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Chapter 5: Sexual Pleasure, Arousal, and Response Learning Objectives Pleasure, Culture, and Sexual Well-Being • Describe what is distinctive about human sex and love. • Discuss how personal sexual needs influence sexual well-being. • Understand how to create a sexual journal and the benefits of keeping one. Sexual Arousal and Response • Describe how the five senses shape and express sexuality. • Demonstrate the connection between pheromones and sexual attraction and arousal. • Discuss how sexual fantasy shapes sexual motivation and behavior. • Compare Masters and Johnson’s EPOR model of sexual response with the one proposed by Kaplan. • Understand what happens in the body during orgasm. Sexual Techniques • Identify the various sexual positions. • Describe the benefits and drawbacks of each sexual position on performance and sexual enjoyment. Sexual Pleasure as a Human Right • Understand why the right to sexual pleasure is considered essential for sexual well-being. • Explain why the power structure in many cultures prevents women from realizing their right to sexual pleasure. Chapter Outline Chapter 5: Sexual Pleasure, Arousal, and Response Learning Objectives 5.1 Discussion Topic 5.1 Discussion Topic 5.2 Learning Objectives 5.2 Discussion Topic 5.3 Discussion Topic 5.4 Discussion Topic 5.5 Discussion Topic 5.6 Discussion Topic 5.7 Learning Objectives 5.3 Discussion Topic 5.8 Discussion Topic 5.9 Learning Objectives 5.4 Discussion Topic 5.10 I. Pleasure, Culture, and Sexual Well-Being • Sexual pleasure may have emerged in human evolution as one of the most important ways for people to create intimate attachments. This means that people can connect sexual pleasure with relationships in ways that most other animals do not. • Humans can enjoy orgasm at any time, and sexual pleasure is not exclusively tied to reproduction. • Humans have depicted sexual pleasure for thousands of years. Though not as ancient as the cave art, the Kama Sutra is the world’s oldest sex manual. • The Kama Sutra, European cave art from around 35,000 BCE, and Japanese erotic art from the 17th century are striking examples of the sexual nature of humans and the high regard different cultures have had for sexual pleasure. A. Sexual Nature and Sexual Well-Being • The human species is distinctive from other species in that we combine sexual activity and interaction with the emotion of love. How strongly one feels love and the expression of sexual pleasure often go hand in hand. • When humans combine attraction, romantic love, and sexual pleasure to shape long-term relationships, sexual well-being may be fulfilled. This does not mean that all sexual relationships involve love, that casual sex may not be fulfilling, or that long-term commitment or marriage always includes sexual fulfillment. o Rather, it means that for many individuals, attraction, sexual pleasure, and love combine in ways that can be deeply meaningful. B. Cultural Influences on Sexual Pleasure and Sexual Well-Being • In many cultures, sexual pleasure and love are part of a package that allows people to experience sexual well-being. In other cultures, these attributes may be separated. o For example, in cultures with arranged marriages, romantic love may not be considered. • A culture that defines sexual nature to exclude sexual pleasure may have a negative impact on an individual’s development of sexual well-being. For example, in some cultures, same-sex partners may be belittled by their family, friends, and community, and their relationship will never be accepted. o This lack of acceptance denies the couple any possibility of openly expressing their feelings. • Some communities’ norms inhibit particular forms of sexual expression for pleasure. Sex-positive cultures tend to accept a broader range of the expression of sexual well-being and pleasure than sex-negative cultures. • Another powerful example of how culture affects sexual pleasure is the way it views masturbation, which is the self-stimulation of the genitals with one’s hand or with an object, such as a vibrator. Many cultures historically disapproved of masturbation. o Some cultures still condemn it. • Because culture exerts such a strong influence on sexual expression, there are large variations in how sexual pleasure is experienced and expressed around the globe and over time. Even within U.S. society, a major change has occurred in recent decades in the way sexual pleasure is depicted in the media, from music and movies to the Internet. C. Defining Your Personal Needs • An important task in the pursuit of sexual well-being is to understand what individuals need to be comfortable in relationships so that they can enjoy their own sexuality. • Sexual desire and love appear to be normal for all human