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TENTH EDITION

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HUMAN SEXUALITY
fhtp_st
Diversity in Contemporary Society

William L. Yarber
INDIANA UNIVERSITY

Barbara W. Sayad
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, MONTEREY BAY
HUMAN SEXUALITY: DIVERSITY IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY, TENTH EDITION
Published by McGraw-Hill Education, 2 Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10121. Copyright © 2019 by McGraw-Hill
Education. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. Previous editions © 2016, 2013, and
2010. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored
in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education, including, but
not limited to, in any network or other electronic storage or transmission, or broadcast for distance learning.

Some ancillaries, including electronic and print components, may not be available to customers outside the
United States.

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 LWI 21 20 19 18
ISBN 978-1-260-39712-3 (bound edition)
MHID 1-260-39712-2 (bound edition)
ISBN 978-1-259-91105-7 (loose-leaf edition)
MHID 1-259-91105-5 (loose-leaf edition)

Senior Portfolio Manager: Nancy Welcher


Lead Product Developer: Dawn Groundwater
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Compositor: Lumina Datamatics, Inc.

All credits appearing on page or at the end of the book are considered to be an extension of the copyright page.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data


Names: Yarber, William L. (William Lee), 1943- author. | Sayad, Barbara Werner, 1949- author.
Title: Human sexuality: diversity in contemporary society / William L. Yarber, Barbara W. Sayad.
Description: Tenth Edition. | Dubuque, IA : McGraw-Hill Education, [2018] | Revised edition of the
authors’ Human sexuality : diversity in contemporary America, [2016]
Identifiers: LCCN 2018016806 | ISBN 9781260397123 (alk. paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Sex. | Sex customs. | Sexual health.
Classification: LCC HQ21 .S8126 2018 | DDC 306.7
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018016806

The Internet addresses listed in the text were accurate at the time of publication. The inclusion of a
website does not indicate an endorsement by the authors or McGraw-Hill Education, and McGraw-Hill
Education does not guarantee the accuracy of the information presented at these sites.

mheducation.com/highered
Dedication

This book is dedicated to Elton John, who created the Elton


John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) in the United States in 1992 and
in the United Kingdom in 1993. The EJAF was created to
respond to the need for philanthropic support to address the
global AIDS epidemic, to assure that all people living with HIV
have access to high-quality medical care and treatment, and to
address and reduce the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS. With
the vision and leadership of Elton and the generous support of
many friends and supporters, the two foundations have raised
over $400 million. EJAF raises funds for evidence-based
programs and advocates for policies that protect and
strengthen the health and rights of people affected by HIV/
AIDS. Further, the EJAF is the largest private funder of syringe
exchange programs in the United States, which are valuable in
efforts to end the opioid epidemic.

Elton had a special relationship with Ryan White and has said
that Ryan’s activism, compassion, and courage inspired him to
change his life—to stop abusing drugs and to do something to
honor Ryan and give purpose to his life. After seeking
treatment for his addiction, he created the Elton John AIDS
Foundation, one of the largest funders of HIV/AIDS programs in
the world. President Bill Clinton said “My friend Elton has
touched us all with his music and with the countless lives he
has saved through his AIDS foundation.”
—w. l. y.

To my family, especially Bob, who provide the inspiration,


patience, support, and love I need and appreciate to do this
work.
—b. w. s.

iii
Brief Contents
1 Perspectives on Human Sexuality 1

2 Studying Human Sexuality 25

3 Female Sexual Anatomy, Physiology, and Response 60

4 Male Sexual Anatomy, Physiology, and Response 91

5 Gender and Gender Roles 111

6 Sexuality in Childhood and Adolescence 142

7 Sexuality in Adulthood 167


8 Love and Communication in Intimate Relationships 192

9 Sexual Expression 223

10 Variations in Sexual Behavior 264

11 Contraception and Abortion 288

12 Conception, Pregnancy, and Childbirth 321

13 The Sexual Body in Health and Illness 351

14 Sexual Function Difficulties, Dissatisfaction, Enhancement, and Therapy 380

15 Sexually Transmitted Infections 421

16 HIV and AIDS 456

17 Sexual Assault and Sexual Misconduct 498

18 Sexually Explicit Materials, Sex Workers, and Sex Laws 537


McGraw-Hill Education Psychology APA Documentation Style Guide

iv
Contents
PREFACE xviii | LETTER FROM THE AUTHORS xxix |
ABOUT THE AUTHORS xxxi

1 Perspectives on Human Sexuality 1


STUDYING HUMAN SEXUALITY 2

SEXUALITY, POPULAR CULTURE, AND THE MEDIA 3


Media Portrayals of Sexuality 3
Television and Digital Media 6
Feature-Length Films 8
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer People in Film and Television 8
Online Social Networks 9
■ Think About It ONLINE DATING: ASSET OR LIABILITY?
©Peopleimages/iStock/Getty Images
10

SEXUALITY ACROSS CULTURES AND TIMES 13


Sexual Interests 13
Sexual Orientation 15
Gender 16

SOCIETAL NORMS AND SEXUALITY 17


Natural Sexual Behavior 17
■ Think About It AM I NORMAL? 18
Normal Sexual Behavior 19
Sexual Behavior and Variations 20
■ Think About It DECLARATION OF SEXUAL RIGHTS 21

FINAL THOUGHTS 22 | SUMMARY 22 | QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 23 | SEX AND


THE INTERNET 23 | SUGGESTED WEBSITES 23 | SUGGESTED READING 24

2 Studying Human Sexuality 25


SEX, ADVICE COLUMNISTS, AND POP PSYCHOLOGY 26
Information and Advice as Entertainment 27
The Use and Abuse of Research Findings 27
■ Think About It DOES SEX HAVE AN INHERENT MEANING? 28

THINKING OBJECTIVELY ABOUT SEXUALITY 29


Value Judgments Versus Objectivity 29
Opinions, Biases, and Stereotypes 30
Common Fallacies: Egocentric and Ethnocentric Thinking 31 ©Hero/Corbis/Glow Images

v
SEX RESEARCH METHODS 31
Research Concerns 32
Clinical Research 33
Survey Research 33
■ Practically Speaking ANSWERING A SEX RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRE: MOTIVES FOR FEIGNING

ORGASMS SCALE 34
Observational Research 37
Experimental Research 37
■ Think About It A CONTINUED CHALLENGE FACING SEX RESEARCHERS: SELECTING THE BEST WAY TO

ACCURATELY MEASURE SEXUAL BEHAVIOR AND SEXUAL ORIENTATION 38

THE SEX RESEARCHERS 39


Richard von Krafft-Ebing 39
Sigmund Freud 40
Havelock Ellis 40
Alfred Kinsey 41
William Masters and Virginia Johnson 43

CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH STUDIES 43


The National Health and Social Life Survey 44
The National Survey of Family Growth 44
The Youth Risk Behavior Survey 45
■ Think About It SEX RESEARCH: A BENEFIT TO INDIVIDUALS AND SOCIETY OR A THREAT

TO MORALITY? 46
The National College Health Assessment 47
The National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior 48

EMERGING RESEARCH PERSPECTIVES 49


Feminist Scholarship 49
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Research 50
Directions for Future Research 52

ETHNICITY AND SEXUALITY 52


African Americans 52
Latinos 54
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders 55
Middle Eastern Americans 55

FINAL THOUGHTS 56 | SUMMARY 56 | QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 58 | SEX AND


THE INTERNET 58 | SUGGESTED WEBSITES 58 | SUGGESTED READING 59

3 Female Sexual Anatomy, Physiology,


and Response 60
FEMALE SEX ORGANS: WHAT ARE THEY FOR? 61
External Structures (the Vulva) 62
■ Think About It THE GROOMING OF PUBIC HAIR: NUISANCE OR NOVELTY? 64

Internal Structures 65
■ Practically Speaking PERFORMING A GYNECOLOGICAL SELF-EXAMINATION 69

Other Structures 70
©Ingram Publishing/SuperStock
The Breasts 70

vi Contents
FEMALE SEXUAL PHYSIOLOGY 71
Sex Hormones 72
The Ovarian Cycle 73
The Menstrual Cycle 74
■ Practically Speaking VAGINAL AND MENSTRUAL WELL-BEING 79

HUMAN SEXUAL RESPONSE 80


Sexual Response Models 80
Desire and Arousal: Two Sides of the Same Coin? 83
■ Think About It FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION/CUTTING: HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION OR CULTURAL

AND SOCIAL NORM? 86

FEMALE SEXUAL RESPONSE 87


Sexual Excitement 87
Orgasm 87

FINAL THOUGHTS 88 | SUMMARY 88 | QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 89 | SEX AND


THE INTERNET 90 | SUGGESTED WEBSITES 90 | SUGGESTED READING 90

4 Male Sexual Anatomy, Physiology,


and Response 91
MALE SEX ORGANS: WHAT ARE THEY FOR? 92
External Structures 92
Internal Structures 95
■ Think About It THE QUESTION OF MALE CIRCUMCISION 96
Other Structures 98

MALE SEXUAL PHYSIOLOGY 99


©Cultura RM/Moof/Getty Images
Sex Hormones 99
■ Think About It DOES PENIS SIZE MATTER? 100

■ Practically Speaking SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE: WHAT DO MEN NEED? 102
Spermatogenesis 104
Semen Production 105
Homologous Organs 105

MALE SEXUAL RESPONSE 106


Erection 106
Ejaculation and Orgasm 107
■ Think About It MEN AND SEXUAL DESIRE: IT’S MORE COMPLEX THAN WE MIGHT THINK 108

FINAL THOUGHTS 109 | SUMMARY 109 | QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 110 | SEX AND
THE INTERNET 110 | SUGGESTED WEBSITES 110 | SUGGESTED READING 110

5 Gender and Gender Roles 111


STUDYING GENDER AND GENDER ROLES 113
Sex, Gender, and Gender Roles: What’s the Difference? 113
Sex and Gender Identity 114
Masculinity and Femininity: Opposites, Similar, or Blended? 115
■ Think About It SEXUAL FLUIDITY: WOMEN’S AND MEN’S VARIABLE SEXUAL ATTRACTIONS 117
Gender and Sexual Orientation 118

©Jeff Gross/Getty Images

Contents vii
GENDER-ROLE LEARNING 118
Theories of Socialization 118
Gender-Role Learning in Childhood and Adolescence 119
Gender Schemas: Exaggerating Differences 123

CONTEMPORARY GENDER ROLES AND SCRIPTS 123


Traditional Gender Roles and Scripts 123
Changing Gender Roles and Scripts 125

GENDER VARIATIONS 126


The Transgender Phenomenon 127
■ Practically Speaking A QUICK GLOSSARY ON SEX, GENDER, AND GENDER VARIATIONS 128

■ Think About It GENDER-CONFIRMING SURGERY: PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL NEEDS 130


Gender Dysphoria 131
Disorders of Sex Development (DSD) 133
Unclassified Congenital Condition 136
Coming to Terms With Differences 136
■ Think About It TRANSGENDER PEOPLE AND BATHROOM ACCESS: WHAT’S THE DEAL? 137

FINAL THOUGHTS 139 | SUMMARY 139 | QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 140 | SEX AND
THE INTERNET 140 | SUGGESTED WEBSITES 140 | SUGGESTED READING 141

6 Sexuality in Childhood
and Adolescence 142
SEXUALITY IN INFANCY AND CHILDHOOD (AGES 0 TO 11) 143
Infancy and Sexual Response (Ages 0 to 2) 144
Childhood Sexuality (Ages 3 to 11) 144
The Family Context 146

SEXUALITY IN ADOLESCENCE (AGES 12 TO 19) 147


©WeAre/Shutterstock Psychosexual Development 147
Adolescent Sexual Behavior 155
■ Think About It VIRGINITY—WHATEVER THAT MEANS 157

Teenage Pregnancy 159


■ Think About It ”GOOD ENOUGH SEX”: THE WAY TO LIFETIME COUPLE SATISFACTION 160
Sexuality Education 162
■ Think About It HEALTHY TEEN SEXUALITY 164

FINAL THOUGHTS 165 | SUMMARY 165 | QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 165 | SEX AND
THE INTERNET 166 | SUGGESTED WEBSITES 166 | SUGGESTED READING 166

7 Sexuality in Adulthood 167


SEXUALITY IN EARLY ADULTHOOD 168
Developmental Concerns 168
Establishing Sexual Orientation and Identity 169
■ Think About It LIFE BEHAVIORS OF A SEXUALLY HEALTHY ADULT 170

Being Single 174


■ Think About It SINGLES IN AMERICA: DATING TRENDS, RITUALS, AND SOCIAL MEDIA 178

©Image Source/Getty Images

viii Contents
Cohabitation 179
Same-Sex Marriage 179

SEXUALITY IN MIDDLE ADULTHOOD 180


Developmental Concerns 180
Sexuality in Marriage and Established Relationships 180
■ Think About It ARE SAME-SEX COUPLES AND FAMILIES ANY DIFFERENT FROM

HETEROSEXUAL ONES? 182


Divorce and After 182

SEXUALITY IN LATE ADULTHOOD 184


Developmental Concerns 184
Stereotypes of Aging 185
Sexuality and Aging 185

FINAL THOUGHTS 190 | SUMMARY 190 | QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 191 | SEX AND
THE INTERNET 191 | SUGGESTED WEBSITES 191 | SUGGESTED READING 191

8 Love and Communication in Intimate


Relationships 192
FRIENDSHIP AND LOVE 194

LOVE AND SEXUALITY 195


Men, Women, Sex, and Love 195
Love Without Sex: Celibacy and Asexuality 197

HOW DO I LOVE THEE? APPROACHES AND ATTITUDES RELATED TO LOVE 197


Styles of Love 197 ©Andersen Ross/Getty Images
The Triangular Theory of Love 198
Love as Attachment 201
Unrequited Love 202

JEALOUSY 202
The Psychological Dimension of Jealousy 203
■ Think About It THE SCIENCE OF LOVE 204

Managing Jealousy 205


Extrarelational Sex 205
Rebound Sex 207

MAKING LOVE LAST: FROM PASSION TO INTIMACY 207

THE NATURE OF COMMUNICATION 208


The Cultural Context 208
The Social Context 209
The Psychological Context 209
Nonverbal Communication 209

SEXUAL COMMUNICATION 211


Sexual Communication in Beginning Relationships 211
Sexual Communication in Established Relationships 213
■ Think About It LET’S (NOT) TALK ABOUT SEX: AVOIDING THE DISCUSSION ABOUT PAST LOVERS 214

DEVELOPING COMMUNICATION SKILLS 214


Talking About Sex 214
■ Practically Speaking COMMUNICATION PATTERNS AND PARTNER SATISFACTION 216

Contents ix
CONFLICT AND INTIMACY 217
Sexual Conflicts 218
■ Practically Speaking LESSONS FROM THE LOVE LAB 219
Conflict Resolution 219

FINAL THOUGHTS 220 | SUMMARY 220 | QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 221 | SEX AND
THE INTERNET 221 | SUGGESTED WEBSITES 222 | SUGGESTED READING 222

9 Sexual Expression 223


SEXUAL ATTRACTIVENESS 225
A Cross-Cultural Analysis 225
Evolutionary Mating Perspectives 227
■ Think About It WHY COLLEGE STUDENTS HAVE SEX 228

Hooking Up and College Students 232


■ Think About It ”HOOKING UP” AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS: AS SIMPLE AS ONE MIGHT THINK? 234
Sexual Desire 235
©Tom Merton/Getty Images
SEXUAL SCRIPTS 236
Cultural Scripting 236
Intrapersonal Scripting 237
Interpersonal Scripting 237

AUTOEROTICISM 238
Sexual Fantasies and Dreams 239
Masturbation 241
■ Practically Speaking ASSESSING YOUR ATTITUDE TOWARD MASTURBATION 245

SEXUAL BEHAVIOR WITH OTHERS 246


Most Recent Partnered Sex 247
■ Think About It YOU WOULD SAY YOU “HAD SEX” IF YOU . . . 248

Frequency and Duration of Sex 249


Couple Sexual Styles 250
Touching 251
■ Think About It THE FREQUENCY OF SEX: THE MORE, THE BETTER? 252
Kissing 253
Oral-Genital Sex 254
■ Think About It THE FIRST KISS: A DEAL-BREAKER? 255

Sexual Intercourse 257


Anal Eroticism 260
Health Benefits of Sexual Activity 261

FINAL THOUGHTS 262 | SUMMARY 262 | QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 263 | SEX AND
THE INTERNET 263 | SUGGESTED WEBSITES 263 | SUGGESTED READING 263  

