SEXUAL SELF

Human beings are all sexual beings. Sexual development takes place when
humans are still inside the womb of their mother.

SEX – is a biological component determined on the basis of primary sex

characteristics

PRIMARY SEX CHARACTERISTICS – organs necessary for reproduction

Girls: ovaries, fallopian tubes, clitoris, uterus and vagina

Boys: testes, penis, scrotum, seminal vesicle and prostate gland

SECONDARY SEX CHARACTERISTICS – physical traits not essential to

reproduction that result from the actions of the so-called male and female
hormones (see below image)

Puberty

 Is the stage of development at which individuals become sexually mature

 The sequence of changes for boys and girls is predictable, though the
timing of these changes varies for every individual
Stages Puberty Stages in Puberty Stages in Boys
Girls
Ages of 8-11 Ages of 9-12
 Ovaries enlarge  Male hormones become
 Hormone a lot more active.
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production
starts to
develop.
Ages of 8-14 Ages of 9-15
 Breast  Height increases
development  Body shape changes
 The nipples will  Muscle tissue and fat
be tender and develop
elevated  Aureole darkens and
 The aureole will increases in size
increase in size  The testicle and scrotum
2  Pubic hair may grow, but the penis
also be present probably does not
at this time  A little bit of pubic hair
 Height and begins to grow at the
weight increase base of the penis
 Body gets
rounder and
curvier

Ages of 9-15 Ages of 11-16

 Breast growth  The penis starts to grow
continuous  Pubic hair gets coarser,
 Pubic hair gets darker, and spreading to
coarser and where the legs meet the
darker torso
 Whitish  Continue to grow in
discharge height
3
 First menstrual  Faces begin to appear
period begins at more mature
this time.  The shoulders broaden
 Muscle tissue increases
 Voice starts to change
and deepens
 Facial hair begins to
develop on the upper lip
 Ages of 10-16 Ages of 11-17
 Aureoles get  Penis starts to grow in
even darker width
and separate  The testicles and scrotum
into a little also continue to grow.
mound rising  Hair may begin to grow
above the rest on the anus.
4
of the breast.  The texture of the penis
 Pubic hair may becomes more adult-
begin to have a looking.
more adult
triangular
pattern of
growth.
Ages of 12-19 Ages of 14-18
 Full height is  Boys reach their full adult
reached, height.
 Young women  Pubic hair and the
are ovulating genitals look like an adult
regularly. man‟s do.
5
 Pubic hair is  At this point, too, shaving
filled in, is a necessity.
 Breasts are  Some young men
developed fully continue to grow past this
for the body. point, even into their
twenties.

Erogenous Zones of the Body

 Areas of the body that are highly sensitive to stimuli and are often sexually
exciting.
 Generally more sensitive to both pain and pleasure.
 Skin- Primary erotic stimulus
Two Types of Erogenous Zones in the Skin (Winkelmann)

1. Nonspecific type
• Usually haired skin
• The pleasurable sensation felt from these regions is simply an exaggerated
form of tickle.
• e.g. ears, chest, sides & back of neck
2. Specific type
• It is found in the mucocutaneous regions of the body or those regions
made both of mucous membrane and of cutaneous skin.
• The specific sites of acute sensation are the genital regions.
 Prepuce- Also known as Foreskin. The retractable fold of skin
covering the tip of the penis.
 Penis- male erectile organ of copulation by which urine and semen
are discharged from the body.
 Vulva- External part of the female genitalia. Protects a woman‟s
sexual organs, urinary opening, vestibule and vagina and is the
center of much of a woman‟s sexual response.
 Perianal Skin- area of the body surrounding the anus, and in
particular, the skin.
  Lips- designed to be perceived by touch, and can be erogenous
zone when used in kissing and any other acts of intimacy.
 Nipples- are raised region of tissue on the surface of the breast.

Understanding the Human Sexual Response

What is the sexual response cycle?
 refers to the sequence of physical and emotional occurrences when the
person participating in a sexually stimulating activity , such as intercourse
or masturbation.
 Theory of 4 stage model of sexual response
o Also known as the human sexual response cycle.
1. Desire (Libido) – a man or woman begins to want or “desire”
sexual intimacy or gratification, may last anywhere from a
moment to many years
2. Excitement – the beginning of sexual arousal; preparation for
intercourse
3. Plateau – physical arousal builds
4. Orgasm – the climax of the sexual response cycle
5. Resolution – arousal slowly subsides and returns to normal levels

Sex and Brain

Sex- Process of combined male and female genes to form an offspring.