beings. Nevertheless, people may experience these feelings differently, some leaning more toward sex, others leaning more toward love. o It depends, in part, on sexual motivation, background, culture, gender roles, and interpersonal cues from other people. Desire and love also influence the expression or inhibition of sexual behaviors. o Individual differences, someone’s mood, and even the time of day can also affect the expression of sexual desire and behavior. D. Keeping a Sexual Journal • Researchers from several disciplines, including psychology, sociology, anthropology, and gerontology, are learning that people’s life stories can add deeper meaning to their sexual relationships and their feelings of positive sexuality. • Therapists recommend keeping a sexual journal to help individuals and couples explore their sexual fantasies and sexual needs, but recording personal sexual thoughts and experiences in a sexual journal can enhance everyone’s sexual well-being. o Another reason to keep a journal is that our sexuality changes as much as our personality, and relationships with peers, friends, and family. Keeping a journal helps us to look back and reflect on how much we’ve changed. • Knowing that there is such great variability in the process of connecting sexual motivations, emotions, and love, students may want to begin keeping a sexual journal while they are learning about sexuality. II. Sexual Arousal and Response • Human sexual motivation is a powerful, unusual incentive for behavior. It is tied to a variety of issues including the physical desire and subsequent arousal and even emotional needs that push us to be closer to others or express love to our mate. • Human motivation to engage in sexual behavior arises from several physiological and psychological factors. • We can become sexually aroused for many reasons, from flirting, to having fantasies, to wanting to reproduce. These possibilities all appear to be part of our human sexual nature, which inclines us to express pleasure in relationships. o Sexual motivations are the mechanisms for this expression. A. The Five Senses and Pleasure • We experience and communicate sexuality through our senses—touch, taste, smell, sound, and sight. o Touch—When we think of how our senses contribute to sexual pleasure and arousal, it is easily argued that touch is the most dominant sense. It is the sense that often leads to the highest levels of arousal and response to sexual stimulation. Pleasure, sexual or otherwise, is enhanced by touch—that is, the gentle holding of hands, the leaning of one’s body into another, the caress and intimacy of a body massage, or the deepest passion of sexual interaction. It is hard to overestimate touch. Many people believe that without touch they cannot have sexual pleasure or achieve sexual connection, although online sexual interaction is testing this premise. When looking at the role touch plays in our experience of sexual pleasure, it is important to consider erogenous zones. Erogenous zones are areas on the body that provide a lot of pleasure when touched, caressed, licked, or kissed. Primary erogenous zones are the areas of the body that are most associated with sexual touch and pleasure. They include the genitals, butt, anus, perineum, breasts, and inner surface of the thighs, armpits, navel, neck, ears, and mouth. Secondary erogenous zones are other areas of the body where we feel sexual sensations. Due to individual variation in people’s preferences for touch, virtually any other area of the body can be a secondary erogenous zone. o Sight—Sight is the next dominant sense in the realm of sexual pleasure. This is no surprise, considering the great emphasis that people in the United States place on physical appearance. Clothing, makeup, and personal grooming habits all support this idea. People do vary, however, in the degree to which they can be sexually aroused by what they see. Men and women are both physically stimulated by erotic images or visual cues that they find attractive, but men often tend to be more open in reporting their preference for visual images. o Smell—Some people feel that smell is our most powerful sense and that it is not an accident that we may associate certain fragrances with particular people. Many people feel that their partner’s smell is so distinctive that they can enter a room and know whether their partner is present or absent. A scent may linger in the partner’s hair and clothes and remind them of that person’s touch and smile. Smells are known to both stimulate and offend with regard to sexual arousal. Theorists have considered the roles of pheromones in studying smell and sexual arousal in humans. o Taste—Culture plays a part in the tasting of bodily fluids, including semen and vaginal fluid. When people kiss on the lips, particularly deep