DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN SEXUALITY

Birth through Age 12

By age 2 or 2l-iyears, children know what gender they are. They know that they are like the parent of the same gender and different from the parent of the opposite gender and from other children of the opposite gender. They become acutely aware of anatomical gender differences during this time. By age 4 or 5, children engage in heterosexual play. "Playing doctor" can be a popular game at this age. In this way, children form a concept of marriage to a member of the opposite gender. Children increasingly gain experience with masturbation during childhood. Most children begin self-exploration genital self-stimulation at about 15 to 19 months. Late childhood and preadolescence may be characterized by heterosexual or homosexual play. Activity involves touching the others genitals and may include a wide range of sexual behaviours. Girls at this age become interested in menstruation, and both sexes are interested in learning about fertility, pregnancy and birth. Interest towards the opposite gender increases. Children of this age become self-conscious about their bodies and are concerned with physical attractiveness. Children ages 10 to 12 are preoccupied with pubertal changes and the beginnings romantic interest in the opposite gender. Prepubescent boys may engage in sexual activities such as genital exhibition or group masturbation. Prepubescent girls may engage in some genital exhibition.

Adolescence
Adolescence represents acceleration in terms of biological changes and psychosocial and sexual development. Biologically, puberty begins for the female adolescent with breast enlargement, widening of the hips, and growth of pubic and ancillary hair. The onset of menstruation usually occurs between the ages of 11 and 13 years.

In male adolescent, growth of pubic hair and enlargement of the testicles begin at 12 to 16 years of age. Penile growth and the ability to ejaculate usually occur from the ages of 13 to 17. There is a marked growth of the body between ages 11 and 17, accompanied by the growth of body and facial hair, increased muscle mass, and a deeper voice. Sexuality is slower to develop in the female than in the male adolescent. Women show steady increases in sexual responsiveness that peak in their middle 20s or early 30s.Sexualmaturity for men is usually reached in the late teens, but their sexual drive remains high through young adulthood. Masturbation is a common sexual activity among male and female adolescents. Adulthood This period of the life cycle begins at approximately 20 years of age and continues to age 65. Marital Sex Choosing a marital partner or developing a sexual relationship with another individual is one of the major tasks in the early years of this life-cycle stage. Intimacy in marriage is one of the most common forms of sexual expression for adults. The couples have coitus about two or three times on an average per week when they are in their 20s, with the frequency gradually declining to about once weekly for those 45 years of age and over. Many adults continue to masturbate even though they are married and have ready access to heterosexual sex. Extramarital Sex The estimates are that about a quarter to a half of married men and women have engaged in extramarital sex at some time during their marriages.

The "Middle" Years-40 to 65

With the advent of the middle years, a decrease in hormonal production initiates a number of changes in the sex organs, as well as the rest of the body. Menopausal changes in the woman began in around the around the age of 50.It includes decrease in the amount of oestrogen can result in loss of vaginal lubrication, making

intercourse painful. Other symptoms may include insomnia, "hot flashes," headaches, heart palpitations, and depression. Women stabilize at the same level of sexual activity as at the previous stage in the life cycle and often have a greater capacity for orgasm in middle adulthood than in young adulthood With the decrease of androgen production during these years, men also experience sexual changes. The amount of ejaculate may decrease, and ejaculation may be less forceful. The testes decrease in size, and erections may be less frequent and less rigid. By age 50, the refractory period increases, and men may require 8 to 24 hours after orgasm before another erection can be achieved. Biological drives decrease, and interest in sexual activity may decrease during these "middle" years. Although men need longer stimulation to reach orgasm and intensity of pleasure may decrease.