compound too. Extremely high or low amounts can lead to health concerns, but the detected rises were within acceptable ranges.

"Our (first) paper does suggest that there might be sexual benefits to higher levels of testosterone," lead author Sari van Anders told Discovery News.

Van Anders, a researcher in the Department of Psychology at Canada’s Simon Fraser University, and her team conducted two separate studies. Both have been accepted for publication in the journal Hormones and Behavior.

The first examined how cuddling, intercourse and exercise affected testosterone in 49 women before and after these activities. "After" included directly following sex as well as the next morning, when the test subjects also answered a questionnaire that included questions about orgasms, levels of sexual desire and feelings of sexual attractiveness.

Exercise was included as a control in the study, since physical activity itself can alter a person’s biochemistry.

Overall, the test subjects experienced higher levels of testosterone just before and after cuddling and intercourse, with the greatest rises being associated with copulation. The higher the testosterone rise was, the greater the likelihood was that the woman experienced an orgasm and felt more sexually attractive the next day.

"We don’t know how testosterone increases after sex and close physical intimacy might benefit women, but some possibilities to examine in future studies include increased sexual desire, more positive moods, or more energy," said van Anders.

The second study also looked at testosterone increases related to sexual activity, but this time the test subjects were single, monogamous or polyamorous. A person is said to have a polyamorous lifestyle when he or she is involved in multiple, committed relationships.

The researchers determined partnered men and women had the lowest overall testosterone levels, while polyamorous men and women both had higher amounts of testosterone than single or monogamously partnered individuals.

The team of scientists theorizes the hormone may be involved in "bond maintenance" and in preparing the individual for competition.

Such competition may be either external, as in fending off other suitors, or internal, as in strengthening the person in preparation for a possible child. Other studies have demonstrated that sperm from different men compete with each other to fertilize the egg, although women also appear to exert some influence over which sperm achieves the feat.

Peter Gray, assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology and Ethnic Studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, has also conducted studies on testosterone as it relates to partnerships and sexual activity.

Gray told Discovery News that the two new studies "are interesting, because they provide another nuance to previous work in this area."

He added, "These studies show that our social relationships and gonads have their own relationships."

In the future, with additional funding and research, van Anders hopes the findings may lead to treatments for clinical conditions related to sexual activities, such as loss of desire and energy.