Age-related declines of androgens and libido in males have been observed for decades. This dissertation sought to elucidate the mechanisms by which hormones may act differentially upon their receptors in the hypothalamus of aging compared to young males. I also examined how sexual experience modulates the ability of hormones to facilitate sexual behavior with aging. Experiment one measured androgen receptors (AR) and estrogen receptor α (ERα) cells in male rats at young, middle-aged and old age. I found that AR cell numbers in hypothalamic regions studied underwent significant age-related increases. Numbers of heavily ERα labeled cells, but not total ERα cells, increased with age. This study demonstrates that the aging brain has the capacity to synthesize hormone receptors which is increased possibly due to decreased testosterone concentrations. Experiment two examined the effect of sexual experience on serum hormones and cells of AR and ERα in hypothalamic regions in young and middle-aged males. The results showed that AR cell numbers increased with aging but did not change with experience. No age- or experience-related alteration in ERα expression occurred. However, serum testosterone increased and estradiol decreased with age. Experience increased total and free testosterone. Interactions of age and experience on total testosterone, estradiol, and luteinizing hormone were found. These results show long-lasting effects of sexual experience on hormones, but not on their receptors in the hypothalamus. Experiment three investigated effects of exogenous testosterone on sexual behavior in young and middle-aged males. The results showed a decline in sexual behavior parameters with age. After castration with testosterone treatment, there were few differences in sexual behavior measures between young and middle-aged males. AR cell numbers were higher and ERα cell numbers lower in testosterone compared to vehicle-treated males of both ages, and few effects of age occurred. These findings indicate that testosterone and aging interact in a complex manner to control numbers of cells expressing hormone receptors in the brain and on the subsequent control of sexual behavior. This insight provides a better understanding of the relationship between molecular changes in the brain and behavior, and suggests new therapeutic targets to human testosterone treatment. / text

Les mâles sexuellement expérimentés présentent des modifications à long terme de l'arborisation dendritique, de modifications épigénétiques ainsi qu'une augmentation des niveaux d'expression de protéines associées à la neurotransmission glutamatergique et à la microglie dans l'aire pré-optique médiane (mPOA). En revanche, les concentrations plasmatiques et hypothalamiques en hormones stéroïdes ainsi que les propriétés du système nitrergique, connues pour être modulés par l'expérience sexuelle chez le rat, ne sont pas modifiées. Dans un second temps, l'implication de la voie de signalisation ERK1/2 dans la réponse comportementale associée à l'expérience sexuelle a été étudiée. Nous avons montré que cette voie de signalisation, activée dans la mPOA lors de l'accouplement, est potentialisée par l'expérience sexuelle. Nous avons ensuite démontré que son activation est possible par une action rapide (30 minutes) des stéroïdes. Enfin, nous avons montré que l'inhibition de la voie ERK1/2 avant un premier accouplement n'altère pas la mise en place de l'expérience sexuelle mais diminue de façon réversible la motivation sexuelle des mâles. Ainsi, l'expérience sexuelle est à l'origine de modifications structurales et biochimiques à long terme de la mPOA. Ces modifications, différentes de celles connues chez le rat, sont associées à une potentialisation de la voie de signalisation ERK1/2 activée de façon transitoires durant l'accouplement. Ces résultats mettent en évidence la nécessité d'élaborer un nouveau modèle, différent de celui établi chez le rat, permettant d'expliquer l'amélioration comportementale associée à l'expérience sexuelle chez la souris mâle. / Sexually experimented males exhibit long term modifications of the dendritic arborization, epigenetic modifications and increased levels of microglia and glutamate associated protein within the hypothalamic medial preoptic area (mPOA). However, hypothalamic and plasmatic concentration of steroid hormones and the nitrergic system are not impacted, contrary to data obtained in rat.The involvement of the ERK1/2 signaling pathway in the induction of sexual experience has also been studied. We showed that ERK1/2 pathway was activated within the mPOA during mating. This activation was increased in sexually experienced males. Furthermore, we showed ex vivo on hypothalamic slices that sex steroids were capable of rapidly (30 min) activate this pathway. Finally, the inhibition of ERK1/2 phosphorylation before the first mating did not disrupt the induction of sexual experience but decreased sexual motivation in a reversible manner.Taken together, these results indicate that long lasting and transitory plasticity mechanisms leading to sexual experience are different between rat and mouse. This indicate the necessity to elaborate a new molecular model associated with the behavioral improvement induced by sexual experience in male mouse.

