FINAL PERIOD:

SEXUAL SELF
Learning Objective:
This topic will provide more scientific understanding of
the aspect of human sexuality. Discussion of this subject
matter hope to promote a more healthy and meaningful
attitude towards one’s sexual self.
Guide Questions for Processing

1.Who is/are the person/s whom you think

have influenced your sexuality ? Why?
SEXUALITY defined

Sexuality refers to the ways in which human

beings experience & express themselves as
sexual beings. Our sense of being male or
female, our capacity to experience sexual
pleasure, our identification of ourselves in
view of our biological sexual characteristics
SEX is of Latin origin which denotes “to cut or
divide.” (Nevid, et. al, 1995) which is expressed in
the binary of male or female due to having external
genitalia of penis & vagina.
One term that is sometimes used interchangeably w/
sex is GENDER w/c signifies the state or
experience of being male or female. Gender results
from socialization within one’s culture.
gender identity refers to one’s concept of being
male or female
gender roles comprise of behavioral expectations
for both male and female within a particular society
or culture.
gender expression which denotes how a person
objectifies his or her gender identity through manner
of dressing, appearance, or demeanour
sexual orientation is defined as one’s erotic
attraction & romantic interest w/ the opposite or
same gender. Examples of sexual orientation are
homosexuality, bisexuality, & heterosexuality
 PRIMARY SEXUAL CHARACTERISTICS
female sex organs include the vagina, a
barrel-like structure extending upward
from the vaginal opening, measuring 3-
5 inches when at rest. This is where
menstrual flow & babies pass & where
a penis penetrates during sexual
intercourse. The cervix is a canal that
connects vaginal tube & the uterus.
Both the cervical & vaginal
passageways secrete substances to
maintain chemical balance in the organ.
Male sex organ include a
penis, used for copulation while
the scrotum, pocket-like
structure of loose skin consisting
of two compartments that hold
the testes, the male sex organ
hanging inside the scrotum, that
produce sex hormones & sperm
cells.
 SECONDARY SEX CHARACTERISTICS
• Male Secondary Sex Characteristics
1. Facial hair
2. More defined facial/head features
3. Thicker and longer neck
4. Shoulders: broader, squarer
5. Larger chest
6. Growth of more body hair in chest and
arms
7. Breasts: rudimentary in size
8. More defined muscular development
9. Narrowing of hips
10. Growth of hands and feet
11. More developed thighs
12. Longer and bulging calve legs
• Female Secondary Sex Characteristics
1. Facial hair: appears though not so noticeable
2. More subtle facial features: facial roundness,
smaller and rounder head smaller
3. Shorter neck; larynx smaller
4. Shoulders: more rounded, sloping
5. Smaller chest
6. Lighter body hair
7. Enlarged breasts
8. Muscles begin to be hidden by body fat
9. Wider and rounder hips
10. Smaller hands and feet sizes
11. Thighs: wider at top and shorter in length,
12. Shorter and smoother legs
• Sex drive or lust is characterized by the urge to
experience pleasure through sexual intimacy w/
someone & is influenced by neurophysiological
mechanisms such as certain areas in the brain & the
production of hormones like estrogens & androgens.
Our experience of lust is thought to be mediated by
both the cerebral cortex or the thinking part of the
brain & the limbic system, portion of the brain that
deals w/three key functions: emotions, memories
& arousal
The limbic system regulate sexual processes through
the hypothalamus, w/c subsequently oversees the
body’s hormonal system through the pituitary gland.
• The pituitary gland
directs the sex
glands in both males
& females to secrete
sex hormones like
estrogen &
progesterone in
females, and
androgens like
testosterone in males.
• Romantic love. Often the beginning of most long-term
relationships or the most common reason why people decide
to commit or marry in due time, this love is characterized by
strong feelings of attraction & passionate desire for the
other person.

