Magnetic resonance imaging of male and female genitals during coitus and female sexual arousal

Abstract

Objective To find out whether taking images of the male and female genitals during coitus is feasible and to find out whether former and current ideas about the anatomy during sexual intercourse and during female sexual arousal are based on assumptions or on facts. Design Observational study. Setting University hospital in the Netherlands. Methods Magnetic resonance imaging was used to study the female sexual response and the male and female genitals during coitus. Thirteen experiments were performed with eight couples and three single women. Results The images obtained showed that during intercourse in the "missionary position" the penis has the shape of a boomerang and 1/3 of its length consists of the root of the penis. During female sexual arousal without intercourse the uterus was raised and the anterior vaginal wall lengthened. The size of the uterus did not increase during sexual arousal. Conclusion Taking magnetic resonance images of the male and female genitals during coitus is feasible and contributes to understanding of anatomy.

Mechanisms and Evidence of Genital Coevolution: The Roles of Natural Selection, Mate Choice, and Sexual Conflict

“…In humans, MRI of individuals during coitus in the missionary position showed very close fit in shape, but significantly also that the anterior wall of the vagina lengthened by 1 cm in the preorgasmic phase (Schultz et al 1999), underscoring the importance of examining copulation itself to understand how male and female genitalia fit together. Even though precopulatory female choice may play a role in penis length in humans (Mautz et al 2013), whether copulatory female choice for genital features also takes place is unknown.…”

Optical imaging and analysis of human vaginal coating by drug delivery gels

“…They provide immediate visual recognition of detectable gel. They generally sight the reproductive tract in the absence of intromission (although direct MRI during intromission has been performed) [8,9]. They can be applied over a sequence of times, provided any contrast agents do not separate from the formulations themselves.…”

The Ins and Outs of Sexual Imaging

“…3 Later in 1999, MR imaging was used to study the state of the female genital and pelvic organs during sexual arousal in 8 couples during 13 "encounters." 4 In this study, in which one author was a radiologist, the main conclusion was that local responses were similar for pre-and postmenopausal women. The article contains no MR images of the act of coitus.…”