Sexual Self

Cards (28)

  • Puberty marks the beginning of sexual development, with hormonal changes and physical transformations leading to emerging sexual feelings.
  • Sexual Development - A lifelong process that starts at the moment of conception (Tsiaras, 2006).
  • Freud proposed that childhood experiences shape adult personality through developmental stages, with personality largely formed by age five. Each stage is associated with an erogenous zone, providing stimulation and pleasure. Fixation occurs when progression between stages is hindered, leading individuals to seek gratification in childlike ways. This can impede normal development and result in adult behaviors reflecting earlier stages.
  • The ovaries produce 400,000 eggs or so every 28 days. The ovum is 100,000 times larger than the sperm cell. The egg cell carries the X chromosome.
  • Puberty in girls usually starts between ages 8-13, along with all the bodily changes (breast, hair, skin, hips, voice) it is also where Menarche (from the Greek words 'moon' and "beginning'), the first menstrual period, would seal the growth spurt and signal the female's sexual maturity.
  • The testes produce 200 million sperm cells/spermatozoa every week. It carries X or Y chromosome, which is the sex-determining cell.
  • Biological factors like androgens, estrogens, and progesterone prepare individuals for sexual activity, following a pattern of excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution. Libido, or sexual motivation, is influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors.
  • THE SEXUAL RESPONSE CYCLE
    According to William Masters and Virginia Johnson, the cycle consists of 4 Phases:
    ·        Excitement (desire/arousal)
    ·        Plateau
    ·        Orgasm
    ·        Resolution
  • The transition from childhood to adulthood poses significant risks for adolescents in our society. Influenced by media portrayals, they are often encouraged to prioritize "sex appeal."
  • Human Sexuality - Is much more than sexual feelings or sexual intercourse; it is an important part of who a person is and what she/he will become.
  • The Five Circles
    1. Sensuality
    2. Sexual Intimacy
    3. Sexual Identity
    4. Reproduction and Sexual Health
    5. Sexualization
  • Sensuality – is an awareness and feeling about your own body and other people's bodies, especially the body of a sexual partner.
  • Sexual Intimacy – is the ability to be emotionally close to another human being and to accept closeness in return.
  • Sexual Identity – is a person's understanding of who he/she is sexually, including the sense of being male or of being female.
  • Sexual Identity – is how we see ourselves as men and women, gay and straight, bisexual, transgender, etc., and how others perceive us based on these characteristics.
  • Sexualization – is that aspect of sexuality in which people behave sexually to influence, manipulate, or control other people.
  • The chemistry of lust, love, and attachment lies in our brains, which is the humans’ most important “sex organs”.
  • Human sexuality is incredibly diverse, encompassing a wide range of orientations, identities, behaviors, and preferences. This diversity includes various sexual orientations like heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, and asexuality, as well as diverse gender identities such as male, female, non-binary, and others.
  • Sexual Orientation
    • An enduring pattern of emotion, romantic, and/or sexual attractions to men, women, or both sexes.
    • A person's sense of identity is based on those attractions, related behaviors, and membership in a community of others who share those attractions.
  • Sexual intercourse is a behavior that produces pleasure which often culminates in orgasm for females and males. It may also result in pregnancy and/or STD.
  • Premarital Sex – practiced by unmarried individuals, encompasses various sexual relations before marriage. It's also termed non-marital, youthful, adolescent, or young-adult sex.
  • Sexually Transmitted Disease/Infections (STD) - Also known as Venereal Diseases (VD), are passed through sexual contact or genital through intercourse, oral sex, and anal sex. It can be passed to others without being ill.
  • Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) - Is the virus that causes AIDS. It is preventable and manageable but not curable.
  • Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) - There are several manifestations of the breakdown in body's immune system and have developed in people who have been infected by HIV.
  • Comprehensive sex education and access to birth control appear to reduce unplanned teenage pregnancy.
  • A concept linked to family planning is contraception (birth control and fertility control). This is a method or device used to prevent pregnancy, and is defined as a deliberate prevention of conception or impregnation.
  • Natural Birth Control - Utilizes contraception methods endorsed by the Catholic Church, such as abstinence, fertility outercourse, breastfeeding, awareness, and promoting responsible and disciplined choices to prevent unintended pregnancies without modern contraception.
  • Artificial Birth Control - Utilizes contraception methods including pills, condoms, patches, shots, implants, IUDs, and emergency pills to prevent unintended pregnancies.