THE SEXUAL SELF

Sexual selfhood
 Defined as how one thinks of himself or herself as a sex individual.
Historical perspective of human sexuality
 Ancient greece
- the male are dominant and their symbol, the penis, is viewed as the symbol of fertility.
- women’s only function is to bear children.
 The middle ages
Churches have high influence over sexuality
 - acts that do not lead to procreation are evil
 -women are either “temptress” or a “woman of virtue.
 The 16th century
- a movement initiated by martin luther king, john calvin and other protestant leaders against the
roman catholic.
-”sexual intimacy also strengthen bonds”
 The 17th and 18th century
- puritans rallied to ahbor premarital sex and promote sex after marriage.
 Victorian era
- Homosexuals and prostitutions are common thing
- mentioning buttocks and breasts are an uncomfortable thing to do
- there were beliefs in this era to avoid ejaculation and masterbation
- Victorian era
Psychoanalytic theory of Sigmund Freud become common on this era. State separated from church that
causes sexuality to expand where people used contraceptives and increase in sexually transmitted
infections.

Biological
brain is the reason in performing sexual behavior. By the process of reproduction, human beings
are created. There are changes in both primary and secondary sexual changes at the start of puberty
Puberty
- is the process of physical changes through which a child’s body matures into an adult body capable of
sexual reproduction.
- brings about physical changes as a result of sexual maturing through signals sent by the brain to the
gonads or sexglands
 Puberty is the period of life, generally between the ages
 10 of 15 years old.
 In males, as they reach the age of 13, puberty is characterized by the increase in the size of the
reproductive organs followed by the appearance of hair in the pubic area, axillary, and face. The
reproductive organs continue to grow for two years until sexual maturation marked by the
presence of mature semen in the testes.
 In females, the budding of their breasts usually occurring at the age of 11 signals their puberty.
 First menstrual period occurs two years after the start of puberty.
 Gonads or sex gland is a mixed gland that produces gametes(sex cells) and sex hormones of an
organism
Primary sex characteristics
 Changes in the reproductive organ

Testosterone- the primary sex hormone, is responsible for the developmenr of many of the physical
characteristics that considered typically male.
Progesterone and estrogen-the primary sex hormone in women, is responsible for development of
physical characteristics that are considered typically female.

On the 16th to 18th week of pregnancy, gender of the baby can be physically noted, and this baby will be
developed when intercourse happen and fertilization takes place

 Pseudohermaphrodites - formed to individuals having accessory reproductive structures that do

not “match” their gonads.
 Hermaphrodites- are individuals who possess both ovarian and testicular tissues but this condition
is rare in nature.
 Cryptorchidism- condition usually occurs in young males and causes sterility (which is also a risk
factor for cancer of the testes) that is why surgery is usually performed during childhood to solve
this problem.

 Chromosomes-threadlike structures in the nucleus

 Genes-composed the chromosomes and basic unit of heredity.
 Autosomes
- The first 22 pairs from 23 pairs (46) chromosomes
Sex chromosomes
- the 23rd pair of chromosomes and distinguishes (xx) to female (xy)

 Sociobiological theory
- Process that organism are best suited to environment are most likely to survives is called natural
selection.
- “survival of the fittest”

 Traits will passed on if it will lead to reproductive advantage. Beauty is evolutionary standard. It
is more on genetic survival in female with big breasts or male with broad shoulders.

 The goal of evolutionary theory perspective is survival.relationship that the foundation is only
physical attraction will not last because what is really important is love, care and responsibility

 Sexuality involves emotion, thoughts and beliefs. Sigmund freud explained sexuality through sex
instinct or libido (pleasure) and death or aggressive instinct (harm toward oneself or to others)
and human is geared to satisfy these. Erogenous zones are the areas of pleasure.