10 Variations in Sexual Behavior 264


SEXUAL VARIATIONS AND PARAPHILIC BEHAVIOR 265
What Are Sexual Variations? 265
What Is Paraphilia? 266
■ Think About It CLASSIFYING VARIANT SEXUAL BEHAVIORS AS PARAPHILIA: THE CHANGING VIEWS

OF PSYCHOLOGY 266

©Mark Wragg/Getty Images


x Contents
The Frequency of Paraphilia Behaviors and Desire 268
■ Think About It ”SEXUAL ADDICTION”: REPRESSIVE MORALITY IN A NEW GUISE? 269

TYPES OF PARAPHILIAS 272


Fetishism 272
Transvestism 273
Zoophilia 274
Voyeurism 275
■ Think About It WOULD YOU WATCH? COLLEGE STUDENTS AND VOYEURISM 276
Exhibitionism 277
Telephone Scatologia 278
Frotteurism 278
Necrophilia 279
Pedophilia 279
BDSM, Sexual Masochism, and Sexual Sadism 280

ORIGINS AND TREATMENT OF PARAPHILIAS 284

FINAL THOUGHTS 285 | SUMMARY 285 | QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 286 | SEX AND
THE INTERNET 286 | SUGGESTED WEBSITES 287 | SUGGESTED READING 287

11 Contraception and Abortion 288


RISK AND RESPONSIBILITY 289
Women, Men, and Contraception: Who Is Responsible? 290
Access to Contraception 291

METHODS OF CONTRACEPTION 292


Choosing a Method 293
Sexual Abstinence 295
Withdrawal (Coitus Interruptus) 295
Hormonal Methods 295 ©Rafe Swan/Cultura/Getty Images
Barrier Methods 300
■ Practically Speaking TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE CONDOM USE 302

■ Practically Speaking CORRECT CONDOM USE SELF-EFFICACY SCALE 303


Intrauterine Devices (IUDs) 306
Long-Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC) 307
Fertility Awareness–Based Methods 308
Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM) 309
Sterilization 309
Emergency Contraception (EC) 311

ABORTION 312
Methods of Abortion 312
Safety of Abortion 313
Women and Abortion 314
Men and Abortion 315
The Abortion Debate 315

RESEARCH ISSUES 316


■ Think About It RISKY BUSINESS: WHY COUPLES FAIL TO USE CONTRACEPTION 317

FINAL THOUGHTS 318 | SUMMARY 318 | QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 319 | SEX AND
THE INTERNET 319 | SUGGESTED WEBSITES 319 | SUGGESTED READING 320

Contents xi
12 Conception, Pregnancy, and Childbirth 321
FERTILIZATION AND FETAL DEVELOPMENT 323
The Fertilization Process 323
Development of the Conceptus 324

PREGNANCY 327
Preconception Health 327
Pregnancy Detection 327
Adjustments and Psychological Changes in Women During Pregnancy 328
Complications of Pregnancy and Dangers to the Fetus 329
■ Think About It SEXUAL BEHAVIOR DURING PREGNANCY 330

Diagnosing Fetal Abnormalities 335


Pregnancy Loss 336

INFERTILITY 338
Female Infertility 338
Male Infertility 338
Emotional Responses to Infertility 339
Infertility Treatment 339

GIVING BIRTH 341


©ballyscanlon/Getty Images
Labor and Delivery 341
Choices in Childbirth 343
■ Practically Speaking MAKING A BIRTH PLAN 345
Breastfeeding 346

POSTPARTUM AND BEYOND 346


■ Practically Speaking BREAST VERSUS BOTTLE: WHICH IS BETTER FOR YOU AND YOUR CHILD? 347

FINAL THOUGHTS 348 | SUMMARY 349 | QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 349 | SEX AND
THE INTERNET 350 | SUGGESTED WEBSITES 350 | SUGGESTED READING 350

13 The Sexual Body in Health and Illness 351


LIVING IN OUR BODIES: THE QUEST FOR PHYSICAL PERFECTION 352
Eating Disorders 353
■ Think About It BODY MODIFICATION: YOU’RE DOING WHAT, WHERE? 354

ALCOHOL, DRUGS, AND SEXUALITY 355


Alcohol Use and Sexuality 355
Other Drug Use and Sexuality 357

SEXUALITY AND DISABILITY 359


Physical Limitations and Changing Expectations 359
Vision and Hearing Impairment 361
Chronic Illness 361
Developmental Disabilities 362
The Sexual Rights of People With Disabilities 363

©Goodshoot/Getty Images SEXUALITY AND CANCER 363


Women and Cancer 364
Men and Cancer 370
Anal Cancer in Men and Women 374

xii Contents
ADDITIONAL SEXUAL HEALTH ISSUES 374
Toxic Shock Syndrome 374
Vulvodynia 375
Endometriosis 375
Prostatitis 375

SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND HEALTH 376

FINAL THOUGHTS 377 | SUMMARY 377 | QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 378 | SEX AND
THE INTERNET 378 | SUGGESTED WEBSITES 379 | SUGGESTED READING 379

14 Sexual Function Difficulties, Dissatisfaction,


Enhancement, and Therapy 380
SEXUAL FUNCTION DIFFICULTIES: DEFINITIONS, TYPES, AND PREVALENCE 382
Defining Sexual Function Difficulties: Different Perspectives 382
Prevalence and Cofactors 385
Disorders of Sexual Desire 389
■ Practically Speaking SEXUAL DESIRE: WHEN APPETITES DIFFER 390

Orgasmic Disorders 394


■ Think About It ORGASM, THAT SIMPLE? YOUNG ADULTS’ EXPERIENCES OF ORGASM AND SEXUAL

PLEASURE 396 ©Radius Images/Alamy Stock Photo


Sexual Pain Disorders 397
Substance/Medication-Induced Sexual Dysfunction 399
Other Disorders 399

PHYSICAL CAUSES OF SEXUAL FUNCTION DIFFICULTIES AND DISSATISFACTION 399


Physical Causes in Men 399
Physical Causes in Women 400

PSYCHOLOGICAL CAUSES OF SEXUAL FUNCTION DIFFICULTIES AND


DISSATISFACTION 400
Immediate Causes 400
Conflict Within the Self 401
Relationship Causes 402

SEXUAL FUNCTION ENHANCEMENT 402


Developing Self-Awareness 402
■ Practically Speaking KEGEL EXERCISES FOR WOMEN AND MEN 404

Intensifying Erotic Pleasure 405


■ Think About It MY PARTNER COULD BE A BETTER LOVER IF . . . : WHAT MEN AND WOMEN WANT

FROM THEIR SEXUAL PARTNERS 406


■ Think About It SEXUAL TURN-ONS AND TURN-OFFS: WHAT COLLEGE STUDENTS REPORT 409

TREATING SEXUAL FUNCTION DIFFICULTIES 409


Masters and Johnson: A Cognitive-Behavioral Approach 410
Kaplan: Psychosexual Therapy 412
Other Nonmedical Approaches 412
Medical Approaches 413
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Sex Therapy 415
■ Practically Speaking SEEKING PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE 416

When Treatment Fails 416

FINAL THOUGHTS 417 | SUMMARY 417 | QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 419 | SEX AND
THE INTERNET 419 | SUGGESTED WEBSITES 419 | SUGGESTED READING 419

Contents xiii
15 Sexually Transmitted Infections 421
THE STI EPIDEMIC 422
STIs: The Most Common Reportable Infectious Diseases 423
Who Is Affected: Disparities Among Groups 424
Factors Contributing to the Spread of STIs 426
■ Practically Speaking PREVENTING STIs: THE ROLE OF MALE CONDOMS, FEMALE CONDOMS, AND

DENTAL DAMS 428


■ Think About It ACCURATELY JUDGING IF A POTENTIAL SEXUAL PARTNER IS INFECTED WITH AN STI:
©Peter Dazeley/Photographer’s Choice/
EASILY DONE? 430
Getty Images
■ Practically Speaking STI ATTITUDE SCALE 432
Consequences of STIs 433

PRINCIPAL BACTERIAL STIs 433


Chlamydia 433
Gonorrhea 436
Urinary Tract Infections 437
Syphilis 437

PRINCIPAL VIRAL STIs 439


HIV and AIDS 439
Genital Herpes 439
■ Think About It THE TUSKEGEE SYPHILIS STUDY: A TRAGEDY OF RACE AND MEDICINE 440
Genital Human Papillomavirus Infection 441
Viral Hepatitis 443
Zika 444

VAGINAL INFECTIONS 445


Bacterial Vaginosis 445
Genital Candidiasis 446
Trichomoniasis 446

OTHER STIs 447

ECTOPARASITIC INFESTATIONS 447


Scabies 447
Pubic Lice 448

STIs AND WOMEN 448


Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) 448
Cervicitis 449
Cystitis 449

PREVENTING STIs 450


Avoiding STIs 450
Treating STIs 451
■ Practically Speaking SAFER AND UNSAFE SEX BEHAVIORS 452

FINAL THOUGHTS 453 | SUMMARY 453 | QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 454 | SEX AND
THE INTERNET 454 | SUGGESTED WEBSITES 455 | SUGGESTED READING 455

xiv Contents
16 HIV and AIDS 456
WHAT IS AIDS? 458
Conditions Associated With AIDS 458
■ Think About It THE STIGMATIZATION OF HIV AND OTHER STIs 459
Symptoms of HIV Infection and AIDS 460
Understanding AIDS: The Immune System and HIV 460
The Virus 461
AIDS Pathogenesis: How the Disease Progresses 462
©Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
THE EPIDEMIOLOGY AND TRANSMISSION OF HIV 463
The Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS in the United States 464
Modes and Myths of Transmission 467
Sexual Transmission 469
Substance and Injection Drug Use 471
Mother-to-Child Transmission 472

AIDS DEMOGRAPHICS 473


Minority Races/Ethnicities and HIV 473
The Gay Community 477
Women and HIV/AIDS 478
Transgender People and HIV 479
Children and HIV/AIDS 480
HIV/AIDS Among Youth 480
Older Adults and HIV/AIDS 482
Geographic Region and HIV 483

PREVENTION AND TREATMENT 484


Protecting Ourselves 484
■ Think About It WHICH STRATEGIES WOULD YOU USE TO REDUCE YOUR RISK OF STI/HIV? WHAT ONE

GROUP OF WOMEN DID 485


■ Think About It “DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING?” COMMON CONDOM-USE MISTAKES AMONG
COLLEGE STUDENTS 488
Saving Lives Through Prevention 489
HIV Testing 490
Treatments 492

LIVING WITH HIV OR AIDS 494


If You Are HIV-Positive 494

FINAL THOUGHTS 495 | SUMMARY 496 | QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 497 | SEX AND
THE INTERNET 497 | SUGGESTED WEBSITES 497 | SUGGESTED READING 497  

17 Sexual Assault and Sexual Misconduct 498


SEXUAL HARASSMENT 500
What Is Sexual Harassment? 500
Flirtation Versus Harassment 502
Harassment in School and College 504
Harassment in the Workplace 506
Gender-Based Harassment in Public Spaces 508

©Mario Mitsis/Alamy Stock Photo

Contents xv
HARASSMENT AND DISCRIMINATION AGAINST LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL,
TRANSGENDER, AND QUEER PEOPLE 509
Heterosexual Bias 509
Prejudice, Discrimination, and Violence 509
Ending Anti-Gay Prejudice and Enactment of Antidiscrimination Laws 512

SEXUAL ASSAULT 514


Campus Sexual Assault 516
■ Think About It DATE RAPE DRUGS: AN INCREASING THREAT 518

Myths About Rape 519


■ Practically Speaking WHAT CAN YOU DO TO PREVENT SEXUAL ASSAULT? BE A “BYSTANDER” 520

■ Practically Speaking BEING SAFE: STRATEGIES FOR AVOIDING BEING SEXUALLY ASSAULTED 521

Confusion Over Sexual Consent 522


■ Think About It VERBALLY CONSENTING TO SEX: AS SIMPLE AS ONE MIGHT THINK? 524

The Aftermath of Rape 526


■ Think About It HOW COLLEGE STUDENTS INDICATE AND INTERPRET CONSENT TO HAVE SEX 527

CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE 528


■ Practically Speaking SUPPORTING SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN RAPED 529

■ Practically Speaking HAVING SEX AGAIN AFTER BEING SEXUALLY ASSAULTED: RECLAIMING ONE’S

SEXUALITY 530
Effects of Child Sexual Abuse 532
Treatment Programs 533
Preventing Child Sexual Abuse 533

FINAL THOUGHTS 534 | SUMMARY 534 | QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 535 | SEX AND
THE INTERNET 535 | SUGGESTED WEBSITES 536 | SUGGESTED READING 536

18 Sexually Explicit Materials, Sex Workers,


and Sex Laws 537
SEXUALLY EXPLICIT MATERIAL IN CONTEMPORARY AMERICA 538
Pornography or Erotica: Which Is It? 538
Sexually Explicit Material and Popular Culture 539
The Consumption of Sexually Explicit Materials 540
■ Think About It WHO WATCHES THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SEXUALLY EXPLICIT VIDEOS? 541
Themes, Content, and Actors of SEV 542
©David Angel/Alamy Stock Photo
The Effects of SEV 544
■ Think About It SEXUALLY EXPLICIT VIDEO USE IN ROMANTIC COUPLES: BENEFICIAL OR

HARMFUL? 546
Censorship, Sexually Explicit Material, and the Law 548
■ Think About It WHAT POPULAR MEDIA SAYS ABOUT SEXUALLY EXPLICIT VIDEOS AND RELATIONSHIPS:

SUPPORTED BY RESEARCH? 550

SEX WORK AND SEX TRAFFICKING 552


The Prevalence of Sex Work 553
■ Think About It SEX TRAFFICKING: A MODERN-DAY SLAVERY 554

Male Sex Workers 558


Sex Work and the Law 560
The Impact of HIV/AIDS and Other STIs on Sex Work 560

xvi Contents
SEXUALITY AND THE LAW 561
Legalizing Private, Consensual Sexual Behavior 561
■ Think About It SHOULD SEX WORK BE DECRIMINALIZED AND LEGALIZED? 562
Same-Sex Marriage 563
Advocating Sexual Rights 564

FINAL THOUGHTS 564 | SUMMARY 565 | QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 566 | SEX AND
THE INTERNET 566 | SUGGESTED WEBSITES 566 | SUGGESTED READING 566

GLOSSARY G-1

REFERENCES R-1

NAME INDEX NI-1

SUBJECT INDEX SI-1

McGraw-Hill Education Psychology APA Documentation Style Guide

Contents xvii
Preface

Celebrating Sexual Diversity in Contemporary Society


Since the first edition, Human Sexuality: Diversity in Contemporary Society has presented
students with a nonjudgmental and affirming view of human sexuality while encouraging
them to embrace their own sexuality. More recently, our discussion of human sexuality has
increasingly cited research studies and writings from countries beyond America, thus broad-
ening student understanding of the diverse meanings and expressions of human sexuality.
The desire to reflect these changes prompted us to alter the title of our book to Human
Sexuality: Diversity in Contemporary Society.
Nine editions later, Human Sexuality: Diversity in Contemporary Society continues to be a
pioneering text in many ways. The sexual affirmation approach encourages students to become
proactive in and about their own sexual well-being and includes an emphasis on the importance
of embracing intimacy, pleasuring, and mutual satisfaction in sexual expression. It also strives to
represent the contemporary, diverse society that students encounter inside and outside the class-
room. And with McGraw-Hill Education Connect for Human Sexuality, students embark on a
personalized digital learning program, which allows them to study more effectively and efficiently.

Health and Well-Being


As one fundamental component of the human condition, sexuality can impact personal
well-being. When balanced with other life needs, sexuality contributes positively to personal
health and happiness. When expressed in destructive ways, it can impair health. We believe
that studying human sexuality is one way of increasing the healthy lifestyle of students.
Integrated into all chapter are discussions, research, questions, and prompts that interrelate
students’ well-being and their sexuality.

Thinking Critically About Human Sexuality


Each chapter contains multiple Think About
It features that prompt students to think
critically about topics in sexuality such as
am I normal, the science of love, hooking
up, what behaviors constitute having had
sex, orgasm and pleasure, and how college
students indicate and interpret consent to
have sex.

xviii
Speaking Practically about Human Sexuality
The Practically Speaking feature asks students to examine their own values and the ways they
express their sexuality. Topics include sexual communication, effective condom use, having
sex again after sexual assault, and a glossary on sex, gender, and gender variation terms. These
features help students apply the concepts presented in the book to their own lives.

