Oxytocin, commonly referred to as the “love or cuddle hormone,” is one of the two major hormones secreted from the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland. The posterior pituitary is comprised mainly of nerves whose cell bodies lie in the hypothalamic part of the brain.
Its hormones are released from the nerve endings directly into blood vessels and circulation. Oxytocin is a relatively small peptide hormone composed of only nine amino acids. It is synthesized in nerve cells in the hypothalamus as a larger precursor molecule, which is transported down the nerve fibers through the pituitary stalk to the posterior lobe. The active hormone is cleaved from the precursor during this process. Specific, high-affinity oxytocin receptors mediate the actions of oxytocin.
Role in Sexual Function
Oxytocin has a well-recognized role in breastfeeding and uterine contraction. In sexual medicine, oxytocin has appeared to play a significant role in orgasm. Several studies have found increases in plasma oxytocin at orgasm. Plasma oxytocin levels are significantly elevated around the time of orgasm and are still higher than baseline when measured 5 minutes after arousal. Oxytocin’s effects on muscle contractibility may facilitate male sperm and female egg transport.
Oxytocin levels in women before and after sexual stimulation suggest that oxytocin serves an important role in sexual arousal. One study showed that genital tract stimulation resulted in increased oxytocin immediately after orgasm. Another study reported increases in oxytocin during sexual arousal in response to nipple/areola, genital, and/or genital tract stimulation. A study of men found an increase in plasma oxytocin immediately after orgasm.
Psychological Effects
Oxytocin is well known to promote feelings of contentment, anxiety reduction, and calmness and security around a mate. To reach full orgasm, brain regions associated with behavioral control, fear, and anxiety must be deactivated during sexual arousal. Many studies have shown a correlation between oxytocin and social bonding; trust increases, and fear decreases. One study confirmed that there was a positive correlation between oxytocin plasma levels and an anxiety scale measuring adult romantic attachment. This suggests that oxytocin may be important for the inhibition of brain regions that are associated with behavioral control, fear, and anxiety, thus allowing orgasm to occur.
Age-Related Decline and Sexual Dysfunction
As with most beneficial hormones, the human body produces less and less oxytocin as we age. Female sexual dysfunction often is left untreated as it does not manifest itself in an obvious fashion such as an inability to produce an erection. Aging women may feel a lack of intimacy with a partner or find it increasingly difficult to climax. In many cases, this is not a product of a “stale” relationship but is more of a result of a treatable hormone imbalance. This condition will be exacerbated with the onset of menopause.
CORE Institute’s Approach
CORE Institute is one of the few medical clinics in the United States that have introduced Oxytocin as a part of our bio-identical hormone therapies. Oxytocin is immensely popular in Europe in treating female sexual dysfunction but inexplicably has escaped the imaginations of American physicians. CORE Institute is on the front lines of implementing oxytocin therapy as a viable option for aging women suffering from anhedonia (low libido) and difficulty achieving orgasm.
In our practice, oxytocin has played an integral role in the comprehensive approach to women who have presented with the common symptoms of anorgasmia and anhedonia. From practical experience and in our noncontrolled study, we have found that approximately 87% of our patients who were prescribed oxytocin have found a significant improvement in the intensity of orgasm. 92% of patients prescribed reported an increase in the sense of calmness and reduction of anxiety as soon as 15 minutes after application.
Conclusion and Future Research
There are multiple application methods that can be tailored to the individual. While it is obvious the role oxytocin plays in intimacy and sexuality, more research is needed to understand better how to apply it to improve specific symptoms more consistently.
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