SEXUAL LIFE

Embrace your sexual self: A Practical Guide for Women

Development of Secondary
Sex Characteristics and the
human reproductive
system

The reproductive systems of

males and females begin to
develop soon after conception.The
increase in sex steroid hormones
leads to maturation of the gonads
and other reproductive organs.
The initiation of spermatogenesis
begins in boys, and girls begin
ovulating and menstruating.

Development of the Sexual

Organs in the Embryo and Fetus

This is called the SRY (Sex-determining

Region of the Y chromosome). In both
male and female embryos, the same
 group of cells has the potential to develop into either the male or
female gonads; this tissue is considered bipotential.

Further Sexual Development Occurs at Puberty

Puberty is the phase of improvement at which people become

explicitly adult. The result of puberty is diverse for young men
and young ladies, yet the hormonal procedure is comparable.
The grouping of young men and young ladies is unsurprising,
bringing about grown-up physical qualities and the ability to
repeat.

STAGE PUBERTY STAGES IN GIRLS PUBERTY STAGES IN BOYS

Between ages of and 11: Between the ages of 9 and 12:

The ovaries enlarge and hormone No visible sign of development occur, but
production starts, but external internally, male hormones become a lot
1
development is not yet visible. more active. Sometimes a growth spurt
begins at this time.

Between the ages of 8 and 14: Between the ages of 9 and 15:

First external sign is usually breast

 development. Height increase, body shape changes
2
The nipples will be tender and elevated Muscle tissue and fat develop

The area around the nipple will increase The aureole, dark skin around the nipple,
in size darken and increase size

First stage of pubic hair, It may coarse Testitacles and scrotum grow but penis
and curly or fine and straight does not

Height and weight increase at this time. A little bit of pubic hair begins to grow at
The body gets rounder and curvier. the base of the penis.
Between the ages of 9 and 15: Between the ages of 11 an 15:

Breast growth continues, and pubic hair The penis starts to grow. It tend to grow
gets coarser and darker. in length rather than width.

3 Whitish discharge from vagina may be Pubic hair is getting darker and coarser
present. and spreading to where the legs meet the
torso

From girls the first period come at this

time Boys continue to grow in height, and
even their faces begin to appeal more
mature.

The shoulders broaden, making the tips

look smaller.

Muscle tissue increases, and their voice

starts to change.

Finally, facial hair begins to develop on

the upper lip.
 Between the ages of 10 and 16: Between the ages of 11 to 17:

Some girls notice that their aureoles gets The penis starts to grow in width too.
even darker and separate into a little
mound rising above the rest of the breast.
The testicles and scrotum also continue
to grow. Hair may begin grow to the anus.
Pubic hair may begin to have a more
adult triangular pattern of growth.
The texture of penis becomes more adult
looking. Underarms and facial hair
4 If did not happen in stage three, increases as well.
menstruation should start now

The first ejaculations typically appear at

Ovulation may start now too. But it will not approximately 15 years old, but this age
necessary occur in regular basis. can vary widely across individuals boys,

Skin gets oilier, and the voice continues

to deepen
Between the ages of 12 and 19: Between the ages of 14 to 18:

This is the final stage of development. Full Boys reach their full adult height.
height is reached and young women are
ovulating regularly.
Pubic hair and the genitals look like an
5 adult man’s do.
Pubic hair is filled in, and the breast are
developed fully for the body.
At this point too, shaving is necessity.

Some young men continue to grow at this

time. Even into their twenties.
What are the erogenous zones
of the body?

Erogenous zone was advanced

during the 1970s to depict zone of the
body that are exceptionally touchy to
boosts and are frequently explicitly
energizing. In this specific situation, "
Highly Sensitive" signifies these
regions of the body have a high
number of tangible receptors or nerve
endings that respond to upgrades.
Experts as a rule talk about erotic
nature regarding the intricate
upgrades are affiliations that offer
ascent to a thankful reaction
The skin
The skin serve as the primary erotic stimulus. Two types of
erogenous zones exist in the skin.

1. Nonspecific type
a. It is similar to any other portion of the usual haired skin.
b. The nerve supplying it are composed of the usual
density of dermal-nerve network and air-follicle networks.
c. The learned and anticipated pleasurable sensations
when a stimulus is presented in these regions produce
the amplified sensation.
d. The pleasurable sensation felt from these regions is
simply an exaggerated form of tickle.
e. Example of this type of skin are the side and back of the
neck, the armpit and the side of the chest

2. Specific type
a. It s found in mucocutaneous regions of the body or those
regions made both of mucous membrane and cutaneous
skin.
b. These regions favor acute perception.
c. These specific site of acute sensation are genitals regions,
including the prepuce, penis, the female external genitalia,
the perianal skin, lips, and nipples
The prepuce is the retractable fold of skin covering the tip of penis.

