HUMAN SEXUALITY

Human sexuality is a very important topic for discussion obstetrics and gynaecology.
It's focus is on the orientation of human sex and behaviour.

1. Class Presentation On :-
:-PriyanshuAnand
B.ScNursing 4
th
Year
O.I.N.S.R, Damoh

2. CONTENTS:-
•INTRODUCTION
•HUMAN SEXUAL CHARACTERISTICS
•BIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES
•PRINCIPLES REGARDING INFORMATION ABOUT
SEXUALITY
•STAGES OF SEXUAL DEVELOPMENT
•PHYSIOLOGY OF SEX/SEXUAL RESPONSE CYCLE
•SEXUAL DYSFUNCTIONS

3. INTRODUCTION
•Humansexualityisthewaypeopleexperienceand
expressthemselvessexually.
•Regardless,whetherweareyoungorold,manor
woman,itisanintegralpartofwhatwedoandwho
weare.
•Humansexualityisageneraltermreferringtovarious
sexuallyrelatedaspectsofhumanlife,including
physicalandpsychologicaldevelopmentandbehaviors,
attitudesandsocialcustomsassociatedwiththe
individual’ssenseofgender,relationships,sexual
activity,mateselectionandreproduction.

4. •Humansexualbehaviorisdifferentfromthe
sexualbehaviorofotheranimals,asitis
governedbyavarietyofinterplayofdifferent
factors.
•Humansarenotsexuallyactivejustforthesake
ofreproduction;rather,thereareavarietyof
complexfactorsthatleadpeopletohavesex.
•Becauseitisabroadterm,whichhasvariedwith
historicalcontextsovertime,itlacksaprecise
definition.

5. HUMAN SEXUAL CHARACTERISTICS:-
Sexualcharacteristicsaredividedintotwotypes
1.PrimarySexualCharacteristics:-Theseare
directlyrelatedtoreproductionandincludesex
organs(genitalia).
2.SecondarySexualCharacteristics:-Thesearethe
attributesotherthansexorgansthatgenerally
distinguishonesexfromotherbutarenot
essentialforreproduction(e.g.–Breast,facial
hairs,etc.).

6. BIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES :-
Likeothermammals,humansareprimarily
groupedintoeitherthemaleorfemalesex.
Thebiologicalaspectsofhumans'sexualitydeal
withthereproductivesystem,thesexual
responsecycle,andthefactorsthataffectthese
aspects.Theyalsodealwiththeinfluenceof
biologicalfactorsonotheraspectsofsexuality,
suchasorganicand neurological
responses,heredity,hormonalissues,gender
issues,andsexualdysfunction.

7. •Hormonesarealsoviewedasoneofthemajor“driving
forces”ofsexualbehavior.
•Hormonesareproducedbythegonads(i.e.-testesand
ovaries),theadrenalcortex,thepituitarygland,and
thehypothalamus.
•Androgensareresponsibleforthesexual
differentiationofmalereproductivesystembefore
birthandthesexualmaturationofboysatpuberty.
•EstrogensandProgestins,foundinhigher
concentrationswithinfemales,regulatemenstrual
cycleandareresponsibleforreproduction.

8. PRINCIPLES REGARDING
INFORMATION ABOUT SEXUALITY:-
Thesearetheprinciplesrelatedtotheinformation
providedtothechildrenaboutsexualcharacteristics
andsexualactivities.
1.Eachchild’sprocessofmaturationasapersonis
different:-Sinceparentsknow,understandandlove
eachoftheirchildrenintheiruniqueness,theyarein
thebestpositiontodecidewhattheappropriatetime
isforprovidingavarietyofinformation,accordingto
theirchild’sphysicalandspiritualgrowth.

9. 2.Parentswhoarealonewillhavetoactwithgreat
sensitivitywhenspeakingwithachildoftheopposite
sex:-Thecommunicationworksoutbetterwhenthe
parentswhocommunicatesthebiological,emotional,
moralandspiritualinformationisofthesamesexasthe
childoryoungpersonastheyareawareofroles,
emotionsandproblemsoftheirownsex.
3.Timelyinformationregardingsexualitymustbeprovided
inthebroadestcontext:-Intalkswithchildren,suitable
adviceshouldalwaysbegivenregardinghowtogrowin
theloveandthemeaningofsexuality.Parentsshould
alwayspresentpositivemodelsandsuitablewaysofusing
theirvitalenergies.

10. 4.Delayshouldnotbedoneinprovidinginformation
tochildren:-Parentsshouldprovideinformation
regardingsexualitywithgreatdelicacy,butclearly
andattheappropriatetime.

11. STAGES OF SEXUAL DEVELOPMENT:-
Therearetwoperiodsofmarkedsexualdifferentiationin
humanlife.Thefirstoccursprenatallyandsecondoccursat
puberty.
1.PrenatalSexualDevelopment:-Althoughadultwomen
andmenmaydiffergreatlyingenitalappearanceand
secondarysexualcharacteristics,theyarealmostidentical
duringprenataldevelopment.Fromfertilizationthrough
aboutthefirstsixweeksofdevelopment,maleand
femaleembryosdifferonlyinthepairofsex
chromosomestheyhaveineachcell–twoX
chromosomes(XX)infemalesandoneXandoneY
chromosome(XY)inmales.