The Significance of Ethnicity


Until relatively recently, Americans have ignored race and ethnicity as a factor in studying
human sexuality. We have acted as if being White, African American, Latino, Asian American,
or Native American made no difference in terms of sexual attitudes, behaviors, and values. But
there are significant differences, and it is important to examine these differences within their
cultural context. Ethnic differences, therefore, should not be interpreted as “good” or “bad,”
“healthy” or “deficient,” but as reflections of the diversity in our culture. Our understanding
of the role of race and ethnicity in sexuality, however, is a still evolving area of research.
Celebrating sexual diversity, however, is only part of the story. Through an integrated, per-
sonalized digital learning program, students gain the insight they need to study smarter and
improve performance. McGraw-Hill Education Connect is a digital assignment and assessment
platform that strengthens the link between faculty, students, and course work, helping everyone
accomplish more in less time. Connect for Human Sexuality includes assignable and assessable
animations, quizzes, exercises, and interactivities, all associ­ated with learning objectives.

Students Study More Effectively with Connect®


and SmartBook®
■■ SmartBook helps students study more efficiently by highlighting where in the chapter to
focus, asking review questions, and pointing them to resources until they understand.
■■ Connect’s assignments help students contextualize what they’ve learned through
application, so they can better understand the material and think critically.
■■ Connect will create a personalized study path customized to individual student needs.
■■ Connect reports deliver information regarding performance, study behavior, and effort,
so instructors can quickly identify students who are having issues or focus on material
that the class hasn’t mastered.
Human Sexuality: Diversity in Contemporary Society harnesses the power of data to improve
the instructor and student experiences.

Preface xix
Heat Map and the Power of Student Data
For this edition, data were analyzed to identify the concepts students found to be the most
difficult, allowing for expansion upon the discussion, practice, and assessment of challenging
topics. The revision process for a new edition used to begin with gathering information from
instructors about what they would change and what they would keep. Experts in the field
were asked to provide comments that pointed out new material to add and dated material
to review. Using all these reviews, authors would revise the material. But now a new tool has
revolutionized that model.
McGraw-Hill Education authors now have access to student performance data to analyze
and inform their revisions. This data is anonymously collected from the many students who
use SmartBook, the adaptive learning system that provides students with individualized
assessment of their own progress. Because virtually every text paragraph is tied to several
questions that students answer while using the SmartBook, the specific concepts with which
students are having the most difficulty are easily pinpointed through empirical data in the
form of a “heat map” report.
Here’s how the “heat map” works:

STEP 1. Over the course of three years, data points showing concepts that caused students
the most difficulty were anonymously collected from SmartBook for Human Sexuality:
­Diversity in Contemporary America, 9e.

STEP 2. The data was provided to the authors in the form of a Heat Map, which graphi-
cally illustrated “hot spots” in the text that impacted student learning.

STEP 3. The authors used the Heat Map data to refine the content and reinforce student
comprehension in the new edition. Additional quiz questions and assignable activities were
created for use in Connect for Human Sexuality to further support student success.

RESULT: Because the Heat Map gave the authors empirically based feedback at the para-
graph and even sentence levels, they were able to develop the new edition using precise
student data that pinpointed concepts that caused students the most difficulty.

Powerful Reporting
Whether a class is face-to-face, hybrid, or entirely online, M
­ cGraw-Hill Connect provides the
tools needed to reduce the amount of time and energy instructors spend administering their
courses. Easy-to-use course management tools allow instructors to spend less time adminis-
tering and more time teaching, while reports allow students to ­monitor their progress and
optimize their study time.
■■ The At-Risk Student Report provides instructors with one-click access to a dashboard
that identifies students who are at risk of dropping out of the course due to low
engagement levels.
■■ The Category Analysis Report details student performance relative to specific learning
objectives and goals, including APA learning goals and outcomes and levels of
Bloom’s taxonomy.
■■ Connect Insight is a one-of-a-kind visual analytics dashboard—now available for both
instructors and students—that provides at-a-glance information regarding student
performance.
■■ The LearnSmart Reports allow instructors and students to easily monitor progress and
pinpoint areas of weakness, giving each student a personalized study plan to achieve
success.

xx Preface
New to the tenth edition, Power of Process, now available in McGraw-Hill Connect, guides
students through the process of critical reading, analysis, and writing. Faculty can select or
upload their own content, such as journal articles, and assign analysis strategies to gain
insight into students’ application of the scientific method. For students, Power of Process
offers a guided visual approach to exercising critical thinking strategies to apply before,
during, and after reading published research. Additionally, utilizing the relevant and engaging
research articles built into Power of Process, students are supported in becoming critical
consumers of research.

Concept Clips help students comprehend some of the most difficult concepts in human
sexuality. Colorful graphics and stimulating animations describe core concepts in a step-by-
step manner, engaging students and aiding in retention. Concept Clips can be used as a
presentation tool in the classroom or for student assessment. New in the tenth edition,
Concept Clips are embedded in the eBook to offer an alternative presentation of these chal-
lenging topics. New clips cover topics such as attraction, mate selection, and learning gender
roles.
Interactivities, assignable through Connect, engage students with content through experi-
ential activities. Topics include first impressions and attraction.
Through the connection of human sexuality to students’ own lives, concepts become more
relevant and understandable. Powered by McGraw-Hill Education’s Connect for Human Sex-
uality, NewsFlash exercises tie current news stories to key psychological principles and learn-
ing objectives. After interacting with a contemporary news story, students are assessed on
their ability to make the link between real life and research findings.
At the Apply and Analyze level of Bloom’s, Scientific Reasoning Exercises, now available
in Connect, offer in-depth arguments to sharpen students’ critical thinking skills and prepare
them to be more discerning consumers regarding information in their everyday lives. For
each chapter, there are multiple sets of arguments related to topics in the Human Sexuality
course, accompanied by autograded assignments that ask students to think critically about
claims presented as facts. These exercises can also be used as group activities or for
discussion.
And McGraw-Hill Education Psychology’s APA Documentation Style Guide helps s­ tudents
properly cite and document their writing assignments.
The Instructor Resources have been updated to reflect changes to the new edition. These
can be accessed by faculty through Connect. Resources include the test bank, instructor’s
manual, PowerPoint presentation, and image gallery.

Preface xxi
Supporting Instructors with Technology
With McGraw-Hill Education, you can develop and tailor the course you want to teach.

McGraw-Hill Campus (www.mhcampus.com) provides faculty with true


single sign-on access to all of McGraw-Hill’s course content, digital tools,
and other high-quality learning resources from any learning management
system. McGraw-Hill Campus includes access to McGraw-Hill’s entire content library, including
eBooks, assessment tools, presentation slides, and multimedia content, among other resources,
providing faculty open, unlimited access to prepare for class, create tests/quizzes, develop lecture
material, integrate interactive content, and more.

With Tegrity, you can capture lessons and lectures in a searchable for-
mat and use them in traditional, hybrid, “flipped classes,” and online
courses. With Tegrity’s personalized learning features, you can make
study time efficient. Its ability to affordably scale brings this benefit to every student on campus.
Patented search technology and real-time learning management system (LMS) integrations make
Tegrity the market-leading solution and service.

Easily rearrange chapters, combine material from other content


sources, and quickly upload content you have written, such as your
course syllabus or teaching notes, using McGraw-Hill Education’s
Create. Find the content you need by searching through thousands of leading McGraw-Hill
Education textbooks. Arrange your book to fit your teaching style. Create even allows you to
personalize your book’s appearance by selecting the cover and adding your name, school, and
course information. Order a Create book, and you will receive a complimentary print review
copy in three to five business days or a complimentary electronic review copy via email in
about an hour. Experience how McGraw-Hill Education empowers you to teach your students
your way at http://create.mheducation.com.

Trusted Service and Support


McGraw-Hill Education’s Connect offers comprehensive service, support, and training
throughout every phase of your implementation. If you’re looking for some guidance on how
to use Connect or want to learn tips and tricks from super users, you can find tutorials as
you work. Our Digital Faculty Consultants and Student Ambassadors offer insight into how
to achieve the results you want with Connect.

Integration with Your Learning Management System


McGraw-Hill integrates your digital products from McGraw-Hill Education with your school
learning management system (LMS) for quick and easy access to best-in-class content and
learning tools. Build an effective digital course, enroll students with ease and discover how
powerful digital teaching can be.
Available with Connect, integration is a pairing between an institution’s LMS and Connect
at the assignment level. It shares assignment information, grades, and calendar items from
Connect into the LMS automatically, creating an easy-to-manage course for instructors and
simple navigation for students. Our assignment-level integration is available with Blackboard
Learn, Canvas by Instructure, and Brightspace by D2L, giving you access to registration,
attendance, assignments, grades, and course resources in real time, in one location.

Annual Editions: Human Sexualities


This volume offers diverse topics on sex and sexuality with regard to the human experience.
Learning Outcomes, Critical Thinking questions, and Internet References accompany each
­article to further enhance learning. Customize this title via McGraw-Hill Create at http://
create.mheducation.com.

xxii Preface
Taking Sides: Clashing Views in Human Sexuality
This debate-style reader both reinforces and challenges students’ viewpoints on the most cru-
cial issues in human sexuality today. Each topic offers current and lively pro and con essays
that represent the arguments of leading scholars and commentators in their fields. Learning
Outcomes, an Issue Summary, and an Issue Introduction set the stage for each debate topic.
Following each issue is the Exploring the Issue section with Critical Thinking and Reflection
questions, Is There Common Ground? commentary, Additional Resources, and Internet References
all designed to stimulate and challenge the student’s thinking and to further explore the topic.
Customize this title via McGraw-Hill Education Create at http://create.mheducation.com.

Chapter-by-Chapter Changes
The research on sexuality is ever increasing, thereby providing the material to allow this new
edition to be current and relevant. Not only does our book incorporate the latest research
on sexual diversity and expression, but it also reflects current social and cultural trends in
sexuality that are pertinent to the development of a healthy and pleasurable ­sexuality. Below
are listed the major additions and changes to the tenth edition of Human ­Sexuality: Diversity
in Contemporary Society.

Chapter 1: Perspectives on Human Sexuality


■■ New research on media use and young people
■■ New data on media and sexual consent, gender, and sexual roles
■■ Added contemporary key terms, examples of popular media, and inclusion of popular
personalities
■■ New Think About It box: “Online Dating: Asset or Liability?”
■■ Expanded and updated discussion on sexting
■■ Updated and expanded definitions of sexuality behaviors and variations
■■ New section on gender role expectations

Chapter 2: Studying Human Sexuality


■■ New material on the importance and need for further replication of sexuality-related research
■■ New research on the influence of normative gender role expectations for both men
and women in self-reporting sexual behavior on research questionnaires
■■ New Practically Speaking box: “Answering a Sex Research Questionnaire: Motives for
Feigning Orgasms Scale”
■■ New Think About It box: “A Continued Challenge Facing Sex Researchers: Selecting
the Best Way to Accurately Measure Sexual Behavior and Sexual Orientation”
■■ Findings of the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Youth Risk
Behavior Survey
■■ Findings of the latest American College Health Association on research on college
student sexual behavior

Chapter 3: Female Sexual Anatomy, Physiology, and Response


■■ New Think About It box: “The Grooming of Pubic Hair: Nuisance or Novelty?”
■■ Updated and expanded discussion of internal female sexual anatomy, including the G-spot
■■ Expanded discussion on the hormones that affect women’s growth and maturation
■■ Updated figure and explanation of ovarian cycle
■■ New research on menstrual taboos and stereotypes of menstruating women
■■ Updated information and explanation of menstrual problems

Preface xxiii
■■ New section on menstrual products
■■ Expanded discussion on human sexual response
■■ New approach to material on desire and arousal
■■ New (to this chapter) Think About It box: “Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: Human
Rights Violation or Cultural and Social Norm?”

Chapter 4: Male Sexual Anatomy, Physiology, and Response


■■ New Think About It box: “The Question of Male Circumcision”
■■ New Think About It box: “Does Penis Size Matter?”
■■ Revised and updated Think About It box: “Sexual and Reproductive Health Care:
What Do Men Need?”
■■ New research from the testosterone trials
■■ Expanded explanation and discussion of erections and ejaculation
■■ New Think About It box: “Men and Sexual Desire: It’s More Complex Than We
Might Think”

Chapter 5: Gender and Gender Roles


■■ Expanded and updated section on sex and gender identity
■■ New Think About It box: “Sexual Fluidity: Women’s and Men’s Variable Sexual
Attractions”
■■ New discussion on gender equity and millennials
■■ New Practically Speaking box: “A Quick Glossary on Sex, Gender, and Gender Variations”
■■ New approach to the transgender phenomenon, including what it means to be gender
variant
■■ A new look at transgender children and youth
■■ Updated Think About It box: “Gender-Confirmimg Surgery: Psychological and
Physiological Needs”
■■ Expanded discussion around disorders of sex development
■■ New guidelines for educators about equal treatment of transgender students
■■ New Think About It box: “Transgender People and Bathroom Access: What’s the Deal?”

Chapter 6: Sexuality in Childhood and Adolescence


■■ Expanded and updated section on the roles and challenges that parents have in
communicating and educating about sexuality
■■ New research on who and what influences young people about sex
■■ New material on sexual minority youth
■■ New data on teen sexuality, pregnancy, and parenting
■■ Revised Think About It box: “Virginity—Whatever That Means”
■■ New to this chapter Think About It box: “Good Enough Sex: The Way to Lifetime
Couple Satisfaction”
■■ Updated status and best practices of comprehensive sexuality education programs

Chapter 7: Sexuality in Adulthood


■■ Updated and expanded discussion on the definitions of sexual orientation
■■ New and expanded discussion of sexual fluidity
■■ New results from a Match.com study on sexual minority and heterosexual singles
■■ New Think About It box: “Singles in America: Dating Trends, Rituals, and Social Media”
■■ Expanded discussion and new trends in cohabitation and marriage

xxiv Preface
■■ New research and discussion on same-sex marriage
■■ A new data on sexual frequency, by age
■■ New to this chapter and updated Think About It box: “Are Same-Sex Couples and
Families Any Different from Heterosexual Ones?”
■■ Expanded discussion on sex in middle and late adulthood
■■ New research on biological changes in late adulthood and recommendations on
menopausal hormone therapy

Chapter 8: Love and Communication in Intimate Relationships


■■ Updated discussion about attraction between best friends
■■ Expanded discussion on the connections between friendship and love
■■ New research on frequency of sex and happiness
■■ Explanation and expanded discussion on the role of neurochemicals on lust and love
■■ New approach and material on extrarelational sex and its role in marriage and partnerships
■■ Updated and expanded discussion of sexual communication, especially related to
gender and peers

Chapter 9: Sexual Expression


■■ New discussion on concerns about penis size and research on preferred penis size
■■ Updated and expanded Think About It box: “Why College Students Have Sex”
■■ Updated discussion of post-coital affection
■■ Updated discussion of mate poaching
■■ Updated Think About It box: “Hooking Up” Among College Students: As Simple as
One Might Think?
■■ New research findings on the duration and frequency of sex
■■ New Think About It box: “The Frequency of Sex: The More, the Better?”
■■ New research on the diverse range of sexual behaviors during the most recent partnered sex
■■ Updated research findings on oral sex among college students

Chapter 10: Variations in Sexual Behavior


■■ New research on the frequency of paraphilia behaviors
■■ New research on the frequency of paraphilia desire
■■ Expanded discussion of fetishism
■■ New research on the prevalence of having sex with someone in a public place
■■ New research on the prevalence of masochism and sadism
■■ Updated discussion of autoerotic asphyxia

Chapter 11: Contraception and Abortion


■■ Expanded explanation of risk and responsibility related to contraception
■■ Updated discussion on Title X and Affordable Care Act’s preventive services
■■ Introduction to discussion about reproductive justice
■■ Expanded explanation of fertility awareness-based method and lactational amenorrhea
method
■■ Updated material on contraceptive methods, including their use, advantages,
disadvantages, and contraceptive failure rates.
■■ Expanded and updated material on sterilization
■■ Updated discussion on methods of abortion and the abortion debate

