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Physiology of women's sexual function: basic knowledge and new findings.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Data concerning the physiology of female sexual functioning are still obtained from animal studies, but an increasing amount of novel evidence comes from human studies. AIM: To gain knowledge of psychological and biologic physiology of women's sexual functioning, mainly addressing sexual arousal and orgasm. METHODS: A broad-based literature review of current knowledge of the psychological and biologic physiology aspects of women's sexual functioning. RESULTS: A comprehensive understanding of the anatomical, neurobiological, and psychological mechanisms behind sexual function and responses is of paramount importance. A biopsychological paradigm was considered when reviewing currently available data, thus considering aspects of: (i) sexual differentiation of the brain, which is critical for sex differentiation in behavior; (ii) central neurobiology of sexual function, highlighting specific and innovative findings from neuroimaging methods that enable visualization of active brain areas during arousal and orgasm; and (iii) peripheral functional anatomy, mainly addressing genital arousal and orgasm. Translational science was also covered, providing data about the actual role of sexual arousal in women in both procreation/reproduction and recreation/pleasure. The interaction between physiological and psychological states of women's sexual response, nonspecific sexual response, interoceptive awareness, and flexibility of sexual interests have also been addressed. CONCLUSION: Further research on normal physiology of women's sexual function is needed in order to expand and "translate" current knowledge into the pathophysiological clinical setting. This manuscript encompasses data presented at the 3rd International Consultation on Sexual Medicine in Paris, France, July 10-13, 2009.
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“The degree of discordance between the subjective experience of arousal and the physiological response has been hypothesized as a function of interoceptive awareness or the ability to consciously register internal bodily sensations (9,10).”
From Effects of Mindfulness Training on Body Awareness to Sexual Stimuli: Implications for Female Sexual Dysfunction (2011) · cites this paper as [9]
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The human sexual response cycle: Brain imaging evidence linking sex to other pleasures
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Metadata
- Authors
- Salonia, A., Giraldi, A., Chivers, M. L., Georgiadis, J. R., Levin, R., Maravilla, K. R., & McCarthy, M. M.
- Affiliations
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University (IT)
- Rigshospitalet (DK)
- Queen's University (CA)
- University Medical Center Groningen (NL)
- Porter Brook Medical Centre (GB)
- University of Washington (US)
- University of Maryland, Baltimore (US)
- Corresponding author
- Salonia, Andrea
- ORCID
- Venue
- The Journal of Sexual Medicine
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2010-08-01
- Volume
- 7
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 2637-2660
- ISSN
- 1743-6095 (ISSN-L)
- 1743-6109
- OpenAlex
- W1678617888
- Cited by
- 132
- References
- 246
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 16 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 12
- FWCI
- 1.45
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- academic.oup.com/journals/pages/open_access/funder_policies/chorus/standard_publication_model (vor)
- Locations
- The Journal of Sexual Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Archivio Istituzionale della Ricerca - Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele (submittedVersion)
- University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Sexual function and dysfunction studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Urology › Urinary Bladder and Prostate Research
- Keywords
- female sexual function, sexual arousal, orgasm, sexual response cycle, sexual differentiation of the brain, genital anatomy, interoceptive awareness, sexual interest, female sexuality
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Brain, Cerebral Cortex, Female, Genitalia, Female, Humans, Libido, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Nerve Net, Orgasm, Peripheral Nerves, Rodentia, Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological, Gonadal Steroid Hormones, Spinal Cord, Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological, Positron-Emission Tomography
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