Unit 12: Intimate Relationships and
Human Sexuality
Characteristics of intimate
relationships
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Love, sex and commitment
Mutual trust and affection
Realistic expectations: we’re not all perfect!
Open communication
Mutual respect
Egalitarian roles
They balance activities that they enjoy doing
together and with others
• Agreement on religious and ethical values
Marriage
• Married people are healthier and have longer
longevity than non married people
• Why?
– Selection theory?
– Protection theory?
Take home message: Factors that increase chance of marriages lasting =
Definition of LOVE (Merriam Webster)
1 a (1) : strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties <maternal love for
a child> (2) : attraction based on sexual desire : affection and tenderness felt by lovers (3) :
affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests <love for his old
schoolmates> b : an assurance of love <give her my love>
2 : warm attachment, enthusiasm, or devotion <love of the sea>
3 a : the object of attachment, devotion, or admiration <baseball was his first love> b (1) : a
beloved person : darling —often used as a term of endearment (2) British —used as an
informal term of address
4 a : unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another: as (1) : the fatherly
concern of God for humankind (2) : brotherly concern for others b : a person's adoration of
God
5 : a god or personification of love
6 : an amorous episode : love affair
7 : the sexual embrace : copulation
8 : a score of zero (as in tennis)
Love
 More than just sex or that ‘high’ you feel when they are
around
 Real love is based on caring and commitment
 “falling in love” is sometimes a ‘trick’, not necessarily real
love
 Meant to make humans reproduce?
 “the will to extend one’s self for the purpose of nurturing
one’s own or another’s spiritual growth” (Peck 1978)
Human Sexuality!
SEXUAL ANATOMY!
WARNING: THERE ARE REAL PICTURES
OF HUMAN GENITALIA ON THE
FOLLOWING SLIDES. THERE ARE ALSO
REAL ANATOMICAL DISSECTIONS OF
CERTAIN SEXUAL ORGANS
Male Anatomy
•
•
•
•
The testes -produce sperm and testosterone
Scrotum - encloses and protects the testes
Epididymis – stores sperm
Vas deferens - connects the epididymis with
the urethra
• Urethra – transports both semen and urine
Male Reproductive Anatomy
The Penis!
Composed of three masses of erectile tissue
When the spaces in the erectile tissue fill with blood =
erection!
The end of the penis is the very sensitive glans penis
(7)
The border of the glans penis is the even more sensitive
corona
On the posterior side of the penis, there is a small
triangular indentation on the corona called the frenulum
(6) *(where foreskin used to or does attach)
The frenulum is believed to be the most sensitive part
of the male penis!
T&M 27.10
The Penis!
Uncircumcised penis
Male circumcision has been
associated with decrease risk of
STI’s and general infections.
No conclusive evidence either way
as to whether it decreases
sensitivity
The size of a man’s flaccid penis has no
correlation with the size of his erect penis
Does Size Matter?
• Average male penis length varies between 5-6 inches erect
• The first 5th of the female vagina has the most nerve
endings
• The size of the penis can ‘shrink’ due to cold temperature
or nervousness
• Survey of 52,031 heterosexuals found that 85% of women
were satisfied with their partner’s penis size, only 55% of
males were satisfied with their length
Male Performance Concerns
• Erectile Dysfunction- inability to achieve full
erection or an erection at all
• 2 main types
– Physiological
• Hormonal, age-related, side-effect of prescription drugs,
alcohol, drugs, obesity
• Associated with Diabetes, decreased testosterone
– Constriction ring may help
– Drugs can treat
» Viagra allows the erectile tissue to become filled with blood
– Psychological
• Performance anxiety, stress, mental disorders
Male Performance Concerns
• Premature Ejaculation- when a man ejaculates before he
wants to, to a point where it causes distress/concern
• Treatments:
– Practicing control/endurance during masturbation
– The “squeeze technique”
• When ejaculation is imminent, penis is squeezed between shaft and
glans, until sensation disappears.
• Wait 30 seconds
• Resume fun!
– Non-sexual thoughts
– Swapping foreplay and sex throughout?
– Yoga?
– Topical aesthetic creams
– Sexual therapy
– Antidepressants
– Psychotherapy
Reproductive Female Anatomy
Keywords
• Egg/ ovum – meets sperm
• Ovaries
– produce estrogen
– produce egg; released during ovulation
• Fallopian tube – site of fertilization
• Uterus – where the implanted fetus grows
• Vagina – passageway for penis, child
Female Reproductive Anatomy
Vulva
The Vulva is the term for the female external
genitalia
This entire area is a specific erogenous zone with
increased density of sensory nerves
– Consists of the:
– Mons pubis – pubic region covered by hair
– Labia (minora/majora) – inner and outer flaps of
skin that cover the vagina
– Clitoris – pleasure center!!!
Labias come in all shapes, sizes and
colours!
Hymen
A fold of mucous membrane that partially covers the vaginal opening until ruptured.
When ruptured, bleeding may result
The Clitoris!
‘‘a lucky stroke of fate that nature forgot to deactivate’’
-Stephen Jay Gould
The visible clitoris is a small cylindrical mass of erectile tissue
It has approx 8000 nerve endings
It is covered externally by the prepuce of the clitoris (hood).
The part of the clitoris you can see is the glans clitoris,
however, believe it or not, most of the clitoris is internal
(and it’s surprisingly gigantic!)
It is the only organ in the human body
whose ONLY purpose is pleasure!
(and it’s ours!!! Ha!)
All the rest =
internal clitoris!
The Penis vs the Clitoris
Both the penis and clitoris develop from the same embryonic tissue, making them
similar in structure
Anatomy of the Clitoris
Frontal plane
The G-spot
Note: not a distinct, anatomical location!
