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Pornography availability has increased in recent years, and while there is plenty of speculation about its effects, empirical investigation about how porn influences our lives has yielded mixed results. Additionally, few studies have addressed the effects of specific pornography characteristics. Past research has shown that male-centric pornography can be related to negative outcomes, while female-centric pornography is related to more positive outcomes, particularly in women. The present survey study examined the relationship between pornography characteristics (male- and female-centric) and the self-reported attitudes and sexual experiences of men and women. Participants in the full sample were 195 men and 310 women who completed an online questionnaire. Although effect sizes were small, women who reported viewing pornography with more female-centric features also reported more positive effects of pornography on sex life and perceptions of the other gender. While men were more likely than women to report negative effects relating to pornography use on these same measures, there were very few reported negative effects of pornography overall. These findings demonstrate a small association between the use of female-centric pornography and more positive outcomes, particularly for women.

In non-human animal research, studies comparing socially monogamous and promiscuous species of voles (Microtus) have identified some key neural differences related to monogamy and non-monogamy. Specifically, densities of the vasopressin V1a receptor and dopamine D2 receptors in subcortical reward-related and limbic areas of the brain have been linked to monogamous behavior in prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). Similar brain areas have been shown to be correlated with feelings of romantic love in monogamously pair-bonded humans. Humans vary in the degree to which they engage in (non-)monogamous behaviors. The present study examined the differences in neural activation in response to sexual and romantic stimuli in monogamous (n = 10) and non-monogamous (n = 10) men. Results indicated that monogamous men showed more reward-related neural activity when viewing romantic pictures compared to non-monogamous men. Areas with increased activation for monogamous men were all in the right hemisphere and included the thalamus, accumbens, striatum, pallidum, insula, and orbitofrontal cortex. There were no significant differences between groups in activation to sexual stimuli. These results demonstrate that the neural processing of romantic images is different for monogamous and non-monogamous men. There is some overlap in the neural areas showing increased activation in monogamous men in the present study and the neural areas that show differences in the vole models of monogamy and affiliation. Future research will be needed to clarify whether similar factors are contributing to the neural differences seen in monogamous and non-monogamous humans and voles.

Objective: Prostate cancer and its treatments, particularly androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), affect both patients and partners. This study assessed how prostate cancer treatment type, patient mood, and sexual function related to dyadic adjustment from patient and partner perspectives., Methods: Men with prostate cancer (n = 206) and partners of men with prostate cancer (n = 66) completed an online survey assessing the patients' mood (profile of mood states short form), their dyadic adjustment (dyadic adjustment scale), and sexual function (expanded prostate cancer index composite)., Results: Analyses of covariance found that men on ADT reported better dyadic adjustment compared with men not on ADT. Erectile dysfunction was high for all patients, but a multivariate analysis of variance found that those on ADT experienced greater bother at loss of sexual function than patients not on ADT, suggesting that loss of libido when on ADT does not mitigate the psychological distress associated with loss of erections. In a multiple linear regression, patients' mood predicted their dyadic adjustment, such that worse mood was related to worse dyadic adjustment. However, more bother with patients' overall sexual function predicted lower relationship scores for the patients, while the patients' lack of sexual desire predicted lower dyadic adjustment for partners., Conclusions: Both patients and partners are impacted by the prostate cancer treatment effects on patients' psychological and sexual function. Our data help clarify the way that prostate cancer treatments can affect relationships and that loss of libido on ADT does not attenuate distress about erectile dysfunction. Understanding these changes may help patients and partners maintain a co-supportive relationship. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., (Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Previous research has shown that being partnered is associated with lower testosterone (T) in men and women. To address how multiple partners may be associated with T, we examined 47 men and 48 women who were single, monoamorously partnered (partnered), polyamorous (having multiple committed relationships), or in a polyamorous lifestyle but not currently multipartnered. Men who were partnered had lower T than all other men, and polyamorous men had higher T than single men. Polyamorous women had higher T than all other women. Measures of sociosexual orientation (SOI) and sexual desire differed in women by relationship type, but not in men. Findings are interpreted in light of 'competitive' and 'bond-maintenance' relationship orientations and statuses.