kissing with the tongue, they exchange saliva. In cultures with strong taboos against the exchange of body fluids between men and women, kissing may be taboo as well. The sources of different taste sensations in people’s fluids are not known but they may reflect the foods that people eat and individual differences in the sensory modalities. o Sound—During lovemaking and intimacy, sounds may play a critical part, enhancing the sensations of touch and taste. When it comes to moans and groans in the bedroom or other noises prompted by sexual arousal, people have varied feelings. Some people are highly turned on by the sounds of their partner in the bedroom and others find noises to be a distraction. B. Pheromones and Sexual Motivation • From the discussion of the senses, it is clear that smell plays a big role in sexuality. According to the evolutionary psychologist David Buss, the first requirement of finding a mate is that “they smell right.” • In certain species, sex pheromones appear to communicate either the availability of females for mating or the presence of males in the females’ territory. For example, the wild boar sprays its pheromones and female sows appear to respond with sexual arousal that may lead to mating. • One study about human menstrual synchronicity helps to explain the role human pheromones play in mating and reproduction due to their impact on menstruation in groups of women who live close together. This synchronicity is named the McClintock effect after Martha McClintock who discovered this remarkable pattern. • Other research has suggested that pheromones may be part of the sexual attraction between people of the same sex, but there is no evidence yet to support this hypothesis. • Sexual motivation and scent are connected in some individuals and couples, but how general is this response? The answers are not known yet, and further research is needed before it is known if pheromones play a significant role in how humans experience sexual motivation and arousal. C. Sexual Excitement and Sexual Fantasy • Sexual excitement is the subjective experience of sexual arousal, especially but not limited to genital arousal. It is the feeling of excitement a man may feel in his penis or a woman may feel in her vagina and clitoris or surrounding tissue. • A sexual fantasy is the imaginary roles and parts that people may play out in their minds relating to sexual expression. People may engage in sexual fantasy to achieve orgasm, although this is not always the case. o Sexual fantasies combine arousal, desire, and sexual interaction. • Some experts speculate that highly sexualized contexts online may be changing our sexual fantasies or how we express them. People now visit virtual “sex clubs” online. o Researchers do not know if this is positive or negative for people’s spontaneous and creative use of sexual fantasy in their intimate relationships. • Sexual excitement appears to be as unique in each person as fingerprints. In his studies of sexual excitement, Stoller was fascinated by how people would weave their sexual fantasies into a fantasy system that expressed their deepest sexual motivations, pleasures, fears, and yearnings for emotional connection with others. • Humans are fortunate because we have this ability to create sexual fantasies. In fact, sexual fantasy is an innate characteristic of humans that contributes to our ability to enjoy sexual pleasure in a way that other animals cannot. • Women and men may experience sexual fantasies differently. o Men have twice as many fantasies as women, and emphasize the visual stimuli of body parts. Women tend to emphasize emotion and context. D. Sexual Response Cycles • To more fully understand how the body responds sexually, Masters and Johnson (1966) initially observed more than 10,000 episodes of sexual activity in 382 women and 312 men. Their initial studies included only heterosexual individuals, though they did study the sexual behavior of gay men and lesbians at a later time. • Masters and Johnson observed volunteers who did not know their sexual partner. Based on their results, they described the human sexual response as a cycle with four phases: excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution. o This model is often called the EPOR model. Though it describes the sexual response cycle for many people, not every person may progress through each phase or progress at the same pace. • The phases of the response cycle follow the same pattern regardless of the kind of sexual activity that one is engaged in. Masturbation, manual or oral stimulation, same-sex interaction, penile-vaginal intercourse, and engagement in fantasy can all result in a similar sexual response cycle. • The cycle is pictured in Figure 5.1 and is slightly different for men and women. • Excitement phase is the first