THE SEXUAL SELF

PERSPECTIVE OF HUMAN SEXUALITY

• Sexual Selfhood is defined as how one thinks about
himself or herself as a sexual individual.
1. HISTORICAL: In ancient Greece, it is the male that
assumes the dominant role. The male symbol, the
penis, was viewed as the symbol of fertility and how the
male body structured was greatly admired. Their wives
was considered as objects to be possessed just like
property. Women on the other hand, were forbidden to
own property and had no legal and political rights.
Women were not allowed to even read and write. Her
only function was to bear children. The Greek word for
woman is “gyne” mean “bearer of children.”
• THE MIDDLE AGES (476-1450), bore witness to the
strong influence of the church, particularly in mattes
of sexuality. The church decreed that all sexual acts
that do not lead to procreation were considered evil.
• In the protestant reformation of the 16th century
(1483-1546): Protestantism believed that sexuality
is a natural part of life and that priests should be
able to marry have families. Martin Luther and John
Calvin asserted that the reason for sexual intimacy
was to strengthen the physical and emotional bond
between husbands and wives and not just for
procreation.
• By the 17th and 18th Century, the Puritans, a
group of people who were discontented with the
Church of England rallied for religious, moral and
societa reformation. They had positive views on
marital sex and did not condone sex outside
marriage. Premarital sex, therefore, was
considered immoral.
• In the Victorian Era (1837-1901), homosexuality
and prostitution were rampant and considered to
be threat to social order. In this period the
Psychoanalytic Theory of Sigmund Freud
became popular.
 People in this era were not comfortable in
discussing breast or buttocks, they used other terms
instead (like white meat or dark meat). Sex for
women was just a marital duty and it was assumed
that they were pure and asexual. Women were told
that they should not enjoy having sex, and if they
dis, there was something wrong with them. Other
beliefs that proliferated in this era were: ejaculating
more than once a month would greatly weaken a
man, masturbation leads to blindness, insanity and
death. Despite all these beliefs, prostitution still
flourish in the city of London.
 Through the years and in the 20th century, interest in
sexuality became more evident and accepted in
society. The church and state reduced the influence the
church had over sexual mores. This is the period when
pregnancy can be controlled by natural and artificial
contraception. This period is also marked by increase
incidence of sexually transmitted infections because of
high risk sexual activities. The rise of feminism allowed
for changes in employment, home life, and sexual
standards for women. Over time, cultural diversity and
social norms offered varied views on what today may
be considered as sexual normal (Rosentha, 2013)
2. Biological: Knowing the structures and functions
of the reproductive system is essential to the
understanding of sexuality. In the nervous system
that initiates and organizes sexual behavior.
Through the process of sexual reproduction, the
next generation of human beings are created by
the fusion of the egg cell and sperm cell. At the
start of puberty, changes that happen in the bodies
of the young males and females are both
secondary and primary sexual changes.
• Secondary Sex Characteristic
MALE FEMALE
Voice become much lower Breast enlarge
Hair growth on chest, face, underarms, Hair growth underarms and pubic area
legs and pubic area
Increase in muscle size Hip widens
Skin becomes oily and pores enlarge Skin becomes oily and pores enlarge

• Primary Sex Characteristics

MALE FEMALE
Testes Ovaries
Penis Fallopian Tubes
Scrotum Uterus
Seminal vescles and prostate glands Vagina
• When intercourse happens between a healthy
and sexually mature male and female then
fertilization may take place and pregnancy
(gestation period) begins. In the first few weeks
of gestation, the internal as well as the external
genital structures of all human fetus are the
same. The gender of the baby which is
determined during fertilization is not yet
conspicuous. It can only be physically noted
within 16th to 18th weeks of pregnancy.
• Chromosomes which are the threadlike structures
found in the nucleus of each cell of the body are
composed of genes which are the basic unit of
heredity. It is the sequence of DNA contained in the
genes that gives instruction as to how the body will be
structured and how it will function. Human beings have
23 pairs (46) of chromosomes in the nucleus of each
body cell. The first 22 pairs are called autosomes, and
the 23rd pair are the sex chromosomes (XX or XY). It
determines whether the individual is male or female.
Females normally have XX chromosomes as her 23 rd
pair while males normally has XY. In the early stages
of embryonic development, both sexes have similar
internal structures.
3, SOCIOBIOLOLOGICAL/EVOLUTIONARY.
This perspective studies how evolutionary forces
affect sexual behavior. According to sociobiological
theory, natural selection is a process by which
organisms that are best suited to their environment
are most likely to survive. Traits that lead to
reproductive advantage tend to be passed on,
whereas maladaptive traits are lost. On the basis
of human sexual behavior, it all begins with
physical attraction.