Preface xxv
Chapter 12: Conception, Pregnancy, and Childbirth
■■ Reexamination and data on pregnancy as a choice
■■ New research on preconception health
■■ Expanded discussion and data on sexual patterns during pregnancy
■■ Clarification of the nature and effects of teratogens during pregnancy, including new
material on the Zika virus
■■ Updated material on infertility, including causes and methods for treating it in both
males and females
■■ New and expanded material on breastfeeding verses bottle-feeding
■■ Expanded discussion of the postpartum period

Chapter 13: The Sexual Body in Health and Illness


■■ Updated discussion on eating disorders
■■ New Think About It box: “Body Modification: You’re Doing What, Where?”
■■ New research on alcohol, marijuana, and prescription drug use and their role in
college dating and sexuality
■■ Revised discussion on sexuality and disability, especially related to sexual self-image
and functioning
■■ Updated material on diagnostic recommendations and screenings for breast, cervical,
and prostate cancer
■■ New material on sexuality and types of cancer
■■ Expanded explanation of hysterectomy and its effects on sexuality
■■ Updated and expanded discussions on sexual health issues including TSS, vulvodynia,
endometriosis, and prostatitis
■■ New research on sexual orientation and health

Chapter 14: Sexual Function Difficulties, Dissatisfaction,


Enhancement, and Therapy
■■ Expanded discussion of female sexual desire
■■ Expanded discussion of sexual desire discrepancy among couples
■■ New Think About It box: “Orgasm, That Simple? Young Adults’ Experiences of
Orgasm and Sexual Pleasure”
■■ New research on why some women orgasm more frequently than other women
■■ Updated research on men and women faking orgasm
■■ New research on strategies couples use to maintain sexual passion
■■ Updated discussion of a newly approved drug designed to increase female sexual desire

Chapter 15: Sexually Transmitted Infections


■■ Updated data on the prevalence and incidence of major sexually transmitted infections
■■ Updated medical information on the major STIs
■■ Expanded discussion on the role of male condoms, females condoms, and dental
dams in STIs
■■ New Think About It box: “Accurately Judging If a Potential Sexual Partner Is Infected
With an STI: Easily Done?”
■■ Updated research on the efficacy of male circumcision on preventing HIV and other STIs
■■ Updated information on HPV vaccination
■■ New material on Zika virus disease

xxvi Preface
Chapter 16: HIV and AIDS
■■ New material for the Think About It box: “The Stigmatization of HIV and Other STIs”
■■ Updated information on the prevalence and incidence of HIV/AIDS in the United
States and worldwide
■■ Updated research on the lifetime risk for HIV diagnosis in the United States by
transmission category, race/ethnicity, and men who have sex by race/ethnicity
■■ New material of the estimated probability of acquiring HIV from an infected source
during one episode of a specific behavior
■■ Updated and expanded discussion of HIV/AIDS among minority races/ethnicities and
sexual minorities such as transgender individuals
■■ New Think About It box: “Which Strategies Would You Use to Reduce Your Risk of
STI/HIV? What One Group of Women Did”
■■ Expanded discussion of pre-exposure prophylaxis and new material on post-exposure
prophylaxis
■■ New and updated information on HIV/AIDS testing, diagnosis, and treatment
■■ New material for the Think About It box: “‘Do You Know What You Are Doing?’
Common Condom-Use Mistakes Among College Students”

Chapter 17: Sexual Assault and Misconduct


■■ Expanded discussion and updated research on sexual assault and misconduct on
college campuses
■■ New and expanded discussion of sexual harassment in school and college, in the
workplace, and in public places
■■ Updated information on harassment, discrimination, legal equality, and rejection of
LGBTQ persons
■■ Expanded discussion on sexual consent
■■ New Practically Speaking box: “What Can You Do to Prevent Sexual Assault?:
Be a ‘Bystander’”
■■ New Practically Speaking box: “Being Safe: Strategies for Avoiding Being Sexually
Assaulted”
■■ New Think About It box: “Verbally Consenting to Sex: As Simple As One Might Think?”
■■ New Practically Speaking box: “Having Sex Again After Being Sexually Assaulted:
Reclaiming One’s Sexuality”

Chapter 18: Sexually Explicit Materials, Sex Workers, and Sex Laws
■■ New research on the percentage of adults who report having watched sexually explicit
videos and utilized various sexually explicit materials
■■ New material on the challenges of research on sexually explicit materials
■■ New Think About It box: “Who Watches the Different Types of Sexually Explicit
Videos?”
■■ Renamed and new material for the Think About It box: “Sexually Explicit Video Use
in Romantic Couples: Beneficial or Harmful?”
■■ New Think About It box: “What Popular Media Says About Sexually Explicit Videos
and Relationships: Supported by Research?”
■■ Updating of the Think About It box: “Sex Trafficking: A Modern-Day Slavery”
■■ Renamed prostitution as sex work
■■ New Think About It box: “Should Sex Work Be Decriminalized and Legalized?”
■■ Update on the number of countries that have legalized same-sex marriage

Preface xxvii
Acknowledgments
In addition to student-user feedback through McGraw-Hill Education’s LearnSmart, feedback
from instructor reviews were instrumental in guiding this revision. Special thanks to the
following:
Gretchen Blycker, University of Rhode Island
Meghan Brodie, Valencia College
Lisa Hoopis, Rhode Island College
Nathan Matza, California State University, Long Beach
Brent Powell, California State University, Stanislaus
Melissa Schreiber, Valencia College
Laurie Wagner, Kent State University
Jay Warden, Cape Cod Community College
Michelle Worley, Saddleback College
We would also like to thank our team at McGraw-Hill Education: Senior Portfolio Manager
Nancy Welcher, Lead Product Developer Dawn Groundwater, Senior Product Developer Sara
Gordus, Product Developer Joni Fraser, Senior Marketing Manager AJ Laferrera, C ­ ontent
Production Manager Sandy Wille, Content Licensing Specialists Ann Marie Jannette and
Designer, David Hash. Additional thanks go out to Rebecca Ryan, personal assistant and
input editor, Martha Ghent, freelance proofreader, and David Tietz, freelance photo researcher.

xxviii Preface
Letter From the Authors

“Sex is like dynamite. . . . It can be the cement of a relationship,


but it can be the lever that breaks people apart.”
—Joseph Fletcher
(1905–1991)

Since its first edition, we have focused on making our book relevant to the diverse and
contemporary students we teach and have expanded our reach to a broader representation
of students from around the world. With better access to global research and scholarship,
our discussion of human sexuality has increasingly cited research studies and writings from
countries beyond America, thus broadening student understanding of the diverse meanings
and expressions of human sexuality. The desire to reflect these changes has prompted us to
alter the title of our textbook to Human Sexuality: Diversity in Contemporary Society. We hope
that this title and updated content helps you explore new and varied perspectives and increase
your understanding and appreciation of human sexuality in the contemporary society we all
share.
We have found that when students first enter a human sexuality class, they may feel
excited, nervous, and uncomfortable, all at the same time. These feelings are common. This
is because the more an area of life is judged “off limits” to public and private discussion,
the less likely it is to be understood and embraced. Yet sex surrounds us and impacts our
lives every day from the provocative billboard ad on the highway, to the steamy social media
images of the body, to men’s and women’s fashions, and to prime-time television dramas.
People want to learn about the role and meaning of human sexuality in their lives and how
to live healthy psychologically and physically, yet they often do not know whom to ask or
what sources to trust. In our quest for knowledge and understanding, we need to maintain
an intellectual curiosity. Author William Arthur Ward observes, “Curiosity is the wick in the
candle of learning.”
Students begin studying sexuality for many reasons: to gain insights into their sexuality
and relationships, to become more comfortable with their sexuality, to learn how to enhance
sexual pleasure for themselves and their partners, to explore personal sexual issues, to dispel
anxieties and doubts, to validate their sexual identity, to avoid and resolve traumatic sexual
experiences, and to learn how to avoid STIs and unintended pregnancies. Many students
find the study of human sexuality empowering: They become more free to explore and dis-
cover their sexuality, and they develop the ability to make intelligent sexual choices based
on reputable information and their own needs, desires, and values rather than on stereotyp-
ical, unreliable, incomplete, or unrealistic information; guilt; fear; or conformity. They learn
to differentiate between what they have been told about their own sexuality and what they
truly believe; that is, they begin to own their sexuality and develop a sexuality that fits them.
Those studying this subject often report that they feel more appreciative and less apologetic,
defensive, or shameful about their sexual feelings, attractions, and desires.
The study of human sexuality calls for us to be open-minded: to be receptive to new ideas
and to various perspectives; to respect those with different experiences, values, orientations,
ages, abilities, and ethnicities; to seek to understand what we have not understood before;

xxix
to reexamine old assumptions, ideas, and beliefs; and to embrace and accept the humanness
and uniqueness in each of us.
Sexuality can be a source of great pleasure and, yes, the “cement” of a relationship.
Through it, we can reveal ourselves, connect with others on the most intimate levels, create
strong bonds, and bring new life into the world. Paradoxically, though, sexuality can also be
a source of guilt and confusion, anger and disappointment, a pathway to infection, and a
means of exploitation and aggression. We hope that by examining the multiple aspects of
human sexuality presented in this book, you will come to understand, embrace, and appre-
ciate your own sexuality and the unique individuality of sexuality among others; to learn how
to make healthy sexual choices for yourself; to integrate and balance your sexuality into your
life as a natural health-enhancing component; and to express your sexuality with partners in
sharing, nonexploitive, and nurturing ways.
William L. Yarber
Barbara W. Sayad

xxx Letter From the Authors


About the Authors

WILLIAM L. YARBER is senior scientist at The Kinsey Institute and Provost Professor in
the Indiana University School of Public Health–Bloomington. He is also senior director of
the Rural Center for AIDS/STD Prevention and affiliated faculty member in the Department
of Gender Studies at IU.
Dr. Yarber, who received his doctorate from Indiana University, has authored and co-­
authored numerous scientific reports on sexual risk behavior and AIDS/STD prevention in
professional journals and has received federal and state grants to support his research and
prevention activities. He is a member of the international Kinsey Institute Condom Use
Research Team that has for two decades investigated male condom use errors and problems
and developed behavioral interventions designed to improve correct and consistent
­condom use.
At the request of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Yarber
authored the country’s first secondary school AIDS prevention education curriculum, AIDS:
What Young People Should Know (1987, 1989). He is founder and co-editor of the Handbook
of Sexuality-Related Measures, Fourth Edition (2019). Dr. Yarber and Dr. Sayad’s textbook,
Human Sexuality: Diversity in Contemporary Society (McGraw-Hill), which is used in colleges
William L. Yarber and universities throughout the United States, was published in 2012 by the Beijing World
©Charles Rondot Publishing Company as the most up-to-date text on human sexuality published in China in
the past half century. Also in 2012, the text was published in Korea and in 2018 it was
published in Taiwan.
Dr. Yarber chaired the National Guidelines Task Force, which developed the Guidelines
for Comprehensive Sexuality Education: Kindergarten–12th Grade (1991, 1996, 2004), pub-
lished by the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS)
and adapted in six countries worldwide. Dr. Yarber is past president of The Society for the
Scientific Study of Sexuality (SSSS) and a past chair of the SIECUS board of directors. His
awards include the SSSS Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award; the Professional Stan-
dard of Excellence Award from the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, and
Therapists; the Indiana University President’s Award for Distinguished Teaching; and the
inaugural Graduate Student Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award at Indiana University.
Dr. Yarber has been a consultant to the World Health Organization Global Program on
AIDS as well as sexuality-related organizations in Brazil, China, Jamaica, Poland, Portugal,
and Taiwan. He regularly teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in human sexuality.
He was previously a faculty member at Purdue University and the University of Minnesota,
as well as a public high school health science and biology teacher. Dr. Yarber endowed, for
perpetuity, at Indiana University the world’s first professorship in sexual health, the W
­ illiam L.
Yarber Professorship in Sexual Health and the annual Ryan White & William L. Yarber Lecture.

xxxi
BARBARA WERNER SAYAD is a teacher, trainer, writer, and consultant in the field of
human sexuality. As a retired faculty member from California State University, Monterey
Bay, Dr. Sayad has taught a wide variety of courses ranging from human sexuality to multi-
cultural health education and promotion. Her work among students and in the classroom
has earned her several teaching awards, each of which she is most proud. Additionally, she
has chaired university committees, spoken at dozens of university-related events, trained and
collaborated with other faculty members and colleagues, and helped to raise monies for both
national and international non-profit organizations.
Dr. Sayad has presented her work at a variety of institutions, the most significant of
which has focused on comprehensive sexuality education. One that she is most proud of is
her alliance with Aibai, the largest LGTBQ organization in China, where she twice traveled
to present to the Asian Conference on Sexual Education in Beijing and Changdu. There she
also led workshops and roundtables with and for American delegates and Chinese scholars
at the U.S. Embassy, U.S. State Department, and UNESCO and was invited to present at
Xixi, the equivalent of a TED Talk, in Shanghai. Most recently, Dr. Sayad helped to facilitate
Barbara Werner Sayad
a trip to Cuba, where she collaborated with colleagues and met with delegates from CENE-
©Robert Sayad
SEX, Cuba’s government-sponsored sexuality education and gender equity organization.
The vast majority of Dr. Sayad’s 35-year career has been connected to issues of social
justice: women’s reproductive rights, sexuality education and advocacy, and health access.
Her commitment to social justice has fueled all of her professional work, including her con-
tributions to health-related texts, curricular guides, publications, training programs and con-
ference presentations.
Dr. Sayad holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Foods and Nutrition, a Master’s degree
in Public Health, and a PhD in Health Services.
Above all, Dr. Sayad is most proud of her three children, two young grandchildren, and
extended family. She is also eternally grateful and happy to be married for 40 years to
Dr. Robert Sayad.

xxxii About the Authors


chapter

1
Perspectives
on Human Sexuality
©Peopleimages/iStock/Getty Images

CHAPTER OUTLINE
Studying Human Sexuality Sexuality Across Cultures and Times
Sexuality, Popular Culture, and the Media Societal Norms and Sexuality

1
©Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock
“The media, especially magazines and stomach was as hard and flat as a board,
television, has had an influence on shaping with their flawless skin and perfectly coifed
my sexual identity. Ever since I was a little girl, hair. I cringed when I realized that my legs
I have watched the women on TV and hoped seemed to have an extra ‘wiggle-jiggle’ when I
I would grow up to look sexy and beautiful walked. All I could do was watch the television
like them. I feel that because of the constant and feel abashed at the differences in their
Student Voices barrage of images of beautiful women on TV bodies compared to mine. When magazines
and in magazines young girls like me grow up and films tell me that for my age I should
with unrealistic expectations of what beauty is weigh no more than a hundred pounds,
and are doomed to feel they have not met I feel like saying, ‘Well, gee, it’s no wonder
this exaggerated standard.” I finally turned to laxatives with all these
—21-year-old female pressures to be thin surrounding me.’
I ached to be model-thin and pretty. This
“The phone, television, and Internet became fixation to be as beautiful and coveted as
my best friends. I never missed an episode of these models so preoccupied me that I had
any of the latest shows, and I knew all the no time to even think about anyone or
words to every new song. And when anything else.”
Facebook entered my life, I finally felt —18-year-old female
connected. At school, we would talk about
status updates: whom we thought was cute, “I am aware that I may be lacking in certain
relationship status, and outrageous photos. All areas of my sexual self-esteem, but I am
of the things we saw were all of the things we cognizant of my shortcomings and am willing
fantasized about. These are the things we to work on them. A person’s sexual
would talk about.” self-esteem isn’t something that is detached
—23-year-old female from his or her daily life. It is intertwined in
every aspect of life and how one views his or
“Though I firmly believe that we are our own her self: emotionally, physically, and mentally.
harshest critics, I also believe that the media For my own sake, as well as my daughter’s, I
have a large role in influencing how we think feel it is important for me to develop and
of ourselves. I felt like ripping my hair out model a healthy sexual self-esteem.”
every time I saw a skinny model whose —28-year-old male

“Nature is to be reverenced, not


blushed at.”
—Tertullian (c. 155 ce–c. 220 ce)
S exuality was once hidden from view in our culture: Fig leaves covered the “private
parts” of nudes; poultry breasts were renamed “white meat”; censors prohibited the
publication of the works of D. H. Lawrence, James Joyce, and Henry Miller; and homosex-
uality was called “the love that dares not speak its name.” But over the past few generations,
sexuality has become more open. In recent years, popular culture and the media have trans-
formed what we “know” about sexuality. Not only is sexuality not hidden from view; it often
seems to surround and embed itself into all aspects of our lives.
In this chapter, we discuss why we study human sexuality and examine popular culture
and the media to see how they shape our ideas about sexuality. Then we look at how sexuality
has been conceptualized in different cultures and at different times in history. Finally, we
examine how society defines various aspects of our sexuality as natural or normal.