phase in the body’s sexual response. Arousal happens when the body reacts to a specific stimulus. Perhaps it’s an attractive person or sexually explicit material. o The brain sends signals to the rest of the body to prepare it for possible sexual activity. For both women and men, one change in the body during the excitement phase is vasocongestion. o This is when erection occurs in the clitoris and the penis. • Plateau phase is the second phase in the body’s sexual response. Once the body and the mind have become sexually aroused, individuals may start to stimulate partners or themselves. o As arousal increases, sensitivity to touch increases, and the sensation of touching the genitals is often heightened and more pleasurable. As the genitals are stimulated more, the chest area may turn pink or red with what is called sex flush, blood pressure increases, and the heartbeat grows stronger. • Orgasm, the third phase of the body’s sexual response, occurs at the peak of the plateau phase, and typically lasts for only a few seconds, though it may feel much longer. An orgasm is simply a series of rhythmic muscle contractions. o In men, orgasm involves rapid contractions of the prostate gland, the seminal vesicles, and the vas deferens, which generally produce an ejaculation of semen. Some men may orgasm without ejaculation; some men may ejaculate without orgasm. o Women experience rapid contractions around the vagina that may or may not produce a vaginal secretion or ejaculate. o The brain also releases certain chemicals during orgasm, primarily endorphins, which may alter emotions in the period after orgasm. Endorphins are produced by the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus in humans during strenuous exercise, excitement, pain, and orgasm, and they resemble the opiates in their ability to produce a sense of well-being. • Resolution is the last phase of sexual response, in which the body experiences relaxation and a feeling of psychological wellness. During resolution, everything returns to its normal state: The extra blood in the genitals that caused erection drains out and the genitals return to their normal state. o Women may complete their resolution phase very soon after orgasm and be ready to begin the response cycle all over again. This makes multiple orgasms much more common in women than men. o Men’s resolution phases are typically longer and during this time men cannot get erections even if they do feel sexually aroused. This phase between orgasm and a subsequent erection is called the refractory period. • Another sexual response cycle, proposed by sex therapist Helen Singer Kaplan, has similarities to the EPOR model of Masters and Johnson as well as some important distinctions. Kaplan’s model of sexual response includes three stages: desire, excitement, and orgasm (Figure 5.2). o The most distinct difference in Kaplan’s model is the desire phase, which she describes as a prelude to physical response. While many appreciate this inclusion, the reality is that desire is not necessary for sexual interaction or response. o One study noted that as much as 30% of sexually experienced women with the capacity for orgasm rarely or never experience spontaneous sexual desire. This shows that not all sexual expression is preceded by desire. E. Orgasm • A colorful collection of euphemisms describes orgasm, one of the most pleasurable physiological processes humans experience. People sometimes refer to orgasm as getting-off, cumming, climaxing, or ecstasy. • Orgasm is an autonomic nervous response, meaning that it is involuntary because the brain’s limbic system controls it. During orgasm, the lower pelvic muscles go through a series of quick contractions around the genitals and the anus. III. Sexual Techniques • This section discusses both noncoital behaviors (sexual behaviors without vaginal penetration by a penis) and coital positions. Coital positions are the placement of bodies during sexual intercourse involving penile-vaginal penetration. A. Masturbation—Solitary and in Relationships • The history of masturbation has been relatively controversial with respect to how people feel about it on social, moral, and religious levels. Despite the history of strongly held beliefs, research shows that the great majority of boys actually have their first sexual experience alone, masturbating to fantasy. • In a study of undergraduate students, 98% of men and 44% of women reported having ever engaged in masturbation (Pinkerton, Bogart, Cecil, & Abramson, 2002). Among those who reported masturbating, men reported masturbating approximately 12 times a month and women reported an average of over 4 times a month. • Despite the history of social taboo, we now understand that masturbation is an activity in which many people engage. It is a great way to learn