The Hormonal Basis of Femininity and Masculinity
Even though men and women are different, we are not opposites, so I dislike the term ‘opposite sex’. Rather, femininity and masculinity complement one another like the ocean complements the land, forming an exquisite unity.
Have you ever wondered if there was a biological basis to femininity and masculinity? In this post, I’m introducing the roles of the sex hormones estrogen, oxytocin and testosterone in shaping human behaviour. Learning about the functions of these hormones can help you better understand the ways in which men and women relate to each other.
Aren’t Femininity and Masculinity Social Constructs?
We must get this question out of the way first!
The short answer is no.
The long answer is no, and hormones play a big part in shaping feminine and masculine traits.
These traits are universally consistent across all cultures throughout all of history that we are aware of – and that’s a large enough sample size to be able to confidently say that each and every human civilisation has always had a concept of femininity and masculinity very similar to our own. There are some small variations, but on average, historical and scientific data indicate that gender has a strong biological foundation and is only slightly influenced by societal perceptions.
Some historical eras have allowed for a more varied expression of femininity and masculinity than others. I’ve written about polytheism and psychological archetypes to illustrate this. However, this doesn’t change the fact that certain traits are universally considered feminine, while others are generally considered masculine.
What Are Hormones?
Without going into too much unnecessary detail, I’ll define hormones as chemical substances produced by the body, which affect the activity of cells and organs in many different ways.
What Are Sex Hormones?
Sex hormones are a class of hormones that regulate sexual development, sexual motivation and reproduction - not only in humans, but also in other mammals.
What Does Testosterone Do?
I’ll start with testosterone because it’s the single most important sex hormone in men. Hormonal regulation in women is much more complicated and not even fully understood.
Testosterone plays an important role in the development of male physical characteristics, such as the genitals, muscle mass, bone structure and hair growth. But, of course, there’s a lot more to masculinity than physical features. This chemical is also at the heart of typical male behaviour.
There’s one thing I find particularly shocking about this hormone: it’s largely responsible for both aggression and sexual attraction in men. This is the reason the vast majority of sex crimes are committed by men. It’s also the reason men have a different perception of what’s aggressive and what’s rough to women, and this leads to a lot of miscommunication and misunderstanding between the sexes.
Testosterone levels rise during sexual arousal in males. Incidentally, high testosterone levels lead to impulsive and potentially dangerous behaviour.
Testosterone also promotes competitiveness, fearlessness and confidence not only in humans, but also in animals, including primates. It’s the biological basis of the distinctly male drive for dominance and conquest. This becomes especially evident during puberty, when boys are constantly seeking danger, making their mothers panic. The absence of a father during these years can make a woman’s job incredibly difficult.
A mother telling her son “don’t do that, it’s dangerous” completely misses the point; danger is the point for most boys and young men. Aggression and competitiveness are best channelled into safe and healthy activities, such as sport.
Interestingly, one thing testosterone doesn’t seem to promote in males is creativity. Some studies indicate that creative behaviour is associated with lower than average testosterone levels in men. Female artists, on the other hand, have higher testosterone levels than most women, which suggests that artists may be psychologically androgynous. This takes us to the role of testosterone in women.
How Does Testosterone Affect Women?
Most healthy women produce very low levels of testosterone compared to men. When women are given extra testosterone, they gain muscle mass and their voice deepens, but they don’t become more aggressive. Aggression in women doesn’t seem to have much to do with testosterone, but sexual arousal does. Administering testosterone to postmenopausal women can boost their libido and treat sexual dysfunction.
What Are the Female Sex Hormones?
Estrogen is the female counterpart of testosterone, but it’s not the only important female sex hormone. Women’s reproductive system is incredibly complex and is regulated by many different hormones. I’m not going to discuss the intricate mechanisms that manage pregnancy. Instead, I’ll focus on the three main hormones that form the biological basis of femininity: estrogen, progesterone and oxytocin.
Estrogen is largely responsible for sculpting the female figure. It comes into play during puberty, when it causes the typical female fat distribution pattern to develop. It makes the breasts grow and the hips get wider by increasing fat deposits. This is the way the female body signals its sexual maturity and fertility.
The levels of sex hormones fluctuate during the menstrual cycle, and this can be very noticeable. As many of us know, the changes in hormone levels can cause changes is mood.
Estrogen is released in large amounts during ovulation, and this is when women tend to feel the happiest and most optimistic. This is also when women are the most likely to get pregnant and when they have the highest sex drive. This has obviously evolved this way to ensure the proliferation of the species.
During pregnancy, especially in the early months, estrogen levels skyrocket. This is why pregnant women have a wonderful glow and a sense of completeness about them.
In the menstrual cycle, after the estrogen high has faded, progesterone takes over. Progesterone has a calming, sedative effect, in a striking contrast to testosterone.
The week before menstruation, there’s a very sharp drop in estrogen, which can cause mood swings, and even anxiety and depression in severe cases. It can be a huge relief when a woman’s period finally begins… And then the whole cycle starts again.
What About Oxytocin?
Oxytocin is a fascinating substance. It’s also known as the ‘love hormone’, because it causes feelings of emotional bonding.
Biologically, it’s not considered a sex hormone because of its molecular structure, but it is released during sex. There’s a very significant difference in the way it affects women and men though.
In women, oxytocin is responsible for attraction, and it’s also produced in large amounts during sex. That’s why women want to cuddle and feel close to their partner after sex.
Although men do produce oxytocin during sex, their testosterone levels also rise. The testosterone then cancels out some of the oxytocin. This is why it’s common for men to become distant after sex or fall asleep straight away.
Oxytocin is also responsible for the emotional bond that forms between mother and baby. Indeed, this hormone is the foundation of what we know as the nurturing, feminine spirit.
How Do Sex Hormones Affect the Mind?
I wanted to give a few more examples of how sex hormones influence male and female behaviour.
When a man’s testosterone levels are too high, he’s more likely to act recklessly and commit violent crimes. In women, too much testosterone can cause severe mood changes and infertility.
As men get older, their testosterone production decreases, which means they lose muscle mass, and it becomes more and more difficult to maintain an erection. Low testosterone levels are also associated with depression and low self-esteem in men.
Abnormally low testosterone in women can cause social anxiety. When given testosterone as a treatment, these women report reduced anxiety and being more able to maintain eye contact with people.
In women, hormone levels change significantly during menopause. However, even during the years preceding menopause, there’s a steep drop in estrogen production, which leads to a decline in fertility. As we all know, menopausal women also often experience extreme mood swings. Indeed, no one is more painfully aware of the significance of sex hormones than a woman going through menopause.
Are We Slaves to Our Hormones?
No, I don’t believe so. However, by understanding how they affect us, we may be able to identify some behavioural patterns and work consciously on changing them. Let’s not underestimate human willpower! Nevertheless, hormones are in part what we are made of and denying their influence in our live
s is simply unscientific and could even be harmful.
At the same time, it’s also important to acknowledge that there’s no right or wrong way to be a man or a woman. There are feminine men and masculine women, and the range of human behaviour is vast. Our goal should be to appreciate the differences among individual men and women, while also understanding some important general trends stemming from the influence of sex hormones.