Religious perspective on human sexuality

 Judaism
Have a good view and promotes marital sex and consider as blessed by god
 Islam
- family is regardedas outermost value and celibacy is prohibited. Muslim men can have four wives and
prohibit extramarital sex
 Taoism
- sex is sacred union that is necessary in people. Sexual union medium to balance the male and female
energy.
 Hinduism
- sexuality is seen as spiritual force and lovemaking means celebrating and transcending physical.
 Roman catholic
-procreation is the essence of marriage. Homosexual acts are sinful and immoral. They withstand with
abortion and birth control but agree to family planning
  Sex- latin word “secare”means to divide.
 Sexuality- to unite
 Sexual arousal- a new phenomenon on adolescence and aspect of adolescent development.
 Adolescence- point of sexual exploration and experimentation
 Sexual identity- involves sexual orientation. Managing sexual feelings and sexual behavior.
 Gender- attribute of people as males or females, boy or girl, man or woman.
 Gender role- how females and males should think, act, and feel
 Sex and sexual- biological indicators or male or female.
 Gender assignment- foremost assignent as male or female since birth.
 Gender reassignment- official and legal change of gender.
 Gender identity-individual’s identification
as male or female or other category.
- Masculine- qualities and behaviors associated with men in one’s culture.
- Feminine- qualities and behaviors associated with men in one’s culture.
- Androgyny- both feminine and masculine
- Asexuals- person that doesn’t experience sexual drives to any sex.
- Hypersexual- person with extreme interest in sex.
- When individuals fall inlove with each other, relationships begin. Robert palmer compares love
with an addiction. A study shows that regions in the brain wre activated when people look at the
picture of their beloved. Rather than emotion. “being inlove can be a motivation.”
- Early passionate love is not an emotion but rather “motivation” or goal oriented state that lead to
euphoria or anxiety. It’s focus on single reward but not associated with any specific facial
expression. The emotions may come and go but motivation remains.
- Three phases of 1.romantic love
- lust phase- percieved as a deep craving of sexual contact. Androgen and estrogen, pheromones
and the senses are the hormones and neural pathways involved.
2. Attraction phase- couples are infatuated and pursue relationship. High dopamine and norepinephrine;
low serotonin are the hormones and neural pathways involved.
3. Attachment phase- it’s a long-term bond that creates security. Comfort and emotional union between
partners. Oxytocin and vassopresin ate the hormones and neural pathways involved.
 Love can also be the concern for other’s well-being. A desire for physical presence and emotional
support.
 Eros (eh-ros)
- love that has strong sexual and emotional component that quickly faded since it emphasize physical
attraction and sexual desire.
 Agape (ah-gah-pay)
- selfless love that doesn’t expecting love in return. They value partner more than themselves.
 Storge (store-gay)
- love related friendship. Percieve love as slow process anf don’t suddenly fall inlove.
 Ludus
-love is just a game, fun or entertainment. They don’t value relationship.
 Mania
- obsessive and possessive love due to intense feeling.
 Intimacy- desire to give and receive emotional closeness, support, caring and sharing.
 Passion
- hot component of love that can be deep romantic or sexual desire for other person. It is accompanied by
physical attraction and physiological arousal.
 Commitment
- cold component of love. The choice to continue relationship in good or in bad times.
 Liking (intimacy)
-refers to the emotional intimacy and has no intention for long lasting commitment, a friendly
relationship.
 Infatuation (passion)
- “love at first sight”. High degree of physiological arousal and it’s passion without intimacy or
commitment.
 Empty love (commitment)
- couples continue relationship due to their child or other important reasons or commitment.
 Romantic love (passion and intimacy)
- can be present during first phase of a relationship. This involves emotional intensity and sexual
excitement.
 Compassionate love (intimacy and commitment)
- passion was already faded. This is experienced in long deeply friendship or marriage.
 Fatuous love (passion and commitment)
- usually happened when couple get married in a short period of courtship.
 Consummate love (passion, intimacy, and commitment)
- ideal for relationships because there’s a belance in the three components.
 Adolescence- point of increased sexual behavior that may lead to poor social judgments.
 Human sexual behavior- activities that induces sexual arousal. But not all sexual arousal could
lead to sexual activity.
Sexual stimuli- increase when people exposed to advertisements with sexual themes. But, it should be
regulated and act the proper behavior. It includes:

Sociosexual behavior- involves more than one person and expressed through heterosexual and
homosexual behavior.

