Chapter 14 - Sexual Behaviours and Relationships

Question 1

sexual consent

Answer 1

three key components: person has to have a clear understanding of what they are consenting to, consent must be given freely and not coerced, consent should be ongoing and can be withdrawn at any point

Question 2

what does it mean to “have sex”

Answer 2

individuals are more likely to define a sexual activity as “having sex” if it involved mutual genital contact and orgasm; a person’s definition can have important implications to their sexual health and actions (may be at higher risk for STIs, obstacle to education and prevention)

Question 3

first sexual experiences

Answer 3

important rite of passage for many; age at first intercourse is used to inform health policies and intervention strategies
-estimated proportion of Canadians students who have had penile-vaginal intercourse: 19%-23% by grade 9, 40%-46% by grade 11

Question 4

expectations and reactions of first sexual experience

Answer 4

wide range of emotions; Canadian study of 358 uni students: 72% men and 61% women rated it perfect, very good, or good; 11% of men and 13% women rated it bad or very bad

Question 5

virginity

Answer 5

most people lose their virginity before their 20s
-american study of 5600 people aged 20-24, 86% women and 70% men have had sex

Question 6

some reasons for abstaining from sex

Answer 6

religious beliefs, fears of STIs, cultural beliefs about the importance of virginity

Question 7

traditional sexual script (TSS)

Answer 7

a sequence of behaviours that are associated with “having sex”; has been criticized as too inflexible with too much focus on intercourse and orgasm

Question 8

fantasy (solitary sexual behaviours)

Answer 8

normal, healthy part of sex life; common canadian fantasies include making love outdoors, dom/sub, watching someone undress

Question 9

masturbation (solitary sexual behaviours)

Answer 9

common practice for people of all ages; children as young as 2 or 3 begin to explore their bodies for enjoyment and to self-soothe; most common sexual behaviour for teenagers; by adulthood almost all men and majority of women masturbate to orgasm; more common in men

Question 10

kissing and touching (partnered sexual behaviours)

Answer 10

kissing lips/erogenous zones stimulates a number of senses simultaneously; touching is a common element of foreplay in the TSS; enjoying touching/being touched is essential to sexual pleasure
-some research states that same sex couples spend more time in “non orgasmic” activities than heterosexual couples

Question 11

oral sex (partnered sexual behaviours)

Answer 11

stimulating a partner’s genitals orally (cunnilingus, fellatio, anilingus); 69 sex position lol

Question 12

intercourse (partnered sexual behaviours)

Answer 12

involves penetration or insertion of a penis/dildo/sex toy into vaginal or anal opening; most common postions are penetrated partner on top, penetrated partner on bottom, rear entry, side by side

Question 13

common non-penetrative behaviours

Answer 13

frottage, scissoring, tribadism, intercrural sex

Question 14

orgasm is a ____, not a ____

Answer 14

sexual response; behaviour

Question 15

orgasm and the TSS

Answer 15

important element in sexual script; often viewed as the “goal”; may interfere with sexual arousal and orgasm because it places pressure on individuals

Question 16

sexual satisfaction

Answer 16

plays integral role in overall quality of life including mental/physical health; people in committed long-term relationships often report that they are happy with their sexual relationship

Question 17

sexual interests

Answer 17

some differences between gender/sex and across sexual orientations; men masturbate more, use more explicit material, and have more casual sex; men and women of diverse sexualities report a greater affinity for the use of sex toys; couples are expected to differ in at least a few sexual preferences

Question 18

use of sex toys to increase sexual pleasure

Answer 18

most widely used sex toys are dildos/vibrators; vibrators are associated with better sexual functioning particularly in women; women are more likely to use a sex toy

Question 19

monogamous relationships

Answer 19

most people will form a monogamous sexual relationship at some point in their life; most monogamous relationships start with dating (viewed as the courtship stage)

Question 20

dating couples and sex

Answer 20

in NA, interest in dating arises at about the same time as sexual attraction; dating may be difficult for SGD people (lack of potential partners and social disapproval)

Question 21

online/internet dating (monogamous relationships)

Answer 21

follows a pattern: individual reads someone’s blog/page/profile and becomes interested, parties communicate and get to know each other, they meet in person and a couple identity forms

