CHAPTER 5

THE SEXUAL SELF: ENTER IF YOU DARE.

INTRODUCTION

Sexuality is commonly defined as “the ways people experience and express themselves as
sexual beings” (king 2014, p. 373). However, the world health organization (who) provides a
working definition of the term “sexuality” that encompasses or specifies much more.

Sexuality

This is THE CENTRAL ASPECT OF BEING HUMAN THROUGHOUT LIFE ENCOMPASSES

SEX, GENDER IDENTITIES AND ROLES, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, EROTICISM,
PLEASURE, INTIMACY AND REPRODUCTION. Sexuality is experienced and expressed in
thoughts, fantasies, desires, beliefs, attitude, values, behavior, practices, roles and relationship.

Sex

Refers to a person’s characterization as female or female at birth, typically based on the

appearance of external genitalia or other biological characteristics including chromosomes

Genes

A gene is the basic physical and functional unit of hereditary. Genes are made of dna. Some
genes act as instructions to make molecules called proteins.

Gender

Refers to social characteristics that may be [ or not be ] aligned with a person’s sex and adopted
by an individual as their gender identity.

Development of secondary sex

characteristics
PUBERTY

A process of hormonal and physical change that causes the young person to reach sexual
maturity, girls usually entering about a year [or two] earlier than boys [pickhardt, 2010, para. 3]

MATURITY

Is the capability of an organism to reproduce. It may be considered synonymous with adulthood,

but in humans, puberty encompasses the process of sexual maturation and adulthood is based
on cultural definition.
EROGENOUS ZONE

Erogenous zone Usually discussed in magazines, on the internet, and casual conversations
mostly in relation to pleasurable sex by consenting adults.

SEXUAL VIOLENCE

Sexual violence is any sexual act or attempt to obtain a sexual act by violence or coersiion, acts
to traffic a person or acts directed against a person’s sexuality regardless of the relationship to
the victim

Sensation zone

Specific zones are associated with sexual response, and include the lips and nipples in addition
to areas of the genitals, notably the foreskin and corona of the glans penis, clitoris and rest of
the vulva, and perianal skin.

Circumcision

is the removal of the foreskin from the human penis. In the most common procedure, the
foreskin is opened, adhesions are removed, and the foreskin is separated from the glans. After
that, a circumcision device may be placed, and then the foreskin is cut off.

Sexual orientation

a person's sexual identity in relation to the gender to which they are attracted; the fact of being
heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual.

Sexual diversity

Refers to all the diversities of sex characteristics, sexual orientations and gender identities,
without the need to specify each of the identities, behaviors, or characteristics that form this
plurality.

Sexual response pattern

This pertains to the physical and emotional responses one experience during a sexual activity.