“Educating the mind without educating


••  Studying Human Sexuality
The study of human sexuality differs from the studies of accounting, plant biology, and medi-
the heart is no education at all.” eval history, for example, because human sexuality is surrounded by a vast array of taboos,
—Aristotle (384 bce–322 bce) fears, prejudices, and hypocrisy. For many, sexuality creates ambivalent feelings. It is linked
not only with intimacy and pleasure but also with shame, guilt, and discomfort. As a result,
you may find yourself confronted with society’s mixed feelings about sexuality as you study
it. You may find, for example, that others perceive you as somehow “unique” or “different”
for taking this course. Some may feel threatened in a vague, undefined way. Parents, partners,
or spouses (or your own children, if you are a parent) may wonder why you want to take a

2 Chapter 1 Perspectives on Human Sexuality


“sex class”; they may want to know why you don’t take something more “serious”—as if sex-
uality were not one of the most important issues we face as individuals and as a society.
Sometimes this uneasiness manifests itself in humor, one of the ways in which we deal with
ambivalent feelings: “You mean you have to take a class on sex?” “Are there labs?” “Why don’t
you let me show you?”
Ironically, despite societal ambivalence, you may quickly find that your human sexuality text
or ebook becomes the most popular book in your dormitory or apartment. “I can never find my
textbook when I need it,” one of our students complained. “My roommates are always reading it.
And they’re not even taking the course!” Another student observed: “My friends used to kid me
about taking the class, but now the first thing they ask when they see me is what we discussed in
class.” “People borrow my book so often without asking,” writes one student, “that I hide it now.”
As you study human sexuality, you will find yourself exploring topics not ordinarily discussed
in other classes. Sometimes they are rarely talked about even among friends. They may be pro-
hibited by family, religious, or cultural teaching. For this reason, behaviors such as masturbation
and sexual fantasizing are often the source of considerable guilt and shame. But in your human
sexuality course, these topics will be examined objectively. You may be surprised to discover, in
fact, that part of your learning involves unlearning myths, factual errors, distortions, biases, and
prejudices you learned previously.
Sexuality may be the most taboo subject you study as an undergraduate, but your comfort
level in class will probably increase as you recognize that you and your fellow students have a
common purpose in learning about sexuality. Your sense of ease may also increase as you and Taking a course in human
your classmates get to know one another and discuss sexuality, both inside and outside the class. sexuality is like no other college
You may find that, as you become accustomed to using the accepted sexual vocabulary, you are experience. It requires that
more comfortable discussing various topics. For example, your communication with a partner students examine their sexual
may improve, which will strengthen your relationship and increase sexual satisfaction for both beliefs and behaviors in the
of you. You may never before have used the word masturbation, clitoris, or penis in a class setting context of a wide variety
of social and cultural factors and
or any kind of setting, for that matter. But after a while, using these and other terms may become
incorporate this new perspective
second nature to you. You may discover that discussing sexuality academically becomes as easy
into their sexual lives and
as talking about computer science, astronomy, or literature. You may even find yourself, as many well-being.
students do, sharing with your friends what you learned in class while on a bus or in a restaurant, ©Andersen Ross/Getty Images
as other passengers or diners gasp in surprise or lean toward you to hear better!
Studying sexuality requires respect for your fellow students. You’ll discover that the experi-
ences and values of your classmates vary greatly. Some have little sexual experience, while others
have a lot of experience; some students hold progressive sexual values, while others hold con-
servative ones. Some students are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, q­ uestioning, intersex,
asexual or another identity (LGBTQ+). This plus sign represents inclusiveness of all identities
and will be implied whenever we discuss sexual orientations or identities. Most students are
young, others middle-aged, some older—each in a different stage of life and with different devel-
opmental tasks before them. Furthermore, the presence of students from any of the numerous
religious and ethnic groups in the United States reminds us that there is no single behavior,
attitude, value, or sexual norm that encompasses sexuality in contemporary society. Finally, as
your sexuality evolves you will find that you will become more accepting of yourself as a sexual
human being with your own “sexual voice.” From this, you will truly “own” your sexuality.

••  Sexuality, Popular Culture, and the Media


Much of sexuality is influenced and shaped by popular culture, especially the mass media. Popular
culture presents us with myriad images of what it means to be sexual. But what kinds of sexuality
do the media portray for our consumption?

Media Portrayals of Sexuality


What messages do the media send about sexuality to children, adolescents, adults, and older “One picture is worth more than a
people? To men and women and to those of varied races, ethnicities, and sexual orientations? thousand words.”
Perhaps as important as what the media portray sexually is what is not portrayed—mastur- —Chinese proverb

bation, condom use, and older adults’ sexuality, for example.

Sexuality, Popular Culture, and the Media 3


Digital 5:43
Desktop/laptop 2:11
Mobile (nonvoice) 3:06
Other connected 0:26
devices

TV 4:07

Radio 1:27

Print 0:28
Newspapers 0:16
Magazines 0:12

Other 0:22

Total 12:05
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Hr/Min per day

• FIGURE 1
Average Time Spent Per Day in the United States With Media, Aged 18+ and Over, 2016.
Source: www.eMarketer.com [June 2016]

The media are among the most powerful forces in people’s lives today. Adults ages 18 and over
spend more time engaging with the media than in any other activity—an average of 12 hours per
day, 7 days per week (see Figure 1). Watching TV, playing video games, texting, listening to music,
and searching the Internet provide a constant stream of messages, images, expectations, and values
about which few (if any) of us can resist. Whether and how this exposure is related to sexual out-
comes is complex and debatable, depending on the population studied. However, the data that are
available may provide an impetus for policymakers who are forming media policies, parents who

Images of sexuality permeate


our society, sexualizing our
environment. Think about the
sexual images you see or hear in
a 24-hour period. What messages
do they communicate about
sexuality?
©Raymond Hall/GC Images/Getty Images

4 Chapter 1 Perspectives on Human Sexuality


are trying to support their children’s identity and learning, and educators and advocates who are
concerned about the impact of media on youth and who wish to underscore the potential impact
of media in individuals’ lives. For those concerned about promoting sexual health and well-being,
understanding media’s prominence and role in people’s lives is essential.
Mass-media depictions of sexuality are meant not only to entertain and exploit, but in
some cases to educate. As a result, the media often do not present us with “real” depictions
of sexuality. Sexual activities, for example, are usually not explicitly acted out or described
in mainstream media, nor is interracial dating often portrayed. The social and cultural taboos
that are still part of mainstream U.S. culture remain embedded in the media. Thus the various
media present the social context of sexuality; that is, the programs, plots, movies, stories,
articles, newscasts, and vignettes tell us what behaviors are appropriate (e.g., kissing, sexual
intercourse), with whom they are appropriate (e.g., girlfriend/boyfriend, partner, heterosex-
ual), and why they are appropriate (e.g., attraction, love, to avoid loneliness).
Probably nothing has revolutionized sexuality the way that access to the Internet has. “Would you like to come back to my
A click on a website link provides sex on demand. The Internet’s contributions to the avail- place and do what I’m going to tell my
friends we did anyway?”
ability and commercialization of sex include live images and chats, personalized pages and
—Spanky
ads, and links to potential or virtual sex partners. The spread of the web has made it easy
to obtain information, solidify social ties, and provide sexual gratification.
It’s common knowledge that most of us have thoroughly integrated media into our lives.
Mainstream media not only entertains, but it also has become a significant source of sexual
information and provides examples of sexual health. High school students spend approxi-
mately 3 hours per day on media and communications activities, including watching TV,
playing video and computer games, surfing the Internet, listening to or playing music, and
using cell phones to call or text friends and others—many of these at the same time (Office
of Adolescent Health, 2016). While high school males spend more time on the computer
than high school females, all adolescents spend most of their media/communications time
watching TV and videos. For school-aged children and adolescents, the American Academy
of Pediatrics [AAP] (2016) suggests that parents teach young people to balance media use
with other healthy behaviors; no small endeavor considering the powerful draw and influence
of the media.
The music industry is awash with sexual images too. Contemporary pop music, from rock
’n’ roll to rap, is filled with lyrics about sexuality mixed with messages about love, rejection,
violence, and loneliness. Research has found that increased exposure to sexualized music
lyrics has the potential to negatively impact the development of healthy and equitable sexual
attitudes of adolescent males and females (Hall, West, & Hill, 2011). Because of censorship
issues, the most overtly sexual music is not played on the radio but is more often streamed
through the Internet via YouTube and other sites.
Magazines, tabloids, and books contribute to the sexualization of our society as well. For
example, popular romance novels, and self-help books disseminate ideas and values about
sexuality and body image. Men’s magazines have been singled out for their sexual emphasis.
Playboy, Men’s Health, and Maxim, with their Playmates of the Month, sex tips, and other
advice, are among the most popular magazines in the world. Sports Illustrated’s annual swim-
suit edition, which is now a $1 billion empire, excites millions of readers who await the
once-a-year feature (Spector, 2013). But it would be a mistake to think that only male-­
oriented magazines focus on sex.
Women’s magazines such as Cosmopolitan and Elle have their own sexual content. These
magazines feature romantic photographs of lovers to illustrate stories with such titles as
“Sizzling Sex Secrets of the World’s Sexiest Women,” “Making Love Last: If Your Partner
Women’s magazines such as
Is a Premature Ejaculator,” and “Turn on Your Man with Your Breasts (Even If They Are
Cosmopolitan, Women’s Health,
Small).” Preadolescents and young teens are not exempt from sexual images and articles in and Elle use sex to sell their
magazines such as Seventeen and J-14. Given their heavy emphasis on looks, it’s not surpris- publications. How do these
ing that for those who read a lot of women-focused magazines, they are more likely to have magazines differ from men’s
internalized the thin ideal, have negative views of their appearance, and engage in restricted magazines such as Men’s Health,
eating and bulimic behaviors (Northrup, 2013). Playboy, and Maxim in their
In the absence of alternative resources to guide their decisions concerning sexual relation- treatment of sexuality?
ships, college students often rely on sexual scripts conveyed through mass media (Hust et al., ©Consumer Trends/Alamy Stock Photo

Sexuality, Popular Culture, and the Media 5


2014). Given that many if not most men’s magazines promote men as sexual aggressors, it
is not surprising that many men internalize this message. As a result, readers of men’s mag-
azines report lower intentions to ask their sexual partner for consent for sexual activity and
are less likely to adhere to sexual consent decisions by their partner (Hust et al., 2014).
Other researchers have reported that men exposed to magazine images of sexualized women
felt less confidence in their own romantic capabilities and had more anxiety about their own
appearance than did men without this exposure (Aubrey & Taylor, 2009). Regarding women’s
exposure to women’s magazines, Ward (2016) found that their exposure was positively asso-
ciated with their ability to refuse unwanted sexual activity. The relationship between magazine
viewing among women and gender-stereotypical attitudes and behaviors, however, is not as
optimistic.
Advertising in all media uses the sexual sell, promising sex, romance, popularity, and
fulfillment if the consumer will only purchase the right soap, perfume, cigarettes, alcohol,
toothpaste, jeans, or automobile. In reality, not only does one not become “sexy” or popular
by consuming a certain product, but the product may actually be detrimental to one’s sexual
well-being, as in the case of cigarettes or alcohol.
Throughout the world, the media have assumed an increasingly significant role in shaping
perspectives toward gender and sexual roles. In a review of 135 peer-reviewed studies in the
United States between 1995 and 2015, the findings proved consistent evidence that both
laboratory exposure and everyday exposure to mainstream media are directly associated with
higher levels of body dissatisfaction, greater self-objectification, or evaluating oneself based on
appearance; greater support of sexist beliefs; and greater tolerance of sexual violence toward
women (Ward, 2016). In addition, experimental exposure to media has led both women and
men to have a diminished view of women’s competence, morality, and humanity. This evi-
dence, however, varies depending on the genres of media we consume and our preexisting
beliefs, identities, and experiences.
Though much research has focused on the impact of media on female development, media
Reality shows, such as The undoubtedly has an impact on men as well. What has been found is that men’s frequent
Bachelorette, frequently highlight
consumption of sexually objectifying media (i.e., TV, films, and videos) was associated with
idealized and sexual themes.
greater objectification of their romantic partners, which in turn was linked to lower levels of
What are some of the most
popular reality shows? Do they relationship and sexual satisfaction (Zurbriggen, Ramsey, & Jaworski, 2011).
differ according to ethnicity? It’s important to note that sexualization is not the same as sex or sexuality; rather sexu-
©Raymond Hall/GC Images/Getty Images alization is a form of sexism that narrows a frame of a person’s worth and value (Ward,
2016). The sexualization of individuals sees value and worth only as sexual body
parts for others’ sexual pleasure.
Media images of sexuality permeate a variety of areas in people’s lives. They can
produce sexual arousal and emotional reactions, provide social connection, entertain,
increase sexual behaviors, and be a source of sex information. On the other hand,
unmonitored Internet access among youth raises significant concerns about its risks.
Given the fact that teens now spend up to nine hours a day on social media
platforms, it’s clear that media consumption and exposure play a significant role in
their lives (Asano, 2017). Currently, the total time spent on social media beats time
spent eating and drinking, socializing, and grooming.
Of concern around adolescents’ heavy media use is their viewing of sexually
explicit videos. Because of its easy access along with the potential risks associated
with its use, understanding its implications is important for parents, partners, as well
as the rest of us.

Television and Digital Media


Among all types of media, television and digital (online and mobile) have been the
most prevalent, pervasive, and vexing icons, saturating every corner of public and
private space, shaping consciousness, defining reality, and entertaining the masses
(see Figure 2). It may not be surprising to note that emerging adults, those aged 18
to 25, spend approximately 12 hours per day using media (Coyne, Padilla-Walker, &
Howard, 2013). While the frequency of TV and digital viewing has been increasing,

6 Chapter 1 Perspectives on Human Sexuality


• FIGURE 2
Average Audience Composition by
All adults 4% 20% 9% 6% 18% 43%
Platform, 2016.
Source: The Nielsen Company, 2017

Age 18−34 5% 29% 9% 11% 17% 28%

Age 35−49 6% 23% 11% 6% 18% 36%

Age 50+ 3% 14% 8% 3% 18% 54%

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Tablet Smartphone PC TV-Connected devices Radio TV


(DVD, Game console,
Multimedia device, VCR)

so has been the number of sexual references in programming. To understand the impact of “The vast wasteland of TV is not
interested in producing a better
this phenomenon, it is important to recognize its prevalence. In prime-time television alone, mousetrap but in producing a worse
sexually objectifying portrayals of women have been noted to appear among 46% of young mouse.”
adult female characters (Smith, Choueiti, Prescott, & Pieper, 2012) and among 50% of female —Laurence Coughlin
cast members in reality television programs (Flynn, Park, Morin, & Stana, 2015). Because
reality programs (e.g., The Bachelor and ­America’s Next Top Model) and social media feature
“real” people (as opposed to actors), it is possible that exposure to their objectifying content Watching female icons such as
can have even a more significant impact than other types of programming. Add to the list Rihanna dance in a provocative
of media genres the images and verbal references in music videos, advertising, video games, manner has become mainstream
in most music videos.
and magazines, and it becomes apparent that sexualized women are often the dominant way
©The Image Gate/Getty Images
that girls and women are represented in the media (Ward, 2016).
While it is apparent that exposure to television does not affect all people in the same way,
it is clear that the sexual double standard that does exist taps into our national ambivalence
about sex, equality, morality, and violence. In spite of this, television is making strides to
educate teens and young adults about sexuality and parenting. Programs such as Teen Mom,
13 Reasons Why, Andi Mack, The Mindy Project, and The Fosters have consulted with profes-
sional organizations to help educate viewers. This type of alliance is good for all of us.
Unlike the film industry, which uses a single ratings board to regulate all American
releases, television has been governed by an informal consensus. In 1997, networks began to
rely on watchdog standards and practices departments to rate their shows; however, these
divisions have few, if any, hard-and-fast rules. While the Federal Communication Commission
(FCC) does not offer clear guidelines about what is and is not permissible on the airwaves,
the agency does permit looser interpretations of its decency standards for broadcasts between
10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Additionally, in 2006, the television industry launched a large campaign
to educate parents about TV ratings and the V-chip, technology that allows the blocking of
programs based on their rating category.

