Oxytocin

- brain hormone

- activated by flood of estrogen in teen years of a girl (s: female brain, ch2); and for the rest of a woman's fertile life.

- talking/social contact (due to estrogen) activates oxytocin rush and dopamine

- neurohormone that is triggered by and triggers intimacy

- when estrogen is on rise, brain releases more oxytocin -> get more reinforcement for social bonding. at midcycle the dopamine and oxytocin levels at maxim, verbal output is maxim -> urge for intimacy peaking -> relases more oxytocin -> more desire to connect.

- together with dopamine, reduces stress