Evidence map›Paper›PMID 23841462›Full record

ArticleThe journal of sexual medicine2013

Chronic stress and sexual function in women.

Lisa Dawn Hamilton, Cindy M Meston

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in The journal of sexual medicine, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 66 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
66citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

66 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Mindfulness-based interventions for addressing sexual function after cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025
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  15. Multidimensional fatigue mediates the relationship between sexual quality of life and perceived stress in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.Saudi journal of gastroenterology : official journal of the Saudi Gastroenterology Association · 2025
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  19. Bidirectional associations between daily subjective stress and sexual desire, arousal, and activity in healthy men and women.Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine · 2025
    Article
  20. Review

6 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Lisa Dawn HamiltonDepartment of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
Cindy M Meston

Funding

Effects of Early Abuse on Adult Intimate RelationshipsR01HD051676 · NICHD · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN · PI MESTON, CINDY M · 2006 to 2010
$960k
NICHD NIH HHS R01 HD051676NICHD NIH HHS R01 HD51676
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionChronic stress is known to have negative effects on reproduction, but little is known about how it affects the sexual response cycle. The present study examined the relationship between chronic stress and sexual arousal and the mechanisms that mediate this relationship.

aimThe aim of this study is to test the relationship between chronic stress and sexual arousal and identify mechanisms that may explain this relationship. We predicted that women experiencing high levels of chronic stress would show lower levels of genital arousal and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEAS) and higher levels of cortisol and cognitive distraction compared with women with average levels of stress.

methodsWomen who were categorized as high in chronic stress (high stress group; n=15) or average in chronic stress (average stress group; n=15) provided saliva samples and watched an erotic film while having their genital and psychological arousal measured.

main outcome measuresMain outcome measures were vaginal pulse amplitude, psychological arousal, salivary cortisol, salivary DHEAS, and heart rate and compared them between women with high and average levels of chronic stress.

resultsWomen in the high stress group had lower levels of genital, but not psychological arousal, had higher levels of cortisol, and reported more distraction during the erotic film than women in the average stress group. The main predictor of decreased genital sexual arousal was participants' distraction scores.

conclusionsHigh levels of chronic stress were related to lower levels of genital sexual arousal. Both psychological (distraction) and hormonal (increased cortisol) factors were related to the lower levels of sexual arousal seen in women high in chronic stress, but distraction was the only significant predictor when controlling for other variables.

Indexed as

ArousalSexual BehaviorAdultAttentionChronic DiseaseCognitionDehydroepiandrosteroneEroticaFemaleGenitalia, FemaleHeart RateHumansHydrocortisonePhotic StimulationSalivaSexual Dysfunctions, PsychologicalDehydroepiandrosteroneHydrocortisoneAttentionCortisolDHEASSexual ArousalStress

Identifiers

PMID23841462
PMCPMC4199300

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.