sexual self

• Sexuality


  Means through which sexuality is experienced: body, roles in life, beliefs, relationships
• Young people are very interested in sexual orientation and sexuality
• Sexuality is influenced by nature and nurture
• Some young people have high "risk-taking behaviors" as they go through experimentation to understand and verify their sexuality
• Sexual Concepts


  • Gender identity
  • Sexual Orientation
  • Gender expression
  • Biological sex
• Gender identity


  In the mind
• Sexual Orientation


  To whom are you sexually attracted
• Gender expression


  How you move and what you wear
• Biological sex


  Depends on hormones and genitalia
• Sexual orientation is a dynamic spectrum and may change through time
• People go through a process of discovery as they are uncertain about their sexuality
• Clothing and gestures may not show the gender of a person
• Among lesbians, some are more masculine in actions and clothing, while others are feminine but attracted to the same sex
• Among gay men, some are feminine and others are masculine
• In gay and lesbian couples, one partner usually takes the "wife" role and the other the "husband" role
• Happiness


  Desired by everyone regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity: good relations, loving each other, physical/sexual satisfaction, free from diseases, acceptance and respect from society, productive lives
• The biology of sex

  Distinguishes males from females based on external genitals
• Secondary sexual characteristics in males

  • Outgrowth of facial and bodily hair, emerging Adam's apple, deepening of voice, muscle development, circumcision as rite of passage
• Secondary sexual characteristics in females

  • Onset of menarche, changes in hips, breasts, and skin
• Biological sex


  Assigned at birth based on physical features
• Gender


  Identity learned and embraced by the individual, goes beyond biological domains, socially constructed roles, personality traits, attitudes, behaviors, values attributed to men and women, indicates power and influence between genders
• Biological sex and gender orientation are two different things
• Teenage couples who engage in sexual intercourse are usually overwhelmed by the sensations they feel during the act
• Teenagers who have sex often rationalize it by claiming they "love each other" and are "ready to be committed to each other"
• If the woman is fertile during intercourse, pregnancy is likely to occur and last approximately nine months
• Having a child entails a big responsibility and should not merely be a consequence of an impulsive moment
• Early pregnancy may result in physical risks, emotional stress, health risks for mother and infant, dropping out of school, alienation, and other disruptions
• Pregnancy also burdens the male partner with the responsibility of caring for the new child and his partner
• asexual- individuals who don’t experience sexual attraction to others of any gender. Also referred to as “aces,” some people who are asexual do experience romantic attraction to people of one or multiple genders.
• aromantic- describes people who experience little or no romantic attraction, regardless of sex or gender.
• autosexual- A person who’s sexually attracted to themselves. Someone’s desire to engage in sexual behavior such as masturbation doesn’t determine it
• autoromantic- describes a person who’s romantically attracted to themselves. report experiencing the relationship they have with themselves as romantic
• bisexual- that describes those who experience sexual, romantic, or emotional attractions to people of more than one gender. Also referred to as “bi,” typically includes individuals who are attracted to a variety of people, with genders that are similar to and different than their own.
• biromantic-Those who experience romantic attraction, but not sexual attraction, to individuals of more than one gender.
• cupiosexual- describes asexual people who don’t experience sexual attraction but still have the desire to engage in sexual behavior or a sexual relationship.
• demisexual- On the asexual spectrum, this sexual orientation describes individuals who experience sexual attraction only under specific circumstances, such as after building a romantic or emotional relationship with a person.
• homosexual- An outdated term rooted in the fields of medicine and psychology that refers to individuals who experience sexual, romantic, or emotional attraction to people of the same or a similar gender.
• gay- A term that describes individuals who experience sexual, romantic, or emotional attraction to people of the same or a similar gender. Some gay identified women prefer the term lesbian, while others prefer queer or gay. It’s also best to ask which word or term someone uses to describe themselves.
• lesbian- A woman or female-identified person who experiences sexual, romantic, or emotional attraction to people of the same or a similar gender.
• libidoist asexual- A term used to describe an asexual person who experiences sexual feelings that are satisfied through self-stimulation or masturbation. This label acknowledges that, for some people, acting on libido or sexual feelings doesn’t necessarily involve sexual behavior with others