Question 22

cohabitation and marriage (monogamous relationships)

Answer 22

rate of marriage in Canada is declining among mixed-sex couples but numbers og cohabitating couples are rising; Canadians remaining single for longer; rate of same-sex marriages in CAN has incr since being legal

Question 23

satisfaction and sexual activity (monogamous relationships)

Answer 23

sexual satisfaction in long-term relationships can fluctuate (ex. childbirth, stress, etc); frequency may decline over time; the most sex is happening in committed relationships (87% of married couples/92% of cohabitating couples have sex monthly or weekly)

Question 24

divorce (monogamous relationships)

Answer 24

first marriage divorce rate in CAN is 33% (average length of marriage before divorce is 14.5 years); majority of those who divorce do remarry; divorced individuals enjoy sexual opportunities similar singles

Question 25

non-monogamous relationships

Answer 25

increasingly common; more socially acceptable than in the past ex. fwb, consensual or noncon non-monogamy

Question 26

friends with benefits

Answer 26

now more acceptable than ever before; characterized by being ongoing, sexual, being non-exclusive, and rarely discussed directly or revealed to others

Question 27

consensual non-monogamy

Answer 27

various types of relationships in which partners explicitly agree that each may have romantic/sexual relationships with other people ex. polyamory, swinging, open relationships)

Question 28

polyamory

Answer 28

being in a long-term romantic and/or sexual relationship with more than one person at the same time; most say they are motivated by love rather than by sex; they pften have agreed-upon rules to help manage jealousy, safety, and other complications

Question 29

polygamy

Answer 29

being married to more than one person at the same time (ploygyny: 1 man multiple spouses/wives, polyandry: 1 woman multiple spouses/husbands); historically, polygamy began in large agrarian communities where big families were an asset

Question 30

swinging

Answer 30

practice of both partners in an emotionally committed relationship agreeing to and participating in sex with other individuals, usually at the same time; open and honest communication abt rules/boundaries is important

Question 31

open relationships

Answer 31

usually take the form of one primary and "emotionally exclusive" relationship in which both partners freely consent to one or both having sexual but not emotional bonds with others

Question 32

noncon non-monogamy

Answer 32

any emotional/sexual behaviour with a person outside of a monogamous relationship without the agreement of one's partner; most common reason for divorce/separation

Question 33

affect of media on sex and relationships

Answer 33

many ideas people have about sex and relationships are influenced by mass media; many people seek out sexually explicit material; many Canadians use media to seek out info about sex and relationships

Question 34

agenda-setting theory

Answer 34

media affects what we think is important by highlighting what we should pay attention to

Question 35

cultivation theory

Answer 35

we develop a shared set of values and expectations about reality based on depictions of reality in media

Question 36

social learning theory

Answer 36

individuals will model their attitudes and behaviours after the fictional characters they see in media

Question 37

positive influences of media on sexuality

Answer 37

provides access to reliable info on sexual health; encourages open discussion about safer sex and sexual health

Question 38

negative influences of media on sexuality

Answer 38

exposed to sexual content at a much earlier age than ever before; related to earlier age of first intercourse; media may reinforce unrealistic sexual expectations

Question 39

the internet and sexuality

Answer 39

perhaps the most comprehensive, easily accessible, and continuously evolving medium for sexual info, expression, and encounters

Question 40

online sexual activity (OSA)

Answer 40

activity that takes place via the internet for any range of sexual purposes

Question 41

effects of OSA on relationships/intimacy

Answer 41

has both positive and negative effects pos: mild/moderate OSA benefits relationships and increases frequency of sexual activity and intimacy neg: overuse of OSA may lead to neglecting a real partner

Question 42

sexually explicit content

Answer 42

many people use sexually explicit material in their partnered or solo activity to enhance sexual excitement and pleasure

Question 43

soft core (types of explicit materials)

Answer 43

erotically suggestive without showing genitals or penetrative sexual activity

Question 44

hard core (types of explicit materials)

Answer 44

explicitly depicting genitals and/or penetrative sexual activity

Question 45

phone sex (types of explicit materials)

Answer 45

sexual activity that takes place via telephone, either through live convos or by listening to pre-recorded messages