The role of gonadal hormones in the sexual behavior of the rhesus monkey and human: A literature survey.

The importance of the gonads for the display of sexual behavior has been realized for hundreds of years, yet only within the last century has active research in this area been conducted. The present communication surveys the literature concerned with the role of gonadal hormones in the activation, maintenance, and control of sexual behavior in the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta)and human. To place this topic in perspective the survey begins with a description of the normative aspects of sexual behavior and the endocrine events which correlate with the cyclic behaviors of the female. Building on this base the survey then focuses on descriptions of the effects on sexual behavior of the removal of hormones in adulthood and of the replacement of these hormones with either heteroor homotypic hormones.