Chapter 2: UNPACKING THE SELF Human Sexual Behavior

Lesson 1: The Physical and Sexual Self Human sexual behavior – any activity that induces
sexual arousal
gonads begin to form until about the eighth week of
embryonic development - Solitary behavior – involving one
individual
The formation of the male or female structures
o Self-gratification means self-
depends on the presence of testosterone. Any
stimulation that leads to sexual
intervention with the normal sex hormone
arousal and generally, sexual climax.
production in the embryo results in strange
o beginning at or before puberty
abnormalities.
o have fantasies of some sociosexual
Puberty is the period of life, generally between the activity while they gratify
ages of 10 and 15 years old, when the reproductive themselves.
organs grow to their adult size and become - Sociosexual behavior – involving two or
functional under the influence of rising levels of more individuals
gonadal hormones. After this time, reproductive o hetero or homo
capability continues until old age in males and o Petting and necking
menopause in females. o Coitus – the insertion of the male
reproductive structure into the
Menarche is the first menstrual period of females female reproductive organ.
which happens two years after the start of puberty.
Physiology of Human Sexual Response
Diseases Associated with the Reproductive System
1. Excitement phase
Infections are the most common problems 2. Plateau phase
associated with the reproductive system in adults. 3. Sexual climax
Vaginal infections are more common in young and 4. Resolution phase
elderly women and in those whose resistance to
diseases is low. Sexual problems may be classified as:

Usual infections include those caused by - Physiological – body

Escherichia coli - Psychological – mind
o Ejaculatory impotence which
In males most common inflammatory conditions are results from the inability to ejaculate
prostatitis, urethritis, and epididymitis. in coitus
Orchiditis or inflammation of the testes, is rather o Vaginismus is a strong spasm of the
uncommon but is serious because it can cause pelvic musculature constricting the
sterility female reproductive organ so that
penetration is painful or impossible
Neoplasms – Tumors
Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are
Menopause – occurs when females no longer infections transmitted from an infected person to an
experience menstruation uninfected person through sexual contact.
no counterpart for menopause in males 1. Chlamydia
Erogenous Zones 2. Gonorrhea
3. Syphilis
Erogenous zones refers to the parts of the body that 4. Chancroid
are primarily receptive and increase sexual arousal 5. Human Papillomavirus
when touched in a sexual manner. 6. Herpes Simplex Virus
7. Trichomonas Vaginalis
Natural and Artificial Methods of Contraception
Natural Method – natural family planning methods
do not involve any chemical or foreign body
introduction into the human body
a. Abstinence – refraining from sexual
intercourse
b. Calendar method – also called as the rhythm
method. It entails withholding from coitus
during the days that the woman is fertile
c. Basal body temperature – the woman must
record her temperature every morning before
any activity
d. Cervical mucus method – the woman is said
to be fertile as long as the cervical mucus is
copious and watery, she must avoid coitus
during those days to avoid conception
e. Symptothermal method – combination of
BBT method and cervical mucus method
f. Ovulation detection – uses an over-the-
counter kit that requires the urine sample of
the woman. The kit can predict ovulation
through the surge of luteinizing hormone
g. Coitus interruptus – the man withdraws the
moment he ejaculates to emit the
spermatozoa outside the female reproductive
organ
Artificial Methods
a. Oral contraceptives – pills; decreases the
permeability of the cervical mucus to limit
the sperm’s access to the ova.
b. Transdermal patch – the woman should
apply one week for three weeks
c. Vaginal ring – releases a combination of
estrogen and progesterone and it surrounds
the cervix, this silicon ring is inserted into
the female reproductive organ
d. Subdermal implants – two rod like implants
inserted under the skin of the female during
her menses or on the 7th day of her
menstruation to make sure that she will not
get pregnant
e. Hormonal injections – injection causes
changes in the endometrium and cervical
mucus and can help prevent ovulation
f. Intrauterine device – small t-shaped object
containing progesterone that is inserted into
the uterus via the female reproductive organ,
prevent implantation of the zygote (IUD)
g. Chemical barriers – cause the death of
sperms before they enter the cervix and to
lower the pH level of the female
reproductive organ so it will become
conducive for the sperm
h. Diaphragm – circular, rubber disk that fits
the cervix and should be placed before
coitus; works by inhibiting the entrance of
the sperm into the female reproductive organ
i. Cervical cap – soft rubber inserted on the
rim of the cervix
j. Male condoms – latex or synthetic rubber
sheath that is placed on the erect male
reproductive organ before penetration into
the female reproductive organ to trap the
sperm during ejaculation; prevent STIs
k. Female condoms – latex rubber sheaths that
are pre-lubricated with spermicide; prevent
fertilization of the egg by the sperm cells
l. Surgical methods
o Vasectomy – small incision is made
on each side of the scrotum; the vas
deferens is then tied, cauterized, cut,
or plugged to block the passage of
the sperm
o Tubal ligation – performed during
menstruation and before ovulation;
small incision under the woman’s
umbilicus that targets the fallopian
tube for cutting, cauterizing, or
blocking to inhibit the passage of
both the sperm and ova
Lesson 2: To Buy or Not to Buy? That Is the
Question!
William James
Principles of Psychology
understanding the self can be examined through its
different components. He described these
components as:
1. its constituents
2. the feelings and emotions they arouse – self-
feelings
 3. the actions to which they prompt – self- The possessions that we dearly have tell something
seeking and self-preservation about who we are, our self-concept, our past, and
even our future.
the constituents of self are composed of the
material self, social self, spiritual self, and pure
ego.
Material Self – primarily about our bodies, clothes,
immediate family, and home; we are deeply affected
by these things because we have put much
investment of our self to them
The innermost part of our material self is our body.
- we are investing in our body
- we are directly attached to this commodity
that we cannot live without
- we strive hard to make sure that this body
functions are well and good
Next to our body are the clothes that we use.
- clothing is an essential part of the material
self
- “Any time we bring an object into the
surface of our body, we invest that object
into the consciousness of our personal
existence taking in its contours to be our
own and making it part of the self”
- Clothing is a form of self-expression; we
choose and wear clothes that reflect our self
Third in the hierarchy is our immediate family.
- parents and siblings
- what they do or become affects us
- we place huge investment in our immediate
family when we see them as the nearest
replica of our self
The fourth component of material self is our home.
- home is where our heart is
- extension of self, because in it, we can
directly connect our self
We also tend to collect and possess properties. The
collections in different degree of investment of self,
becomes part of self. Possessions then become a
part or an extension of the self.
“A man’s self is the sum of all what he CAN call
his”