Childhood and Adolescence

Early positive physical affection Helps in establishing physically intimate relationships.

Infancy Male and female infants apparently experience orgasm Breast feeding may stimulate a genital or sexual response in the child and parent.

First menstruation Called menarche May occur without ovulation May be irregular Girls are starting to reach puberty at age eight

First ejaculation in boys Occurs when prostate and seminal vesicles begin functioning

Masturbation Boys learn from friends Girls learn by accident Response to masturbation –Confirm it feels good, & indicate it is something you should do when alone in private

Adolescent masturbation Relieves sexual tension Important part of their sexual development. Learn about your body and what feels good –May aid sexual expression with a partner.

Adolescent same sex behavior does not = gay Many heterosexual personal have has early homosexual experiences Same sex contact may be experimental Personal with homosexual orientation may not act on those feelings until adulthood.

Teen pregnancy Teen pregnancy in the US is the highest in the western world Only half of teen pregnancies end in live births 1,000,000 unmarried adolescents become pregnant each year (E.g. 20 Safeco Fields (at 50,000 each)

First intercourse motivation For women - affection for partner For men - curiosity and readiness or sex

Early coitus is associated with Poverty Low educational expectations History of sexual abuse

Children of adolescent mothers More likely to: –Be abused –Have deficits in intellectual ability –Physical and emotional problems

Children born to adolescent (teen) mothers are more likely to: Die as infants Demonstrate deficits in intellectual ability Have physical and emotional problems

Pregnant teenagers as compared to mothers in their 20’s or older More likely to hemorrhage when delivering More likely to miscarry More likely to get inadequate prenatal care

Birth control Only a minority of teenagers use reliable birth control “I’m not that kind of girl” syndrome

Androgynous behavior Young children with interests of both sexes –E.g. playing with dolls and trucks