. 2021 Jun 9;9(4):100370. doi: 10.1016/j.esxm.2021.100370

Table 4.

Tasks, hormonal assessment and Results described in the studies included in the systematic review

Source	Task	Hormonal assessment	Determinationof hormonallevels	Results
Fox et al., 1969²⁸	Couple sexual activity	Plasmatic oxytocin and vasopressin	N/A	Oxytocin was found in both cases in the blood sample taken after female orgasm but no activity was found in any of the samples from the male or any of the controls.
Ogawa et al., 1980²⁹	Sexual self-stimulation	Plasmatic oxytocin	RIA	Oxytocin levels increased significantly from 3.1±1.9 pg/ml to 7.0 ± 4.5 pg/ml after ejaculation in 17 males (P < .01). No correlation with sperm count.
Carmichael et al. 1987³⁰	Sexual self-stimulation continuing through orgasm /ejaculation	Plasmatic oxytocin collected 5 min. before starting; 5min post	RIA	Significant levels increase between baseline and orgasm in men and monorgasmic women (P < .05). Significant increase in Multiorgasmic W: baseline =2 pg/ml; 1^st orgasm= 2.7 pg/ml (P < .03); 2^nd orgasm=3.4 pg/ml; post orgasm= 3.4pg/ml. Oxytocin self-stimulation = W: (3.4 pg/ml)>M: (2.2 pg/ml; P < .05). Oxytocin orgasm = W: (4.4 pg/ml)>M: (2.5 pg/ml; P < .05)
Murphy et al., 1987³²	arousal induction task:using fantasies	Plasmatic oxytocin and vasopressin	RIA	Oxytocin levels increased at the time of arousal (ns) but increased with ejaculation; it increased from a baseline of 1.4 ± 0.3 to 7.3 ± 2.6 pmol/L (P < .01). The mean plasma level was still significantly elevated 10 min after ejaculation, reaching baseline in 30 min.
Carmichael et al., 1994³¹	Sexual self-stimulation	Plasmatic oxytocin collected at baseline, early SS, mid SS, late SS, orgasm and post orgasm.	RIA	Oxytocin levels increased from baseline through the orgasm.
Blaicher et al, 1999³³	Sexual self-stimulation	Plasmatic oxytocin	RIA	Oxytocin level increased in each subject after 1 minute following the orgasm (baseline = 11.53 pg/ml, 1 minutes after orgasm=14.00 pg/ml; P = .0033); Level after 5 Minutes =12.56 pg/ml.
Kruger et al., 2003³⁵	Sexual self-stimulation; visual sexual stimulation	Plasmatic oxytocin, epinephrine, norepinephrine, vasopressin, prolactin, FSH, LH, testosterone and cortisol.	IRMA- oxytocin	Orgasm produced an increase in oxytocin plasma levels, which returned to basal values 10 min after orgasm. However, due to a large interindividual variance these alterations did not reach statistical significance (F(10,80)= 1•83, P = .068).
Uckert et al., 2003⁴⁰	Sexual self-stimulation only in the glans; visual sexual stimulation	Plasmatic oxytocin	RIA	Two subjects feel pain during data collection; Two subjects did not terminate the experiment. Oxytocin plasma levels increased in the systemic and cavernous blood at the beginning of sexual arousal during penile tumescence (Corpus Cavernosum: from 66.7 ± 34 to 75 ± 44 pg/ml; Cubital Vein: from 71 ± 41 to 79 ± 49.5 pg/ml). Level of oxytocin increased during rigidity in the cavernous blood (to 81 ± 58.2 pg/ml), but unaltered in the systemic circulation (to 76.4 ± 44 pg/ml). Increase in the systemic blood (to 94±49 pg/ml).
Salonia et al., 2005⁴¹	N/A	Plasmatic oxytocin and other hormones.	RIA	Oxytocin levels correlated with the FSFI-lubrication subscale during the luteal (P = .007; r = 0.69) phase. Oxytocin correlated with both the arousal (P = .04; r = 0.72) and the lubrication (P = .009; r = 0.84) scales as measured with FSFI during the last week of assumption of the estroprogenistic pill. No significant difference among the mid luteal and mid follicular in FSFI.
Caruso et al., 2018³⁶	Couple sexual activity	Plasmatic oxytocin	ELISA	At baseline, anorgasmic women showed lower levels of oxytocin than orgasmic women, 1.8 ± 0.2 pg/mL versus 2.1 ± 0.5 pg/mL, respectively (P < .04). At T1, anorgasmic women showed similar baseline levels of oxytocin. Orgasmic women had higher level of oxytocin than anorgasmic women, (P < .001).
de Jong et al., 2017³⁴	Run, breastfeeding and sex tasks (ROC test): sexual self-stimulation	Salivary oxytocin	RIA	10-min of sexual self-stimulation caused an increase inoxytocin levels (P < .001). Post-hoc comparisons revealed a significant increase of oxytocin concentrations 10 min after the start of sexual self-stimulation (P ≤ .001). No difference after 40 minutes (P = .438).
Alley et al., 2019³⁷	audio sexual stimulation: arousal induction task	Salivary oxytocin and cortisol	EIA	No differences in oxytocin levels in response to the arousal task (mean difference = 0.18, t = 0.09, P = .94). Participants showed a significant increase in oxytocin from baseline to task for the arousal assessment (b = 0.11, P= .02), but no significant change from task to either the first recovery (b = 0.02, P= .87) or the second recovery (b = 0.10, P = .46).
Dickenson et al., 2019³⁸	audio sexual stimulation: arousal induction task	Salivary oxytocin and cortisol	EIA	Significant random effect (P < .001), indicating that women varied in the extent to which oxytocin changed in response to the sexual arousal induction. No significant change in response to the sexual arousal induction (P > .1). None of the facets of trait mindfulness (FFMQ) moderated the change in oxytocin in response to the sexual arousal induction (P > .2).

EIA= Enzyme immunoassay method; ELISA= Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; FSH=Follicle Stimulating Hormone; G= group; IRMA= Immuno radiometric assay; LH= Luteinizing Hormone; M= Men; RIA= Radioimmunoassay; SS= sexual stimulation; W= Women