Music and Game Videos MTV, MTV2, VH1, BET, and music Internet programs are
very popular among adolescents and young adults. Unlike audio-recorded music, music videos
play to the ear and the eye. At the same time, young female artists such as Beyoncé, Lady
Gaga, and Selina Gomez have brought energy, sexuality, and individualism to the young
music audience. Male artists such as Justin Timberlake, Drake, and The Weeknd provide
young audiences with a steady dose of sexuality, power, and rhythm. On the other hand,
music videos have also objectified and degraded women by stripping them of any sense of
power and individualism and focusing strictly on their sexuality.
Video games that promote sexist and violent attitudes toward women have filled the aisles
of stores across the country. Pushing the line between obscenity and amusement, games often

Sexuality, Popular Culture, and the Media 7


provide images of unrealistically shaped and submissive women mouthing sexy dialogues in
degrading scenes. Men, in contrast, are often revealed as unrealistic, violent figures whose
primary purpose is to destroy and conquer. Though many of these video games are rated
“M” (mature) by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board, they are both popular with and
accessible to young people.
Recently, however, the masculine culture of the gaming industry has been challenged by
an outcry against sexism in both video games and in the workplace that produces them
(Lynch, Tompkins, van Driel, & Fritz, 2016). The nature of female representations in games,
most significantly the sexualization and stereotyping of female characters, has decreased
since 2006. The decline has been attributed to an increasing female interest in gaming cou-
pled with the heightened criticism directed at the gaming industry. This is not to say that
the sexualization that does exist is nonproblematic, but rather the trend toward portraying
The Academy Award–winning film female characters as competent, strong, and attractive without overt sexualization may even-
Moonlight presented its main tually help to achieve gender parity, at least in the game culture.
character, a gay man, as a
struggling yet fully realized
Feature-Length Films
human being.
©Atlaspix/Alamy Stock Photo From their very inception, motion pictures have dealt with sexuality. In 1896, a film titled
The Kiss outraged moral guardians when it showed a couple stealing a quick kiss. “Absolutely
disgusting,” complained one critic. “The performance comes near being indecent in its
emphasized indecency. Such things call for police action” (quoted in Webb, 1983). Today,
in contrast, film critics use “sexy,” a word independent of artistic value, to praise a film.
“Sexy” films are movies in which the requisite “sex scenes” are sufficiently titillating to
overcome their lack of aesthetic merit. What is clear is that movies are similar to television
in their portrayal of the consequences of unprotected sex, such as unplanned pregnancies or
sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV/AIDS.
The notion of “true love” in dramas and romantic comedies has come to represent the
idealized belief of some that love conquers all. Stories about love, including those in books,
magazines, music, television, and the Internet, are often so stereotypical and idealized that it
is difficult for people to separate these unrealistic representations from what is normal or rea-
sonable in their romantic relationships. As a result, it has been found that among young adults,
increased movie-viewing frequency correlates with idealized expectations about love and
romance, greater expectations for intimacy, and endorsement of the eros (i.e., romantic, erotic,
passionate) love style (Galloway, Engstrom, & Emmers-Sommer, 2015). (For more information
about styles of love, see Chapter 8). To help balance these notions, it is important to have
authentic personal experiences, mentors in one’s life, honesty with oneself, and peers who will
reveal that sex is often imperfect and that disagreements and communication difficulties are
normal.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer People


in Film and Television
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals are slowly being inte-
grated into mainstream films and television. However, when gay men and lesbian women do
appear, they are frequently defined in terms of their sexual orientation, as if there were nothing
more to their lives than sexuality. Though the situation is changing, gay men are generally
stereotyped as effeminate or flighty or they may be closeted. Lesbian women are often stereo-
typed as either super-feminine or super-masculine. And queer individuals often appear as odd.
“Coming out” stories are now the standard for television programs that deal with gay and
transgender characters. However, what has recently changed is that the age of these charac-
ters has become younger. Teen coming-out stories seem relevant in that they reflect the
identity issues of being gay, transgender, queer, questioning, or unsure about their sexual
identity and expose the vulnerability most young people in junior high and high school feel
about being bullied. Different from stories in which gay people are marginalized and stereo-
typed, the messages in many of the shows for younger audiences are quite consistent: that
you will be accepted for who you are. Still, television and mainstream media have a long way
to go in terms of normalizing healthy sexual relationships between gay, trans, and queer

8 Chapter 1 Perspectives on Human Sexuality


Writers in television and film are finally giving gay characters prominence beyond
their sexuality. These include Andrew Rannells (Girls) (shown), Cameron Monaghan
(Shameless), Naya Rivera (Glee), and Sarah Paulson (American Horror Story: Asylum).
©Dpa picture alliance/Alamy Stock Photo

people. The biggest hurdle remains in showing adults, particularly two males, kissing on
screen as their heterosexual counterparts would. While teen shows may have somewhat
overcome this barrier, most “adult” programs have not.
More frequent in movies is what has been referred to as queerbating, a term used to
describe media where the creators integrate homoeroticism between two characters to lure
in LGBTQ and liberal audiences, yet never fully include actual representation for fear of
alienating a wider audience (Lawler, 2017). For example, in Disney’s remake of Beauty and
the Beast there’s a momentary shot that shows Le Fou dancing with another man, along with
coded words about his feelings for Gaston. This bait-and-switch technique leaves many
LGBTQ fans disappointed not to see themselves represented in meaningful ways that shed
For anyone with a computer,
light on their lives and relationships. social networks provide readily
accessible friends and potential
Online Social Networks partners, help maintain
friendships, and shape sexual
Using the Internet is a major recreational activity that has altered the ways in which individ-
culture.
uals communicate and carry on interpersonal relationships. Though social theorists have long
©Dean Mitchell/Getty Images
been concerned with the alienating effects of technology, the Internet appears quite different
from other communication technologies. Its efficacy, power, and influence, along with the
anonymity and depersonalization that accompany its use, have made it possible for users to
more easily obtain and distribute sexual materials and information, as well as to interact
sexually in different ways.
It is apparent that social networking sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are well
integrated into the daily lives of most people around the world. Their popularity cannot be
underestimated: Facebook alone reports to have nearly 2 billion global users (Statista, 2017).
Add this to the additional 8 billion users with other or supplemental platforms, and it’s
obvious that the digital landscape has taken over the globe.
Social networking sites provide an opportunity for many to display their identities: religious,
political, ideological, work-related, and sexual orientation, to name a few. While doing so, indi-
viduals can also gain feedback from peers and strengthen their bonds of friendship. At the

Sexuality, Popular Culture, and the Media 9


think
about it
Online Dating: Asset or Liability?

The popularity and accessibility of digital media and tech- mobile dating sites or apps, compared with 11% who reported
nology, including Internet social networking sites (SNS), have doing so in 2013 (see Figure 3). And since 2013, usage by 18- to
allowed individuals to present themselves publicly in ways that 24-year-olds has increased nearly threefold, while usage by 55- to
were previously never possible. In fact, text messaging and social 64-year-olds has doubled.
networking sites are the most popular means of digital communi- Just how successful or risky are these sites and apps? After all,
cation among young adults (Champion & Pedersen, 2015). Dating once the work of creating a profile is complete, can getting a date
sites such as Tinder, Match.com, and Grindr, along with platforms really be that difficult? To some degree, that depends on what it is
such as Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat enable individuals to that people want—to hook up or have casual sex, to date casually,
find potential partners in just minutes with the simple click on or to date as a way of actively pursuing a relationship. No doubt,
an app or website. Social media facilitate communication and the use of the Internet by any age provides a means of avoiding the
support, play a prominent role in navigating and documenting pitfalls inherent in relying solely on real-world meetings and experi-
romantic relationships, provide an outlet for sexual exploration ences. Most users believe that technology has enhanced their ability
and expression and, for a small minority, are a means to exploit to find a date and in doing so, fulfilled their desire to flirt, date, and
another. Using technology, individuals negotiate over when, with in some cases, find a suitable life partner (Goluboff, 2015; Hobbs,
whom, and how to meet and interact. Owen, & Gerber, 2016; Meenagh, 2015). For the isolated, underrep-
Over time, traditional sites and avenues for meeting singles, resented, and disenfranchised individuals, many of whom hide their
including universities, clubs, and workplaces, have been partially sexual identities from others, Internet dating sites may play an even
replaced by the Internet, thereby allowing people to meet and more prominent and useful role in navigating romantic relationships
form relationships with others with whom they have no knowledge because it allows them to be honest about who they are.
or social connections. According to the Pew Research Center Even as online daters themselves give the experience high
(2016), 15% of adults surveyed in 2015 reported using online or marks, many recognize or have experienced its downsides. Given

11
Total
15

10
18–24
27

22
25–34
22

17
Age

35–44
21

8
45–54
13

6
55–64
12

3 2013 2015
65+
3

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30
Percentage

• FIGURE 3
Percentage of Those Who Have Ever Used Online Dating Sites or Mobile Apps, by Age.
Source: Adapted from Pew Research Internet Project, 2016

10 Chapter 1 Perspectives on Human Sexuality


that online dating has replaced more traditional ways of meeting of researchers to develop a “scientific” approach to dating, some
partners, such as through friends or in social venues, 44% of online dating sites purport to produce matches superior to tradi-
online dating users recognize that it is more dangerous than other tional methods of dating. However, studies reveal that online dating
ways of meeting people (Pew Research Internet Project, 2016). sites can only measure and provide information about personal
Others express concern about the possibility that dating apps characteristics (Finkel et al., 2012). To date, claims by dating sites to
reduce people to “commodities in a marketplace of romantic produce superior outcomes as compared to more traditional means
options and that exchanges are too strategic” (Hobbs et al., 2016). of finding a partner are still being debated.
To put this into perspective, however, one could argue that dating Despite the risks associated with dating apps and sites, most
in general is a strategic dance. Another pitfall is the view that in customers view them as welcome agents in their search for com-
the endless array of online partners, sometimes referred to the panionship, love, sex, and intimacy (Hobbs et al., 2016). Users of
paradox of choice, one tends to be less satisfied with their choice the sites feel that technology provides them with more romantic
(Beck, 2016). This could be compared to going to a frozen yogurt and relationship possibilities than previous generations and
shop, seeing 15 delicious options, choosing 1, and feeling less enhances their social capital to find a partner with whom to build a
satisfied because of all the flavors they could have had instead. mutually fulfilling relationship.
Outcomes related to this level of frustration include the belief that
technology has made finding a mate more difficult, and in doing
so may delay or even suppress the desire to establish a deeper
relationship or marry (Match.com, 2015; Paul, 2014; Pew Research Think Critically
Internet Project, 2016). As a result, both the selection process and 1. Would you consider participating in or have you
the process of self-presentation have, in some people’s experi- posted or created a dating site? If so, how did you
ence, brought about a kind of dating-app fatigue (Beck, 2016). describe yourself? If you would not consider creating
Perhaps the problem here is that apps and online dating sites or responding on a site, what prevents you from
don’t provide guidance on how to date; rather, they only offer a doing so?
means of communication.
2. Do you believe that Internet sites should be censored?
A feature of some online dating sites facilitates what is called
Why or why not?
“assortative matching.” This use of matching algorithms attempts
to match people of equal desirability, such as internal attractive- 3. What are your thoughts about dating sites being
ness. Other sites use surveys to assess traits and attributes, while commodities in a marketplace of romantic options?
others examine domains of personality. Relying on the expertise

same time, social networking can be a place of “relationship drama.”


By posting details or pictures from a date on a social networking site
such as Instagram or Snapchat, individuals share every gory detail of
their relationship with anyone willing to take the time to view or read
about it. While many who use the Internet to flirt with others have
largely positive opinions and experiences, significant numbers of other
users have negative ones. Many social networking users report having
unfriended or blocked someone who was flirting in a way that made
them feel uncomfortable, while others have unfriended someone they
are no longer dating. Some have also used these sites to check up on
someone they previously dated or to research potential romantic part-
ners. Not surprising, many realize that these sites can serve as an
unwanted reminder that relationships have ended and, maybe worse,
that their previous beloved one is now dating someone else.
Like other forms of media, the Internet does not simply provide
sexual culture; it also shapes sexual culture. With the widespread use
of online dating sites, the medium has become an accepted means Congressman Anthony Weiner
by which numerous individuals meet new partners for dating, matchmaking, and/or sex (see resigned from the House of
the “Think About It” box “Online Dating: Asset or Liability?”). Representatives after sending to
With thousands of sexual health sites maintained online, new forms of media are also multiple women sexually
powerful tools for learning. When credible sources are located, these media have become suggestive pictures of himself.
©Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images
convenient avenues by which people can get important sexual health information. There are,
however, two significant concerns associated with using new media to learn about sexuality
and sexual health: the possibility that the information is inaccurate or misleading, and the
possibility that those who turn to the media may turn away from real people in their lives.
For many users, the Internet provides a fascinating venue for experiencing sex. For some
users, however, porn consumption gets them in trouble: maxed-out credit cards, neglected
responsibility, and overlooked loved ones. There are both online and community resources

Sexuality, Popular Culture, and the Media 11


for those who desire counseling. While searching for such sources, however, consumers and
professionals must be aware of the differences between therapy, consultation, and entertain-
ment. Additionally, because entrepreneurs can make more money from hype and misinfor-
mation than from high-quality therapy and education, consumers must remain vigilant in
assessing the background of the therapist and the source of the information.
One occurrence associated with the drastically changing culture of interpersonal commu-
nication is what is called sexting—the sending or receiving suggestive or explicit texts, photos,
or video messages via computers or mobile devices. The wide array of accessible media
provides the opportunity for choosing different purposes for sending and receiving sexts,
including sexual self-expression, experimentation, self-definition, and education. At the same
time, it has become clear that expectations of privacy in the digital world are being challenged
related to ownership of sexual messages and images, sharing and trafficking of sexual material
without consent, and potential social and psychological health consequences of shared texts
(Garcia et al., 2016).
When looking at the relationship status of those who send and receive sexts, the landscape
is quite varied. Three common scenarios for sexting are: (1) the exchange of images solely
between two romantic partners, (2) exchanges between a partner and someone outside the
relationship, and (3) exchanges between people who are not yet in a relationship but at least
one person hopes to be. In a sample of over 5,800 single adults, 21% reported sending and
28% reported receiving sexually explicit text messages (Garcia et al., 2016). When surveyed
about their reasons for sending sexts, most stated that they wanted to give their partner a
sexy present, use it to enhance their relationship, or respond to a sext that was given to them
(Champion & Pedersen, 2015).
The most damaging aspect of the sharing of sexts occurs when they go beyond the
intended recipient and are trafficked to others for whom they were not intended. Sexting can
hurt one’s reputation, career, self-esteem, and current relationships and friendships. It can
also cause shame and guilt to the victim of such a transgression. And the potential of “sex-
tortion,” or coaxing victims into taking explicit photos and videos and then threatening to
distribute them to their Facebook or Skype contacts if they don’t pay them, is becoming
increasingly common among scammers (Dewey, 2015; Murphy, 2016). It probably comes as
no surprise that females are far more likely to send sexts than males, to feel more pressure
to do so, and as a result to suffer greater adverse consequences, including bullying, sexual
harassment, and stigmatization (Rhode, 2014). As many as 20% of sexters are coerced into
sending sexual texts by threats or manipulation from their partner. Psychologist Michelle
Drouin believes this to be so traumatic to its victims that it constitutes a new form of intimate
partner violence (Drouin, Ross, & Tobin, 2015). In response to teen sexting, some states
have brought felony charges under child exploitation laws, while in other places prosecutors
can require young people to take courses on the dangers of social media instead of charging
them with a crime. The struggle to reconcile digital eroticism with real-world consequences
is inherent when using technology to facilitate human interactions.
Because of the high volume of sexual discussions and material available on the Internet,
there is an increasing demand for government regulation. In 1996, Congress passed the
Communications Decency Act, which made it illegal to use computer networks to transmit
“obscene” materials or place “indecent” words or images where children might read or see
them. However, courts have declared this legislation a violation of freedom of speech.
While one might argue that it is unwise to confuse entertainment with education, media
use is not without its consequences on health. Studies find that high levels of media use
among young people is associated with academic problems, sleep deprivation, obesity, risky
behaviors, and more (American Academy of Pediatricians [AAP], 2016). Recognizing the
ubiquitous role of media in children’s lives, AAP has released policy recommendations to
help families maintain healthy media usage, which includes:
■■ Some high-quality programming beginning at around 18–24 months of age, watched
with their children
■■ One hour of high-quality programming per day for children aged 2–5 years
■■ Limits on time and type of media for children 6 and older, along with media-free
times together and ongoing communication about online citizenship and safety.

