The document provides an overview of how hormones and neurotransmitters impact sexual function. It discusses the endocrine glands that produce hormones related to sexuality, including the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, adrenal glands, ovaries, and testes. Key hormones that influence sexual desire, attraction, bonding, and pleasure are described, including testosterone, estrogen, oxytocin, dopamine, and progesterone. Female and male hormone cycles are also summarized.

2. AASECT Annual Conference 2011

3. Copyright 2011 Additional material used by permission and fair use Coordinating Evaluation, Testing & Treatment Methods between Medical and Non-Medical Practitioners

4. Speakers Disclosure: We have no financial relationships or affiliations to disclose.

6. Medically trained providers who wish to coordinate patient care with non-medical sexual health providers (physician & therapist)

7. Want a basic understanding of hormones & neurotransmitters that impact sexuality

8. Want to know basics about hormonal lab tests

11. Often these professionals tell us they lack specific training in sexual side effects of drugs, hormonal imbalance & treating sexual problems.

12. Knowing about drug side effects, hormones, neurotransmitters and lab tests is essential in coordinating our patient care with these providers.

14. A basic overview and introduction to hormones & neurotransmitters

15. Basics of how they function in sexuality

16. How to use testing to measure them

17. How to coordinate treatment between therapists and medical providers

18. Suggested resource books for further in depth reading and independent study.

20. Does not cover many details or the in-depth functions of hormones & neurotransmitters

21. Hormone Basics: Lets get in touch with our own hormones and neurotransmitters ...right now brain

23. Breathing

24. Heart rate

25. Relaxation/peacefulness

26. Tension/anxiety

27. Think of stepping on a rattlesnake. What emotion do you feel?

28. Catch a snowflake on your tongue. What emotions do you feel?

29. Think of a Romantic kiss. What emotions do you feel?

30. When life gets really funny what emotions do you feel?

32. Our moods are created by Hormones & Neurotransmitters

33. Lets take a closer look at how they act inside the body

35. A chemical secreted into blood by endocrine glands or specialized glandular cells in brain, viscera, or neuroendocrine system.

36. They circulate and affect target organs & cells that have receptors for them.

37. They are regulated by other hormones, neurotransmitters or feedback loops.

38. Hormones are “dictators” they tell other substances what to do and how to behave. Some are “bullies” wrecking havoc in human moods and behavior.

40. A chemical produced and released by brain or nerve cells to induce activity in other brain or nerve cells.

41. Like hormones, they can be “dictators” and “bullies” of human moods and behavior.

43. A. An organ that manufactures and secretes a product.

45. Exocrine- discharges its products through ducts into intestines or outside the body

50. Adrenals

51. Ovaries

52. Testicles

53. Prostate

67. Converts serotonin to melatonin

68. Melatonin inhibits ovarian growth

69. 2 nd only to kidney in high blood flow

77. Body systems interact holistically.

78. As in an artists mobile, change in one hormonal element can effect changes elsewhere in body systems.

79. Sexual function can be affected indirectly by hormones other than the primary “sex” hormones.

83. 2. Pheromones – Attract (sensual intimacy from scent)

84. 3. Oxytocin – Bonding (“superglue” triggered by touch)

85. 4. PEA – Euphoria (the romantic “love” molecule)

86. 5. Estrogen – Receptive (receptive sex drive)

87. 6. Testosterone – Desire (assertive sex drive)

88. 7. Serotonin – Switches sex drive on & off

89. 8. Dopamine – Pleasure (“addicts” us to each other)

90. 9. Progesterone – Repels (kills sex drive, promotes nurturing)

91. 10. Prolactin – Diminishes Sex Drive (stimulates nursing)

92. 11. Vasopressin – Regulates desire & attachment (monogamy)

95. Instead of asking, “What sign are you?”, sexologists want to know “What hour, or day, is your hormonal cycle in?”

97. Testosterone High

98. Estrogen High

99. Ovulating

100. Progesterone High

101. PMS

103. AM Testosterone peaks

104. Hourly mini-cycles of hormones

107. Significant affect: Desire

108. Nickname: Mother of all hormones

110. Most sex hormones are derived from DHEA

113. Peaks at age 25 then declines

115. Significant affect: Attraction

116. Nickname: Perfume (come hither)

117. Produced – Various sites / skin

119. -Creates a sense of well-being and intimacy

120. -Produces more sensual feeling than raw lust

121. -May act on brain & nervous system through the

122. vomero nasal organ (VMO)

