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Women’s finger pressure sensitivity at rest and recalled body awareness during partnered sexual activity

International Journal of Impotence Research volume 29, pages 157–159 (2017)Cite this article

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Abstract

Greater vibrotactile sensitivity has been related to better erectile function in men, and vibrotactile and pressure tactile sensitivity have been related to better sexual function in women. Our previous study found that, for both sexes, greater recalled body awareness during last sexual relation correlated with greater recalled desire and arousal. Using the same sample of that study (68 women and 48 men, recruited in the Lisbon area, Portugal), we tested if greater recalled body awareness during last sexual relation correlates with tactile pressure sensitivity, as assessed by von Frey microfilaments. In simple and partial correlations controlling for social desirability and smoking before last sex, the hypothesis was confirmed for women, but not for men. Greater tactile sensitivity might enhance sexual arousal through greater awareness of the body during sex, and/or more frequent and pleasant body sensations during sex might lead to greater tactile sensitivity in nonsexual situations. Pressure sensitivity might be more closely linked to sexual arousal in women than in men.

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Acknowledgements

The study was funded with grants from Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FRH/BPD/76130/2011 and UID/PSI/04810/2013) and Fundação BIAL (nº 103/12). Finger pressure sensitivity at rest and recalled body awareness during partnered sexual activity.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. William James Center for Research, ISPA – Instituto Universitário, Rua do Jardim do Tabaco 34, Lisbon, Portugal

    R M Costa & David Costa

  2. ISPA – Instituto Universitário, Rua do Jardim do Tabaco 34, Lisbon, Portugal

    José Pestana

  3. Institute for Frontier Areas of Psychology and Mental Health, Wilhelmstrasse 3a, Freiburg, Germany

    Marc Wittmann

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  1. R M Costa
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  2. José Pestana
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  3. David Costa
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Correspondence to David Costa.

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Costa, R., Pestana, J., Costa, D. et al. Women’s finger pressure sensitivity at rest and recalled body awareness during partnered sexual activity. Int J Impot Res 29, 157–159 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijir.2017.13

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