Persistent inflammatory pain alters sexually-motivated behavior in male rats.

•Uninjured male rats show robust and sustained preference for urine scent marking near a pro-œstrus female urine spot.•Persistent inflammatory pain produces a delayed reduction of scent marking behavior in male rats.•Basal scent marking behavior is predictive of post-injury stress-related outcomes and sexually-motivated behavior, but not pain.•Heterogeneity in persistent pain-evoked outcomes in rodents reflects heterogeneity of outcomes in humans with chronic pain.•Sexually-motivated behavior in rodents may be an effective translational tool for predicting impacts of persistent pain.