1. Chapter 12 Sexuality During Childhood and Adolescence

2. Infant and Childhood Sexuality
Capacity for sexual response present at birth
Infants engage in self-pleasuring activity
Unable to differentiate sexual from sensual pleasure
Sexual behavior is a normal part of development

3. Childhood Sexuality Normative behavior not well studied
Common behaviors at varying ages
years: masturbation begins
years: sex play begins
years: begin to enact marriage scripts
years: homosociality
years: interest in bodily changes

4. Physical Changes in Adolescence Puberty
Reproductive organs mature
Onset years old; 2 years earlier in girls
Triggered by release of gonadotropins
Signals testes and ovaries

5. Secondary Sex Characteristics During Puberty
Both Sexes
Pubic hair, growth spurt
Genitals enlarge, axillary oil-secretion
Girls
Breast buds
Voice changes
Boys
Facial hair
Voice deepens

6. Primary Sex Characteristics During Puberty
Girls
Thicker vaginal walls and larger uterus
Vaginal secretions
Menarche: average age 12 or 13
Boys
Larger prostate and seminal vesicles
First ejaculation around 13
Physical changes can be sources of pride or concern for girls and boys

7. The Sexual Double Standard
Gender-role differentiation increases in adolescence
Girls
Focus on sexuality = relationship
Dilemma: to appear sexy to attract males but not to appear “easy”
Boys
Focus on sexuality = conquest
Peers reinforce aggressive and independent behaviors

8. Masturbation in Adolescence
Increase in frequency and numbers
Safe sexual release
Way to learn about self

9. Non-Coital Sexual Expression in Adolescence
Kissing, holding, touching, manual, and oral stimulation of genitals
Oral-genital activity has increased
Learning about sexual intimacy
Question of technically staying a virgin

10. Ongoing Sexual Relationships During Adolescence
More common at this age than in past
Narrowing of gender gap
Girls less likely to “save themselves” for marriage
Boys more likely to want an affectionate relationship

11. Sexual Intercourse During Adolescence
Adolescent coitus
National upward trend reached plateau in last 10 years
Age of first coitus has decreased over last several decades

12. Reasons for Sexual Intercourse During Adolescence
Acceleration of sex hormones
Curiosity and sense of readiness
Affection for partner
Push to adult behavior
Peer pressure, date pressure

13. Predisposing Factors for Early/Late Coitus in Adolescents
Early Coitus
Poverty
Family conflict
Parental lack of education, supervision
Parental substance abuse
Late Coitus
Strong religious beliefs
Good grades
Higher SES
High quality parent-child relationship and communication

14. Same-Sex Experiences in Adolescence
Experimental or transitory same-sex sexual contact between peers is common
Some individuals begin to self-identify as lesbian, gay, and bisexual in teen years
Often encounter negative societal reactions
Reconciling orientation can be difficult; often face rejection from peers and family

15. Effect of AIDS during Adolescence
20% of AIDS cases contracted in teen years
Most teens do not think they are at risk, “personal fable”
Adolescent belief in invulnerability
Condoms viewed more as birth control than as protection from STIs

16. U.S. Teen Pregnancy Rates
U.S. has highest teen pregnancy rates in Western world
51% result in live births, 35% in induced abortion, and 14% in miscarriage or stillbirth
Impact of teen pregnancy
Teen mother and baby’s physical health
SES and education
Quality of parenting

17. Teens Less Likely than Adults to Use Birth Control Correctly
Lack of adequate knowledge
Planning ahead implies loose morals
Fear of pelvic exam
Embarrassment
Confidentiality concerns
Less stable relationships
Difficulty communicating with partner

18. Strategies to Reduce Teen Pregnancy
Free, confidential contraceptive services
Compulsory national sex-education
Focus on shared responsibility for birth control
Relaxed governmental restrictions