Human sexual behavior is defined as any activity—solitary, between two persons, or in a group—that
induces sexual arousal (genbhard, p.h. 2017)
 1. The inherited sexual response patterns that have evolved as a means of ensuring reproduction
and that become part of each individual’s genetic inheritance
 2. The degree of restraint or other types of influence exerted on the individual by society in the
expression of his sexuality.

TYPES OF BEHAVIOR

1. Solitary behavior- involves only one individual by means of masturbation.

2. Sociosexual behavior- involving more than one person.
- generally divided into heterosexual behavior (male with female) and homosexual behavior (male with
male or female with female)

Sexual responses follows a pattern of sequential stages or phases when sxual activity is continued.
1. Excitement phase- it is caused by increase in pulse and blood pressure; a sudden rise in blood
supply to the surface of the body resulting in increased skin temperature, flushing, and swelling
of all distensible body parts (particularly noticeable in the male reproductive structure and female
breasts), more rapid breathing, the secretion of genital fluids, vaginal expansion, and general
increase in muscle tension.
2. Plateau phase- it is generally of a brief duration. If stimulation is continued, orgasm usually
occurs.
3. Sexual climax- it is marked by a feeling of abrupt, intense pleasure, a rapid increase in pulse
rate and blood pressure, and spasms pf the pervic muscles causing contractions of female
reproductive organ and ejaculation by male. (may last for a few second normally not over ten)
 4. Resolution phase- it is the last stage that refers to the return to a normal or subnormal
physiologic state.

SEXUAL ORIENTATION
-one’s inclination regarding sexual behavior and emotional attachment to one or both sexes. It is
preffered over ‘sexual preference’ means deliberate choice of sexual partner.
 Heterosexual- sexual orientation is toward opposite sex.
 Homosexuals
-person that the sexual orientation is to another same sex.
A. Lesbian- woman that is sexually attracted to women.
B. Gay- man that is sexually attracted to men.
 Bisexual- person who maybe sexually attracted to both men and women.
 Pansexual- “pan” greek word for “all” or “every”. Also “gender blind”. Attracted to people
regardless of sex.
 Transgender- large spectrum of individuals who transiently identify with gender different from
their natal gender. Transexuals are people that undergone social transition. People suffers from
gender dysphoria or there’s distress between one’s expressed and assigned gender.

Sexual problems maybe classified as physiological, psychological, and social in origin.

SEXUAL PROBLEMS
 Ejaculatory impotence- result from the inability to ejaculate in coitus.
 Appears to be associated with ideas of contamination or with memories of traumatic experience.
 Vaginismus- is a strong spasm of the pelvic musculature constricting the female reproductive
organ so that penetration is painful or impossible.

SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DESEASES (STDS)

STDs caused by bacteria
Chancroid
-It is a bacterial infection that causes open sores on or around the genitals of men and women.
Chlamydia
-It is a common sexually transmitted disease. It is caused by bacteriacalled chlamydiatrachomatis.
-It can infect both men and women. Women can get chlamydia in the cervix, rectum, or throat.
Men can get chlamydia in the urethra (inside the penis), rectum, or throat.
Gonorrhea
It is a bacterial infection that's easily cured with antibiotics. It's sexually transmitted, and most
people with gonorrhea don't have symptoms.
Granuloma inguinale
(also known as donovanosis) is a bacterial disease caused by klebsiella granulomatis (formerly
known as calymmatobacterium granulomatis) characterized by genital ulcers. It is endemic in
many less-developed regions.
Lymphogranuloma venereum (lgv)
It is a long-term (chronic) infection of the lymphatic system. It is caused by any of 3 different
types (serovars) of the bacteria chlamydia trachomatis. The bacteria are spread by sexual contact.
The infection is not caused by the same bacteria that cause genital chlamydia.
Syphilis
It is a really common std. Syphilis is spread through vaginal, anal, and oral sex. Syphilis causes
sores on your genitals (called chancres). The sores are usually painless, but they can easily spread
the infection to other people. You get syphilis from contact with the sores.
STDs caused by viruses
Genital herpes
This std causes herpetic sores, which are painful blisters (fluid-filled bumps) that can break open
and ooze fluid.
Genital warts
-Genital warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (hpv).
-Genital warts affect both women and men, but women are more vulnerable to complications.
-Genital warts can be treated, but they can come back unless the underlying infection is also
treated.
Hepatitis
-It is an inflammation of the liver. Viruses cause most cases of hepatitis. The type of hepatitis is
named for the virus that causes it; for example, hepatitis a, hepatitis b or hepatitis c. Drug or
alcohol use can also cause hepatitis.
Hiv/aids (human immunodeficiency virus [hiv virus])
Molluscum contagiosum* (poxvirus)

