Do you produce oxytocin when you masturbate?

Dear Reader,  

Affectionately known as the “love hormone” or “cuddle chemical”, oxytocin is a hormone involved in bonding, social recognition, romantic attachment, and the formation of trust. While your body produces it naturally, pharmaceutical companies also produce synthetic forms of oxytocin. These can be administered intravenously or through injections and nasal sprays. That said, you can’t buy synthetic oxytocin over the counter—health care providers only prescribe it for medical purposes (more on this in a bit) and in a specialized care setting where the patient can be monitored for side effects.

The brain is where the magic happens—your hypothalamus produces oxytocin, which gets stored in your pituitary gland until it’s released into your bloodstream. Hugging someone, physical touch, and making love are all things that can boost oxytocin release. For those flying solo, never fear—studies have found that oxytocin levels can also rise during sexual arousal and peak during orgasm or ejaculation from masturbating. In people assigned male at birth (AMAB), oxytocin also causes the vas deferens to contract, pushing sperm and semen out for ejaculation.  

Oxytocin is commonly known for playing an important role in childbirth and lactation. During labor, oxytocin floods the body, stimulating uterine contractions and dilating the cervix. After childbirth, oxytocin causes the muscles around the milk ducts in the breast to contract, squeezing milk out of the nipple. Health care providers sometimes administer synthetic oxytocin to induce labor contractions, expediate the process of delivering the placenta after childbirth, and to control heavy bleeding.

Although synthetic oxytocin is chemically identical to natural oxytocin, it's unlikely to cause someone assigned female at birth (AFAB) to start spontaneously producing milk if they aren’t already pregnant. In addition to oxytocin, lactation requires a second hormone, prolactin. Prolactin is the hormone that stimulates the production of breast milk. Without high levels of it, lactation is unlikely to occur.

It might be helpful to consider why you may be interested in buying synthetic oxytocin. Are you interested in using it recreationally or as a therapeutic? There has been buzz around using synthetic oxytocin to treat autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other psychiatric conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and schizophrenia. However, it’s important to note that many studies have insufficient or conflicting research. It’s recommended that you speak with a medical professional to find out whether taking oxytocin is a safe and effective option for your specific needs. They can also help you source it from a trusted medical supplier if they prescribe it to you.  

Organic or synthetic, oxytocin is quite the multi-purpose hormone. Although you may not be able to directly measure your own oxytocin levels, they’re likely shaping your social encounters and experiences without you even knowing it. Here’s to the big O—oxytocin, that is!