19. Sex Education Answering Children’s Questions About Sex
Start early, ongoing discussion
If uncomfortable, share information through print or visual media
Make answers direct, honest, and at child’s level of understanding
Make child aware of physiological changes before they happen
Young people prefer their parents as primary source of sex information

20. School Based Sex Education Answering Children’s Questions About Sex
Quality of programming varies
Most parents support such programs
Abstinence-only sex education programs do not delay first intercourse or affect attitudes about sex
Research shows that sex education programs do not increase sexual experimentation nor restraint, but they do decrease high-risk behavior

21. Chapter 13 Sexuality and the Adult Years

22. Single Living Increasing rates
May reflect change in societal attitudes
Lifestyle and satisfaction vary widely
Celibacy or long-term monogamy
Serial monogamy
Single persons engage in sexual activity less often and are less satisfied than married persons

23. Cohabitation Domestic partnership Cohabitation vs. marriage
Social impact
Similarities and differences between cohabitation and marriage
Impact before marriage

24. Cohabitation
Caption: The number of married households is down, suggesting that more couples are living together without marrying. Source: National Fatherhood Initiative Study, 2006

25. Men’s Cohabitation Rates by Educational Level
Caption: Percentage of men ages who are currently cohabiting, by level of education. Source: Martinez et al., 2006.

26. Marriage Stable families convey social norms
Defines rights of inheritance
Regulates sexual behavior
Emotional and social support system
Associated with better health
Takes different forms in different cultures
Same-sex and interracial marriage

27. Marriage in Current Collectivist and Individualist Cultures
Collectivist cultures
Emphasize group goals over individual
Marriage unites families not two individuals
Arranged marriages common
Emphasize needs of family, community, or religion; de-emphasize love
Polygamy
Individualistic cultures
Emphasize feelings of love
Importance of love is a recent innovation

28. Changing Expectations and Marital Patterns
Discrepancy between American marriage ideal and actual practices
Most politically conservative areas (“Bible Belt”) have some of the highest rates of divorce and unwed mothers
Unrealistic expectations of fulfillment
Fewer support networks for marriage
Lack of preparation for daily issues
People live longer

29. Predicting Marital Satisfaction Gottman’s Research
Based on heterosexual couples
Ratio of positive to negative comments predict satisfaction
Five positive to one negative interaction is key

30. Sexual Behavior and Satisfaction in Marriage
Factors that raise sexual satisfaction
Factors that lower sexual satisfaction
Sexless union can be satisfying
DINS (Dual income, no sex)

31. Extramarital Relationships
Cultural differences
Most cultures have restrictive norms; usually more restrictive for women
Consensual
Swinging, open marriage, and polyamory
Nonconsensual
Varied and complex reasons
Younger people have more affairs
Role of Internet
Impact on marriage varies

32. Divorce Almost half of all first marriages end in divorce
Reasons for high divorce rate
Increased expectations for marital and sexual fulfillment
No-fault divorce laws
Reduction in social stigma
Women’s economic independence

33. Reasons People Give for Divorce
Communication problems
Basic unhappiness
Incompatibility
Drug abuse and physical abuse

34. Sexuality and Aging Aging associated with sexless time
Double standard for aging
Health is most crucial to sexual well-being

35. Sexuality and Aging
Caption: The percentage of respondents in each country who agreed with the statement “Older people no longer have sex.” Adapted from Global Study of Sexual Attitudes and Behavior (2002).

36. Sexual Activity in Later Years
Among sexually active adults over age 60: 61% said their sex life today was either the same or more physically satisfying than in their 40s
Factors that maintain activity
Prior interest in sexual activity
Regularity of sexual activity
Good physical health
SES

37. Sexuality and Aging Homosexual Relationships in Later Years
Same-Sex sexual activity in later years is similar to heterosexual
Lesbian advantages
Less likely to be widowed
Higher pool of alternatives
Less aging double standard

38. Widowhood Widows to widowers ratio = 4:1 50% of widowers remarry
25% of widows remarry
Older people remain interested in sex even when no partner is available