The effects of common medications on volumetric phallometry

A Test of Three Different Explanations for Low Stimulus Response Discrimination in Phallometric Testing

Phallometric assessment is used to assess men's sexual interest in children and to assist in risk assessment and treatment planning. A common response pattern, especially when the assessment is conducted in a forensic context, is an indiscriminate pattern of penile responses: No sexual stimulus seems to produce a substantially higher response than another. This indiscriminate response profile could be the result of (1) faking good (in particular, reducing the responses to child stimuli); (2) floor or ceiling effects caused by low or high arousability, or (3) non-exclusivity (the individual is similarly sexually interested in both children and adults). In this study of 2,858 adult male patients who underwent volumetric phallometric assessment for sexual interest in children between 1995 and 2011, we tested these three possible explanations. Results showed support for each of the explanations, but the variance accounted for in response discrimination was quite small when considering each explanation (separately or when considered together). We discuss avenues for future research to better discern the causes of indiscriminate responding in phallometric assessment.

International overview of phallometric testing for sexual offending behaviour and sexual risk

Phallometry is an objective method of assessing male sexual arousal. The main applications in forensic psychiatry concern the evaluation of men charged with or convicted of sexual offences, the evaluation of those with suspected paraphilias not subject to the criminal justice system, risk assessment and measurement of response to sex offender treatment. In some jurisdictions, phallometry is incorporated into legal decisions about release from custody or discharge from secure hospitals. This paper provides a brief overview of the international development of phallometry, considers challenges to its broader adoption and discusses future directions for research and clinical practice.

Examining Penile Sensitivity in Neonatally Circumcised and Intact Men Using Quantitative Sensory Testing

PURPOSE

Little is known about the long-term implications of neonatal circumcision on the penile sensitivity of adult men, despite recent public policy endorsing the procedure in the United States. In the current study we assessed penile sensitivity in adult men by comparing peripheral nerve function of the penis across circumcision status.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 62 men (age 18 to 37 years, mean 24.2, SD 5.1) completed study procedures (30 circumcised, 32 intact). Quantitative sensory testing protocols were used to assess touch and pain thresholds (modified von Frey filaments) and warmth detection and heat pain thresholds (a thermal analyzer) at a control site (forearm) and 3 to 4 penile sites (glans penis, midline shaft, proximal to midline shaft and foreskin, if present).

RESULTS

Penile sensitivity did not differ across circumcision status for any stimulus type or penile site. The foreskin of intact men was more sensitive to tactile stimulation than the other penile sites, but this finding did not extend to any other stimuli (where foreskin sensitivity was comparable to the other sites tested).

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that minimal long-term implications for penile sensitivity exist as a result of the surgical excision of the foreskin during neonatal circumcision. Additionally, this study challenges past research suggesting that the foreskin is the most sensitive part of the adult penis. Future research should consider the direct link between penile sensitivity and the perception of pleasure/sensation. Results are relevant to policy makers, parents of male children and the general public.