12. •Aboutsixweeksafterconception,ifaY
chromosomeispresentintheembryo’scells,a
geneonthechromosomedirectsthe
undifferentiatedgonadstobecometestes.Ifthe
Ychromosomeisnotpresent,thegonadswill
becomeovaries.
•Ifthegonadsbecometestes,theybeginto
produceandrogens(primarilytestosterone)by
about8weeksafterconception.These
androgenslaterleadstodevelopmentofmale
genitalorgansoftheembryo.

13. 2.Development in puberty:-
–Pubertytypicallybeginsingirlsfrom8-12yearsof
ageandinboysfrom10-14yearsofage.
–Thesecondarysexualcharacteristicsdevelopatthis
stage,followedbymenstrualperiodinfemales.
–Thehormonesprimarilyresponsibleforthese
changesinyounggirlsaretheadrenalandrogens,
estrogen,progesteroneandgrowthhormones.
–Growthhormoneandandrogens,particularly
testosteroneareresponsibleforpubertalchangesin
boys.

14. Apartfromthese,therearesomechangesin
adolescence.Theyinclude:-
•Adolescenceperiodisfromtheageof12-17
yearsorolder,andismarkedbyincreasedsexual
behavior.
•Boththemalesandfemalesneedmoresexual
orientationduringthisage.
•Theterm“SexualOrientation”referstoaperson’s
erotic,romantic,oraffectionalattractiontothe
othersex,thesamesexorbothsexes.

15. •Apersonwhoisattractedtotheothersexis
labeled‘heterosexual’,orsometimes‘straight’.
•Apersonattractedtothesamesexislabeled
‘homosexual’.

16. PHYSIOLOGY OF SEX:-
Itisalsoknownassexualresponsecycle.
Itisimportanttohelppeoplebecomemore
familiarwiththeirbodiesandtheirsexual
responsesandtoassistinthediagnosisand
treatmentofsexualdysfunctions.
Humansexualresponsecycleisdividedintofour
stages:Excitement,Plateau,Orgasmand
Resolution.

19. 1.Excitement:-It is the stage of sexual arousal in which
there is vasocongestion.
•In men, the tissues in the penis become engorged
with blood, causing the penis to become larger and
erect. The skin of the scrotum thickens, tension
increases in the scrotal sac, and the scrotum is pulled
up closer to the body.
•In women, fluid seeps through the vaginal walls to
produce vaginal lubrication. The glansof clitoris
becomes larger and harder than usual. Nipples also
become erect. The labia majoraflattens and spread
apart somewhat and the labia minoraswell and open.
•Pulse rate and BP also increases.

20. 2.Plateau:-Inthisphase,vasocongestionpeaks.
Breathingrate,pulserateandBPincrease.
•Theman’spenisbecomescompletelyerectandthe
glansswells.FluidsecretesfromtheCowper’sgland
mayappearatthetipofthepenis.Thisfluidwhich
nourishesthesperm,maycontainactivesperm
capableofimpregnatingawoman.
•Inwomen,thebreastcontinuetoswell,thelower
thirdofthevaginaswells,theclitorisretractsintothe
body,andtheuterusenlarges.Asthewoman
approachesorgasm,thelabiamajoradarken.

21. 3.Orgasm:-It is called as climax.
•Itisanintenseandusuallypleasurablesensationthat
occursatthepeakofsexualarousal.Butnotallsexual
arousalleadstoorgasm.
•Duringtheorgasmstagetheheartrate,blood
pressure,muscletension,andbreathingratespeak.
•Thepelvicmusclenearthevagina,theanalsphincter,
andtheuteruscontract.Musclecontractionsinthe
vaginalareacreateahighlevelofpleasure,thoughall
orgasmsarecenteredintheclitoris.

22. 4.Resolution:-Inthisphase,theprocessof
excitementandplateaustagesreverse,and
thebodiesofbothmenandwomenreturn
totheunarousedstateandthereisreduction
inmusculartension.

23. SEXUAL DYSFUNCTIONS:-
Some of the sexual dysfunctions are listed here :
•Impotence(Erectile dysfunction) :-Refers to
the inability of a man to have or maintain an
erection.
•Premature Ejaculation:-It occurs when the
man is not able to postpone or control his
ejaculation.

24. •Female orgasmic dysfunction:-(Anorgasmia, or
inhibited female orgasm) refers to the inability of a
woman to have an orgasm.
•Inhibited male orgasm:-Occurs when a man cannot
have an orgasm despite being highly aroused.
•Dyspareunia:-Refers to painful intercourse in either
women or men.
•Low sexual desire:-is a lack of interest in sexual
activity.
•Discrepant sexual desire:-refers to a condition in
which partners have considerably different levels of
sexual interest.