The penis is a male erectile organ of copulation by which urine and

semen are discharges from the body.
Female external genitalia include:
 The mons pubis
 The clitoris. A female sexual organ that s small, sensitive,
and located in front of the opening of the vagina.
 The labia majora are fleshy lips around the vagina.
 Vaginal introitus is the opening that leads to the vaginal
canal.
 The hymen is a membrane that surrounds or partially covers
that external vaginal opening.

Perianal skin refers to the area of the body surrounding the

anus, and in particular, the skin. The perianal skin is sensitive
and is susceptible to injury and damage from diarrhea, constipation,
and disease.
Lips are soft, movable, and serve as the opening for food
intake and in the articulation of sound and speech. Human lips are
a tactile sensory organ, and can be an erogenous zone when used
in kissing and other acts of intimacy.
The nipple is a raised region of tissue on the surface of
the breast.

Understanding the human sexual response

The sexual response cycle refers to the sequence of physical and
emotional changes that occur as a person becomes sexually
aroused and participates in sexually stimulating activities, including
intercourse and masturbation.
 Knowing how your body responds during
each phase of the cycle can enhance your
relationship and help you pinpoint the
cause of any sexual problems
Both men and women experience these
phases, although the timing usually is
different. For example, it is unlikely that
both partners will reach orgasm at the
same time. In addition, the intensity of the
response and the time spent in each phase
varies from person to person.

PHASES General characteristics

Phase 1:  Muscle tension increases.

excitemen  Heart rate quickens and breathing is accelerated.
t
 Skin may become flushed).
 Nipples become hardened or erect.
 Blood flow to the genitals increases, resulting in swelling of the
woman's clitoris and labia minora (inner lips), and erection of the
man's penis.
 The woman's breasts become fuller and the vaginal walls begin to
swell.

Phases 2:  The changes begun in phase 1 are intensified.

Plateau  The vagina continues to swell from increased blood flow, and the
vaginal walls turn a dark purple.
 The woman's clitoris becomes highly sensitive (may even be painful
to touch) and retracts under the clitoral hood to avoid direct
stimulation from the penis.
 The man's testicles are withdrawn up into the scrotum.
 Breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure continue to increase.
 Muscle spasms may begin in the feet, face, and hands.
  Muscle tension increases.

Phases 3: The orgasm is the climax of the sexual response cycle. It is the shortest of
Orgasm the phases and generally lasts only a few seconds

 Involuntary muscle contractions begin.

 Blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing are at their highest rates,
with a rapid intake of oxygen.
 Muscles in the feet spasm.
 There is a sudden, forceful release of sexual tension.
 In women, the muscles of the vagina contract. The uterus also
undergoes rhythmic contractions.
 In men, rhythmic contractions of the muscles at the base of the penis
result in the ejaculation of semen.
 A rash, or "sex flush" may appear over the entire body.

Phases 4: During resolution, the body slowly returns to its normal level of
Resolution functioning, and swelled and erect body parts return to their previous
size and color. This phase is marked by a general sense of well-being,
enhanced intimacy and, often, fatigue. Some women are capable of a
rapid return to the orgasm phase with further sexual stimulation and
may experience multiple orgasms. Men need recovery time after
orgasm, called a refractory period, during which they cannot reach
orgasm again. The duration of the refractory period varies among men
and usually lengthens with advancing age.

Sex and the brain. What part are involved?

Primary sex is the process of combining male and female
genes to form an offspring. At some point of their life, everyone will
engage in sexual behaviour or at least experience sexual desire.
Roles of brain in sexuality activity:
1. The brain is responsible for translating the nerve impulses sensed
by the skin into pleasurable sensations.
2. It control the nerves and muscles used in sexual activities.
3. Sexual thought and fantasies are theorized to lie in the cerebral
cortex, the same area are used for thinking and reasoning.
4. Emotions and feelings are believed to originate in the limbic system
5. The brain releases the hormones considered as the physiological
origin of sexual desire.

