Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34118520›Full record

ReviewSexual medicine2021

How Relevant is the Systemic Oxytocin Concentration for Human Sexual Behavior? A Systematic Review.

Nicoletta Cera, Sebastián Vargas-Cáceres, Cátia Oliveira, Jéssica Monteiro, David Branco, Duarte Pignatelli, Sandra Rebelo

Open access · goldAbstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Sexual medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
22citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
5.3field-weighted citation impact, top 4% of its field
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

22 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 39 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Early life stress modulates social behavior via oxytocin and arginine vasopressin in males.European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience · 2026
    Article
  3. Review
  4. Review
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. Review
  8. Article
  9. How does oxytocin modulate human behavior?Molecular psychiatry · 2025
    Review
  10. Review
  11. Article
  12. Better sleep, lower blood pressure, and less stress following sex: Findings from a large-scale ecological momentary assessment study.Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association · 2024
    Article
  13. Review
  14. Review
  15. Exploring the Role of Masturbation as a Coping Strategy in Women.International journal of sexual health : official journal of the World Association for Sexual Health · 2024
    Article
  16. Review
  17. Review
  18. Article
  19. Review
  20. Review
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

7 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Nicoletta CeraCPUP- Center for Psychology at University of Porto, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal. Electronic address: cera.nicoletta@gmail.com.
Sebastián Vargas-CáceresMental Health Service, Benito Menni CASM, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
Cátia OliveiraCPUP- Center for Psychology at University of Porto, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; Digital Human-Environment Interaction Lab, Lusofona University, Porto, Portugal; CUF Hospital, Porto, Portugal.
Jéssica MonteiroFaculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
David BrancoFaculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
Duarte PignatelliDepartment of BioMedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; Department of Endocrinology, Centro Hospitalar Universitário de São João, Porto, Portugal.
Sandra RebeloDepartment of BioMedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; Department of Clinical Pathology, Centro Hospitalar Universitário de São João, Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
Universidade do Porto · PTCentre for Astrophysics of the University of Porto · PTCUF Porto Hospital · PTVall d'Hebron Hospital Universitari · ES

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionDespite its role in social cognition and affiliative behavior, less is known about the role played by oxytocin in human sexual behavior.

aimIn the present systematic review, we aimed to find the levels of oxytocin related to human sexual arousal and orgasm.

methodsWe conducted the study according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. We performed a systematic search in the principal databases for studies that reported collection of salivary or plasmatic samples, with dosage of oxytocin in relation to sexual activity during induction of sexual arousal and orgasm.

results414 articles were obtained. After duplicates removal and the application of pre exclusion criteria, 16 articles were considered eligible and 13 articles were included with a Cohen's k of 0.827. Most of the studies used sexual self-stimulation and collected plasmatic or salivary samples to measure oxytocin. The sexual arousal and orgasm were assessed based on subjective reports.

main outcome measureThe primary outcomes were the oxytocin levels collected during the induction of sexual arousal and orgasm.

conclusionsSeveral studies collected only subjective reports about the sexual arousal and the orgasm. Most of the studies found higher levels of oxytocin during the orgasm or ejaculation. Given the sexual arousal evoked by self-stimulation in which sexual fantasies play an important role, it should be possible to postulate for a role of the oxytocin in sexual desire. In particular, we hypothesize a complex role of the oxytocin in the modulation of sexual fantasies and thoughts that are relevant in the sexual desire and help to trigger genital and sexual arousal. Cera N, Vargas-Cáceres S, Oliveira C, et al. How Relevant is the Systemic Oxytocin Concentration for Human Sexual Behavior? A Systematic Review. Sex Med 2021;9:100370.

Indexed as

OrgasmOxytocinSexual ArousalSexual Response

Identifiers

PMID34118520
PMCPMC8360917
OpenAlexW3168049950

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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.