STDs caused by protozoan

1. Jock itch (tenia crusis)*
2. Yeast infections* (candida albicans)

STDs caused by parasites

1. Pubic lice or crabs (candida albicans)
2. Scabies* (sarcoptes scabiei)

NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL METHODS

Natural method- The natural family planning methods do not involve any chemical or foreign body
introduction into the human body
A. Abstinence
Involves refraining from sexual intercourse and is the most effective natural birth control method
with ideally 0% fail rate.
B. Calendar method
This method is also called as the rhythm method. It entails withholding from coitus during the
days that the woman is fertile.
C. Basal body tempterature
The bbt indicates the woman’s temperature at rest. Before the day of ovulation and during
ovulation, bbt falls at 0.5f; it increases to a full degree because of progesterone and maintains its
level throughout menstrual cycle.
D. Cervical mucus method
The change in the cervical mucus during ovulation is the basis for this method.
E. Sypmtothermal method
-is basically a combination of the bbt method and the cervical mucus method.
-women should abstain from coitus three days after a rise in her temperature or on the fourth day
after the peak of a mucus change.
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 (lh) that happens 12 to 24 hours before
ovulation.
G. Coitus interruptus
Is one of the oldest methods that prevents conception. A couple still goes on coitus, but the man
withdraws the moment he ejaculates to emit the spermatozoa outside the female reproductive
organ.
Artificial Method
A. Oral contraceptives
-also known as pill, contain synthetic estrogen and progesterone.
-estrogen suppresses the folicle stimulating hormone(fhs) and lh to prevent ovulation.
-progesterone decreases the permeability of the cervical mucus to limit the sperm’s access to the
ovary.

B. Transdermal patch
-contains estrogen and progesterone.
-the woman should apply one patch every week on the following areas: upper outer arm, upper
torso, or buttocks.
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 and remains there for three weeks
and then removed on the fourth week.
Subdermal implants
Are two rod-like implants inserted under the skin of the female during her menses or on the
seventh day of her menstruation to make sure that she will not get pregnant.
D. Hormonal injections\
Contains medroxyprogesterone, a progesterone, and is usually given once every 12 weeks
intramuscularly.
E. Intrauterine device (iud)
-is a small, t-shaped object containing progesterone that is inserted into the uterus via the female
reproductive organ.
-the iud is fitted only by the physician and inserted after the woman’s menstrual flow.
-can be effective for five to seven years.
F. Chemical barriers
Such as spermicides, vaginal gelsand creams, and glycerin films are used to cause death of sperm
before they can enter the cervix and to lower the ph level of the female reproductive organ so it
will not become conducive for the sperm.
G. Diaphragm
-it is a circular, rubber disk that fits the cervix and should be placed before coitus.
-it works better when used together with spermicide
H. Cervical cap
-Is made up of soft rubber and fitted on the rim of the cervix.
-It is shaped like a thimble with a thin rim, and could stay in place for more than 48 hours.
I. Male condoms\
-Is a 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.
J. .Female condoms
-Are made of latex sheaths that are pure-lubricated with spermicide. Usually bound by two rings.
K. Surgical methods
Vasectomy- a small incision is made on each side of the scrotum
Tubal ligation- performed after menstruation and before ovulation.