At the end of the lesson, you are expected to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of “sexuality”

• Integrate your sexuality in understanding one’s self and identity
• Identify influences that affect the development of your sexuality
• Describe the erogenous zones
• Enumerate sexually transmitted diseases
• Discuss Family Planning

Sexuality is commonly defined as “the ways people experience and express

themselves as sexual being.” (King, 2014. P .373). But the World Health Organization (WHO)
provides a working definition of the term sexuality that encompasses or specific much more.

Sexuality is a central aspect of being human throughout life encompasses sex,

gender identities and roles, sexual orientation, eroticism, pleasure, intimacy and
reproduction. Sexuality experienced and expressed thoughts, fantasies, desires,
beliefs, attitudes, values, behaviors, practices, roles and relationship. While
sexuality can include all of these dimensions, not all of them are always
experienced or expressed (WHO, 2006A as cited in Defining Sexual Health,
2018, para. 16)

Our view about sexuality is heavily affected by education, occupation, income,

economics, law, politics, history, media, society, culture and religion (McKee, 2013).
Recognizing that numerous factors influence one’s view about sexuality since we were young
explains a lot – as we observe and makes sense of the lives of people we know, the
communities we have seen, and even the way we ourselves react or respond to various
issues on sexuality.

“Withholding information about sex and sexuality will not keep children safe,
it will only keep them ignorant”

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We may have encountered the terms sex and gender being used interchangeably. For
better comprehension, we have to ascertain that these two terms are not synonymous. Katz
Wise et. al. (2016) states that:

Sex refers to a person’s characterization as female or male at birth,

typically based on the appearance of external genitalia or other biological
characteristics including chromosomes, whereas gender refers to social
characteristics that may be [or not be] aligned with a person’s sex and adopted
by an individual as their gender identity.
 Using the Gender Bread image above, will you honestly assess your
sexuality by recognizing your own 1) gender identity, 2) gender expression,
3) Biological Sex, and 4) Sexual Orientation

Puberty is the one to three-year process of hormonal and physical changes that
causes young person to reach sexual maturity, girls usually entering it about a year [ or two]
earlier than boy” (Pickhardt, 2010, para 3)

Puberty is not a one size fits all experience. It could manifest in varying rates and
specific ages. Every individual “develops and reacts in different ways” due to factors like
stress, weight, “nutrition, hormonal activity, and inherent characteristics” (Cole, 2009, p4)

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Secondary sex characteristics are traits that differ between the two sexes but are not
part of the reproductive system; they include breasts in females and facial hair in males (King,
2014, p 359).
“The emotional region of the brain develops maturity ahead of the part controlling
the rational thought” (Cole 2009, p.8)
Emotion tend to take over which makes the transition to adulthood and sexual maturity
more challenging. Since most teenagers are not oriented on the drastic transformations and
temporary emotional takeover, sentiments and anxieties are not communicated and handled
well – which may be misconstrued by adults/ relatives as mere drama, attention seeking
rebelling maneuvers.
Mishandled stress, sadness shame, low self -esteem, unmet expectations, from
school, work, family, and peers, may lead to depression. Depression, not immediately
addressed, leads to graver problems like mental instability even suicide. Moreover, young
men are more likely to be arrested than anyone else in society. Statistics show that for most
boys, criminal behavior begins around the age 13, peaks at 13, and disappears in early
adulthood” (Cole, 2009, p .10)

Erogenous zones refer to parts of the body that are primarily receptive and increase
sexual arousal when touched in a sexual manner. Some of the commonly known erogenous
zones are the mouth, breasts, genitals, and anus. Erogenous zones may vary from one
person to another.
Some people may
enjoy being touched in
a certain area more
than the other areas.
Other common areas of
the body that can be
aroused easily may
include the neck thighs,
abdomen and feet.

10 HOT SPOTS
ON HIS AND HER
BODY

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Human sexual behavior is defined as any activity – solitary, between two persons, or
in a group – that induces sexual arousal. There are two major factors that determine human
sexual behavior: the inherited sexual response patterns that have evolved as a means of
ensuring reproduction and that become part of each individual’s genetic inheritance, and 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

Self-gratification means self-stimulation that leads to sexual arousal and

generally, sexual climax. Usually, most self-gratification takes place in private as an
end in itself, but can also be done in a sociosexual relationship.

