Influence of Prenatal and Postnatal Stress on the Sexual Behavior of Rats

Objective: To evaluate the effects of prenatal and postnatal stress on the sexual behavior of rats. Methods: Thirty-two 2-month-old male Wistar rats were divided as follows: the EG Group (comprised of 10 rats whose mothers underwent gestational stress), the EO Group (11 rats subjected to postnatal stress), and the SE Group (control group, comprised of 11 animals that went through no stress whatsoever). Upon reaching adulthood, these male rates were introduced to females and had their sexual behavior assessed based on the number of mounts. Results: The animals from the EP Group showed significantly fewer mounts (74 ± 24.77, p < 0.05) when compared to those from the EG (108.9 ± 35.27) and SE (99.6 ± 20.76) Groups. Conclusion: The rats that underwent stress during the first days of life mated fewer times than those whose mothers were subjected to stress during pregnancy. The latter had their sexual behavior unaltered.