Plasma noradrenaline and dopamine-beta-hydroxylase during human sexual activity

Abstract

During sexual intercourse 2 men and 2 women had small increases in plasma noradrenaline (NA) during sexual arousal and substantial increases in NA at the time of orgasm. A third woman who felt dizzy when she saw her blood drawn at the beginning of the experiment subsequently had persistently high NA levels. All subjects had a rapid fall in plasma NA after orgasm. Sexual activity is accompanied by sympathetic nervous activity in men and women. After orgasm there is a rapid decrease in plasma NA during the post-orgasmic relaxation phase. © 1979.