The chemical composition of exhaled breath was examined for volatile organic compound (VOC) indicators of sexual arousal in human beings. Participants (12-male, 12-female) were shown a randomized series of three emotion-inducing 10-min film clips interspersed with 3-min neutral film clips. The films caused different arousals: sports film (positive-nonsexual); horror film (negative-nonsexual); and erotic (sexual) that were monitored with physiological measurements including genital response and temperature. Simultaneously the breath was monitored for VOC and CO2. While some breath compounds (methanol and acetone) changed uniformly irrespective of the film order, several compounds did show significant arousal associated changes. For both genders CO2 and isoprene decreased in the sex clip. Some male individuals showed particularly strong increases of indole, phenol and cresol coincident with sexual arousal that decreased rapidly afterwards. These VOCs are degradation products of tyrosine and tryptophan, precursors for dopamine, noradrenalin, and serotonin, and therefore represent potential breath markers of sexual arousal.

Objectives. This systematic review aimed at assessing the associations between sexual health and subjective well-being in older age groups (i.e. people aged between 40 and ≥90 years). Methods. A systematic search was conducted of the Web of Science, MEDLINE, EBSCO, Scopus, SciELO and LILACS (Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature) databases for studies published until September 2021. Search strings included a combination of terms such as “sexual health” or “sexuality” and “well-being” and terms related to the measures that assess the constructs of interest. This systematic review followed PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Results were grouped into four categories that assess the interplay between sexual health and subjective well-being: cognitive and attitudinal factors, sexual behavior, sexual function and sexual satisfaction. The subjective well-being domains that were analyzed were life satisfaction, positive and negative affect, and psychological well-being. Results. A total of 15 quantitative studies were reviewed, of which 14 were articles and 1 was a doctoral dissertation. Findings suggest that living a fulfilling sexual life is an essential part of subjective well-being. Conclusions. This review suggests that programs aiming to promote well-being in older age groups should also encourage a fulfilling sexual life.

Recent findings suggest that the current COVID-19 pandemic has a potential negative impact in several areas of life, including sexual health. However, less is known about the psychological dimensions that may work as vulnerability/protective factors for the development of sexual problems in the current pandemic. The current study used a longitudinal design to examine the role played by personality trait factors (neuroticism, extraversion) as well as psychosexual factors (sexual beliefs) in predicting sexual functioning and sexual distress across time during the current pandemic crisis. A total of 528 individuals (337 women) completed a web survey assessing sexual health indicators and psychological factors. The first wave was conducted during the confinement period in Portugal (N = 528) between May and June 2020 and the second four months later (N = 146), when strict confinement rules were over. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used to examine the ability of psychological factors to predict sexual functioning and distress across time, while controlling for age and gender. Results indicated that sexual distress at time point 2 was lower than during confinement, and men had lower levels of sexual functioning post-confinement while no significant difference was observed for women. Moreover, higher levels of neuroticism and age-related beliefs significantly predicted lower sexual functioning as well as higher sexual distress, whereas lower levels of extraversion predicted lower sexual functioning after controlling for age and gender effects. Findings support the role of psychological vulnerability factors to predict sexual problems across time and may have important implications in the prevention and treatment of sexual dysfunctions.

Introduction Sexual pain is a multideterminate phenomenon, resulting from the interplay between biopsychosocial dimensions. Research suggests that self-compassion plays a protective role on mental health through the enablement of adaptive emotion regulation strategies and that they both contribute to ease chronic pain experience. However, little is known about the role played by self-compassion and emotion regulation on female sexual pain. Aim The study aims to identify differences between women with self-reported sexual pain, women with other self-reported sexual dysfunctions, and women without sexual complaints regarding self-compassion and emotion regulation. Methods A total of 220 women (Mage = 27.73 years, SD = 8.46) were divided into 3 groups based on their clinical condition – 53 women with self-reported sexual pain, 30 women with other self-reported sexual dysfunctions, and 137 women without sexual complaints – completed measures of sexual functioning (Female Sexual Function Index), self-compassion (Self-Compassion Scale), and difficulties in emotion regulation (Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale). Multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVAs) with post hoc analyses were performed. Main Outcome Measure The main outcome measures were self-compassion, measured on a 5-point Likert scale using 26-item questionnaire, and difficulties in emotion regulation, assessed on a 5-point Likert scale using a 36-item questionnaire. Results Findings indicated that women with self-reported sexual dysfunction and particularly women with self-reported sexual pain report lower self-compassion (P values ranging between .001 and .044) and more difficulties in emotion regulation (P values ranging between .003 and .023) than women without sexual problems. Clinical Implications Findings highlight the association between lower levels of self-compassion and more difficulties in emotion regulation with self-reported sexual complaints, particularly with genito-pelvic pain–related sexual complaints. Strength & Limitations This is the first study to address differences between groups with different self-reported sexual dysfunctions regarding self-compassion and emotion regulation. Findings suggest that women with self-reported sexual dysfunction, particularly female sexual pain, report decreased levels of self-compassion and emotion regulation. The absence of equity on sample dimension and the correlational nature of the study are limitations to be considered. Conclusion Results indicated that self-compassion and emotion regulation are associated with sexual complaints, and particularly genito-pelvic pain complaints, suggesting the importance of conducting further investigation to address their potential positive outcomes in clinical intervention.

Objectives: The present study aims to assess the relationship between age and sexual satisfaction in older women and testing the potential mediating role of conservative sexual beliefs on this association. Methods: A total of 106 women (M age = 68.71; SD = 6.31) completed measures of sexual beliefs (SDBQ), sexual functioning (FSFI), and sexual satisfaction (GMSEX). Bivariate correlation analyses were performed to assess the association between age, sexual conservatism, sexual satisfaction, and sexual function. Mediation analysis with bootstrap samples was performed to test the mediating effect of sexual conservatism. Results: Findings suggest a mediating effect of conservative sexual beliefs on the relationship between age and sexual satisfaction in a community-based sample of older women (F(3,102) = 9.31, p <.001, R 2 = .215). Conclusions:The negative association between sexual conservatism and sexual satisfaction of the participants, and the non-significance of the direct effect of age in sexual satisfaction when including sexual conservatism in the mediation model, highlight the relevance of cognitive factors in sexual health in later life. Clinical Implications: Results such as the mediating role of sexual conservatism on the relationship between age and sexual satisfaction provide opportunities for developing and testing sexual health programs based on the demystification of sexual beliefs.