 Beauty is more than just a cultural standard. It is
primarily an evolutionary standard for attracting the
best male or female in the lot to ensure that one’s
genetic characteristic will be passed on to the next
generation. Sexual preference for females with big
breasts or for males with broad shoulders and
muscular torsos is instinctively more for genetic
survival than for pleasure or social status. Big
breasted females produce more milk to ensure the
survival of the offspring while broad shouldered
muscled males ensure safety and security of the
offspring.
 Although survival is the goal of the evolutionary
perspective, physical attraction which ends in sex
does not mean that the attraction will be lasting.
For what is important in human sexual
relationships is the love, care and responsibility
each gender has for the other. To have this is to
ensure not only the physical survival of the
offspring but the kind of life the offspring will pass
on to the next generation.
4. PSYCHOLOGICAL. Rosenthal (2013) also
explained that sexuality is not a mere physical
response. Rather, it also involves emotions, thoughts
and beliefs. Sigmund Freud was one of the
prominent person to explain sexuality through his
theories. According to him, human beings are faced
with two forces- sex instinct or libido (pleasure) and
death or aggressive instinct (harm toward oneself or
towards others. Sex instinct does not only pertain to
the sexual act rather it could also mean anything that
could give pleasure to the person. Thus, human
behaviours is geared towards satisfying the sex
instinct and/ or death instinct.
 A person’s libido or sexual energy is located in an
area of the body at different psychosexual stages.
These areas of pleasure are called erogenous
zones. It includes the mouth, anus and genitals.
There are five stages in Freud Psychosexual
Stages of Development.
a. Oral Stage, the child erogenous zones is the
mouth which receives gratification though
eating and sucking.
b. Anal Stage, the erogenous zone is the anus in
which sexual gratification is derived from
defecation.
c. Phallic Stage, erogenous zone is the genitals.
Here the child experiences sexual attraction
towards the opposite sex parent. Oedipus
complex (sexual attraction of the boy child
towards the mother) and electra complex (sexual
attraction of the girl child towards the fathers.)
d. Latency Stage, sexual impulses lie dormant as
the child is occupied by social activities such as
going to school and playing.
e. Genital Stage where the erogenous zone is again
the genitals. At this time, the sexual attraction is
directed towards others, usually one of the
opposite sex.
5. Religious.
• Judaism holds a positive and natural look
toward marital sex which they consider as
blessed by God and pleasurable for both man
and woman. Sexual connection provides an
opportunity for spirituality and transcendence.
• In Islam, family is considered of utmost
importance, and celibacy within marriage is
prohibited. Muslim men are allowed to have up
to four wives but Muslim women can only have
one husband. Sex is permitted only within
marriage and extra marital sex is penalized.
• According to Taoism, which originated in China,
sex is not only natural and healthy, but a sacred
union necessary to people’s physical, mental
and spiritual being. The sexual union is a way to
balance male and female energy.
• In Hinduism, sexuality is seen as spiritual force,
and the act of ritual lovemaking is a means of
both celebrating and transcending the physical.
• For the Roman Catholic Church, marriage is
purely for intercourse and procreation. Pope John
Paul II confirmed the idea that married couples
should engage in intercourse only for the
purposes of procreation as late as 1995 in the
Encyclical Evangelium Vitae. They further
believed that homosexual orientation in itself is
not sinful, but homosexual acts are immoral and
sinful. The use of birth control is stronly opposed
but they agree to natural family planning and
prohibit abortion. (Rosenthal, 2013)
CLARIFYING SEXUAL TERMINOLOGIES
• SEX- is derived from the Latin word secare
which means “to divide.”
• SEXUALITY – “to unite”
• SEXUAL IDENTITY includes sexual orientation
(either homosexual or heterosexual), his ability
to manage sexual feelings (such as sexual
arousal and attraction, activities, interest and
style and behaviour) and his capacity to regulate
his sexual behaviour to avoid undesirable
consequences.
• GENDER refers to the characteristics of people
as male and females. It is the lived role as boy
and girl, man or woman.
• GENDER ROLE – a set of expectations that
prescribes how females and males should think,
act and feel.
• SEX or SEXUAL refer to the biological indicators
of male or female or having the capacity to
reproduce.
• GENDER ASSIGNMENT (natal gender) refers
to the initial assignment as male or female
which usually occurs at birth.
• GENDER REASSIGNMENT denotes an official
and usually legal change of gender.
• GENDER IDENTITY is a category of social
identity that refers to an individual’s identification
as male, female or some category other than
male or female. It is a person’s subjective sense
of being a man or woman.
