Abdominal Temperature Changes During Male Sexual Arousal

The present study explored the feasibility of using temperature measurement from a non-genital location to assess sexual arousal. Based upon analyses conducted with thermographic techniques, it was hypothesized that abdominal skin cooling would occur during sexual arousal. In 2 sessions, 6 male subjects were shown low, moderate, and high arousing erotic films. Simultaneous measures of abdominal temperature, penile circumference, and subjective arousal were taken. Results indicate that while decreases in skin temperature were seen during arousal, thermister data did not correlate well with tumescence or subjective arousal ratings. It would appear that thermography and temperature measurement might be most fruitfully employed to explore basic physiological processes involved in sexual arousal, since continuous temperature measures do not appear sensitive enough for use in typical sex research paradigms.