12 Chapter 1 Perspectives on Human Sexuality


Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
On August 27 we finished coaling and steamed out towing the
schooner astern of us, for it seemed unsafe with her little crew of
only six to leave her to get underway in desolate St. Lawrence Bay
amidst that ugly-looking crowd of brawny Tchuchees, all experts at
handling harpoons and looking none too scrupulous over what they
chose to hurl them at.
Once clear of the harbor, we headed north for Cape East, while
the lightened Fanny A. Hyde, carrying now as cargo only the last
mail we ever sent back, spread her sails and with (for her but not for
us) a fair wind was soon hull down to the southward, our last link
with home finally severed.
Steaming steadily into a strong head wind, we stood on through
Behring Strait and during the night passed between East Cape and
the Diomede Islands, three barren rocks jutting from the sea, forming
stepping stones almost between the continents of Asia and America,
over which may very well have passed ages ago that immigration at
the time of the dispersion of the human race which brought man first
to North and then to South America.
But this human migration of former ages, even if so, interested us
little in comparison with what the migratory waters of the ocean
might be doing now. At the captain’s orders, Collins prepared a set of
thermometers and dropped them overboard strung out on a line. If
the Kuro-Si-Wo Current actually flowed northward into the Arctic Sea
as we hoped, through this narrow funnel it must pass, and as we
steamed slowly northward through the strait, Collins periodically read
the thermometers to get the temperatures at varying depths, while
Newcomb tended a dredge towed astern to obtain samples of the
marine life at the bottom.
To our keen chagrin, the most that could be said for the results of
our observations was that they were neutral—they proved or
disproved nothing. The water was about the same in temperature
from top to bottom and did not differ appreciably from the
temperature of the air, a result which certainly did not indicate the
presence of any marked warm current thereabouts. But then on the
other hand, as we passed through, the fresh breeze we encountered
from the northwest, blowing down through the strait, might well on
that day have upset or even reversed the normal flow of water in a
channel only twenty-eight fathoms deep. The thermometers proved
nothing. How about the dredge? Eagerly we awaited a report from
Newcomb with respect to his examination of its contents. Were the
specimens in any degree symptomatic of the tropical waters of the
Kuro-Si-Wo Current?
But there also we got scant comfort. The catch in the dredge was
nondescript, and no deductions could safely be drawn. If the Kuro-
Si-Wo Current on which we were banking so heavily for the success
of our expedition flowed into the polar seas, at least we found no
evidence of it.
As the day dawned with the empty horizon widening out before us
to the north, we found ourselves at last in the Arctic Ocean, our
gateway to the Pole. We stood to the northwest with somewhat
overcast skies, coasting along the northern shores of Siberia before
striking off for Wrangel Land, our thorough-going captain determined
to steam a little out of his way to make one more stop at Cape
Serdze Kamen to check Chief George’s story of the Vega’s actually
having been there and left.
In the late afternoon, we made out a headland on our port hand,
which the vigilant Danenhower, fortunately able just then to catch a
sight of the sun to establish our position, pronounced as the desired
cape. We stood in and anchored, but with steam up ready for getting
underway instantly, since we were on a lee shore with none too good
a holding ground.
After supper, the starboard whaleboat was cleared away and
lowered, and the captain, backed up by Chipp, Dunbar, Collins and
Alexey, started in for a collection of native houses on the beach to
investigate about the Vega. But when they approached the shore,
they found such a heavy sea rolling over a rapidly moving fringe of
pack ice that the whaleboat’s efforts to get through were wholly
ineffectual and after half an hour were abandoned when it was
observed that the natives were getting ready to come out themselves
in a skin boat.
Led by their chief in a bright red tunic, these latter, better
acquainted with the coast than we, managed to make passage
through the ice into the open water off shore, where they followed
the whaleboat back to our ship and then over the side into the
Jeannette’s cabin.
But there, in spite of Alexey’s best efforts with native dialects on
the chief, who had all the dignity of a king, we were unable to make
our questions about Nordenskjöld understood, or get anything
understandable out of him except the one word,
“Schnapps?”
But to this De Long shook his head. He was too well acquainted
with the results to pass fire-water out to natives. So with this we were
stalled till the natives pushed forth a decrepit old squaw, who once
an inhabitant of Kings Island, apparently had recognized Alexey’s
dialect. But even on her, neither the name of Nordenskjöld nor of the
Vega made any impression till Alexey, remembering Chief George’s
reference to the Russian officer who spoke Tchuchee, mentioned
Lieutenant Nordquist.
Immediately the squaw became all animation and her face lighted
with understanding.
“Horpish?” She nodded her head vigorously and from then on, all
was plain sailing. Alexey had difficulty in getting in a word sideways,
“Horpish” had made such an impression. “Horpish’s” ship had been
there a day, coming from a little further west in Koliutchin Bay, where
she had wintered, a fact very soon verified by Chipp, who going
ashore to visit that spot, came back with a miscellaneous collection
of articles—Swedish coins, buttons from Russian, Danish, and
Swedish uniforms, and prized most of all by the natives and hardest
to get from them, a number of empty tin cans!
This evidence settled conclusively our search for Nordenskjöld
and the Vega. Undoubtedly she had been at Cape Serdze Kamen as
rumored; she had passed undamaged through Behring Strait, and
must now be on her way southward through the Pacific to Japan, if
indeed she had not already arrived there. We need no longer
concern ourselves over Nordenskjöld and his crew, their safety was
assured.
So on the last day of August, we hoisted in our whaleboat and
stood out to the northward. It being Sunday, at 2 p.m. we rigged ship
for church in the cabin, and our captain, a devoutly religious man,
held Divine Service, attended by all the crew save those on watch.
With heads bowed, we stood while our ship steamed away from
that bleak coast, our anchor hoisted in for the last time, with our
thoughts divided between Nordenskjöld safely homeward bound and
ourselves headed at last into the unknown polar seas.
As Collins rolled the notes solemnly out from the little organ and
the rough voices of our sailors echoed the words, never before had I
seen men at sea so deeply stirred by that heartfelt appeal,

“Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,


For those in peril on the sea!”
CHAPTER VIII

For the first time, ice now began to be a factor in our cruise. We had
noted a little along the Siberian shore churned by the surf when the
whaleboat attempted a landing off Serdze Kamen, but now as we
stood away from the coast, pack ice to the westward making out
from Koliutchin Bay bothered the ship noticeably, with loose ice in
large chunks bobbing about in the waves, necessitating constant
conning by the officer of the watch to avoid trouble. Finally at 10 p.m.,
with ice growing heavier, while our course to Wrangel Land lay N.W.
by N., the captain changed course to N.E. for a few hours to take her
out of it, and then having come to open water, back to N.W., on
which course under sail and steam we stood on through the night
and all next day with beautifully clear cold weather attending us.
About a hundred miles to the southward of where Wrangel Land
should be, we made out the ice pack once more, extending this time
from dead ahead uninterruptedly around to the westward as far as
eye could see. Confronted thus by the solid pack across our path,
there was nothing for it but to head the Jeannette off to the eastward,
away from our objective, skirting as closely as we dared that pack on
our port side, solid ice now seven feet thick!
Meantime a fine southeast breeze sprang up and to this we made
all sail, heading northeast with wind abeam and the ice dead to
leeward, while from the crow’s-nest, grizzled old Dunbar, our ex-
whaler ice-pilot, closely scanned the pack for any lead of open water
through it going northward, but he found not the slightest sign of one.
On that course we were constantly increasing our distance from
Wrangel Land instead of diminishing it, so De Long after morosely
regarding for some time the fine wake which our six-knot speed was
churning up in the icy water astern, finally ordered me when
darkness fell to stop the engines, bank fires, and save the coal,
letting her go under sail alone for the night.
Late in the first watch then, the engines were secured, the fires
heavily banked in the boilers to burn as little coal as possible, and
stocky Bartlett, fireman in charge of the watch, instructed to keep
them so. With all secured below I came up on deck, for a few
minutes before turning in looking off to leeward across the black
water at the vague loom of that solid ice pack fringing the near
horizon.
Eight bells struck, the watch was changed, the men relieved
tumbling below to the forecastle with great alacrity for in spite of the
southeast breeze, there was a sharp chill in the cutting wind as the
Jeannette, with all sails drawing, plunged ahead at full speed.
Deeply laden and well heeled over by a stiff beam wind, we were
running with the lee scuppers awash, and the cold sea threatened
momentarily to flood over our low bulwark. What with the icy water
and the chilly air, the contrast with the warmth of the boiler room I
had just left was too much for me. With a final glance overhead at
our straining cordage and taut canvas and a wave to Dunbar who
with dripping whiskers dimly visible in the binnacle light on the bridge
above me, had just taken over the watch on deck, I ducked aft into
the poop and wearily slid into my bunk.
On the starboard tack with the wind freshening, the Jeannette
stood on through the night. One bell struck. In the perfunctory routine
drone of the sea, the lookout reported the running lights burning
bright and the report was gravely acknowledged by Mr. Dunbar,
though we might just as well have saved our lamp oil, for what ship
was there besides ourselves in that vast polar solitude to whom
those lights, steadily burning in the darkness, might mean anything
in the way of warning?
Nevertheless we were underway. Habit and the law of the sea are
strong, so on deck the incongruity of the reports struck no one. Hans
Erichsen, a huge Dane posted in the bow as lookout, turned his eyes
lazily from the gleaming lights in the rigging toward the bowsprit once
more, gradually accustoming them again to the darkness ahead.
And then hoarse and loud, nothing perfunctory this time about the
call, came Erichsen’s cry,
“Ice ho! Dead ahead and on the weather bow!”
On the silent Jeannette, that cry, cutting through the whistling of
the wind and the creaking of the rigging, echoed aft in the poop to
bring up in the twinkling of an eye, tumbling half clad out of their
bunks, Captain De Long, Mr. Chipp, and all the other officers.
“Hard alee!” roared Dunbar to the helmsman, desperately
endeavoring to bring her into the wind to avoid a collision, for with ice
alee, ahead, on the weather bow, there was no way out except to
tack.
But the Jeannette, heavily laden and with a trim by the stern as
she then was, had never successfully come about except with the
help of her engines. And now the fires were banked! But she must
tack or crash!
“All hands!”
Through the darkness echoed the rush of feet tumbling up from
the forecastle, racing to man sheets and braces, the shrill piping of
the bosun, hoarse orders, then a bedlam of curses and the howling
of dogs as all over the deck, men and animals collided in the night.
In response to her hard over rudder, the Jeannette’s bow swung
slowly to starboard while from ahead, plainly audible now on our
deck, came the roar of the waves breaking high on the solid pack.
Would she answer her helm and tack?
Breathlessly we waited while with jibs and headsails eased and
spanker hauled flat aft, the Jeannette rounded sluggishly toward the
wind and the open sea and away from that terrible ice.
Then she stopped swinging, hung “in irons.” With our useless sails
flapping wildly and no steam to save us, helplessly we watched with
eyes straining through the darkness as the Jeannette drove
broadside to leeward, straight for the ice pack!
CHAPTER IX