Brain- Largest sex organ controlling the biological urges, mental processes, as
well as the emotional and physical response to sex.
Roles of the Brain in Sexual Activity

1. The brain is responsible for translating the nerve impulses sensed by the
skin into pleasurable sensation.
2. It controls the nerves and muscles used in sexual activities.
3. Sexual thoughts and fantasies are theorized to lie in the cerebral cortex.
4. Emotions and feelings are believed to originated in the limbic system.
5. The brain releases hormones considered as the psychological origin of
sexual desire.
Roles of Hormones in Sexual Activity

 The Hypothalamus is the most important part of the brain for sexual
functioning.
 The Pituitary Gland secretes the hormones produced in the hypothalamus.

Roles of Hormones in Sexual Activity

1. Oxytocin - also known as the “love hormone”

2. Follicle – Stimulating Hormone(FSH) is responsible for ovulation in females
3. Luteinizing Hormone (LH) is crucial in regulating the testes in men and
ovaries in women.
4. Vasopressin is involved in the male arousal phase.
5. Estrogen and Progesterone- typically regulate motivation to engage in
sexual behavior for females.

A-C-T-I-V-I-T-Y…

5 GROUPS

Write down 5 differences between LOVE and LUST. (5mins summarizing the
answer, 5mins each group to discuss their answer)

Understanding the Chemistry of Lust, Love, and Attachment

 Falling in love can be a beautiful wild experience.

 Helen Fisher, an anthropologist, of Rutgers University proposed 3 stages of
falling in love.

1. Lust (erotic passion) “libog”

 This stage is marked by physical attraction.
 You want to seduce or to be seduced by your object of affection.
 “Sexual needs”
 The hypothalamus of the brain plays a big role in this, stimulating the
production of the sex hormones testosterone and estrogen from the
testes and ovaries

2. Attraction (romantic passion) “kilig”

 At this stage, you begin to crave for your partner‟s presence.
  You feel excitement and energetic as you fantasize about the things
you could do together as a couple.
 Three chemicals trigger this feeling: norepinephrine, dopamine, and
serotonin. The hypothalamus release Dopamine and
Norepinephrine, hormones that are released when we do things that
feel do to us. Such release can lead to decreased appetite and and
insomnia. – sign of being inlove (DI MAKAKAIN, DI MAKATULOG)
(norepinephrine – secondary to ANS arousal, dopamine – feels good
neurotransmitter, serotonin – mood regulator)

3. Attachment (commitment) “may forever „daw‟ ”

 Involves the desire to have lasting commitment.
 Oxytocin and Vasopressin – known as the “cuddle hormone” that is
released in large quantities during sex, breast feeding and childbirth

PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECT OF SEXUAL DESIRE

• Sexual desire is typically viewed as an interest in sexual object or activities

and is sometimes, but not always, accompanied by genital arousal
• Sexual desire can be triggered by a large variety of cues and situations,
including private thoughts, feelings, fantasies, erotic materials (books,
movies, photograph), and a variety of erotic environment , situation, or
social interaction.
• Sexual desire is often confused with sex drive.
Sexual drive represents a basic, biologically mediated motivation to seek
sexual activity or gratification.
Sexual desire represents a more complex psychological experience that is
not dependent on hormonal factor.
• Men are more visual while women are auditory and tactile.
• Women may place great emphasis on interpersonal relationships while
men enjoy a more casual sexual behavior.
• Early human females practiced selective mating with carefully chosen
males to achieve maximum reproductive success, while no such pressure
was evident on men. This may have favored the evolution of stronger
sexual desires in men than in women.

The Diversity of Sexual Behavior

Sexual Orientation- an individual‟s general sexual disposition toward partners of
the same sex, the opposite sex, or both sexes. A person‟s emotional and erotic
attraction toward another individual.
Sexual Desire- index of sexual orientation.
Gender Identity- one‟s sense of being male or female.
LGBTQ+
 Is an umbrella term for a wide spectrum of gender identities, sexual
orientations, and romantic orientations.
– Lesbian- Females who are exclusively attracted to woman.
– Gay- Males who are exclusively attracted to any other males.
– Bisexual- Someone who is sexually / romantically attracted to both
men and women.
– Transgender- Umbrella term for people who do not identify with the
gender assigned to them at birth.
– Queer- Someone who is questioning their
– +: Intersex and Assexual

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Issues

 Sex- assigned by doctors at birth based on the genitals .
 Gender- defined by Food and Agriculture Organizations of the United
Nations as "relations between men and women, both perceptual and
material.”
Extra…
 1M STI cases everyday worldwide (WHO, 2016)
 Estimated 367M each year are infected by 1 of 4 STIs: Chlamydia,
Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Trichomoniasis (WHO, 2016)
 Drug resistance is challenge esp. for Gonorrhea (WHO, 2018)
 Poor young females more vulnerable than well-off counterparts (Abrigo,
n.a,)

HOW TO AVOID STDs?

- Abstinence
- Vaccination
- Reduce number of sex partner
- Mutual monogamy
- Condoms