It's up to US, to know ourselves and to attempt to establish healthy relationships. This blog is about all sexes and genders, how we think and what we think. It is a blog about "maybe's" and "what if's". It is a conversation about media awareness, diversity, inclusion, relationships, sex, love and everything in between.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

It's Not Just Between Your Legs: The Brain and Sex

Not just between your legs, But also between your ears….

Sex. It’s a touchy subject in the neck of the woods I grew up in. Throughout my childhood and adolescence sex was not a topic that was discussed very often (well at least with one of my parents, who will remain nameless). Sex was almost a taboo in my household as a child. I wasn’t allowed to listen to music with sexual undertones (hence the hiding of my Alanis Morrissette cassette tapes!). I felt very awkward watching any movies with any type of sex or kissing in it, mostly with one of my parents (the one who shall remain nameless - although if you know me, it’s not so anonymous, haha). I even felt uncomfortable watching the little mermaid kiss Prince Eric. Yup.  And of course, growing up in a very conservative Christian environment led to more awkwardness about sex. This may explain my fascination with all things related to male/female interaction. So you can thank my upbringing for “It’s Up to Us!”

As a result of a recent presentation I did in a grad school class about what happens in the brain during sex, I felt compelled to share this information with all of you out there because I thought it was fascinating.

So here we go. I apologize in advance if this is still a “touchy” subject for you, but I have a feeling this won’t be the last article about sex. =]

What becomes activated during sex?
The most important parts of the brain that are actively involved during sex are located in the Limbic System (Diagram here!).

The Limbic system houses parts of the brain like the amydgala (associated with fear/anxiety), hippocampus (memory), and the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is a big important one. It is involved with releasing the sex hormones. And when the levels of the sex hormones fall, so does sexual desire. Another MAJOR part of the brain and sex is something called the nucleus accumbens. This is the brain’s “pleasure center.” I found it very interesting that this center is also associated with addictions such as nicotine and caffeine. Sex activates that same pleasurable feeling that cigarettes and coffee give to some. Wanna quit smoking? Start sexin’ it up! :)

Orgasm is Good For you!

Yes, it is. 

I can’t reiterate it any other way, it is simply good for you and the research is out there to support it. When a person orgasm’s, the brain shoots out a major dose of dopamine which is a neurochemical that activates the reward circuit and makes us oh so happy! To calm the dopamine down and grant sexual satisfaction, the hormone oxytocin (see prior blog post) is then released into the blood stream. The oxytocin counter-affects the dopamine and as I’ve talked about in past posts can initiate a bond between partners, depending on the circumstances.

Important thing for females (and males to note) about female orgasm:
Women have to be relaxed and unstressed to achieve it. If a woman is not completely anxious-free, it won’t happen. However, this does not apply to men (figures). Research indicates that in order for a woman to get where she needs to be, the amygdala (fear/anxiety part of the brain) needs to be deactivated. Fancy that!

So women, relax away and let it happen. You don’t need a man for it either :)

One last little tid bit...

Did you know that…
Men have on average ten to one hundred times more testosterone than women?
So basically, women have testosterone, or else they wouldn’t be able to do it at all. But men have TESTOSTERONE. So we really can’t blame them for thinking about it all the time. Sorry ladies.  

The sex-related centers in the male brain are actually about two times larger than the same structures in the female brain.
 No joke – this was a new one for me. Size does matter (!) - When it comes to the male brain, that is! The brain areas that women have dedicated to sex are smaller than they are for men, and this can start developing in boys 8 weeks after conception! So I would like to apologize to the men in my life for getting mad at them for thinking and talking about sex all the time.

I can’t argue with biology.

Ta ta, for now friends! I’d like to hear your thoughts, or if you have any suggestions for future posts let me know!

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