Human Sexuality Exam 1 Flashcards
(180 cards)
Human Sexuality
The sexuality information and education council of the United States (SIECUS: sex ed for social change) defines human sexuality as encompassing the sexual knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, values, and behaviors of individuals
“Sexually Healthy” aspects
1) Body-image awareness
2) Interpersonal relationships
3) Decision making
4) Sexual intimacy
Body-image awareness
- feeling good about your gender
- feeling comfortable with bodily functions
Interpersonal relationships
- being able to communicate feelings without embarrassment
- having respect for others individuality
Decision making
- Decide what is right for oneself
- Acting in personal best interests
- Having a clear sense of personal values and acting in congruence with them
sexual intimacy
- understanding the difference between sexual feelings & love
- Knowing that one’s feelings deserves respect from others
A sexually healthy person is someone who (11):
- Makes decisions about sexual health that are in line with their personal identities, goals, values & beliefs
- Makes healthy decisions based on accurate information & affordable resources + services
- reduce spread of sexually transmitted diseases
- builds & maintain safe & healthy relationships
- right to be free from oppression, exploitation & abuse
- advocates for needs, wants, goals & values
- Educated consumer of health info, resources, services
- talk comfortably about sexual health
- Motivation to disclose a present infection
- strong foundation for lifelong sexual health
- knows when & if to have a family
Why study sexuality?
- obtain accurate sexual knowledge
- increase self-esteem by increasing personal worth
- learn about sexual well-being
- clarify personal values
- improve sexual decision-making skills
- contribute to safer sexual behavior
What are the dimensions of sexuality?
Biological, Psychological, Sociocultural
Biological dimension
sex, genetics, reproduction, fertility control, sexual arousal & response, physiological cycles & changes, physical appearance, growth & development
- reproductive function @ puberty
- Human sexual erotic functioning @ birth – maybe even in the womb
Psychological dimension
Body image, emotions, experience, self-concept (identity), motivation, expressiveness, learned attitudes & behaviors
- clearest example of learned aspects of sexuality
Sociocultural dimension
religious, multicultural, socioeconomic, ethical, media & political influence
- Most influential dimension
Cultural Differences: Mangaia of Polynesia
- adolescents are instructed on how to please their partner
- @ 13, following super-incision, boys are taught how to please a woman, then an older woman will sleep with the boy to further his education on how to please a woman
- Girls are instructed on how to be orgasmic
- Adolescence have a high level of sexual desire & behaviors
- A woman may leave a man who does not satisfy her
- Adulthood is marked by a decrease in sexual desire
Cultural differences: The Dani of New Guinea
- little interest in sexuality
- sex for reproduction
- extra relational sex and jealousy is rare
- female orgasm is unknown
- 4-6 yr sexual abstinence between pregnancies
Cultural differences: Sambians of New Guinea
- sexual orientation is malleable across lifespan
- young males exchange in sexual activity with one another
- believe boys must ingest semen to become men
- Semen is replenished by tree sap
- As grow older, switches from receiver to semen donor
- Adolescence marks the occurrence of sexual activities between males & females
- Adulthood marks the end of sexual activities between males
Variations in what is considered “Normal”
US: Kissing is considered erotic
Mehinaku of the Amazonian: kissing is a disgusting sexual abnormality
Culture molds and shapes what?
our sexual interests & behaviors; Biology does not do this
Cultural differences: Victorian americans
- women had reproductive desire rather than sexual desire
- women with sexual desire classified as suffering from “nymphomania” or “furor uterinus”
- Men were viewed as animal like with raging, uncontrollable sexual appetites
Victorian Americans: Long lasting effects
- war between sexes
- “Madonna-Whore dichotomy” for women’s roles
- Women’s responsibility to tame men’s impulses
- sexual double standards
Slut
a woman with the morals of a man
Sexual stereotyping is often used to justify what?
discrimination or social groups
Stereotypes structure our knowledge by shaping what?
- what we see
- what we notice
- what we remember
- how we explain things
What interferes with the pursuit of knowledge?
opinons, biases, stereotypes
Opinions
unsubstantiated beliefs or conclusions according to an individual’s personal thoughts