Menelaos Apostolou (2015)
Abstract
Epidemiological studies indicate that almost one in two women face some
kind of sexual dysfunction. Given the importance of sexual functioning for successful
reproduction, such a high prevalence is enigmatic. Selection forces should have
reduced to a low frequency, or have eliminated completely from the gene pool, any
alleles that predispose for sexual dysfunctions. Epidemiological studies indicate that
this did not happen, and the present paper attempts to examine the reasons why. Based
on anthropological and historical evidence, it is argued that in ancestral societies sexual
motivation was a much weaker predictor of successful mating in women, than it is
today in post-industrial societies. Accordingly, balancing selection has favored a female
type of sexual behavior which is characterized by low sexual motivation. This low level
of sexual motivation is not optimal in post-industrial societies where mate choice is not
regulated, resulting in women, who have such predispositions, to be classified as
suffering from a dysfunction. Predictions are derived from the proposed model, and
matched with available evidence.
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