123. -Animals use to mark territory/repel competition as well as to attract

125. Significant affect: Bonding

126. Nickname: Hormonal superglue

127. Produced – Hypothalamus

129. Spikes during orgasm

130. Produced in response to, or anticipation of, touch

131. Stimulates uterine contractions in delivery

132. May stimulate contractions of ejaculatory tract

133. Causes contraction of alveoli in mammary glands forcing milk into the nipples

135. Nickname: The love molecule

136. Produced – In brain neurons

138. Stimulant, spikes at orgasm, ovulation

139. Causes giddiness and excitement

140. Found in chocolate and nutrasweet

141. Acts like a diet pill – appetite supressant

142. Stimulated by anticipation, erotica or fantasy

143. May be significant in “love at first sight”

145. Significant affect: Receptivity

146. Nickname: Marilyn Monroe

147. Produced - adrenal glands, ovaries, testes, adipose tissue (fat), and the brain

149. Receptive sex drive and sexual frequency

150. Vaginal lubrication, body scent & texture

151. Stabilizes mood and improves cognition & reactions

152. Prevents heart disease, osteoporosis, schizophrenia

153. Mild antidepressant

154. Improves sense of taste and smell

156. Significant affect: Assertive

157. Nickname: Nature’s Aphrodisiac

158. Produced - adrenal glands, ovaries, testes, & some perephial tissues

160. Assertive & compelling sexual desire in all sexes

161. Antidepressant in all sexes

162. Is pulsatile (15 min), fluctuates daily and seasonally

163. Increases erotic thought and fantasy

164. Males average 10 times the T level of women

166. Significant Affect: Inhibitory (Modulator)

167. Nickname: Dr. Jekell

168. Produced – In brain neurons

170. High S = (hyposexual) Peaceful, sexually selective, inhibits drive & orgasm

171. Low S = (hypersexual) Aggressive, sexually indiscriminate, anxious, impulsive, rapid ejaculation

172. More abundant and influential in females

175. Significant Affect: Pleasure

176. Nickname: Pleasure Junkie

177. Produced – Hypothalamus

179. Intrinsic to sexual attraction, desire, arousal, response, orgasm and satisfaction

180. May be what “addicts” us to each other

181. Neurochemical of physical addiction/substance abuse

182. Increases sex drive & facilitates orgasm

183. Reciprocal to oxytocin

185. Significant Affect: Inhibitory

186. Nickname: Antiaphrodisiac

187. Produced – Ovary (in the corpus luteum)

189. Inhibits sex drive

190. Decreases testosterone, genital sensation, touch perception, pheromone transmission and perception, uterine contractibility, sensitivity to oxytocin

191. Reduces dopamine & pleasure

192. Can cause depression and irritability

193. Increases fluid retention & weight gain

195. Significant Affect: Inhibitory

196. Nickname: Moo Juice

197. Produced – Pituitary

199. Cause of low sex drive in nursing mothers

200. Sexually inhibiting (in men & women)

201. Involved in sperm production & genital maintenance

202. Surges during stress

203. High levels decrease testosterone

205. Significant Affect: Modulates desire

206. Nickname: Monogamy molecule

207. Produced – Pituitary

209. Has a “tempering” influence on social sexual behavior and pheromonal communication

210. Improves memory and cognition

211. Activates attention and focus on sexual stimuli

213. Adrenergic Beta2

214. CGRP

215. Cholinergic Activity

216. DHEA/DHEAS

217. Dopamine

218. EDRF

219. Estrogen (F only)

220. Excitatory Peptides

222. LHRH

223. Nitric Oxide

224. Oxytocin

225. Prostaglandins

226. Substance P

227. Testosterone

228. VIP

229. Vasopressin

232. Angiotensen II

233. Cortisol

234. Estrogen (M only)

235. Melatonin

236. Monoamine Oxidase

238. Progesterone

239. Prolactin

240. Serotonin (5HT)

241. Thyroid Hormone

249. How can AASECT Educators, Counselors and Therapists apply this knowledge in the real world?

251. Development of the biopsychosocial model and multidisciplinary sexuality health care

255. It is difficult to be an expert in the many disciplines that encompass sexology

258. Biopsychosocial Model

261. Diagnosis - Hypoactive Sexual Desire & Vaginismus

265. Patient ordered tests

266. Using mail in saliva & blood samples

268. Patient/Client takes/submits sample

269. Encloses payment and mails to lab

270. Lab reports to health care provider and patient

272. Hypoactive Sexual Desire

273. High Stress (2 yr old & Student)

274. Anxiety

275. Psychosexual shame (faith based)

276. Relationship conflict (communication)

277. Case A

279. Using estrogen replacement

280. Noticing diminished libido

281. Usually highly interested in sex

282. Very sex positive

284. Aches, pains, & weight gain

285. Case B

287. Bio-identical hormone replacement

288. Hypoactive sexual desire

289. Stress

290. Anxiety

291. Decreased stamina

292. Case C

295. IFGE – International Foundation for Gender Education

296. AEGIS – American Educational Gender Education Service

298. Progesterone

302. Psychosocial sexuality care providers can better serve their patients/clients by understanding sexual biochemistry (hormones, neurotransmitters & drug affects)

303. Medical & non-medical providers need to coordinate sexual health care treatment

306. Sexual Pharmacology , Crenshaw, T.L. & Goldberg, J.P. (1996).

307. Standard Practice in Sexual Medicine, Porst, H. & Buvat, J. (eds), (2006).

308. The Alchemy of Love & Lust , Crenshaw, T.L. (1996).

309. The CIBA Collection of Medical Illustrations 6 Vols . Netter, F.H. (1997).

310. The Endocrine System , Anatomical Chart Co. (2000).

311. The Science of Orgasm, Komisuruk, B.R. et al

312. (2006).

313. Why We Love, Fisher, H. (2005).

314. www.endotext.org