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Chapter 13: Gender and Sexuality

Sex: biologically male or female

Gender: psychological and social traits of being male or female

Males and females differ in primary and secondary sex characteristics

Primary sex characteristics: sex and reproductive organs

Secondary sex characteristics: superficial physical features that appear at

puberty (e.g., breast in females and facial hair

in men)

Gonads: sex glands that affect sexual development and behavior; sex differences are related to the proportion of hormones (estrogens in females and androgens in males)

Prenatal development of male or female anatomy is largely due to presence or absence of testosterone

Dimensions of Sex

  1. Genetic sex (XX or XY)
  2. Gonadal sex (ovaries or testes)
  3. Hormonal sex: (predominance of androgens or estrogens)
  4. Genital sex: (clitoris/vagina or penis/scrotum)
  5. Gender identity (one’s subjective sense of being male or female)

Prenatal Sex Development

-genetic sex is determined at conception; determined by father

-XX is female; XY is male

-in first six weeks of prenatal growth, male and female look identical

-if there is a Y chromosome, testes produce testosterone, which causes

the penis to develop. (Note: if there is androgen insensitivity, female

develops)

-without testosterone, fetus develops female reproductive organs

-prenatal sex usually matches genetic sex

-hormonal problems before birth cause intersexual person (ambiguous

sexual anatomy)

Gender Identity

-personal sense of being male or female

-at least partly learned

-begins with labeling, then gender role socialization (process of learning

gender behaviors regarded as appropriate in your culture)

Gender Role: favored pattern of behavior expected of each sex

-not universal

Gender Role Socialization:

-infant girls held more gently than boys

-boys are sex-typed

Boys are encouraged to engage in instrumental (goal-oriented) behaviors, control emotions, and prepare for the world of work

Girls are encouraged to expressive/emotion-oriented behaviors and somewhat socialized for motherhood

Age 3: boys play with boys and girls play with girls. Boys play superhero games, outdoors, someone in charge. Girls play games, cooperate, verbal give and take, indoors near adults.

Androgyny: have masculine and feminine traits, more adaptable, more flexible in coping

Sexual Behavior

Sexual Arousal

-direct stimulation of erogenous zones (not during medical exam or

unwanted advance)

-females are not less physically responsive than men; females

more easily turned off

-peak of male sexual activity at age 18; later for females

Sex Drive

-strength of motivation to engage in sexual behavior

-related to sex hormones

-castration causes long-term decrease in sex drive

-natural decline with aging

Masturbation

-self-stimulation that causes sexual pleasure

-95% of males and 89% of females

-normal sexual behavior

Sexual Orientation

-influenced by genetics psychology

-males: 91% heterosexual; 4.5% homosexual; 5% bisexual

-females: 95% heterosexual; 2% homosexual; 3% bisexual

If an identical twin is gay, odds are 50% that the other twin is gay.

Homosexuality is not the result of parenting and is not a choice

Being gay is part of the normal range of variability in sexual orientation. Tend to discover sexual orientation at a later date than heterosexuals; surrounded by cultural messages that contradict internal feelings.

Those who are rejected for being gay by family or discriminated against have increased anxiety and depression

Homosexuals

-do not try to convert others

-less likely to molest children

-do not make their children gay

-often have long-term monogamous relationships

Human Sexual Response

Masters and Johnson

4 phases

1. Excitement: initial sexual arousal

2. Plateau: physical arousal intensifies

3. Orgasm: climax

4. Resolution: return to lower levels of arousal

Females typically go through stages more slowly than men

Paraphilias (Sexual Deviations)

-problematic if they are destructive or compulsive

  1. Exhibitionism
  2. usually male and married
  3. from strict and repressive background
  4. have highest repeat rate among sex offenders
  5. prove their manhood by frightening women
  1. Child Molestation
  2. usually male
  3. most are married; 2 out of 3 are fathers
  4. many rigid, passive, religious
  5. ½ to 2/3 molest friend, acquaintance, or relative

Signs of child molestation

-physical complaints

-emotional, irritable

-suicidal

-lack of self-esteem

Tactics

-in home, internet

-bribes, gifts, games progress to persuasion touching and later

perhaps force and threats

-less threatening and molester than mature relationship

Attitudes

-liberalized sex attitudes, birth control pill, abortion

-decrease in people who think premarital sex is unacceptable

-greater tolerance for sexual behavior of others

-73% of 17-year-old girls are sexually experienced

-U.S. has one of the highest rates of teen pregnancy

-sex education delays the age of first intercourse

Rape

-dramatic increase in acquaintance (date) rape

-5 to 15% of college females have been raped

Forcible rape

-threat of bodily injury

-1 of 7 females will be raped

-act of aggression

-can cause fear, anxiety, and sexual dysfunction in those raped

Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)

-incidence has risen for last 20 years

-AIDS: caused by HIV infection

-weakened immune system leads to opportunistic diseases

-symptoms don’t appear at first, can spread the disease

without knowing it; may even test negative in early stages

-leading cause of death between the ages of 25 and 44

-in North America, greatest risk for homosexual and bisexual

behaviors; sharing needles; blood transfusion; heterosexual with multiple partners

Safer Sex:

-abstinence; using condoms

-monogamy or few sex partners

-not injecting drugs