Self-gratification, generally beginning at or before puberty, is very common

among young males, but becomes less frequent or is abandoned when sociosexual
activity is available. Consequently, self-gratification is most frequent among the
 unmarried. There are more males who perform acts of self-gratification than females.
The frequency greatly varies among individuals and it usually decreases as soon as
they develop sociosexual relationships.

Majority of males and females have fantasies of some sociosexual activity while
they gratify themselves. The fantasy frequently involves idealized sexual partners and
activities that the individual has not experienced and even might avoid in real life.

Nowadays, humans are frequently being exposed to sexual stimuli especially

from advertising and social media. Some adolescents become aggressive when they
respond to such stimuli. The rate of teenage pregnancy is increasing in our time. The
challenge is to develop self-control in order to balance suppression and free
expression. Adolescents need to control their sexual response in order to prevent
premarital sex and acquire sexually transmitted diseases.

2) Sociosexual Behavior

Heterosexual behavior is the greatest amount of sociosexual behavior that

occurs between only one male and one female. It usually begins in childhood and may
be motivated by curiosity, such as showing or examining genitalia. There is varying
degree of sexual impulse and responsiveness among children. Physical contact
involving necking and petting is considered as an ingredient of the learning process
and eventually of courtship and the selection of a marriage partner.

Petting differs from hugging, kissing, and generalized caresses of the clothed
body to practice involving stimulation of the genitals. Petting may be done as an
expression of affection and a source of pleasure, preliminary to coitus. Petting has
been regarded by others as a near-universal human experience and is important not
only in selecting the partner but as a way of learning how to interact with another
person sexually.
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Media show numerous concepts about sex, lust, and desire, which could be explicitly
or implicitly embedded in ads, magazines, movies, TV shows, radio programs, games, etc.

The portrayals on sex are left for the general public to process. If the audiences are
not high media literate, concepts of healthy-safe sex, morality, and even love could be blurred
and become double standard.

“Falling in love is stronger than the sex drive” (Fisher, 2005, p. 60).

Love is almost uncontrollable but sex drive is definitely controllable!

Sex is also at times called “love making” giving premium to the act being based on and
done out of love. Science, like it always does, tries to explain the thing we call love. Despite
the many efforts, it admits not being able to identify the exact reason why we fall in love with
a specific person.

However, it is able to give reasonable bases and glimpses of what happens inside our
brain in the stages of love. It also gives us tips on how to keep the chemistry alive.

According to Fisher, “we are drawn to certain people not only for cultural reasons,
such as socioeconomics, intelligence, and values, but also for biological reasons”.
 Furthermore, she asserted that there are three (3) stages of romantic love as far as
our brain chemicals are concerned: lust, attraction, and attachment (Greenberg, 2016).

1) Lust – sex hormones present in both males and females motivate individuals to find
a mate – being the main hormones responsible for sex drive indeed experiments
have shown that altering levels of these hormones has implication upon sexual
desire.

2) Attraction is an infatuation stages is driven mainly by dopamine and norepinephrine

coupled with a decrease in serotonin levels. This cocktail of chemicals causes
increased alertness and arousal of the body when somebody is attracted to
another, including a feel – good reward pathway associated with the person –
increasing the desire to spend more time with them.

3) Attachment involves the hormones of oxytocin (known as the love hormones or

cuddle chemical and vasopressin). Concentrations of these in the body increase
the following orgasm in both men and women. The release of these hormones is
believed to be important factor in ling term attraction and love.

