Nipple/Breast Stimulation and Sexual Arousal in Young Men ...

1 J Sex Med 2006;3:450 454 2006 International Society for Sexual Medicine450 Blackwell Publishing IncMalden, USAJSMJ ournal of Sexual Medicine1743-6095 2006 International Society for Sexual Medicine200633450454 Original ArticleBreast Stimulation in Men and WomenLevin and MestonNipple/ breast Stimulation and Sexual Arousal in Young Men and WomenRoy Levin, PhD,* and Cindy Meston, PhD *Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK; Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USADOI: role of Nipple/Breast Stimulation in influencing Sexual Arousal in men and women duringlovemaking has only been the subject of opinion-based comment rather than evidence-based study. No attempt toquestion people about such Sexual behavior has ever been study was designed to ascertain the effects of Nipple/Breast manipulation in Young men and women ontheir Sexual short questionnaire about Nipple/Breast Stimulation during Sexual activity was administered to 301 (148men; 153 women) sexually experienced undergraduates (age range 17 29 years, 95% between 18 and 22).

2 Main Outcome to questions in major findings in regard to the women were that reported that Stimulation of their nipples/breasts caused or enhanced their Sexual Arousal , agreed that when sexually aroused such manipulationincreased their Arousal , had asked to have their nipples stimulated during lovemaking, and only foundthat the manipulation decreased their Arousal . In regard to the men, reported that nipple Stimulation causedor enhanced their Sexual Arousal , 39% agreed that when sexually aroused such manipulation increased their Arousal ,only had asked to have their nipples stimulated, and only found that such Stimulation decreased of the nipples/breasts causes or enhances Sexual Arousal in approximately 82% of youngwomen and 52% of Young men with only 7 8% reporting that it decreased their Arousal .

3 Levin R, and MestonC. Nipple/Breast Stimulation and Sexual Arousal in Young men and women. J Sex Med 2006;3:450 Studies of Sexual Function; Central Nervous System Control; Sexual Physiology; Sexual Biochemistry A brief report of the study (Levin RJ, Meston Stimulation and Sexual Arousal in youngmen and women [abstract]. J Sex Med 2006;3(suppl3):247.) was presented at the European Society ofSexual Medicine meeting at Copenhagen, Decem-ber and breast Stimulation is a frequentcharacteristic of human Sexual activityespecially employed by men [1] during the earlystages of lovemaking (so-called foreplay) toinduce in women Sexual Arousal . Kinsey et al.[2] claimed, however, that while this stimulatesthe male erotically.

4 The significance for theNfemale has probably been overestimated. It wasalso claimed that relatively few females eventry to stimulate the breasts of their partners. These opinions were voiced over 50 yearsago and appear to be authority-based ratherthan evidence-based. There is little or nothingin the literature on the possible enhancement ofsexual Arousal in women and especially in mencreated by breast or nipple manipulation. It wasthus thought useful to establish by a brief ques-tionnaire the present status of breast /nipplestimulation among Young men and women inrelation to the induction/enhancement of Page 450 Wednesday, April 12, 2006 12:23 PMBreast Stimulation in Men and Women451J Sex Med 2006;3:450 454 MethodsParticipantsA total of 371 undergraduate students (180 men,191 women) at the University of Texas at Austinparticipated in this study in exchange for coursecredit.

5 Participants were enrolled in either the2003 2004 Fall sessions (September December)or the 2004 Spring session ( January May). Datafrom participants who reported being sexuallyinexperienced (defined as not having ever experi-enced Sexual intercourse) were excluded from fur-ther analyses (N = 70). The final sample size was148 men and 153 women. Participants varied inage from 17 to 29 years (95% between 18 and 22),and mean age was years (SD = ) years (SD = ) for men and women,respectively. The sample consisted of 56% Cauca-sian, 7% African American, 22% Hispanic, 14%Asian American, <1% Native American, and 1% other ethnicity participants. Ethnicity wasdetermined with the question, What ethnicity doyou most identify with? ProceduresParticipants were administered a brief question-naire consisting of questions inquiring about theirsexual Arousal response to breast / nipple stimula-tion and a demographics questionnaire.