about one’s body and what sexually excites and arouses. B. Kissing • While masturbation and solo-sexual activities can bring about a great amount of pleasure as well as a good deal of self-awareness when it comes to what people find to be arousing, sexual interaction with another person is often the goal people strive to attain. A kiss can mean a variety of things. • Kinsey and colleagues (1948) found that almost all couples in the United States included deep (or French) kissing in their sexual interaction. Today, kissing continues to be a favorite activity. • As wonderful as kisses can be, they can also be powerful markers of the future of a relationship. In one survey, 59% of men and 66% of women admitted there had been times when they were attracted to someone only to find that interest fizzle after a first kiss that did not go so well. C. Frequency of Sexual Activity • The Global Study of Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors (GSSAB) polled over 27,000 men and women from 29 different countries regarding their sexual behaviors and attitudes (Laumann et al., 2006). Worldwide, women reported a lower degree of sexual satisfaction, which is consistent with the findings in the United States (Erber & Erber, 2011). o The issues associated with decreased sexual satisfaction for women were a lack of interest in sex (31%), an inability to reach orgasm (22%), an inability to enjoy sex (21%), physical difficulties with lubrication (20%), and painful intercourse (14%). D. Other Intimate Behaviors • Oral Sex—Oral sex, the stimulation of a partner’s genitals by mouth, has gained popularity in recent decades, though many people are still uncomfortable openly discussing it or admitting that they enjoy it. The majority of men and women who engage in this intimate behavior say they enjoy it. o Recent studies show that half or more of women ages 18 to 39 reported giving or receiving oral sex in the past 90 days (NSHHB, 2010). o Oral sex involves two behaviors depending on who the recipient is. Fellatio is oral sex performed on a man, and cunnilingus is oral sex performed on a woman. o Men vary in how they like to receive oral sex. Techniques can include kissing or licking the shaft of the penis as well as the head (or glans). o While cunnilingus, the stimulation of the female genitals using the mouth, lips, and tongue, seems relatively simple, a wide varieties of activity can occur besides simply licking the genital area. In general, the woman’s partner stimulates the vulva by licking, kissing, or sucking on the inner and outer labia, clitoris, and clitoral hood. • Anal sex—Anal stimulation, which includes anal intercourse and manual stimulation of the anal area during sexual activity, is an activity that divides many people. Some people see the anus as dirty and unappealing while others enjoy the stimulation to the anus due to the extraordinarily sensitive tissues surrounding it and the rectum. o Anal activities may include touching or massaging the anal area, insertion of a finger or penis into the anus, and kissing or licking the anal area. o A popular belief among heterosexuals is that only gay men practice anal intercourse and oral-anal stimulation, called anilingus. Part of this belief is also that all gay men engage in anal intercourse as part of their sexual activities. o As far as prevalence of anal intercourse, research has shown a range of 6% to 40%, with up to 10% of heterosexuals reporting at least one instance of anal sexual intercourse within the previous year (Baldwin & Baldwin, 2000). Regarding the prevalence of anal intercourse among gay men, research shows that not all gay men engage in anal intercourse with their partners.  Studies have shown that between 10% and 40% of gay men do not include anal intercourse in their intimate behaviors with partners. o There are some significant cautions regarding anal sex. Because the tissues surrounding the anus can tear easily, unprotected anal intercourse is considered to be the highest-risk sexual behavior for the transmission of HIV and other infections.  Condoms and lubricant should be used to prevent the transmission of infections and to minimize possible tearing of anal tissue during anal intercourse. Some evidence suggests that frequent anal intercourse over time can lead to painful breaks in the skin, called fissures, and hemorrhoids, and may cause more permanent weakness of the sphincter muscles surrounding the anus. • Noncoital and coital positions—Coitus specifically refers to penile-vaginal intercourse and so, by definition, is engaged in by heterosexual couples. The topic of coital positions has been a topic of interest for people throughout time. o There are hundreds, if not more, possibilities for coital positions. The number is limited only by people’s imaginations. o Part of