• It may start as an infatuation where one may find himself or

herself preoccupied most of the time w/ the thought of the
person of interest, the urge to be in the presence of the other
— a situation people often call “being in love” or “falling
in love.”
• Our experience of such kind of “love” seems to be
governed by the attraction system in our brain
characterized by an increased production of the
neurotransmitters dopamine & norepinephrine
and low level of serotonin.
• Attachment is a phenomenon regulated by emotion system
in the brain through the neuropeptides oxytocin &
vasopressin w/c are released by hypothalamus.
• In humans, these are usually released after partners
experienced fullness of sexual union(vasopressin), during
childbirth & nursing a baby(oxytocin), cuddling, & other
emotionally intimate activities.

• These brain chemicals have been found to facilitate pair

bonding, group bonding and mother-infant bonding in
mammals.
 These 3 emotion systems in the brain may be
considered as the different components we are
interchangeably, or simultaneously, referring to every time
we use the word love.

These emotion circuits in the brain are intertwined w/

one another, yet, they could function differently &
independently. This explains why some people may have
sexual relations w/ another, while being deeply attracted to
another person, & is in a committed relationship w/yet,
another individual.
THE TRIANGULAR THEORY OF LOVE
is a theory of love developed by Robert Sternberg
In the context of interpersonal "the three
(3)components of love, according to the triangular
theory, are intimacy component, passion
component, & decision/commitment component.
THE TRIANGULAR THEORY OF LOVE
PASSION
• Passion can be associated with either physical arousal/ emotional
stimulation.
• Passion is defined as :
1. A strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement for something or
about doing something
2. A strong feeling (such as anger) that causes people to act in a
dangerous way
3. strong sexual or romantic feeling for someone
THE TRIANGULAR THEORY OF LOVE
INTIMACY
• Intimacy is described as the feelings of closeness & attachment to
one another. This tends to strengthen the tight bond that is shared
between those two individuals. Having a sense of intimacy helps
create the feeling of being at ease w/one another, in the sense that
the two parties are mutual in their feelings.
• Intimacy is primarily defined as something of a personal or private
nature; familiarity.
 THE TRIANGULAR THEORY OF LOVE
COMMITMENT
• Commitment involves a conscious decision to stick w/ one another. The
decision to remain committed is mainly determined by the level of
satisfaction that a partner derives from the relationship.
• Commitment is defined as:
• A promise to do/ give something
• A promise to be loyal to someone/something
• The attitude of someone who works very hard to do/support something
• The amount of love one experiences depends on the absolute strength of
these 3 components, & the type of love one experiences depends on their
strengths relative to each other.
Filipino teenage sexuality issues

Despite the commonly professed belief in the

importance of chastity, or the general adherence to
teachings of different faith & religious groups pertaining
to sexuality, more & more teenagers engage in sexual
activities that do not lie w/in the boundaries of church-
defined acceptable sexual behaviors—those that should
just be happening w/in a marital relationship.
• Examples include “premarital sex (PMS),
multiple sex, casual sex, pornography,
cohabitation” (De Jose, 2013).

• Studies shows that the number of Filipino teens

engaging in sexual acts prior to marriage shows an
alarming & increasing trend (De Jose, 2013,
YAFS,2013).
 An overwhelming majority of teenagers who
engage in PMS & other sexual acts seem oblivious to
the risks of sexually transmitted infections(STIs) or
HIV or unplanned pregnancy, thus, the lack of concern
as well about unprotected sex.

Latest data reveal that at greater risks are males

having sex w/ males who remain indifferent to the idea
of protection during sexual encounters.
Teenage pregnancy remains as a pressing public health issue
in South Asia, more particularly in the Philippines.

Based on a 2012 data, pregnancy cases among 10-19

years ballooned by 70% in the last ten years compromising
the country’s development targets.
In addition, 14% of teens in the 15-19 age group are
found to be either first time mothers or already mothers of
more than one child (YAFS, 2013, Salvador, et. al, 2016).
• End of topic, module 5 both
physical and sexual self