is oxytocin found in both genders
It is also available as a medication. Oxytocin is normally produced in the hypothalamus and stored in the posterior pituitary gland. It plays a role in intimacy, sexual reproduction of both sexes, and during and after childbirth as well as social bonding. Uterine contraction: Important for cervical dilation before birth, oxytocin causes contractions during the second and third stages of labor. 2  Oxytocin release during breastfeeding causes mild but often painful contractions during the first few weeks of lactation.