chapt 2 sexual self

• Miya Yamanouchi: 'Self-love is about respecting and appreciating every single part of who you are, and being proud to be you.'
• Soon after the fertilization of an egg, the development of the reproductive system begins
• Approximately one month after conception, primordial gonads also begin to develop
• Rapid reproductive development happens inside the mother's womb; but when the child is born until he/she reaches puberty, there is little change in the reproductive system
• Female sex


  Considered the "fundamental" sex because if a particular chemical prompting is absent, all fertilized eggs will develop into females
• Male sex


  For a fertilized egg to become male, a cascade of chemical reactions must be present initiated by a single gene in the male Y chromosome called the SRY (Sex-determining Region of the Y chromosome)
• Females do not have any Y chromosome; hence, they do not have the SRY gene
• Both the male and female embryos have the same group of cells that will potentially develop into male or female gonads or sex glands
• The presence of the SRY gene initiates the development of the testes while suppressing the vital genes for female development
• Puberty


  The stage of development at which individuals become sexually mature
• Puberty stages in girls

  • Stage 1: Ovaries enlarge and hormone production starts, but external development is not yet visible
  • Stage 2: First external sign is usually breast development
  • Stage 3: Breast growth continues, and pubic hair gets coarser and darker
  • Stage 4: Some girls notice that their aureoles get even darker and separate into a little mound rising above the rest of the breast
  • Stage 5: Full height is reached, and young women are ovulating regularly
• Puberty stages in boys

  • Stage 1: No visible signs of development occur, but internally, male hormones become a lot more active
  • Stage 2: Height increases, and the shape of the body changes. The aureole, the dark skin around the nipple, darkens and increases in size. The testicles and scrotum grow, but the penis probably does not.
  • Stage 3: The penis starts to grow during this stage. It tends to grow in length rather than width. Pubic hair is getting darker and coarser and spreading to where the legs meet the torso.
  • Stage 4: The penis starts to grow in width too. The testicles and scrotum also continue to grow. Hair may begin to grow on the anus. The first fertile ejaculations typically appear at approximately 15 years of age.
  • Stage 5: Boys reach their full adult height. Pubic hair and the genitals look like an adult man's do.
• Erogenous zones


  Areas of the body that are highly sensitive to stimuli and are often (but not always) sexually exciting
• Types of erogenous zones in the skin

  • Nonspecific type: Similar to any other portion of the usual haired skin. The learned and anticipated pleasurable sensations when a stimulus is presented in these regions produce the amplified sensation. Examples are the sides and back of the neck, the axilla (armpit, underarm) and the sides of the thorax (chest).
  • Specific type: Found in the mucocutaneous regions of the body or those regions made both of mucous membrane and of cutaneous skin. These regions favor acute perception. These specific sites of acute sensation are the genital regions, including the prepuce, penis, the female external genitalia (vulva), the perianal skin, lips, and nipples.
• Prepuce


  The retractable fold of skin covering the tip of the penis. Nontechnical name: foreskin.
• Penis


  A male erectile organ of copulation by which urine and semen are discharged from the body
• Female external genitalia (vulva)

  • Mons pubis
  • Clitoris
  • Labia majora and labia minora
  • Vaginal introitus
  • Hymen
• Perianal skin


  The area of the body surrounding the anus, and in particular, the skin
• Lips


  Soft, movable, and serve as the opening for food intake and in the articulation of sound and speech
• Nipples


  The raised region of tissue on the surface of the breast
• Sexual response cycle


  The sequence of physical and emotional occurrences when the person is participating in a sexually stimulating activity, such as intercourse or masturbation
• In the late 1950s, William Masters and Virginia Johnson pioneered research to understand human sexual response, dysfunction, and disorders
• four phase of the human sexual response cycle

  excitement, plateau, orgasm, resolution
• Sex


  The process of combining male and female genes to form an offspring
• Brain


  • The largest sex organ controlling the biological urges, mental processes, as well as the emotional and physical responses to sex
• Roles of the brain in sexual activity

  1. Translating nerve impulses sensed by the skin into pleasurable sensations

  2. Controlling the nerves and muscles used in sexual activities

  3. Sexual thoughts and fantasies lie in the cerebral cortex

  4. Emotions and feelings originate in the limbic system

  5. Releasing hormones considered as the physiological origin of sexual desire
• Hypothalamus


  The most important part of the brain for sexual functioning
• Pituitary gland


  Secretes the hormones produced in the hypothalamus
• Hormones involved in sexual activity

  • Oxytocin
  • Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
  • Luteinizing hormone (LH)
  • Vasopressin
  • Estrogen
  • Progesterone
• Oxytocin


  Also known as the "love hormone", involved in desire to maintain close relationships, released during sexual intercourse when orgasm is achieved
• Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)


  Responsible for ovulation in females
• Luteinizing hormone (LH)


  Crucial in regulating the testes in men and ovaries in women, stimulates the testes to produce testosterone in men
• Vasopressin


  Involved in the male arousal phase, increase during erectile response is believed to be directly associated with increased motivation to engage in sexual behavior
• Estrogen and progesterone


  Regulate motivation to engage in sexual behavior for females, with estrogen increasing motivation and progesterone decreasing it
• Stages of falling in love

  1. Lust (erotic passion)

  2. Attraction (romantic passion)

  3. Attachment (commitment)
• Lust


  Driven by testosterone in men and estrogen in women, physical attraction, wanting to seduce and be seduced
• Attraction


  Triggered by norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin, craving for partner's presence, excitement and energetic feelings, fantasizing about being a couple
• Attachment


  Desire to have lasting commitment with significant other, may want to get married and/or have children
• Sexual desire


  Subjective feeling of wanting to engage in sex, can be triggered by thoughts, feelings, fantasies, erotic materials, and erotic environments/situations
• Sex drive


  Basic, biologically mediated motivation to seek sexual activity or sexual gratification