Sexual Intercourse, Emotions, and the Frontal Lobes

 

When initially posed the question of whether or not sexual intercourse in humans could take place without emotional processing, I assumed the answer was yes. How can prostitutes have sexual relationships with many people everyday and have emotional feelings also? What about porn stars or swingers? Before this discussion, I would not have hesitated in saying that these individuals do not have emotional ties while having intercourse (at least not all intercourse), but my view has significantly changed.

Erections and ejaculation are controlled by spinal reflexes. Even men that have spinal damage (where the spine is disconnected from the brain) can reach an erection and become fathers; though they could not have an orgasm, or be conscious of the fact that they were erect without visual or verbal confirmation (Carson, 2004, 331). Extensive research has led me to the conclusion that only in rare cases, such as the example just mentioned above, or in the case of an unconscious rape victim, can an individual be a participant in sexual intercourse without an emotional response. Even holding this opinion, I can not intelligently state that human sexual intercourse could take place without emotional processing. At least one partner would have to exhibit an emotional response to the physical process.

 

A plethora of hormones and brain areas interact to control sexual functions. Testosterone, estradiol, androgen, and progesterone are hormones involved in sexual functioning. One hormone, oxytocin is released in both males and females during orgasm, to facilitate contractions of muscles in the sexual organs. The medial preoptic area, the sexually dimorphic nucleus, the medial amygdala, and areas of the limbic system, along with various other areas of the brain, play a role in sexual functions. Most areas of the brain involved in sexual processing are larger in males than in females. Studies have shown that these areas in male transsexuals are around the same size as females, and that the areas in male homosexuals are significantly smaller as well. Also, in a study with male rats, it was found that maternal stress reduces the size of the sexually dimorphic nucleus, and that these males had more feminine characteristics. Researchers of a twin study reported that if one identical male twin was homosexual, the other twin had a 52% chance of being concordant, while fraternal twins only had a 22% chance; in females the percentages were 48 and 16, respectively. The previous findings support the theory that sexual preference has a genetic basis, rather than sustaining the idea that they “chose to be” that way (Carlson, 2004, 309-340).

When studying the biological areas responsible for sexual functioning, it is almost impossible to miss the fact that most of these areas also control emotional functioning. For example, studies have shown that amydgala activity increased in humans when watching an erotic film, opposed to a normal video (348). In one study, men were asked to respond naturally when watching an erotic film. The men were sexually aroused; and consequently, their amydgala, hypothalamus, and other areas of the limbic system showed increased activity. When asked to detach themselves from the video and not become aroused, the men were able to do so. In this case, rather than having increased activity in the limbic system, the activity occurred in the prefrontal cortex (354). This supports the theory that emotional responses can increase or suppress sexual responses.

Though physical symptoms can cause sexual impotency, a lot of problems are psychological. For example, individuals with schizoid personality disorder are found to be emotionally cold and detached. They have a detachment from social relationships and find difficulty in taking pleasure in few, if any, activities. Thus, they rarely show interest in having sexual intercourse with another individual (Stroup, 2002). The basis for this stems from the fear of having an intimate relationship with someone. Most adults with schizoid fears have an underlying attachment disorder due to an insufficient mother-infant relationship (Alperin, 2001). Generally, sexual dysfunction is caused by a response to something else and does not lie completely in the genitals. Stress, relationships, and learning are all contributing factors. Sexual responses can start in the body, mind, or emotions; but three break points can occur to inhibit the response. First of all, inappropriate stimulation or pain can cause a negative response. Secondly, anxiety, pressure, self-consciousness, or any other negative emotions can reduce sexual stimuli. Lastly, sometimes one’s mind is too busy to become relaxed enough for arousal to take place. All of these situations are common, and will have a diminishing affect on sexual enjoyment. Even premature ejaculation could be called an “emotional disorder,” because it can be treated by helping a man to learn how to control his feelings and response time. Accordingly, compulsive sexual behavior, more often than not, can be controlled by behavior modification therapy (Ramage, 1998).

Multiple Sclerosis is thought to be an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. The name comes from the effects of the disease- myelin is lost in multiple areas, leaving sclerosis (scar tissue) in its place. In regular human brains, myelin protects nerve fibers and allows them to function correctly. In patients with Multiple Sclerosis, the electrical impulses of the nerves are disrupted, which causes many symptoms. Regular exacerbations occur in 85% of people with this disease, and are essentially “flare-ups”, or severe declines in neurological functions. One study, in the Archives of Neurology, discussed research of the occurrence of acquired sexual paraphilia (extreme abnormal sexual behavior) in patients with M.S. Sexual dysfunction, which includes erectile and ejaculatory dysfunction in men, poor lubrication and the inability to reach orgasm in women, and diminished libido in both sexes, is typical in patients with M.S. Patients in this study showed quite the opposite symptoms, including hypersexual behavior and paraphilias. All were found to have various focal brain lesions. One man in the study displayed inappropriate sexual activity during an exacerbation, consisting of an irresistible desire to touch women’s breasts. Neuroimaging was used to discover lesions in the right sides of the midbrain and hypothalamus, stretching into the right sides of the substantia nigra, the red nucleus, and the internal capsule. Significant evidence was presented that acquired sexual paraphilic behavior in patients with M.S. results from inflammatory demyelination that involves the septal and hypothalamic regions of the basal forebrain (Frohman, Frohman, & Moreault, 2002). This study supports the theory that when areas of the brain responsible for emotional processing are damaged, abnormal sexual responses will occur.

In conclusion, there is a thin line between emotions and sexual stimuli in humans. For most animals, intercourse is a primal instinct used to further their species by reproduction and is impossible outside of the ovulation period. In contrast, human intercourse is not only important to further our species, but also to tie a physical act with the need for emotional intimacy with a partner. Psychological disorders, more often than not, have an effect on sexual enjoyment. Many areas of the brain, chiefly sections of the limbic system, play an important part in the emotional and physical aspects of sexual intimacy. Emotions are a vital part of normal sexual processes, and to separate the two functions is not only rare, it is nearly impossible.

References:

1. Alperin, Richard. (2001). Barriers to Intimacy: An Object Relations Perspective [electronic version]. Psychoanalytic Psychology, Vol. 18, Issue 1.

2. Carlson, Neil R. (2004). Reproductive Behavior & Emotion. Physiology of Behavior, 8, 309-372 .

3. Frohman, E., Frohman, T., & Moreault, A. (2002). Acquired Sexual Paraphilia in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis [electronic version]. Archives of Neurology, Vol. 59, No. 6, 1006-1010.

4. Ramage, Margaret. (1998). Management of sexual problems [electronic version]. ABC of Sexual Health, 317, 1509-1512.

5. Stroup. (2002). Personality Disorders. Neurobiology of Psychiatry: Syllabus & notes. Retrieved February 11, 2006 from www.med.unc.edu.