This figure demonstrates its general area
The “G-spot”!!
• “Anterior wall erogenous complex”??
• It is widely accepted to be present in some females
• However, evidence is not definitive, many
gynaecologist/urologist refute its presence
• Anatomical study of 110 vaginas (cadavers) found
no distinct neurological area that could be
described as a G-spot (Hines and by Pauls et al.
(2006)
– ‘a sort of gynecologic UFO: much sought for, much
discussed, but unverified by objective means’ (Hines,
2001)
The “G-spot”!!
• An Italian study found that women who reported G-spot
orgasms tended to have thicker vaginal walls
• The location varies among females (if it’s there at all). It
is in the general area of the anterior wall of the vagina, a
few centimetres in
• Best way to stimulate the region:
• A) during foreplay: two fingers are inserted into the
vagina and the anterior wall is palpated with a “come
hither” motion.
• B) during intercourse: woman on top or during rear
entry (Ladas et al. 2005)
• May be the region responsible for female ejaculation
Female Ejaculation
• Not fully understood in the scientific community
• Emitted from some women during orgasm from the urethra or paraurethral glands (controversial)
• NOT urination (although may contain traces); chemically similar to
seminal fluid
• Can inhibit orgasm for a woman if she believes she is about to urinate
and stops herself
• Anecdotal evidence has described the area that produces the
response as a “ball” a few centimetres into the vagina, that enlarges
once aroused, producing a sensation similar to the urge to urinate
THE HUMAN SEXUAL RESPONSE
Sex and Health
• Palmore (1982) found that frequency of intercourse
in males, not females increased longevity
– Past enjoyment of intercourse increased longevity in
females
• American nuns had a 20% higher breast cancer risk
than sexually active US females
• Associated with increased immune function in
males
• Believed to be equivalent to a moderate bout of
exercise
Sex and Health
• Penile-Vaginal intercourse (PVI) was a significant
predictor of mental health satisfaction
• PVI frequency/ orgasmic frequency positively
associated with relationship quality components
• Higher masturbation frequency is correlated with
depression in several studies
• PVI improves strength of pelvic floor muscles
• PVI associated with protection from cardiovascular
stress
Erogenous Zones
• Specific- have increased surface area of dermal
layers, thus more sensory nerves
– Penis, foreskin, perianal skin, lip, nipple, vulva, clitoris
• Non-specific- similar to the other normal hairy skin
nearby
– Sides of back/neck, armpits, sides of lower back
The Stages of the Sexual Response
• Masters and Johnson (1966) were the first to
propose the four stages of the sexual response
• 1. Excitement
 2. Plateau
 3. Orgasm
 4. Resolution
The Male Sexual Response
The Female Sexual Response
Female vs. Male Sexual Response
 Males, unlike females, experience a refractory period following the
response, during which another orgasm cannot be achieved.
 Females have a prolonged orgasm
 The female resolution stage may be longer
 The female is able to have multiple orgasms!
 Men are generally aroused more easily
 A female may not have an orgasm with intercourse alone. It is more often
than not the case that she also requires stimulation of the clitoris to
achieve orgasm
The Elusive Female Orgasm:
Physiological or Psychological?
• In both males and females, the orgasm is typically
evidenced by muscle contractions in the genital region
accompanied by a ‘general sense of well-being’
• It is an autonomic response originating in the limbic system
of the brain (associated with emotion, behaviour and longterm memory)
• The quality and intensity of the female, not male, orgasm
has been associated with the amount of loving emotion she
feels towards her partner as evidenced by activation of
specific brain regions
The Elusive Female Orgasm:
Physiological or Psychological?
• The female orgasm may be more tied to emotional social bonding than in males
– Oxytocin is a typically known as the hormone associated with
childbirth/nursing in females
– It is now also believed to play a significant role in human bonding and trust
– Interestingly, there is a dramatic increase in secretion during both the male
and female sexual response, but its secretion is only associated with the
intensity of the female orgasm
– It is also associated with increased vaginal lubrication in females
– Its secretion also increases during foreplay, caresses or massages, kissing,
hearing lover’s voice, loving thoughts
– Implication: Women perhaps require stronger attachment bonds
and/ or “warming up” in order to experience a strong orgasm
The Female Orgasm from an
Anatomical Perspective
• Current conceptual models:
– Away from the concept of a separate vaginal and
clitoridian orgasm
– Towards concept of a single anatomophysiological unit
• Clitoris + anterior vagina (both swell during sex)
+ associated ligaments
• “Anterior wall erogenous complex” ?
– Possibly all of these parts participate in orgasm
Female Sexual Dysfunction
• Falls into 4 basic categories:
– a low sex drive/aversion to sex
– difficulty becoming aroused
– inability to reach orgasm
– pain during sex
• Causes
– physical (diabetes, obesity, CVD, low testosterone)
– emotional (stress, fatigue, depression)
– Mixture of 2
– Many drugs used to fight depression also reduce desire!
(cruel irony)
Yoga and sex
• Yoga might improve sexual encounters since it:
– Improves flexibility and balance
– Improves strength
– Improves aerobic stamina
– Promotes awareness of the senses
– Improves body awareness
– Improves body image
VARIATIONS IN SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR
Sexual Behaviours of Young Adults
Types of Sexual Activities According
to Type of Relationship
Acceptable Variations in sexual
behaviour
 Masturbation
 Oral sex
 Anal sex
 Homosexuality
 Approx 4% males, 2% females homosexual
 Fetishes?
 Yes, but depends (ex. Paedophilia is a fetish)
 Commercial sex?
 (from a health perspective it’s acceptable, but it’s still
debateable)
 Pornography
 prostitution
Unacceptable Variations in Sexual
Behaviour
• Rape
• Any sexual activity involving children
• Forced prostitution