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of what they are consenting to, consent must be given freely and not coerced, consent should be ongoing and can be withdrawn at any point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
monogamous relationships
most people will form a monogamous sexual relationship at some point in their life; most monogamous relationships start with dating (viewed as the courtship stage)
dating couples and sex
in NA, interest in dating arises at about the same time as sexual attraction; dating may be difficult for SGD people (lack of potential partners and social disapproval)
online/internet dating (monogamous relationships)
follows a pattern: individual reads someone’s blog/page/profile and becomes interested, parties communicate and get to know each other, they meet in person and a couple identity forms
cohabitation and marriage (monogamous relationships)
rate of marriage in Canada is declining among mixed-sex couples but numbers og cohabitating couples are rising; Canadians remaining single for longer; rate of same-sex marriages in CAN has incr since being legal
satisfaction and sexual activity (monogamous relationships)
sexual satisfaction in long-term relationships can fluctuate (ex. childbirth, stress, etc); frequency may decline over time; the most sex is happening in committed relationships (87% of married couples/92% of cohabitating couples have sex monthly or weekly)
divorce (monogamous relationships)
first marriage divorce rate in CAN is 33% (average length of marriage before divorce is 14.5 years); majority of those who divorce do remarry; divorced individuals enjoy sexual opportunities similar singles
non-monogamous relationships
increasingly common; more socially acceptable than in the past
ex. fwb, consensual or noncon non-monogamy
friends with benefits
now more acceptable than ever before; characterized by being ongoing, sexual, being non-exclusive, and rarely discussed directly or revealed to others
consensual non-monogamy
various types of relationships in which partners explicitly agree that each may have romantic/sexual relationships with other people
ex. polyamory, swinging, open relationships)
polyamory
being in a long-term romantic and/or sexual relationship with more than one person at the same time; most say they are motivated by love rather than by sex; they pften have agreed-upon rules to help manage jealousy, safety, and other complications
polygamy
being married to more than one person at the same time (ploygyny: 1 man multiple spouses/wives, polyandry: 1 woman multiple spouses/husbands); historically, polygamy began in large agrarian communities where big families were an asset
swinging
practice of both partners in an emotionally committed relationship agreeing to and participating in sex with other individuals, usually at the same time; open and honest communication abt rules/boundaries is important
open relationships
usually take the form of one primary and “emotionally exclusive” relationship in which both partners freely consent to one or both having sexual but not emotional bonds with others
noncon non-monogamy
any emotional/sexual behaviour with a person outside of a monogamous relationship without the agreement of one’s partner; most common reason for divorce/separation
affect of media on sex and relationships
many ideas people have about sex and relationships are influenced by mass media; many people seek out sexually explicit material; many Canadians use media to seek out info about sex and relationships
agenda-setting theory
media affects what we think is important by highlighting what we should pay attention to
cultivation theory
we develop a shared set of values and expectations about reality based on depictions of reality in media
social learning theory
individuals will model their attitudes and behaviours after the fictional characters they see in media
positive influences of media on sexuality
provides access to reliable info on sexual health; encourages open discussion about safer sex and sexual health
negative influences of media on sexuality
exposed to sexual content at a much earlier age than ever before; related to earlier age of first intercourse; media may reinforce unrealistic sexual expectations
the internet and sexuality
perhaps the most comprehensive, easily accessible, and continuously evolving medium for sexual info, expression, and encounters
online sexual activity (OSA)
activity that takes place via the internet for any range of sexual purposes
effects of OSA on relationships/intimacy
has both positive and negative effects
pos: mild/moderate OSA benefits relationships and increases frequency of sexual activity and intimacy
neg: overuse of OSA may lead to neglecting a real partner
sexually explicit content
many people use sexually explicit material in their partnered or solo activity to enhance sexual excitement and pleasure
soft core (types of explicit materials)
erotically suggestive without showing genitals or penetrative sexual activity
hard core (types of explicit materials)
explicitly depicting genitals and/or penetrative sexual activity
phone sex (types of explicit materials)
sexual activity that takes place via telephone, either through live convos or by listening to pre-recorded messages
