Contribution of dihydrotestosterone to male sexual behaviour.
OBJECTIVE
To document the relative importance of endogenous sex steroids in modulating the frequency of orgasms, the dominant aspect of sexual behaviour in healthy eugonadal men.


METHODS
Measurement of adrenal and testicular sex steroids in a sample of army recruits and study of their relation to frequency of orgasms ascertained by questionnaire after potential confounding variables were controlled for.


METHODS
Military campus and military hospital laboratories in Athens, Greece.


METHODS
92 consecutively enrolled healthy male recruits aged 18-22 years.


METHODS
Weekly number of orgasms. Serum concentrations of testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate, dihydrotestosterone, oestradiol, oestrone, delta-4-androstenedione, and sex hormone binding globulin.


RESULTS
Serum dihydrotestosterone concentration was the only independent hormonal predictor of the frequency of orgasms; an increase in concentration of 1.36 nmol/l (about 2 SD) corresponded to an average increase of one orgasm a week.


CONCLUSIONS
Differences in concentrations of circulating dihydrotestosterone within the normal range may represent a major predictor of sexual activity in healthy young men.
Mantzoros
C S
CS
401 Military Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Georgiadis
E I
EI
Trichopoulos
D
D
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000735:Androstenedione / Q000097:blood; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009948:Orgasm / Q000502:physiology*; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
D013196:Dihydrotestosterone; D013739:Testosterone; D000735:Androstenedione