We struck with a shivering crash that shook the Jeannette from keel
to main truck, and hung there with yards banging violently. Lucky for
us now, that nineteen inch thickness of heavily reenforced side and
the stout backing of those new trusses below—that impact would
have stove in the side of any ordinary vessel!
But though we had survived that first smashing blow, we were in
grave danger. Impotent with sails and rudder to claw off that ice
bank, we lay there in a heavy seaway, rolling and grinding against
the jagged shelf on which the wind was pushing us.
That put it up to the black gang. I rushed below into the fireroom.
“Bartlett!” I yelled. “Wide open on your dampers! Accelerate that
draft!”
“Sharvell! Iversen!” I sang out sharply to my two coalheavers.
“Lively with the slice bars! Cut those banked fires to pieces! Get ’em
blazing!”
For thirty anxious minutes we fought before our two Scotch boilers
with slice bars, rakes, and shovels to raise steam, while through our
solid sides as we toiled below the water line, we heard the groaning
and the crunching of the ice digging into our planking and from
above the slapping of the sails, the howling of the dogs, and the
kicks and curses of the seamen still struggling futilely to get the ship
to claw off to windward.
At last with fires roaring, the needle of our pressure gauge started
to climb toward the popping point; I reported we were ready with the
engines.
De Long doused all sail; under steam alone with our helm hard
aport and propeller turning over at half speed, we swung our bow at
last to starboard into the wind and slowly eased away from the pack,
decidedly thankful to get clear with no more damage than a terrible
gouging of our stout elm planking. And under steam alone for the
rest of the night we stood on dead slow nearly to windward between
east and southeast, keeping that ice pack a respectable distance on
our port hand till dawn came and with it, a fog!
For the next few watches, we played tag with the ice-fields,
standing off when the fog came in, standing in when the fog lifted,
searching for an open lead to the northward. At one time during this
period, the fog thinned to show to our intense astonishment, off to
the southeast a bark under full sail, a whaler undoubtedly, standing
wisely enough to the southward away from the ice, but so far off,
anxious as we were not to lose any northing while we sought an
open lead, we never ran down and spoke him.
Soon, a little regretfully, we lost him in the fog, the last vessel we
ever saw, homeward bound no doubt and a missed opportunity for
us to send a farewell message home before we entered the ice-pack
around Wrangel Land.
Finally with nothing but ice in sight except to the southeast, De
Long decided to try a likely looking lead opening to leeward, toward
the northwest. So with the captain in the crow’s-nest and the ice-pilot
perched on the topsail yard, we entered the lead, Lieutenant Chipp
on the bridge conning the ship as directed from aloft. Cautiously we
proceeded in a general northwesterly direction up that none too wide
lead of water with broken ice-fields fairly close aboard us now on
both sides, for some seven hours till late afternoon, when
simultaneously the lead suddenly narrowed and the fog thickened so
much that we stopped, banked fires, and put out an ice-anchor to a
nearby floe.
Chilled, cramped, and dead-tired from his long day in the crow’s-
nest, De Long laid down from aloft and promptly crawled into his
bunk, while the fog continuing, we lay to our ice-anchor till next day.
For the first time on our cruise, the temperature that night dropped
below freezing, with the odd result that by morning between the fog
and the freezing weather, our rigging was a mass of shimmering
snow and frost, magically turning the Jeannette into a fairy ship, a
lovely sight with her every stay and shroud shining and sparkling in
the early dawn, and the running rigging a swaying crystal web of
jewels glistening against the sky.
But as the fog still hung on, and we consequently could not move,
I am afraid our captain, more interested in progress northward than
in beauty, gave scant heed, and it was left to Ambler and me, being
early on deck, really to drink in the soul-satisfying loveliness of that
scene.
Some new ice, a thin film only, made around the ship during the
night, the weather being calm and the surface of our lead therefore
undisturbed and free to freeze, but it was insignificant in thickness
compared to the pack ice surrounding us, which seemed everywhere
to be at least seven feet in depth, of which thickness some two feet
were above water and the rest below, with some hummocks here
and there pushed up above the smooth pack to a height of six feet
perhaps.
By afternoon, the fog cleared enough for us to haul in our ice-
anchor, spread fires and get underway along our lead, which running
now in a northeasterly direction we followed for two hours, poking
and ramming our way between drifting floes. Then to our delighted
surprise, we emerged into the open sea again, open, that is,
between east and north only, with ice filling the horizon in all other
directions.
With some searoom to work in, we speeded the engines and
headed north, where we soon passed a drifting tree, torn up by the
roots, an odd bit of flotsam to encounter in those waters, but which
as it must have come from the south encouraged us since it lent
some weight, however slight, to the Japanese Current theory about
which we were beginning to entertain serious doubts. But we had
little time to speculate on this, for soon from the lookout came the
cry,
“Land ho!”
Sure enough, bearing northwest, apparently forty miles off and
much distorted by mirage, was land which from our position and its
bearings we judged to be Herald Island. This island I must hasten to
explain was so named, not after the New York Herald whose owner,
Mr. Bennett, was financing our expedition, but after H.M.S. Herald,
whose captain, Kellett, had discovered and landed on that island
thirty years before, in 1849.
Immediately from alow and aloft all hands were scanning the
island, through binoculars, through telescopes, and with the naked
eye. There was much animated discussion among us as to its
distance, but regardless of that we could do nothing to close on it, for
the ice-field lay between. So as night fell, we merely steamed in
circles at dead slow speed, just clear of the pack.
Day broke fine and crisp with a light northerly breeze off the ice.
Picking the most promising lead toward Herald Island, we pushed
the Jeannette into it, and for two hours amidst drifting floes we made
our way with no great trouble, when, to our dismay, we began to
meet new ice in the lead, from one to two inches in thickness. For
another two hours, we pushed along through this, our steel-clad
stem easily breaking a path through which we drove our hull, with
the thin ice scratching and gouging our elm doubling, when we came
at last smack up against the thickest pack we had yet seen, some
ten to fifteen feet of solid ice. This, needless to say, brought us up
short. Since we could do nothing else, we ran out our ice-anchor to
the floe ahead, while we waited hopefully for some shift in the pack
to make us a new opening.
With clearer weather, several times during the morning as we lay
in the ice, we made out distinctly not only Herald Island but other
land beyond, above, and also to the southwest of it, which from
everything we had been told, should be part of that Wrangel Land on
which we were banking so much to afford us a base for our sledging
operations toward the Pole. Consequently we searched the distant
outlines of this continent with far greater interest than we had
bestowed on the nearer profile of Herald Island, but to no conclusion.
Danenhower, Chipp, and De Long, all experienced seamen, strained
their eyes through glasses, scanning what could be seen of the
coast of Wrangel Land, but so far even from agreeing on its
remoteness, looking across ice instead of water so upset their habits
of judging, that their estimates of its distance varied all the way from
forty to one hundred miles, while De Long even doubted whether
what he saw beyond Herald Island was land at all but simply a
mirage. Being only an engineer, I took no part in these discussions,
more concerned myself in staring at the unyielding edges of the
nearby floes and wondering, if our navigation for the next few weeks
was to consist mostly of traversing leads filled with such floating ice
cakes, how long we could hope to go before an ice floe sucked in
under our counter knocked off a propeller blade, and how long a time
would elapse before our four spare blades were all used up. But
there was no great occasion for such worry on my part. Not till
afternoon could we move at all, and then only for a couple of hours,
when once more we were brought up by solid ice ahead and with
banked fires again anchored to a floe, called it a day, and laid below
for supper.
Supper was an unusually somber meal. Such an early season
encounter with the ice-fields and at so low a latitude, was a sad blow
to our hopes of exploration. De Long, at the head of the table, served
out silently as Tong Sing placed the dishes before him; I, on his left,
carved the mutton and aided him at serving—to Chipp first, then to
the others on both sides of the table down to Danenhower, who as
mess treasurer sat at the foot of the table opposite the captain.
Potatoes, stewed dried apples, bread, butter, and tea made up the
rest of our unpretentious meal, the simplicity of which perhaps still
further emphasized our situation and put a damper on any
conversation. Only the shuffling of the Chinese steward’s feet on the
deck as he padded round the little wardroom with the plates broke
the quiet.
De Long, brooding over the ship’s situation, was gradually struck
by the absence of conversation and its implications. More I think to
make conversation than in the hope of gaining any information, he
picked out the ice-pilot on my left, sawing earnestly away at his
mutton, and asked him,
“Well, Mr. Dunbar, do you think we’ll get through this lead to
Herald Island?”
Dunbar, absorbed like the rest of us in his thoughts, surprised me
by the speed, so unusual for him, with which without even looking up
he snapped out his reply,
“No, cap’n, we won’t!” Then more slowly as he turned his grizzled
face toward the head of the table, he added vehemently, “And what’s
more, while God’s giving us the chance, I’d wind her in that little
water hole astern of us and head out of this ice back to open water
before the bottom drops out of the thermometer and we’re frozen in
here for a full due!”
Astonished by the heat of this unexpected reply, De Long looked
from the old whaler, who in truth had hurled a lance into the very
heart of each man’s thoughts, to the rest of us, all suddenly
straightened up by the thrust.
“And why, Mr. Dunbar?” in spite of a pronounced flush he asked
mildly. “Where can we do better, may I ask?”
“Further east, off Prince Patrick’s Land, to the north’ard of the
coast of North America,” replied Dunbar shortly. “A whaler’ll stay in
open water further north’n this over on the Alaska side most any
time; the current sets that way toward Greenland, not this side
toward Siberia.”
De Long calmly shook his head.
“No use, pilot; we’re not whaling and we’ll not go east. That would
take us away from Wrangel Land, and sledging north along the
coasts of Wrangel Land’s our only hope for working into the real
north from Behring Strait. No, we can’t do it. We’ll have to take our
chances here.”
Dunbar, his suggestion overruled, made no reply, masking his
disappointment by hunching a little lower over his plate and hacking
away once more at the chunk of mutton before him. And as suddenly
as it had flared up, all conversation ceased.
September 6 dawned, for us on the Jeannette a day to which we
often looked back with mingled feelings. During the night our water
lead froze up behind us. In the morning, as far as the eye could see
in every direction now was only ice—no water, no open leads
anywhere. A fog hung over the sea, blotting out Herald Island, but a
light northerly wind gave some promise of clearing the atmosphere
later on.
We gathered at breakfast in the cabin, a somber group. Under way
for a week since leaving Cape Serdze Kamen, we had made but 240
miles to the north, to reach only lat. 71° 30′ N., a point easily to be
exceeded by any vessel all year round in the Atlantic. But here we
were, completely surrounded by ice. Was this the exceptionally open
Arctic summer, so free of ice, that in Unalaska we had been informed
awaited us?
Danenhower, loquacious as always, broke the silence, observing
to no one in particular,
“This damned coffee’s even worse than usual, all water and no
coffee beans. Ah Sam’s had time enough to learn by now. Can’t
anyone persuade that Chink to put some coffee in the pot? What’s
he saving it for?”
“Maybe the sight of all that ice discourages him,” observed Ambler.
“Perhaps he thinks we’re in for a long hard winter and he’s got to
save. I reckon he’s right too, for that ice pack sure looks to me as if it
never has broken up and turned to water yet.”
“Right, surgeon.” Captain De Long at the head of the table, busily
engaged in ladling out a dish of hominy, looked up at Ambler and
nodded pessimistically,
“And what’s worse for us, it looks to me as if it never will, unless
someone whistles up a heavy gale to break up the pack.”
Chipp, uncomplainingly engaged in drinking down his portion of
the insipid coffee, took objection at this.
“Don’t try that, captain! In any gale that’d break up this pack the
pack’d break the Jeannette up in the process. No, let Nature take her
course melting that ice; it may be slower but it’s safer.”
“Come down to earth!” broke in Danenhower. “Let’s leave the pack
a minute; it’ll be there for a while yet. I was talking about coffee.
Hasn’t anybody in this mess got influence enough to get Ah Sam to
pack a little coffee in the pot for all this water to work on?”
“Well,” grinned Collins, seeing a chance to slip in a pun, “you’re
the navigator, Dan. Why don’t you try shooting that Celestial’s
equator? That ought to stir him up.”
Collins, chuckling happily, glanced round for approval.
Danenhower twisted his broad shoulders in his chair, directed a
blank stare at Collins.
“Huh? If that’s another one of your puns, Mr. Meteorologist, what’s
the point?”
Collins stopped laughing and looked pained.
“Don’t you see it, Dan?” he asked. “Why, that one’s rich! Celestial,
equator, and you’re a navigator. Now, do you get it?”
Danenhower, determined with the rest of us to squelch Collins’
puns, looking as innocent of understanding as before, replied flatly,
“No! I’m too dumb, I guess. Where’s the point?”
“Why, Ah Sam’s a Chinaman, isn’t he?”
“If he’s not, then I’m one,” agreed Danenhower. “So far I’m with
you.”
“Well, all Chinamen are sons of Heaven, aren’t they? So that
makes him a Celestial. See? And you’re a navigator so you shoot
the stars; they’re celestial too. And anybody’s stomach’s his equator,
isn’t it? You see, it all hangs together fine. Now do you get it?”
inquired Collins anxiously.
“I’m damned if I see any connection in all this rigmarole of yours
with my attempts at getting better coffee,” muttered Danenhower.
“Does anybody?” He looked round.
Solemnly first De Long, then Chipp, Ambler and I all shook our
heads, gazing blandly at Collins for further elucidation as to what the
joke might be.
Collins looked from one to another of us, then in disgust burst out,
“The farther all of you get from San Francisco, the weaker grow
your intellects!” He leaned back sulkily. “By the time we get to the
Pole, you won’t know your own names. Why, that one’s good! They’d
see it in New York right off. I’ve half a mind to try it out on that Indian,
Alexey. I’ll bet even he sees it!”
“Why don’t you try it on Ah Sam instead, then?” queried
Danenhower, rising. “If our cook sees it, there’s hope. Maybe next
you can make him see why he ought to put some coffee berries in
the pot when he makes coffee, and that’ll be something even my
thick skull can understand!” He jerked on his peacoat, lifted his bulky
form from his chair, and strode to the door. “I’m going on deck. I’m
too dumb, I guess, to see the points of Collins’ puns. But maybe if
I’m not too blind yet, I can see the ice, anyway.”
With a wink at Ambler, our navigator vanished. It seemed to be
working; perhaps we might yet cure Collins of his continuous stream
of puns, for most of them were atrocious, and anyway, having now
had a chance to get acquainted at close range with punning, I
heartily agreed with whoever it was, Samuel Johnson I think, in
averring that a pun was the lowest form of wit. With us the case was
serious—here with the long Arctic night approaching, locking us
within the narrow confines of our vessel, we were shipmates with a
punster and no escape except to break him of it!
I rose also and went out on deck, the while Collins turned his
attention to Dunbar, trying to get him, who also knew something of
navigation, to admit that he at least saw the point in the
meteorologist’s play on words, but I am afraid he picked the wrong
person, for Dunbar’s grim visage remained wholly unresponsive.
Out on deck, clad in a heavy peacoat with a sealskin cap jammed
tightly down over my bald spot, for the temperature was down to 26°
F., I looked around. A distant view was impossible because of fog.
Nearby were a few disconnected pools of water covered by thin ice,
but short of miraculously jumping the ship from one pool to another
over the intervening floes, there seemed no way for us to make
progress. I glanced down our side. For several feet above the
waterline, the paint was gone and our elm doubling was everywhere
scraped bright with here and there a deep gouge in the wood from
some jagged floe.
De Long joined me at the rail, looked despondently off through the
mist, his pipe clenched between his teeth, the while he puffed
vigorously away at it.
“A grand country for any man to learn patience in, chief,” he
remarked glumly. “Since we can’t push through the pack to Wrangel
Land over there on the western horizon, I’ve been hoping and
praying at least to get the ship in to Herald Island to make winter
quarters before we were frozen in, but look what’s happened!” He
gazed over the bulwark at the nearby hummocks. “Yesterday I hoped
today would make us an opening through to the land; today I hope
tomorrow’ll do it. And tomorrow—?” He shrugged his shoulders and
left me, to climb our frosted ratlines to the crow’s-nest on the chance
that from that elevation he might see over the fog. This turned out a
futile effort, since not till one p.m. when the fog finally lifted, were we
able to move.
With the weather clearing, I got up steam while De Long, armed
with binoculars, perched himself once more in the crow’s-nest,
Dunbar again straddled the fore topsail yard, Chipp took the bridge,
and we got underway for as odd a bit of navigation as all my years of
going to sea have ever witnessed.
To start with, the only possible opening was on the port bow, but
with heavy ice ahead and astern, there was insufficient room to
maneuver the ship by backing to head her for the opening. So over
the side went Bosun Cole and half the starboard watch, dragging
with them one end of a six-inch hawser. Selecting a sizeable ice
hummock a few shiplengths off on the port side which gave a proper
lead to our forecastle bitts, Cole expertly threw a clove hitch in the
hawser round the hummock, using the ice, so to speak, as a bollard;
while on deck, Quartermaster Nindemann heaved in on the ship end
of that line with our steam winch, warping the bow smartly round to
port till it pointed fair for the opening, when Chipp gave me the
signal,
“Slow ahead!”
With a few turns of the propeller, we pushed our bow into the crack
between the floes. After that, with the line cast off, it was a case of
full out on the throttle. With connecting rods, cranks, and pistons
flying madly round, we certainly churned up a wild wake in that
narrow lead wedging those cakes apart while the Jeannette
squeezed herself in between the ice floes.
And so it went for the next three hours, the captain and the ice-
pilot directing from aloft, while in the engine room we nearly tore the
engines off their bedplates and the smoking thrust block off its
foundation with all our sudden changes from “Full ahead” to “Full
astern” and everything in between, while the Jeannette rammed,
squeezed, backed, and butted her way through the ice, sometimes
relying only on the engines, sometimes only on Jack Cole and his
mates plodding along on the floes ahead of the ship dragging that
six-inch hawser and occasionally taking a turn with it on some
hummock to help warp the ship into position for ramming. Our solid
bow and thick sides took a terrific beating that watch as we
hammered our way through pack ice deeper than our keel, but
everything held, and when we finally ceased a little after four, it was
not from any fear of the consequences to the Jeannette, but only
because the fog came down again, blotting out everything.
Once more we ran out our ice-anchor, and with that secured,
recalled aboard the warping party. I came up out of the engine room,
having taken enough out of our engines in a few hours to drive us
halfway to China. Chipp, Danenhower, and the captain all were
gathered on the bridge over my head.
“Well, Dan, how much’ve we made good toward Herald Island?” I
enquired eagerly of Danenhower.
The navigator’s thickset brows contracted dejectedly as he peered
down at me over the after rail.
“Maybe a mile, chief,” he answered.
Maybe a mile? And to get that mile, keeping up a full head of
steam all the time for ramming, I had been burning coal furiously
these past three hours. A hundred miles of progress at that rate and
our coal would be completely gone. I turned questioningly toward the
captain, asked,
“I suppose it’s bank fires now and save coal, hey, brother?”
Before answering De Long looked off through the fog. Ice ahead,
ice astern, ice on both beams, with only tiny disconnected patches of
water showing here and there among the floes. He shook his head.
“No, chief, we won’t bank this time. Let your fires die out
altogether; save every pound of coal you can. If a good chance
comes to move, I’ll give you ample time to get steam up again.”
And so we left it. As the day ended, the Jeannette, hemmed in by
ice, lay an inert ship, unable to move in any direction, as a matter of
form only, held to an ice-anchor; while below, after securing the
engines, I reduced the watch to one man only, young Sharvell,
coalheaver, left to tend the boilers while the fires died out in them.
The temperature, which never during that day rose above the
freezing point, started to drop toward evening and soon fell to 23°.
The result was inevitable. Young ice, making during the night over all
patches of open water, had by morning completely cemented
together the old pack.
One look over the side in the midwatch satisfied me there would
be no call for the engines next day, nor unless something startling
happened, for many a day. All the steam I could put behind my
engines could not stir the Jeannette one inch from her bed, and as
for warping her now with our winch, our stoutest hawsers would be
about as useful as threads in tearing her from that grip of ice.
And so September 6, 1879, ended with the helpless Jeannette
solidly frozen into the Arctic ice pack.
CHAPTER X

That freezing into immobility of the Jeannette in so low a latitude, fell


like an icy shower on the spirits of our wardroom mess, and from that
day sociability vanished. Already Dunbar and Newcomb were not on
speaking terms; Collins regarded me sullenly and the rest of the
mess hardly less so; and the captain, who on leaving St. Michael’s,
had after an unpleasant disagreement with Mr. Collins in the
wardroom, decided that he should be more punctilious and less
informal in his intercourse with us, now withdrew into his official shell
completely. For myself, this worried me not at all, for I well knew the
effect that responsibility has on most skippers, and particularly
realized (as De Long seemed finally also to have done) that for a
captain not much senior in years nor in rank to most of his officers,
close comradeship is incompatible with the maintenance of proper
respect and authority.
However, if we had no sociability to cheer us up, we soon had
plenty of other matters to make us forget the lack. The ice pack
which held us was evidently under way, headed northward, and we
had not been in the pack a day before the pressure, nipping us on
the beam, shoved the Jeannette up on a submerged tongue of ice
projecting somewhere below our port bilge, giving us a list to
starboard of over 5° and causing some inconvenience in getting
about. As if this were not enough, after a few watches to our great
uneasiness our list suddenly increased to 9°, and incidentally
jammed our rudder hard starboard.
Here was cause enough for real worry. A permanent list of 9° is in
itself a great nuisance in getting about on a ship even in the tropics,
but now with the temperature below freezing and the decks slippery
with ice, we were in a bad way to keep footing. And if the list got
worse and carried away our rudder or laid us on our beam ends as it
threatened to do, what then?

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