Hormones Produce Opposite Reactions After Sex

By John Gray

Sexual activity produces testosterone in men, but an orgasm releases oxytocin. Oxytocin is known as the "cuddle" hormone.

The calming effects of this hormonal cascade of oxytocin are why men often roll over and fall asleep afterward. After sex, a man's testosterone levels can drop for a while, which helps explain why a man sometimes feels a need for greater distance immediately following sex.

Men and women react in opposite ways after sex on account of their hormones.

While a woman's elevated oxytocin levels put her cuddle reflex in high drive, the dynamic for men of rising oxytocin and falling testosterone often causes a man to withdraw until his hormones return to their normal balance.

Understanding and accepting that men sometimes retreat after sex, when women usually feel the most connected, can help avoid bad feelings.

Regular and satisfying sex is one of the great gifts of a loving relationship. To enjoy this gift for a lifetime, long after the newness wears off, men and women need to be creative in finding new ways to assist women in raising their oxytocin levels. When a woman is able to relax, she can once again enjoy her sexuality.

Hormones Make All the Difference

Giving our partners what we might want is often the opposite of what will work.

Men and women have many of the same goals. We all want to be safe, happy, successful, and loved, but what we need to feel this way can be very different. It is our hormones that make all the difference.

This examination of the biological basis for the way men and women deal with stress sheds light on why Mars and Venus sometimes collide.

Social conditioning, parental example, and education can have a significant effect on how men and women interact and respond to each other, but how we react to stress is hardwired into our bodies and brains.