Relation between body hair removal, body care and sexuality Although hair removal has been described as a "new norm" during the past decades, only a little is known about body hair removal patterns of women in the Czech Republic. The purpose of this study was to assess leg, underam an pubic hair removal behavior among women in the Czech Republic and to test the degree to which hair removal in various parts of the body is associated with body care as such, that is, to find out if it has become an integral part of women's daily body care practices or whether it is regarded as a rather specific one, unrelated to one's other body care habits. Furthermore, an association with sexual experience has been tested, along with attitudes towards sex and one's genitals, which have been shown to be a significant intervening factor by some authors. Last but not least, the importance of various reasons mostly given for hair removal has been assessed as well. First, a total of 15 women aged 19 to 46 years were interviewed in a pilot qualitative study. Then a total of 111 women aged 20 to 30 years completed an Internet-based survey by means of which quantitative data were obtained on basic demographics, body care, body hair removal practices and reasons for doing so, attitudes to one's genitals and to various sexual...

Bakgrund Könsstympning är en flera tusen år gammal tradition som än idag utförs i stora delar av världen. Vid könsstympning skadas eller avlägsnas delar av könsorganet och i vissa fall sys de yttre blygdläpparna ihop. I Sverige är kvinnlig könsstympning en olaglig handling som strider mot mänskliga rättigheter. Syfte Syftet var att undersöka könsstympade kvinnors upplevelse kring sin egen sexualitet. Metod En allmän litteraturöversikt utfördes genom databassökning i CINAHL och PubMed. Artiklarna kvalitetsgranskades via Caldwells kvalitetsgranskningsmall och dataanalysen utfördes genom en tematisk analys baserad på 16 kvalitativa artiklar som svarade på studiens syfte. Resultat Studien visar att majoriteten av kvinnorna upplever samlagssmärta, nedsatt känsel i underlivet samt avsaknad av sexlust. Vissa av kvinnorna beskriver dock att de kan uppleva njutning samt uppnå orgasm, men att det oftast kräver mer tid och stimulering. Flera av kvinnorna kan även känna njutning vid beröring av andra erogena delar på kroppen. Kvinnorna ser sex ur ett reproduktivt syfte och det anses vara deras plikt att tillfredsställa mannen sexuellt. Det är vanligt att skillnaderna i sexualdrift mellan parterna orsakar problem i relationen. Slutsats Kvinnlig könsstympning orsakar smärta vid samlag och begränsar kvinnans sexualitet. Den nedsatta sexualfunktionen påverkar partnerrelationen negativt och många kvinnor vill undvika sexuellt umgänge. Yttre faktorer påverkar inställningen till sex och upplevelsen av den egna sexualiteten, vilket visas hos kvinnor som migrerat till västländer. / Background Genital mutilation is a thousand-year-old tradition that is still carried out in large parts of the world today. In genital mutilation, parts of the genitals are damaged or removed, and in some cases the labia are sewn together. In Sweden, female genital mutilation is an illegal act that violates human rights. Aim The aim was to investigate the experience of female genital mutilation regarding their ownsexuality.  Method A general literature review was carried out by database search in CINAHL and PubMed. The articles were reviewed using Caldwell's quality framework and the data analysis was performed through a thematic analysis based on 16 qualitative articles that answered the aim of the study. Results The findings clarified that the majority of women experience intercourse pain, reduced sensation in the abdomen and a lack of sexual function. However, some of the women describe that they can experience pleasure and achieve orgasm, but that it usually requires more time and stimulation. Several of the women can also feel pleasure when touching other erogenous parts of the body. The women see sex from a reproductive purpose, and it is considered their duty to satisfy the man sexually. It is common that the differences in sexual drive between the parties to cause problems in the relationship. Conclusion Female genital mutilation causes pain during intercourse and limits the woman's sexuality. The reduced sexual function affects the partner relationship negatively and many women want to avoid sexual intercourse. External factors influence the attitude to sex and the experience of one's own sexuality, which shows in women who have migrated to Western countries.

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Diplomová práce se zabývá problematikou předčasných sexuálních zkušeností a pohlavním zneužíváním nezletilých dívek. Téma této práce vzniklo s ohledem na profesní zaměření autorky, která pracuje jako sociální pracovnice. Předčasné zahájení pohlavního života a pohlavní zneužití se v poslední době vyskytuje ve stále větší míře, a tím vzniká i potřeba na tuto problematiku reagovat a řešit v rámci působnosti orgánů sociálně právní ochrany dětí. Cílem diplomové práce je popis dopadů předčasných sexuálních zkušeností a pohlavního zneužití na osobnost nezletilých dívek. Diplomová práce se také zabývá úlohou rodiny, školy a orgánů sociálně právní ochrany dětí v sexuální výchově. Dále také srovnává společné aspekty rodinného prostředí nezletilých dívek a vyhledává společné faktory, které působí v rodinách nezletilých dívek, u kterých došlo k předčasnému zahájení pohlavního života nebo k jejich sexuálnímu zneužití. Výzkumnou metodou této práce jsou především případové studie dvou rodin s nezletilými dívkami, u kterých došlo k předčasnému zahájení pohlavního života. V rámci případových studií byla použita obsahová analýza dokumentů, metoda rozhovoru s nezletilými dívkami a s jejich rodinami. Diplomová práce závěrem konstatuje, že předčasné zahájení pohlavního života nebo zneužití dětí má dopady na jejich...