• MUSCULINE refers to the qualities and
behaviours judged by a particular culture to be
ideally associated with or especially appropriate
to men and boys
• FEMININE can be described as qualities and
behaviours judged by a particular culture to be
ideally associated with or especially appropriate
to women and girls.
• ANDROGYNY- those who have both masculine
and feminine traits, feelings and qualities.
• ASEXUAL are the persons who do not
experience sexual drives or attraction to either
sex.
• HYPERSEXUAL are persons with an excessive
interest in sex to the point where it can cause
problem in one’s life (Rosenthal, 2013).
THE PHASES OF HUMAN SEXUAL RESPONSE
Master and Johnson categorized the human erotic
response into four stages which they called the Human
Sexual Response Cycle (HSRC):
STAGE DESCRIPTION
Excitement This is the body’s initial response to sexual arousal. It is
characterized by an increase in heart rate and blood
pressure as well as heightened muscle tone.
Plateau This is a period of sexual excitement prior to orgasm. It is
characterized by intensification of the changes begun
during the excitement phase.
Orgasm This is characterized by waves of intense pleasure
(climax), often associated with vaginal contractions in
female and ejaculation in males.
Resolution In this phase of the body returns to its non excited state.
THE CHEMISTRY OF LUST, LOVE AND
ATTACHMENT

Attraction is a characteristic that causes pleasure

or interest by appealing to a person’s desires or
tastes and causes one to be drawn to the other.
THREE PHASES OF ROMANTIC LOVE
STAGE CHARACTERISTICS HORMONES AND NEURAL
PATHWAYS INVOLVED
Lust Phase This is described as an Androgen and estrogen
intense craving for sexual pheromones and the senses
contact
Attraction Phase It is the period of time during High dopamine and
which couples are infatuated norepinephrine; low serotonin
and pursue a relationship.
The energy and attention is
focused on one particular
person
Attachment Phase It is a long term bond Oxytocin, vasopressin
between partners. It is a
feeling of security, comfort
and emotional union.
JOHN LEE’s LOVE STYLE
1. EROS – Love is based on strong sexual and
emotional component. This type of love creates
initial excitement of a new relationship. A
romantic and passionate love which
emphasizes physical attraction and sexual
desire. The eros lover dreams of the ideal
characteristics of a partner and usually
experiences love at first sight. The relationship,
however, seldom lasts forever because they
tend to be quick to fall in and out of love.
2. AGAPE. This is altruistic and selfless love. The
person shows his love without expecting to
receive the same in return.
3. STORGE – this is love related friendship and
based on nonsexual affection. The person
experiences love as gradual and slow process.
When love is storge, love takes time. Storgic
lovers don’t suddenly fall in love with an
idealized lover. Commitment, stability and
comfort are their goals.
4. LUDUS. For ludic lovers, love is just a game,
something for fun or entertainment. They do
not experience jealousy. Tey don’t value
commitment and intimacy. They manipulate
their partners by lying, cheating and deceiving.
5. MANIA. This is characterized by an intense
feeling which may lead to obsessive and
possessive love towards the loved one. Manic
lovers always check the partner’s whereabouts.
They easily get jealous and their experience of
love is out of control. They are easily taken
advantage of by ludic lovers.
6. This is a practical and business-like love.
Pragmatic loves may plan the best time to get
married, have children, and other future plans.
Love is based on what is appropriate. It is not
intense nor out of control (Rosenthal, 2013).
THE TRIANGULAR THEORY OF LOVE
According to psychologist Robert Stenberg, love is
made up o three components.
1. INTIMACY. This includes the desire to give and
receive emotional closeness, support, caring and
sharing.
2. PASSION. This is the hot component of love which
can be described as intensely romantic or sexual
desire for another person usually accompanied by
physical attraction and physiological arousal.
3. COMMITMENT. This is the cold component of
love. It is the decision to maintain the relationship
through good times and bad times.
THE CHEMISTRY OF LOVE
It explains how several chemical substances in the
body have been found to naturally influence the
experience of love.
1. DAPOMINE (DA) and NOREPINEPHRINE (NE) are
neurotransmitters that are involved in mood,
motivation, attention and excitement. Brain areas
that fire when people vie a picture of their romantic
partner are pathways that are rich in dapomine.
Drugs such as cocaine, amphetamine, and Ritalyn
raise DA levels that lead to physiological reactions
such as increase attention, exhilaration, pounding
heart, loss of sleep and appetite and anxiety.
