Intimacy and Sexuality

Objectives Identify the stages of sexual development throughout the life span. Describe the male and female sexual anatomy. Differentiate among gender identity, sexual orientation, and sexual expression. Define at least five types of sexual expression that humans engage in.

Intimacy Defined Shared experiences Emotional closeness Kissing, hugging, cuddling Sex and sexuality

Sexual Development Sexuality is developed over the life span. Giving young people age-appropriate information is important when educating them about sex.

Birth to Age 2 Children at this age are generally held, touched, and bathed by the adults in their lives. During these activities children gain experience with intimacy and closeness. Children may also touch their own genitals as they are exploring and learning about their bodies; this is a normal part of human development.

Ages 3 to 5 This is the time when children ask where babies come from. Four-year-olds often have strong attachments to one or more parent or caregiver. Children are still learning about intimacy, so they may want to cuddle or have close, frequent contact with adults in their lives.

Ages 5 to 7 This stage of life is when children begin to form gender identity and understand gender roles in society. Many 5- to 7-year-olds discover that stimulating their genitals is a pleasurable experience, and they might engage in autoerotic activity.

Ages 8 to 12 Puberty is the onset of reproductive processes for boys and girls. Girls going through puberty begin menstruation and their breasts grow. Boys experience a deepening voice, nocturnal emissions, and spontaneous erections. Both boys and girls begin to grow body hair in their armpits and pubic region and grow taller. Puberty is also traditionally the beginning of the separation between youth and adulthood.

Teenagers Teens may have completed puberty, still be experiencing it, or be waiting for it to begin. In the United States, many young people begin to explore their sexuality and engage in sexual activity. Teen separation from adults is a necessary part of development, but overreliance on peers can lead to misinformation about sexuality or poor decision making.

Adulthood Adulthood is a huge span of the life cycle that encompasses a range of sexual behavior and expression. Adulthood differs from previous phases because sexual development is biologically complete by this time.

Older Adulthood Older adults are still sexual. They may have specific health needs regarding their sexual activities. Many women who have experienced menopause have issues with vaginal dryness or thinning of the vaginal opening. Older men may have to deal with less frequent and less sustained erections.

Male Sexual Anatomy The penis is composed of the shaft and glans. The scrotum holds the testes (testicles). The testicles produce sperm. When aroused, the penis becomes engorged and stiffens to form an erection. Sperm are ejaculated out of the penis. (continued)

Male Sexual Anatomy (continued)

Female Sexual Anatomy Internal sex organs Vagina Cervix Uterus Ovaries External sex organs (for function and pleasure) Mons pubis Inner and outer labia Clitoris

Female Sexual Anatomy: Internal

Female Sexual Anatomy: External

Stages of Arousal Arousal and excitement. Genital region becomes engorged with blood. Plateau. Excitement stage continues and intensifies. Orgasm. The sexual climax is marked by muscular contractions in the genital region. Males usually ejaculate during orgasm; female ejaculation is also possible. Resolution. Blood drains from the genital region and the body relaxes to the prearousal stage.

Female Orgasm The clitoris is the primary organ that causes sexual stimulation and pleasure in females. Clitoral stimulation is the most common way for women to achieve orgasm. The G-spot is an area inside the vaginal canal on the front side of the vagina. Females do not experience a refractory period, which allows them to have multiple orgasms in succession without the need to recuperate.

Male Orgasm For men, orgasm is often achieved through stimulation of the penis shaft, glans, anus, or scrotum. Some men are able to achieve orgasm through prostate stimulation during anal sex or anal play. Men experience a refractory period in which their bodies must recuperate before they experience an additional orgasm.

Types of Sexual Activity Vaginal intercourse is the insertion of the penis into the vagina. Sometimes vaginal intercourse can refer to insertion of an object, such as a dildo, into the vagina. Anal intercourse is the insertion of a penis (or similar object) into the anus. Anal play is the stimulation of the anus or anal opening, generally without full insertion into the anus. Oral sex is the stimulation of genitals with the mouth. This can refer to mouth on vulva, mouth on penis, or mouth on anus. (continued)

Types of Sexual Activity (continued) Masturbation is the stimulation of one’s own genitals for sexual pleasure. Mutual masturbation is when two people (or more) masturbate with each other or for each other. Digital intercourse is the use of fingers (digits) for penetrative sex of the vagina or anus. This is generally included in mutual masturbation. Sexual fantasy refers to the sexual stories people play out in their heads in order to increase arousal or stimulation.

Sexual Identities Lesbians are women who primarily choose to have sexual relationships with other women. The term gay can apply to men or women to mean homosexual, or attracted to same-sex partners. Bisexual refers to someone who is attracted to both men and women. More recently some people have started using the term pansexual to refer to attraction to all people. Transgender is an umbrella term for a number of gender role variations and expressions.

Spectrum of Sexual Expression People who rely completely on a particular situation or object for arousal have a fetish, or paraphilia. The acronym BDSM stands for bondage, domination, and sadomasochism.

Monogamy and More Monogamy refers to a relationship between two people and only two people. Swinging is loosely defined as people engaging in sexual acts with people outside of their primary coupling, or engaging in sexual acts with one or more people in a couple. Polyamory is a term used for people who maintain multiple distinct open relationships. Cheating is the betrayal of one person in a couple by another, often through some sexual or intimate act with a person outside of a relationship.

Ability and Sexuality People with physical impairments have the same sexual development and desires as everyone else, perhaps with some exceptions or differences if there is impairment of the sex organs or certain areas of the brain that affect sexuality. Mental disability or delayed development does not necessarily impair a person’s ability to achieve arousal or engage in pleasurable sexual activities.