(GE 1): UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

UNIT 2:

CHAPTER 5: THE PHYSICAL AND SEXUAL SELF

I. ABSTRACTION
 The gonads (reproductive glands that produce the gametes; testis or ovary) begin to form until about the eighth
week of embryonic development.
 During the early stages of human development, the embryonic reproductive structures of males and females are
alike and are said to be in the indifferent stage
 The formation of male or female structures depends on the presence of testosterone.
 The embryonic testes release testosterone, and the formation of the duct system and external genitalia follows.
 Female embryos that form ovaries will cause the development of the female ducts and external genitalia since
testosterone hormone is not produced.
 Any intervention with the normal pattern of sex hormone production in the embryo results in strange
abnormalities:
 Pseudohermaphrodites are formed who are individuals having accessory reproductive structures that do not
“match” their gonads;
 Hermaphrodites are individuals who possess both ovarian and testicular tissues but this condition is rare in
nature.
 Puberty is the period of life when the reproductive organs grow to their adult size and become functional under the
influence of rising levels of gonadal hormones (testosterone in males and estrogen in females).

II. DISEASES ASSOCIATED WITH THE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

A. IN FEMALES:
 Vaginal infections are more common in young and elderly women and in those whose resistance to diseases is
low.
 Vaginal infections that are left untreated may spread throughout the female reproductive tract and may cause
pelvic inflammatory disease and sterility.
 Escherichia coli which spread through the digestive tract; the sexually transmitted microorganisms such as
syphilis, gonorrhea, and herpes virus; and yeast (a type of fungus)
 Painful or abnormal menses may also be due to infection or hormone imbalance.
 Tumors of the breast and cervix are the most common reproductive cancers in adult females.

B. IN MALES:
 Common inflammatory conditions are prostatitis, urethritis, and epididymitis, all of which may follow sexual
contacts in which sexually transmitted disease (STD) microorganisms are transmitted.
 Orchiditis, or inflammation of the testes, can cause sterility and most commonly follows mumps in an adult male.
 Prostate cancer (a common sequel to prostatic hypertrophy) is a widespread problem in adult males.
 Although aging men show a steady decline in testosterone secretion, their reproductive capability seems
unending.

III. EROGENOUS ZONES

 They refer to parts of the body that are primarily receptive and increase sexual arousal when touched in a sexual
manner.
 Commonly known erogenous zones are the mouth, breasts, genitals, and anus; other common areas of the body
that can be aroused easily may include the neck, thighs, abdomen, and feet.
IV. HUMAN SEXUAL BEHAVIOR
 It 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 the degree of restraint or other types of influence exerted
on the individual by society in the expression of his/her

V. TYPES OF BEHAVIOR
1) SOLITARY BEHAVIOR
 Self-gratification means self-stimulation that leads to sexual arousal and generally, sexual climax; most
self-gratification takes place in private as an end in itself.
 Self-gratification is most frequent among the unmarried; there are more males who perform acts of self-
gratification than females.
 It becomes less frequent or is abandoned when sociosexual activity is available.

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.
 Physical contact involving necking or petting is considered as an ingredient of the learning process.
 Petting differs from hugging, kissing, and generalized caresses of the clothed body to practice involving
stimulation of the genitals.
 Coitus, the insertion of the male reproductive structure into the female reproductive organ, is viewed by
society quite differently depending upon the marital status of the individuals.

VI. PHYSIOLOGY OF HUMAN SEXUAL RESPONSE

1) Excitement phase. There is increase in pulse and blood pressure, and skin temperature. Flushing and
swelling of all distensible body parts are also experienced. Symptoms of arousal eventually increase to a near
maximal physiological level that leads to the next stage.
2) Plateau phase. It is generally of brief duration. If stimulation is continued, orgasm usually occurs.
3) Sexual climax. It is marked by a feeling of abrupt, intense pleasure.
4) Resolution phase. It is the last stage that refers to the return to a normal or subnormal physiologic state.

VII. NERVOUS SYSTEM FACTORS

 The autonomic system is involved in controlling the involuntary responses.
 The hypothalamus and the limbic system are the parts of the brain believed to be responsible for regulating
the sexual response.
 The lower spinal cord leads to erection and ejaculation for male, and vaginal discharges and lubrication for
female when the genital and perineal areas are stimulated.

VIII.SEXUAL PROBLEMS
 Physiological problems. Diseases that are due to abnormal development of the genitalia or that part of the
neurophysiology controlling sexual response;
 Psychological problems. Caused by socially induced inhibitions, maladaptive attitudes, ignorance, and sexual
myths held by society;
 Premature emission of semen is a common problem, especially for young males;
 Erectile impotence is almost always of psychological origin in males under 40; in older males, physical causes
are more often involved;
 Ejaculatory impotence, which results from the inability to ejaculate in coitus, is uncommon and is usually
of psychogenic origin.
  Vaginismus is a strong spasm of the pelvic musculature constricting the female reproductive organ so that
penetration is painful or impossible.

IX. PHYSIOLOGY OF HUMAN SEXUAL RESPONSE

1) Excitement phase. There is increase in pulse and blood pressure, and skin temperature. Flushing and
swelling of all distensible body parts are also experienced. Symptoms of arousal eventually increase to a near
maximal physiological level that leads to the next stage.
2) Plateau phase. It is generally of brief duration. If stimulation is continued, orgasm usually occurs.
3) Sexual climax. It is marked by a feeling of abrupt, intense pleasure.
4) Resolution phase. It is the last stage that refers to the return to a normal or subnormal physiologic state.

X. SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES

A. These are bacterial, viral, or parasitic infections transmitted from an infected person to an uninfected person
through sexual contact.
1) Chlamydia
2) Gonorrhea
3) Syphilis
4) Chancroid
5) Human Papillomavirus
6) Herpes Simplex Virus
7) Trichomonas Vaginalis

XI. NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL METHODS OF CONTRACEPTION

B. NATURAL METHOD
a) Abstinence
b) Calendar Method
c) Basal Body Temperature
d) Cervical Mucus Method
e) Symptothermal Method
f) Ovulation Detection
g) Coitus Interruptus
C. ARTIFICIAL METHODS
a) Oral Contraceptives
b) Transdermal Patch
c) Vaginal Ring
d) Subdermal Implants
e) Hormonal Injections
f) Intrauterine Device
g) Chemical Barriers
h) Diaphragm
i) Cervical Cap
j) Male Condoms
k) Female Condoms
l) Surgical Methods

CHAPTER 6: TO BUY OR NOT TO BUY? THAT IS THE QUESTION!

I. MATERIAL SELF
 William James, understanding the self can be examined through its different components:
 (1) its constituents;
 (2) the feelings and emotions they arouse—self-feelings;
 (3) the actions to which they prompt—self-seeking and self-preservation
  The constituents of self are composed of the material self, the social self, the spiritual self, and the pure
ego.
 The material self, according to James primarily is about our bodies, clothes, immediate family, and home.
 The more investment of self-given to the particular thing, the more we identify ourselves to it. We also
tended to collect and possess properties. The collections in different degree of investment of self,
becomes part of the self.

II. WE ARE WHAT WE HAVE

 Russel Belk posits that “…we regard our possessions as part of ourselves. We are what we have and what
we possess.”
 As we grow older, putting importance to material possession decreases.
 Material possession gains higher value in our lifetime if we use material possession to find happiness,
associate these things with significant events, accomplishments, and people in our lives.
 The possessions that we dearly have tell something about who we are, our self-concept, our past, and even
our future.