title: The quality of sexual experience in women correlates with post-orgasmic prolactin surges: results from an experimental prototype study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sexual intercourse, orgasm, and sexual satisfaction are associated with well-being and improved quality of life. The pituitary hormone prolactin (PRL) may have an important role in regulating (and thus indexing) sexual satiety and satisfaction.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Physiological indices to quantify the quality and resulting satisfaction from female orgasm would be valuable. Therefore we aim to validate associations of orgasm-induced PRL surges with women's orgasm quality and subsequent sexual satisfaction.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a prospective study, with a pre-post, single-blinded, cross-over design in a naturalistic field setting, we analyzed the correlation of women's post-orgasmic serum PRL surges following sexual intercourse with women's perceived quality of orgasm and resulting sexual satisfaction, as measured by a questionnaire.
  
  
  METHODS
  PRL levels prior to and following penile-vaginal intercourse with and without orgasm, and scores from the Acute Sexual Experience Scale (ASES) on quality of orgasm and sexual satisfaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An analysis of variance of the blood samples in nine women indicated large magnitude, significant effects of intercourse orgasm on PRL levels (P = 0.004, eta squared = 0.78), as well as an interaction with the effect of multiple orgasms (P = 0.008, eta squared = 0.80). PRL post/pre ratios and arithmetic difference correlated strongly with orgasm quality (r = 0.85, P = 0.016, and r = 0.69, P = 0.08) and sexual satisfaction (r = 0.75, P = 0.05 and r = 0.77, P = 0.045).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women's intercourse orgasm induced PRL surges are strongly related to the quality of orgasm and subsequent sexual satisfaction. This implies that post-orgasmic PRL surges are an objective index of orgasm and orgasm quality. PRL might be used in future studies on basic research as well as a treatment target in sexual disorders in women.
authors: Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. Brigitte.Leeners@usz.ch
authors: Brigitte
authors: B
authors: Leeners
authors: Tillmann H C
authors: TH
authors: Kruger
authors: Stuart
authors: S
authors: Brody
authors: Sandra
authors: S
authors: Schmidlin
authors: Eva
authors: E
authors: Naegeli
authors: Marcel
authors: M
authors: Egli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003075:Coitus / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009948:Orgasm / Q000502:physiology*; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood*; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D011498:Protein Precursors; C017671:preprolactin; D011388:Prolactin