Sex, women, and brain scans

I've just got time for two quick links on women's brains and sex.

First, Vaugan at MindHacks points to a new study showing that women's brains respond more quickly to erotic images than non-erotic images.

Now all we need is a study on how quickly women can respond when their lovers glance at other attractive women.

Second, Jake at Pure Pedantry cites a preprint article about PET scans of women's brains during sexual climax. At climax, activity fell in nearly the entire brain. For men, brain activity at climax was undetectable. In the comments, Shelley warns that this is a pre-printed article, so the results may not be as dramatic as the author claims.

Update: One more, from the Washington Post: The rise of sexual assertiveness in college age women, coupled with impotence in younger men.

An increasing number of students arrive on campus taking antidepressants, some of which reduce libido and sexual function. They consume larger amounts of alcohol at one time than in years past, killing performance. Smoking, lack of exercise and anxiety also may be factors.

"We get reports of increased stress levels starting at younger ages. These are kids living on the extreme, drinking caffeinated Red Bull and beer and working very hard," says Thomas Jarrett, chief urologist at the George Washington University Medical Center.