Sexual Science News: Porn Habits, Viagra, And Monogamy
A couple of fun tidbits from recent research:
Porn habits from around the world
Pornhub has put together an impressive interactive infographic showing how pornography viewing habits around the world are affected by sports, major news events, holidays, and television shows. It’s especially interesting to look at as we continue barreling into the holiday season. Unsurprisingly, Thanksgiving brings a 29% decrease in porn consumption in the US, and Christmas has a 27% decrease. How is your sex life affected during the holidays?
The limitations of Viagra
Speaking of unsurprising, a new study has shown that Viagra usage does not improve relationships or quality of life. Male users reported greater sexual satisfaction and confidence, but no other changes. I’ll address this topic in more depth at a later time.
Oxytocin and monogamy
Oxytocin may be linked to sexual monogamy. Often referred to as the “cuddle hormone”, Oxytocin promotes feelings of closeness and intimacy. It is released during labor and breastfeeding, and after orgasm. Monogamy has been a hot topic in the news lately, as researchers struggle to identify why humans are one of only a handful of monogamous species in the entire animal kingdom. In this small German study, men were spritzed with Oxytocin while viewing pictures of their female partners and pictures of attractive women. The men who were doused in Oxytocin self-reported greater attraction and commitment to their partners than the men who received a placebo.
