Table 4.
Summary of the partial correlation coefficients for the associations of steroid hormones with sexual functioning (N = 93 for blood steroids, N = 69 for salivary steroids).
| E2 | P4 | T | DHEA-S | FSH | LH | SHBG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desire | 0.132 | 0.006 | 0.083 | -0.233 | -0.235† | -0.165 | 0.084 |
| Arousal | 0.055 | 0.085 | 0.256† | -0.069 | -0.077 | -0.141 | -0.070 |
| Lubrication | 0.060 | 0.023 | 0.060 | -0.158 | -0.145 | -0.129 | 0.056 |
| Orgasm | 0.057 | 0.193 | 0.316∗ | 0.033 | 0.084 | 0.046 | -0.047 |
| Contentment | -0.035 | -0.019 | 0.012 | -0.207 | -0.091 | -0.114 | -0.046 |
| Pain | -0.001 | 0.103 | 0.068 | -0.084 | -0.131 | -0.111 | -0.006 |
| Total sexual functioning | 0.057 | 0.089 | 0.176 | -0.153 | -0.116 | -0.136 | -0.008 |
Covariates: age, BMI, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, medication, smoking status. For the salivary steroids, N = 24 participants were excluded due to reports of a cold, infection, or gum bleeding before the laboratory assessment. E2, estradiol; P4, progesterone; T, testosterone; DHEA-S, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate; FSH, follicle-stimulating hormone; LH, luteinizing hormone; SHBG, sex hormone-binding globulin. Significance level: ∗p < 0.029 (adjusted for multiple testing), †p < 0.05.