2. SEROTONIN is a neurotransmitter that has
been associated with mood, obsession, sex and
sleep. The level of serotonin decreases during
infatuation which may cause the obsession one
feels during the early phase of love. It is also low in
patients who have obsessive-compulsive disorder
and depression. It is believed that passionate
romantic love generally lasts within 6-18 months
based on a study conducted which suggests that
people who are madly in love have increased the
level of serotonin after this period.
3. PHENYLETHYLAMINE (PEA) is a
neurochemical that can increase the level and
NE especially in the pathways involving mood
and pleasure. This has been called the “love
drug” because high level of this substance has
been associated with love and orgasm and to
people who are happy with their relationship.
Amphetamine like PEA is partially
responsible for the feeling of euphoria and
exhilaration experienced during infatuation.
4. OXYTOCIN AND VASOPRESSIN are
neuropeptides released from pituitary glands.
The oxytocin causes the uterus to contract
during childbirth and allows the release of
breast milk. It is also important in trust,
empathy, emotional accessibility, pair bonding
and close relationship.
5. ENDORPHINS were named for “endogenous
morphine,” the body’s natural opiates, similar to
the man-made drugs morphine or heroin.
The psychology of love shows that there are
psychological theories that would explain why
people fall in love.
1. BEHAVIORAL REINFORCEMENT THEORY.
When someone received a reward such as free
ride or other favours from another, a positive
feeling may be experienced. The better feelings
associated with the behaviour of a person, the
more likely it is for the behaviour to be
repeated.
2. PHYSIOLOGICAL AROUSAL THEORY. This
explains the most acceptable theories about
emotions: the bodies experience a
physiological change first, then people assign
an emotion to that physical sensation. It is
based on the interpretation of the brain.
3. EVOLUTIONARY THEORIES. This explains
that love arose due to some sociobiological
need. Males tend to look for young, healthy
female mates to carry their offspring. Females
prefer males who have the resources to
support them and their offspring.
Based on psychological data, the factors that
would determine with whom people fall in love are;
1. Physical attractiveness
2. Reciprocity
3. Proximity
4. Similarities
TYPES OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION
1. HOMOSEXUAL refers to a person whose
sexual orientation is toward another if the same
sex.
• Lesbian is a term used to describe a woman
whose sexual and romantic attraction is toward
women.
• Gay is a man whose sexual and romantic
attraction is toward other men.
2. HETEROSEXUAL is a person whose sexual
orientation is toward others of opposite sex.
3. BISEXUAL is a person who may be sexually
oriented to both men and women.
4. PANSEXUAL is a new sexual orientation of a
person who are sexually attracted to people
regardless of their sex or gender identity.
5. TRANSGENDER refers to the broad spectrum
of individuals who transiently or persistently
identify with a gender different from their natal
gender.
SEXUAL TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS
1. HIV/AIDS stands for Human Immunodeficiency
Virus while AIDS for Acquired Immunodeficiency
Syndrome.
2. GENITAL HERPES. This is sexually transmitted
infection caused by a large family of viruses of
different strains. These strains produce other non
sexually transmitted diseases such as chicken
pox and mononucleosis.
3. GENITAL WARTS. This is an STI caused by the
human papillomavirus; genital warts are very
contagious and are most commonly acquired STI
in the USA in the 15-24 year old age group.
4. GONORRHEA. This is a sexually transmitted infection
caused by the bacterium Neisseria Gonorrhoea which
thrives in the most mucous membranes linings of the
mouth, throat, vagina, cervix, urethra and the tract.
5. SYPHILIS. This is a sexually transmitted infection
caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum, a
spirochete. If left untreated, syphillis may progress
through four phases: Primary (chancre sores appear)
Secondary (general skin rashes occur), latent (a
period that can last for several years with no overt
symptoms, and tertiary (cardiovascular disease,
blindness, paralysis, skin ulcers, liver damage, mental
problem and even death may occur).
6. CHLAMYDIA. This is one of the most common
sexually transmitted infections, named for
Chlamydia trachomatis, an organism that spreads
through sexual contact and infects the genital
organs of both sexes. Many females with
chlamydia are asymptomatic. Although they can
occur without sexual contact, urinary tract or
bladder infection and vaginal yeast infection are
common among sexually active females (Santrock,
2014).
METHODS OF CONTRACEPTION
1. Hormonal Method of Contraception
a. Oral Contraceptives
b. The patch
c. The ring implants
d. Injectable
2. Barrier Method
a. Diaphragm
b. Cervical Caps
c. Male and Female Condoms
3. Behavioural Methods
a. Rhythm or Calendar Method
b. Abstinence or celibacy
c. Outer course
d. Withdrawal
4. Sterilization
a. Tubal ligation/ sterilization
b. Vasectomy
5. Intrauterine Device (IUD)
6. Emergency Contraception