Paced Mating Behaviour Is Influenced by Duration of Female Post-Ejaculatory Interval.

Background: Laboratory paradigms that enable the female rat to control the frequency and temporal distribution of sexual stimulation are well-suited to gaining knowledge about female sexual function; however, the variety of procedures used influence the specific behaviors exhibited by female rats and bring uncertainty into the conclusions that can be drawn.

Aim: In this study, we evaluated the effects of test parameters on the display of paced mating behavior in female rats to develop better preclinical models for exploring female sexual health.

Methods: Sexually experienced, estradiol- and progesterone-primed female rats were tested under paced mating conditions to determine whether sexual behavior differed as a function of number of male partners (1 or 3; Experiment 1), the time span between receipt of an ejaculation and the next intromission (ie, the post-ejaculatory interval or PEI; Experiment 2), or the duration of ejaculations (Experiment 3).