increasing sexual pleasure in our lives is using our imaginations to come up with new and exciting ways to enjoy each other during sexual intercourse. This is another area in sexual pleasure where individual variability and preference play a large role. • Missionary position: Man on top—The missionary position, in which the man lies on top of the woman during sexual intercourse, is the most common position for sexual intercourse in Western cultures (Figure 5.8). The missionary position was named after Christian missionaries who introduced this position to the people of the Polynesian Islands. o Benefits of the missionary position:  Maximizes eye contact during intercourse  Good position for kissing  Penis can be easily inserted into the vagina  Either partner can help guide penis to vagina  There are several possibilities for leg positions for the women which can lead to more comfort or to control depth of penetration  Man feels dominant which may be preferable for both partners o Drawbacks of this position:  Difficult for man to touch or caress woman’s body because his arms and hands are used to support his weight  More difficult to stimulate the clitoris  Due to the high level of stimulation for the man, he may have less control over his orgasm and ejaculation  The man’s weight may be too much for the woman to be comfortable  Can be exhausting for man to support weight on arms and legs for an extended period of time  Woman may feel too passive or dominated • Cowgirl position: Woman on top—In many areas of the world, the female-on-top position is the most common position for coitus. There are many variations of this position; a woman can kneel or squat over the man or lie down on him (Figure 5.9). o Benefits of this position:  Can be a better position for woman’s orgasm due to her ability to control angle of penetration, movement, and speed of thrusting  Both partners are able to touch each other’s body  Either partner is able to manually stimulate the clitoris during intercourse, increasing the possibility for woman to achieve an orgasm  For men who carry more weight in the abdominal area, this position may allow for deeper penetration than the man-on-top position  For men who have difficulty controlling ejaculation, this position is less stimulating which may help them delay orgasm and ejaculation  Woman is in a more dominant position which may be preferable for both partners o Drawbacks of this position:  This position makes thrusting for the male more difficult  For men with difficulties reaching orgasm, this position is less stimulating  Man and women may both feel that this position is too passive for the man • Side lying position (face-to-face)—In the side lying position (Figure 5.10), both partners lie on their sides facing one another with their legs intertwined. As penile insertion can be difficult in this position, many couples begin with either the missionary or cowgirl position and then roll over onto their sides. o Benefits of this position:  Neither partner is required to support the weight of the other  Not as physically demanding as other positions  Penetration of the penis is shallower  Partners are able to touch each other’s bodies easily o Drawbacks of this position:  Much more difficult to insert penis into vagina  Not an easy position for partners who are overweight  Penetration of the penis is shallower  More difficult to stimulate the clitoris  Increased chance of penis slipping out of the vagina during intercourse due to angle  Lower arms or legs may fall asleep due to the weight resting on them • Doggy style: Rear entry—In the rear-entry position (Figures 5.11 and 5.12), the man inserts his penis into the woman’s vagina from behind her. While there are many variations of the rear entry position, the most common is a woman kneeling with the man behind her. o Variations of rear entry might include lying side-by-side, front-to-rear (also called “spooning”), or the woman sitting in the man’s lap facing away from him. o Benefits of this position:  Deep penetration into the vagina is possible  Man’s hands are free to reach around to caress the breasts or manually stimulate the clitoris  Very good position during pregnancy as no pressure is exerted on the woman’s belly  Some men and women report different feelings of stimulation o Drawbacks of this position:  Penetration may be uncomfortably deep for woman  No real possibility for eye contact or kissing  May feel too impersonal due to the lack of face-to-face contact IV. Sexual Pleasure as a Human Right • In 1975, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized that the right to pursue sexual pleasure in a safe and satisfying way can lead to better overall health. In fact, research shows that when people feel safe and secure in their right to pursue their individual sexual