Associations among physiological and subjective sexual response, sexual desire, and salivary steroid hormones in healthy premenopausal women.

Few studies have examined how sexual arousal influences healthy premenopausal women’s hormones, limiting our understanding of basic physiology and our ability to transfer knowledge from clinical and nonhuman populations. Aim: To examine how sexual arousal and steroid hormones (testosterone [T], cortisol [C], estradiol [E]) were linked, to see whether hormone levels influenced and/or changed in response to sexual arousal elicited via visual erotic stimuli in healthy women. Methods: Participants included 40 healthy premenopausal women not using exogenous hormones. Main Outcome Measures: Change in genital sexual arousal (vaginal pulse amplitude), change in subjective sexual arousal, sexual desire (via the Sexual Desire Inventory and Female Sexual Function Index scales), as well as T, C, and E via saliva samples taken before and following viewing of erotic stimuli as genital arousal was recorded via a vaginal photoplethysmograph. Results: E increased in response to sexual stimuli but this was not statistically associated with genital sexual arousal, whereas C decreased in association with genital sexual arousal, and T showed no statistically significant change. Relationship status was linked to genital but not subjective sexual arousal such that dating women exhibited higher genital sexual arousal than single or partnered women. Results indicated that all three hormones were associated with self-reported genital arousal (via the Detailed Assessment of Sexual Arousal scales) and sexual desire in different domains, and both T and E were associated with self-reported orgasms. Conclusion: Findings point to the need to examine multiple hormones in multiple ways (e.g., baseline, changes, stimulated) and question using erotic stimuli-induced arousal as a model for women’s endocrine responses to sexuality.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/83877/1/associations_among_physiological.pd

Autotransplantation of cryopreserved ovarian tissue: a procedure with promise, risks, and a need for a registry

More and more women are being referred for discussion of fertility preservation options. The ability to efficiently and safely preserve the reproductive potential of thousands of young female cancer patients looks possible, but many issues are not yet resolved. Where is the best place for autotransplantation of ovarian tissue? How long would this tissue be expected to function? What is the chance of hormone production and/or pregnancy from this tissue? What is the risk of recurrent cancer from autotransplantation of ovarian tissue? An accurate assessment of the risks and likelihood of success is critical for appropriately counseling these women.PublishedN/

Luteal supplementation in in vitro fertilization: More questions than answers

Objective To update clinicians on different regimens of luteal phase supplementation in IVF-stimulated cycles and to identify areas that need further research in this subject. Design Literature review and critical analysis of published studies on luteal phase supplementation during the last 20 years. Conclusion(s) Luteal phase supplementation in IVF-stimulated cycles, both in gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist and antagonist protocols, is considered an essential requirement for optimal success rates. The date of initiation and discontinuation of supplemented hormones is not adequately studied in the literature. In most major controlled and randomized studies, there are no significant differences in success rates with progesterone supplementation alone, progesterone and estradiol, progesterone and human chorionic gonadotropin, and human chorionic gonadotropin alone. Success rates seem similar with intramuscular and vaginal progesterone administration with patient preference for the vaginal route. The optimal dose of progesterone has not been studied in a scientific way in the literature. The use of gonadotropin releasing hormone agonists for luteal phase supplementation in antagonist cycles appears to be promising, and is worthy of further investigation.PublishedN/