Chapter 14 - Sexual Behaviours and Relationships Flashcards
sexual consent
three key components: person has to have a clear understanding of what they are consenting to, consent must be given freely and not coerced, consent should be ongoing and can be withdrawn at any point
what does it mean to “have sex”
individuals are more likely to define a sexual activity as “having sex” if it involved mutual genital contact and orgasm; a person’s definition can have important implications to their sexual health and actions (may be at higher risk for STIs, obstacle to education and prevention)
first sexual experiences
important rite of passage for many; age at first intercourse is used to inform health policies and intervention strategies
-estimated proportion of Canadians students who have had penile-vaginal intercourse: 19%-23% by grade 9, 40%-46% by grade 11
expectations and reactions of first sexual experience
wide range of emotions; Canadian study of 358 uni students: 72% men and 61% women rated it perfect, very good, or good; 11% of men and 13% women rated it bad or very bad
virginity
most people lose their virginity before their 20s
-american study of 5600 people aged 20-24, 86% women and 70% men have had sex
some reasons for abstaining from sex
religious beliefs, fears of STIs, cultural beliefs about the importance of virginity
traditional sexual script (TSS)
a sequence of behaviours that are associated with “having sex”; has been criticized as too inflexible with too much focus on intercourse and orgasm
fantasy (solitary sexual behaviours)
normal, healthy part of sex life; common canadian fantasies include making love outdoors, dom/sub, watching someone undress
masturbation (solitary sexual behaviours)
common practice for people of all ages; children as young as 2 or 3 begin to explore their bodies for enjoyment and to self-soothe; most common sexual behaviour for teenagers; by adulthood almost all men and majority of women masturbate to orgasm; more common in men
kissing and touching (partnered sexual behaviours)
kissing lips/erogenous zones stimulates a number of senses simultaneously; touching is a common element of foreplay in the TSS; enjoying touching/being touched is essential to sexual pleasure
-some research states that same sex couples spend more time in “non orgasmic” activities than heterosexual couples
oral sex (partnered sexual behaviours)
stimulating a partner’s genitals orally (cunnilingus, fellatio, anilingus); 69 sex position lol
intercourse (partnered sexual behaviours)
involves penetration or insertion of a penis/dildo/sex toy into vaginal or anal opening; most common postions are penetrated partner on top, penetrated partner on bottom, rear entry, side by side
common non-penetrative behaviours
frottage, scissoring, tribadism, intercrural sex
orgasm is a ____, not a ____
sexual response; behaviour
orgasm and the TSS
important element in sexual script; often viewed as the “goal”; may interfere with sexual arousal and orgasm because it places pressure on individuals
sexual satisfaction
plays integral role in overall quality of life including mental/physical health; people in committed long-term relationships often report that they are happy with their sexual relationship
sexual interests
some differences between gender/sex and across sexual orientations; men masturbate more, use more explicit material, and have more casual sex; men and women of diverse sexualities report a greater affinity for the use of sex toys; couples are expected to differ in at least a few sexual preferences
use of sex toys to increase sexual pleasure
most widely used sex toys are dildos/vibrators; vibrators are associated with better sexual functioning particularly in women; women are more likely to use a sex toy