pleasure as part of their holistic sexuality, they are better able to attain sexual well-being and are healthier in general. • Since 1983, researchers have worked with WHO to define the concepts of sexuality and sexual health. This work culminated in 2000 at a meeting with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) that lead to WHO endorsing the World Association for Sexology’s “Declaration of Sexual Rights.” o This declaration states that sexual rights are fundamental to human rights, and the right to sexual pleasure is one of 11 core principles. • Another international organization, named Health, Empowerment, Rights and Accountability (HERA), drafted this statement in the mid-1990s: Sexual rights are a fundamental element of human rights. They encompass the right to experience pleasurable sexuality, which is essential in and of itself, and, at the same time, is a fundamental vehicle of communication and love between people. Sexual rights include the right to liberty and autonomy in the responsible exercise of sexuality (HERA, 1995, p. 27). • Though statements such as these support human sexual rights, some professionals remain concerned about the incredible amount of inequity across cultures with regard to roles of women and their relationship to men. While these statements present sexual pleasure as gender-neutral, research reveals that these statements do not reflect what, in fact, really occurs for women. • The stated idea of sexual pleasure being a fundamental right is a huge step toward sexual equality. All people should be able to engage in forms of sexual behavior that bring them happiness and fulfillment as long as these forms are consensual and allow their partner(s) to experience dignity, power, and well-being. Key Terms Erogenous zones—areas on the body that provide great pleasure when stimulated by touch Primary erogenous zones—areas of the body that are most commonly associated with sexual touch and pleasure, including the genitals, butt, anus, perineum, breasts, inner surface of the thighs, armpits, navel, neck, ears, and mouth Secondary erogenous zones—areas of the body that, when touched in a sensual way, can trigger arousal in the primary erogenous zones. These areas may include the back and the feet and virtually any other area of the body Sexual excitement—the subjective experience of sexual arousal Sexual fantasy—private mental imagery associated with explicitly erotic feelings, possibly accompanied by sexual arousal Fantasy system—interwoven sexual fantasies that express individuals’ deepest sexual motivations, pleasures, fears, and yearnings for emotional connections with others EPOR model—four stages of the human sexual response, including excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution Excitement phase—the first stage of the body’s sexual response, marked by vasocongestion and erection in the clitoris and the penis Plateau phase—the second stage of the human sexual response, according to the EPOR model, in which sensitivity to touch increases and becomes more pleasurable Sex flush—during the plateau phase, as the genitals are stimulated more, the chest area flushes to pink or red Orgasm—the third phase of the human sexual response, at the peak of the plateau phase; for both women and men, orgasm involves increased muscle tension throughout the body and then relaxation, especially in the pelvic area Endorphins—chemicals produced in the brain during strenuous exercise, excitement, pain, and orgasm that may alter our emotions in the period after orgasm; work as “natural pain relievers” to produce a sense of well-being Resolution—the fourth phase of the human sexual response, involving the relaxation of the body and a feeling of psychological wellness, as the extra blood in the genitals that caused erection drains out and the genitals return to their normal state Refractory period—the period following orgasm during which a man cannot have another erection Noncoital behaviors—sexual behaviors that do not involve penetration of a vagina by a penis Coital positions—the placement of bodies during sexual intercourse involving penile-vaginal penetration Oral sex—the stimulation of a partner’s genitals by mouth Fellatio—oral sex performed on a man Cunnilingus—oral sex performed on a woman Anal intercourse—a form of sexual expression in which the anus is penetrated by a penis Anilingus—oral-anal stimulation Fissure—a small break in the anal tissue that may result from anal intercourse without proper lubrication Coitus—penile-vaginal intercourse Missionary position—position in which the man lies on top of the woman during sexual intercourse Instructor Manual for Human Sexuality: Self, Society, and Culture Gilbert Herdt, Nicole Polen-Petit 9780073532165, 9780077817527

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