I've written previously about stress and the importance of staying in charge of it. But did you know that stress affects men and women differently in the sexual arena?
A woman's desire for sex and physical touch shut down when she's under stress. Some research suggests that the cause of the shut-down is cortisol, the stress hormone. Cortisol blocks oxytocin's action in the female brain which in turn puts a damper on desire. Cortisol apparently doesn't impact a male's desire in the same way - or maybe the impact is overridden by greater levels of testosterone - because men often turn to sex as a stress reliever! Did we really need another mismatch in the way men and women operate sexually??
Information is power. Just knowing this different response to stress can help you and your partner better understand one another - and hopefully find some middle ground when you're both under stress.
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