Roles of hormones in sexual activity:

The hypothalamus is the most important par of brain for sexual
functioning.
This small area are the base of the brain has several group for nerve-cell
bodies that receive input from limbic system. One reason the hypothalamus is
important in human sexual activity is its relation to the pituitary gland. The
pituitary gland secretes the hormones produced in the hypothalamus.

1. Oxytocin
It is sometimes referred to as the "love hormone," because levels
of oxytocin increase during hugging and orgasm. It is released during
sexual intercourse when orgasm is achieved.
2. Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
It is responsible for ovulation in females. The National Institute
of Environmental Health Sciences in Durham, N.C, discovered
that sexual activity was more frequent during a woman’s fertile
time.
3. Luteinizing hormone (LH)
The LH is crucial in regulating the testes in men and ovaries in
women. In men, the LH stimulates the testes to produce testosterone.
In males, testosterone appears to be a major contributing factor to
sexual motivation.
4. Vasopressin
 Vasopressin is involved in the male arousal phase. The increases
of vasopressin during erectile response is believed to be directly
associated wiith increases motivation to engage in sexual behaviour.

5. Estrogen and progesterone

Estrogen and progesterone typically regulate motivation to
engage in sexual behaviour fro females, with estrogen increasing
motivation and progesterone.

Understanding the chemistry of lust,

love and attachment

Falling in love can be beautifully wild

experience. It iis rush of longing,
passion and euphoria.A few years, and
the excitement would have died down.
Each stage of this cycle can actually
be explained by your brain chemistry-
the neurotransmitters that get
stimulated to release hormones
throughout your body.
The Three stages of falling in love are:
1. Lust (erotic passion)
2. Attraction (romantic passion)
3. Attachment (commitment)

Lust
This stage is marked by physical attraction. Lust is driven
testosterone in men and estrogen in women. Lust will not
guarantee that the couple will fall in love in any lasting way.

Attraction
 At this stage, you begin to crave for your partner’s presence.
You feel excitement and energetic as you fantasize about the
things you could do together as a couple. Three chemicals trigger
this feeling: norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin.
Norepinephrine - responsible for the extra surge of energy
and triggers increased heart rate, loss of appetite, as well as
the desire of sleep. Your body is in a more alert state and is
ready for action.
Dopamine - associated with motivation and goal-directed
behavior. It makes you pursue your object of affection. It
creates a sense of novelty, where the person seems exciting,
special ans unique that you want to tell the world about his or
her admirable qualities.
Serotonin - Though to cause obsessive thinking.

Attachment
Attachment involves the desire to have lasting commitment with
your significant other. You may want to get married.

Psychological aspect of sexual desire

Sexual desire is typically viewed as an interest in sexual objects

or activities. More precisely, it is the subjective feeling of wanting to
engage in sex. Sexual desire is sometimes, but not always,
accompanied by genital arousal (such as penile erection in men
and vaginal lubrication in women). Sexual desire can be triggered
by a large variety of cues and situations, including private thoughts,
feelings, and fantasies; erotic materials (such as books, movies,
photographs); and a variety of erotic environments, situations, or
social interactions.

Sexual desire represents a more complex psychological

experience that is not dependent on hormonal factors. One useful
way to think about the distinction between sex drive and sexual
desire comes from research on nonhuman primates.
 The capacity to experience sexual desire though not
hormone-dependent, are probably still facilitated by hormones.
Children who experience such desire generally are not motivated
to seek sexual gratification or activity. Physiological arousal is not a
necessary element of sexual desire and should not be considered
a more valid marker of sexual desire than individual self-reported
feelings.

Gender differences on sexual desire

Factors that influence the notable gender difference on sexual

desire include:

 Culture
 Social environment and
 Political situations

One of the most notable gender difference on sexual desire is

that women place is the great emphasis on interpersonal
relationship as part of the experience. Males enjoy a more casual
sexual behaviour.

The different evolutionary pressures men and women face

through time,early human females practiced selective mating with
carefully chosen on men to achieve maximum reproductive
success.

Physiological mechanism of sexual behaviour motivation

Much of what we know about the physiological mechanisms that underlie

sexual behavior and motivation comes from animal research. As you’ve
learned, the hypothalamus plays an important role in motivated behaviors,
and sex is no exception.

Animal research suggests that limbic system structures such as the

amygdala and nucleus accumbens are especially important for sexual
motivation
 Amygdala is the integrative center for emotions,emotional behaviour, and
motivation.

Nucleusaccumbens plays a role in motivation and cognitive processing of

aversion.