6 Femaleparticipants were also asked whether they had everreceived breast surgery. Participants respondedusing a Yes/No response questionnaires were administered in smallgroups of 5 10 same-sex individuals. To preserveprivacy, participants were given either partitions orseveral feet of space from other participants. Par-ticipants were informed of the Sexual nature of thestudy before they applied to participate. Same-sexresearchers informed participants of the sexualmaterial, obtained consent, administered question-naire packets, and answered participant questionsthat arose during testing. Confidentiality was pro-tected by assigning each participant with a random-ized code number connected to all of his or herdata, and consent forms were kept in a separate help assure anonymity, upon completion, ques-tionnaire packets were inserted into a large dropbox as participants exited the testing room.

7 Thisstudy was approved by the Human Subjects Ethicscommittee at the University of Texas at assessments of any significant differ-ences (P > ) among the data were undertakenusing Likelihood ratios, a test used to analyze cat-egorical data [3].ResultsOne woman reported having had breast augmen-tation surgery. Data from her questionnaire wereexcluded from further analyses as it is unclear towhat degree breast augmentation surgery mayaffect Nipple/Breast women, reported that nip-ple/ breast Stimulation caused or enhanced theirsexual Arousal , and that when they were sexuallyaroused Nipple/Breast Stimulation increased theirarousal. Only reported that such stimula-tion caused a decrease in their Arousal . of the women have actively asked for thestimulation from their partners, and some to have them stimulated but were notable to ask for it to be undertaken (presumablyfrom shyness, or not wanting to appear toodemanding).

8 In the case of men, like women, nipple stimu-lation was excitatory for their Sexual Arousal butthe percentage was less than in women ( with ). Results from Likelihoodratios indicated that this gender difference wassignificant, L2 = , P < Thirty-ninepercent of men (compared with of women)reported that nipple Stimulation increased theirarousal when they were sexually aroused. Thisgender difference was also significant (L2 = ,P < ). Virtually, the same percentage of men( ) as women ( ) found that nipple stimu-lation decreased their Arousal when sexuallyaroused (L2 = , P = ). A significantlysmaller percentage of men than women asked fortheir nipples to be stimulated ( vs. ,L2 = , P < ), and a significantly smallerpercentage would like to have the Stimulation butdid not want to ask for it ( vs.)

9 ,L2 = , P < ) (Table 1).DiscussionThe majority of women surveyed ( )reported that Stimulation of their nipples/breastscaused or enhanced Sexual Arousal and increasedtheir Arousal once they were already sexuallyaroused. Although a comparatively lower propor-tion compared with women, the majority of men( ) also reported enhanced Sexual arousalwith nipple Stimulation and only a small propor-tion reported the activity decreased Arousal . A sig-nificantly smaller percentage of men would like tohave had the Stimulation during lovemaking butdid not want to ask for it. This gender differencecould feasibly be due to a number of Page 451 Wednesday, April 12, 2006 12:23 PM452 Levin and Meston J Sex Med 2006;3:450 454including gender differences in reporting biases orsocial desirability, or gender roles ascribed to thisbehavior.

10 These results clearly do not support thecomments on Nipple/Breast Stimulation by Kinseyet al. [2] quoted in the Introduction how Nipple/Breast Stimulation influ-ences Sexual Arousal is poorly understood. Thefemale nipple /areola is well innervated [4 6] andwhen stimulated the nipple becomes erect and theareola engorged [7]. The innervation of the malenipple/areola, although similar to that of thefemale nipple /areola [8], has been less well stud-ied. It has been estimated that 50 60% of men alsoshow nipple erection on Arousal [7]. The tactilesensibility of the areola is regarded as protopathic(primitive) as compared with epicritic (discrimina-tory) sensitivity of the skin [4]. In relation to tactilestimuli, Robinson and Short [9] reported that afterpuberty the sensitivity of all areas of the femalebreast becomes significantly greater than that ofthe male breast .