Salivary Testosterone and Sexual Function and Behavior in Men and Women: Findings from the Third British National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3)

• Published in: The Journal of sex research Vol. 59; no. 2; pp. 135 - 149
• Main Authors: Macdowall, W. G., Clifton, S., Palmer, M. J., Tanton, C., Copas, A. J., Lee, D. M., Mitchell, K. R., Mercer, C. H., Sonnenberg, P., Johnson, A. M., Wellings, K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Taylor & Francis 12-02-2022; Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality
• Subjects: Attitude; Behavior; Body mass index; Female; Health Surveys; Humans; Life Style; Lifestyles; Male; Mass spectrometry; Masturbation; Polls & surveys; Saliva; Scientific imaging; Sexual attitudes; Sexual Behavior; Sexual Partners; Spectrometry; Testosterone; United Kingdom - epidemiology; Women; United Kingdom
• ISSN: 0022-4499; 1559-8519
• DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2021.1968327

Using data from the third British National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3) we examined associations between salivary testosterone (Sal-T) and sexual function and behavior. Single morning saliva samples were self-collected from a subsample of participants aged 18-74 years and analyzed using mass spectrometry. 1,599 men and 2,123 women were included in the analysis (40.6% of those invited to provide a sample). We adjusted for confounders in a stepwise manner: in model 1 we adjusted for age only; model 2 for age, season and relationship status, and model 3 we added BMI and self-reported health. In the fully adjusted models, among men, Sal-T was positively associated with both partnered sex (vaginal sex and concurrent partners) and masturbation. Among women, Sal-T was positively associated with masturbation, the only association with partnered sex was with ever experience of same-sex sex. We found no clear association between Sal-T and sexual function. Our study contributes toward addressing the sparsity of data outside the laboratory on the differences between men and women in the relationship between T and sexual function and behavior. To our knowledge, this is the first population study, among men and women, using a mass spectrometry Sal-T assay to do so.