Oxytocin is often associated with romantic relationships between partners. It also plays a big part in mother-child bonding, sexual activity, and mental health.

Endocrinologists believe that oxytocin could be compared to the drug ecstasy, as both increase one’s feeling of trust and intimacy (more on that later…).

Oxytocin doesn’t produce a feeling of being “high”, so there’s no immediate worry of a synthetic form of oxytocin being abused.

Oxytocin in Sex and Love

This hormone has been linked to sex and love because of its ability to induce social bonding, trust, and communication during arguments.

In some tests on animals, an injection of oxytocin led to some incredibly loving and sexual behaviour.

For example, female prairie voles were more likely to form monogamous relationships when injected with oxytocin.

When it comes to humans, individuals in the beginning stages of a romantic relationship had higher levels of oxytocin.

Research showed that men with higher levels of oxytocin may keep a greater distance from attractive female strangers.

This could be because the romance-oxytocin relationship works in a loop: the more time spent with a partner, the more oxytocin produced.

By now, you know that oxytocin is released when two people spend quality time together and when an attraction is present. But oxytocin too is released during orgasm, only for a short period of time, which can be deceptive.

Additionally, it was found that “those with higher oxytocin levels had more sex with fewer partners,” which shows that these individuals had longer lasting relationships.

Oxytocin and Orgasm

After climax, two individuals have a higher level of trust, which creates a positive emotion. And just like in animals, humans enjoy the reward that comes from having sex and achieving orgasm. But this short-lived rush of oxytocin causes different reactions in men and women.

In women, oxytocin may create a feeling of intimacy and closeness with her partner, making her believe that her partner might be the perfect match for her. In this way, a woman can sometimes be blinded by the powerful effects of oxytocin. But this hormone doesn’t have the ability to decipher whether her partner is, in fact, trustworthy or not.

Men, however, once intimacy is over, generally “go back to being themselves,” according to Graziano Breuning, Ph.D.

Oxytocin and Happiness

It’s no secret that oxytocin has the ability to make someone feel positive emotions. And according to Paul Zak, Ph.D., high levels of oxytocin are associated with increased feelings of happiness and well-being, as well as kindness.

He tested this theory by recruiting 60 female college students, and analysing their blood samples before and after receiving money from a stranger. These women were given the option to return some of the money or keep it. The results were: the females who returned some of the money had higher levels of oxytocin.

Zak also studied the correlation between men and their levels of oxytocin. He found that men with higher levels of the hormone (ingested nasally) were more generous after watching public service ads on sensitive subjects, like global warming. The men given the hormone donated 56 percent more money to these causes than those in the placebo group.

Fun fact? Zak believes that advertisers use the power of oxytocin to sell their products. An example would be toilet paper commercials that involve puppies. People like puppies, thus they’ll release oxytocin, making them more likely to buy the product.

Oxytocin, Female Reproduction & Mother-Child Bonding

Oxytocin brings feelings of closeness and bonding between partners, and a strong bond between mother and child. It affects a woman’s reproductive system.

In pregnant women, oxytocin sends signals to the uterus to contract in order to induce labour, a key element during childbirth.

After giving birth, oxytocin assists in breastfeeding. The baby latches onto its mother’s breast, releasing oxytocin and causing the discharge of milk.

Mothers with higher levels of oxytocin are more affectionate, more attentive, and more engaging when interacting with their child.

Interestingly, this mother-child bond is not only found in biological mothers, but also in foster and adoptive mothers, showing its adaptability.

Oxytocin and Father-Child Bonding

While the bond between mother and child is more affected by oxytocin release, fathers are also positively affected by this hormone.

A study found that fathers who guided their child’s attention to objects and encouraged exploration had higher oxytocin levels.

The lead researcher of this study, Ruth Feldman Ph.D, said:

“We found that after oxytocin administration, fathers’ salivary oxytocin rose dramatically, but similar increases were found in the infants’ oxytocin.”

Oxytocin and Mental Health

Oxytocin needs more praise. There is yet another pro when it comes to this hormone. It’s been shown that oxytocin plays a role in children with autism.

Oxytocin and Autism

A 1998 study found that children with autism had significantly lower levels of oxytocin than those without autism.

A study found that there was a decrease in autism spectrum repetitive behaviours when oxytocin was given to autistic adults.

A third study, done in 2007, showed that adults who were administered oxytocin were able to recognise and retain speech intonation.

Oxytocin and Social Anxiety

As we know, oxytocin increases feelings of wellbeing and the ability to form strong bonds. Researcher Jason Yee, Ph.D., was intrigued to learn the effects on those with stress and anxiety.

His study was done on prairie voles, and after creating a brief stressful situation for these animals, he gave them a dose of oxytocin. The results showed that those who had an animal buddy with them had lower anxiety.

“When animals receive oxytocin and can recuperate with a familiar partner, their bodies may release extra oxytocin, which in turn appears to facilitate a less anxious pattern of behavior,” said Yee.

This has researchers curious about the effect oxytocin might have on humans living with anxiety, believing that—if accompanied by a friend or in the midst of social contact—it may reduce levels of anxiety.

Oxytocin and Addictive Behaviours

Yan Liu and his team found that pair-bonding tends to decrease the rewarding properties linked with psychostimulants (methamphetamine).

Mary R. Lee and her team found that drug use in animals resulted in lower levels of oxytocin…besides the use of the drug, MDMA.

MDMA actually showed an increase in oxytocin production in animal test subjects, increasing one’s empathy and prompting social behaviour.

In conclusion, let’s give the hormone oxytocin a big round of applause for its ability to make us happier, healthier, and more in love!