MODELS FOR SEXUAL RESPONSE

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Masters and Johnson (1996) KAPLAN (1979)

1) Excitement – arousal; penis erection, 1) Desire

vagina lubrication

2) Plateau – continuation and heightening 2) Excitement

of the arousal

3) Orgasm – peak or intense pleasure 3) Orgasm

4) Resolution body returns to normal

state

Sexual orientation refers to our sexual preferences towards males, females or both.
Most of us already have awareness of the existence of diverse sexual behaviors due to a
person’s sexual preference. We may not be able to fully understand but we have to give
respect.
SEXUAL ORIENTATIONS

HOMOSEXUAL Sexually attracted to members of the same sex

BISEXUAL Sexually attracted to people of both sexes

HETEROSEXUAL Sexually attracted to members of the opposite sex

PANSEXUAL/ Can be sexually attracted to any sex or gender identity

OMNISEXUAL
 ASEXUAL Not sexually attracted to any sex or gender

Gender identity is one’s concept of being male, female, both, or neither and is “entirely
determined b socialization (nurture), not biological factors (nature)”.
GENDER IDENTITY

CISGENDER Sexually attracted to members of the same sex

TRANSGENDER Sexually attracted to people of both sexes

AGENDER Sexually attracted to members of the opposite sex

NON-BINARY Can be sexually attracted to any sex or gender identity

Though we may have experienced “having feelings towards or fantasies about people
of the same sex, it does not mean you are gay or bisexual, it can be part of emerging sexual
awareness. Sexual orientations, sexual behavior, and gender identity are independent
concepts. All could be fluid or changing. We may have the freedom to choose to whom we
engage sex with and with how many, but if we are not careful and discerning, we cannot and
will never be able to choose or limit the number of unpleasant irreversible long term
consequences it can bring to our lives, to people who matter most to us, and even to the
society we are part of.

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Involvement in sexual contact, either vaginal, oral or anal may give temporary intense
pleasure and the possibility of transmitting more than 30 different bacteria, viruses and
parasites ('Sexually transmitted' 2016, para. 2) that may result in a lifetime of sexually
transmitted infections. In our country the number of HIV and AIDS cases increase every year.
In August 2017, the Philippines was said to have the highest HIV growth rate in the Asia –
Pacific (Reuters, 2017).
 The information on family planning (FP) and contraception is for everyone, even for
those who are still in their adolescent years. To be educated on FP and contraception is to be
protected from STIs and unintended pregnancies.

The family planning programs intend to provide accessible information on sexual and
reproductive health for people to choose from depending on their needs and preferences.
Contraception is focused on the ways to prevent pregnancy in line with the FP program.

Our country’s Department of Health (DOH) has four (4) basic principles in
implementing the program which adolescents and older can relate with, either as a child or
soon to be parent:

1) Responsible Parenthood which means that each family has the right and duty to
 determine the desired number of children they might have and when they might have
them. And beyond responsible parenthood is Responsible Parenting which is the
proper upbringing and education of children so that they grow up to be upright,
productive and civic-minded citizens (para 2).
2) Respect for Life. The 1987 Constitution states that the government protects the sanctity
of life. Abortion is NOT an FP method (para. 3).
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3) Birth Spacing refers to interval between pregnancies (which is ideally 3 years). It enables
women to recover their health and improve women’s potential to be more productive and to
realize their personal aspirations and allow more time to care for children and spouse/husband
(para. 4), and;
4) Informed Choice that is upholding and ensuring the rights of couples to determine the
number and spacing of their children according to their life’s aspirations and reminding couples
that planning size of their families has a direct bearing on the quality of their children’s and
their own lives (para. 5).

To aid in family planning are a range of natural and artificial types of contraception to choose
from. Abstinence, not engaging in any form of sex, a natural method, is the most effective
means of contraception since time immemorial.
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Topics and content about sex may be rampant but it does not mean that people are
well educated about it. Through this chapter, we hope to have grasped the value of learning
the concepts of sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, puberty, secondary sex
characteristics, erogenous zones, sexual violence, the stages of romantic love and sex, and
the importance of safe-healthy sex. There is still much to learn and much to do for us to be
able to better understand ourselves and even improve who we are every day for the greater
good.

Alata, E.J.P., Caslib, Jr. B.N., Serafica, J.P.J. & Pilawen, R.A. (2018). Understanding
the Self. Rex Bookstore, Inc.

Palean, E.D.V., Nazario, M.B.D., Valero, J.B.G., Descartin, I.K.L., & Nuncio, E.M.
(2018). Introspection: Understanding the Self. Books Atbp. Publishing Corp.
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