Pain sensitivity and individual differences in self-reported sexual behavior

The relationship between sexual behavior and pain sensitivity was assessed in 27 heterosexual men and 20 heterosexual women. Sexual behavior measures included sexual motivation and ratings of subjective sexual arousal to and enjoyment of an auditory stimulus. Pain sensitivity measures were pain thre shold and pain tolerance in a cold presser task. Participants were tested a fter exposure to a neutral or a sexual audio stimulus. Exposure to the sexu al stimulus increased pain sensitivity in women but not in men. However, se xual behavior measures were correlated with pain threshold for both men and women. Specifically, higher pain thresholds were associated with weaker se xual motivation, lower enjoyment potential for sexual interaction, and incr eased inhibition during intercourse. These results are consistent with find ings in laboratory animals, suggesting that differences in sexual behavior may reflect differences in responsiveness to a variety of stimuli.