Chapter 7 Sexual Self

• Freud


  Maintained that the nature of the conflicts among id, ego and superego changes overtime as a person grows from child to adult
• Psychosexual stages


  • Focus on oral, anal, phallic and genital
  • Directly related to different physical centers of pleasure
• To fully appreciate sexual self, it is necessary to understand the human reproductive system, erogenous zones and human sexual behavior
• Human sexual behavior


  Complex and complicated, not at all different from other species
• Male sexual behavior


  1. Can occur at any time, by being aroused to certain stimuli

  2. At puberty, testes begin to secrete androgens (male sex hormones) which produce secondary sex characteristics
• Female sexual behavior


  1. Starts at puberty where the two ovaries begin to produce estrogens and progesterone (female sex hormones)

  2. Occurs in cyclical manner where also brought changes
• Human reproductive system


  • Organ system by which reproduces and bears live offspring
  • Requires the union between the male and female reproductive system to produce another life form
  • Works from the release of egg cell from female reproductive organ, to the fertilization of sperm cells, to the conception, up to the giving birth of the baby and eventually to the return of the female physical body to the original state
• Testis


  • Most important part of male reproductive organ
  • Source of Spermatozoa (male germ cell)
• Scrotum


  • Sac of skin where the two testes are enveloped, directly below and outside of the abdomen
• Prostate glands


  • Carries out both urine and seminal fluid
  • Connected by sperm ducts from sperm ducts joining into single tube called urethra
  • Urethra then leads to the outside of the body through penis
• Penis


  • Where the ejaculation occurs by sending sperm cell from testis and secrete out
• Sperm


  • Male gametes, one that is necessary for the egg to develop and become a baby
• Ovary


  • Pair of small, oval organs which produces ova (ovum, female germ cells)
  • Thousands of ova will mature and will be taken up to the fallopian tube through the uterus by the time of puberty
• Fallopian Tube


  • Pair of thin tubes that leads from ovaries to the uterus
• Uterus


  • Hollow pear-shaped elastic muscular structure where fertilized ovum (zygote) develops into a baby
• Vagina


  • Tube leading to outside of the body through an opening called the vulva
• Sexual intercourse


  1. Semen from male discharged in vagina

  2. Sperms move up to uterus and fallopian tube

  3. Most sperms die while climbing up fallopian tube

  4. One sperm enters ovum and remains alive for 12 hours

  5. Fertilization occurs

  6. Zygote forms embryo

  7. Gestation period of 9 months

  8. Woman gives birth
• Erogenous Zone


  Part of the body that is particularly sensitive to touch, pressure and vibration which contributes to sexual arousal
• Identifying erogenous zones ('hot spots') gives different reaction and effect to a person
• Erogenous zones can bring sexual satisfaction and improve sexual health
• Female and male erogenous zones

  • Reproductive organ (vagina, penis, scrotum & clitoris)
  • Mouth (lips)
  • Neck
  • Breast (nipples)
  • Ears
• Phases of Sexual Response

  • Arousal
  • Plateau
  • Orgasm
  • Resolution
• Arousal phase


  1. Subjective sense of sexual pleasure

  2. Penile tumescence (erection) in males

  3. Vaginal lubrication and nipple erection in females
• Plateau phase


  Brief period of time before the orgasm, body's preparation for orgasm
• Orgasm phase


  1. Intense, highly pleasurable experience

  2. Rhythmic muscular contractions in genitals

  3. Ejaculation in males

  4. Breathing and heart rates reach maximum
• Resolution stage

  1. Decrease of arousal, particularly in males

  2. Genitals resume unaroused state

  3. Blood pressure, breathing and heart rate return to normal
• Sexual behavior


  Transcends in different forms, may be influenced by physiological, expectations, attitudes, beliefs, and medical/biological knowledge
• Forms of sexual behavior

  • Heterosexuality
  • Homosexuality
  • Bisexuality
  • Transsexuality
• Heterosexuality


  Sexual attraction and behavior directed to other sex, involves more than just male-female intercourse
• Homosexuality


  Romantic and/or sexual attraction between members of same sex
• Bisexuality


  Person who can be romantically or sexually attracted to same sex and the other sex
• Gays and Lesbians


  Preference for terminology refers to broader array of attitudes and lifestyle beyond just sexuality
• Transsexuality


  People who believe they were born with the body of the other gender, seek sex exchange operations
• Transgenderism


  People who view themselves as a third gender, transvestites or those who believe traditional male-female classifications inadequately characterize them
• Reasons for contraception

  • Overpopulation
  • Sexually Transmitted Diseases
  • Threat of AIDS
• Types of contraception

  • Natural contraception
  • Artificial contraception
• Natural contraception


  Depend on observations of woman's body and fertility signals during menstrual cycle, include abstinence, calendar, basal body temperature, cervical mucus, sympto thermal, ovulation amenorrhea, coitus interruptus
• Artificial contraception


  Diverse methods to prevent conception, appropriate for different individual health status, age, sexual activity, number of partners, include oral, transdermal, vaginal ring, subdermal implants, hormonal injection, IUD, chemical barriers, diaphragm, cervical cap, male/female condoms, surgical methods
• Natural Methods of Contraception

  • Abstinence
  • Calendar Method
  • Basal Body Temperature
  • Cervical Mucus Method
  • Symptomical Method
  • Ovulation Detection
  • Lactation Amenorrhea Method
  • Coitus Interruptus
• Abstinence


  Most effective way of birth control, done through abstaining from sexual intercourse, also most effective way to avoid STIs