Lecture 10: Sexual Disorders: Chapter 12 Flashcards
What are 2 forms of sexual problems?
- Sexual dysfunctions
- Paraphilic disorders
What are 3 categories of sexual dysfunctions?
- Dysfunction sexual interest, desire and arousal
- Orgasmic disorders
- Pain associated with intercourse
What are paraphilic disorders?
Persistent and troubling attractions to unusual sexual activities or objects
How did the availability of the birth pill change people’s attitude on sex?
It was okay now to have premarital sex and it started the sexual revolution of the 1970s
What was the impact of the AIDS epidemic?
It changed the risk with sexual behavior
In which countries is inhibition in sexual orientation a big issue?
African and Middle Eastern countries
What percentage of sex ends up in conception?
0,1%
How often do normal couples have sex? (Median)
3 times in 4 weeks
What are 4 reasons humans have sex?
- Physical reasons: stress reduction, pleasure, experience seeking
- Goal attainment: status, revenge, resources
- Emotional: love, commitment
- Insecurity: self-esteem boost, duty, mate guarding
What are the 3 insecurity subfactors as reasons for having sex?
- Self-esteem boost
- Duty/Pressure
- Mate guarding
What is important to keep in mind when studying sexual behavior?
Varying cultural norms and response biases
What is response bias?
Situations where people don’t respond truthfully for some reason
What is the difference between genders for masturbating alone?
Males start masturbating way more early than females
Males: 79% age 16-17
Females: 52% age 16-17
What is the difference in timing of development of sexual behavior in boys vs. girls? (5)
- Girls start masturbating later than boys
- Girls experience first orgasm later than boys
- Girls have their first kiss later than boys
- Girls have manual sex and oral sex earlier than boys
- Girls have sexual intercourse earlier than boys
What is the gender difference for being not exclusively hetero?
1/4 girls
1/9 boys
How did the perception of own sexual orientation change from generation to generation?
Baby boomers saw themselves as only attracted to opposite sex
Gen Z only half is only attracted to opposite sex, more and more homosexual, bisexual and other
What model is important to take in account when discussing sexual behavior?
Biopsychosocial model
What do penile plethysmographs and vaginal plethysmographs measure? How do they work?
Biological arousal, defined as blood flow to the genitalia
Penile: thin rubber around penis, stretching it records changes on computer
Vaginal: tampon shaped thing in vagina, measures blood flow
What is the main motivation for having sex in women?
Sexual attraction and physical gratification
(Not promoting relationship closeness!!!)
What is the issue with sexual education about the female body?
The clitoris is shown way smaller than it actually is
What could be a possible explanation why girls have more issues with orgasms at a young age?
Boys know their body better than girls, because they start masturbating more early
What is vasocongestion?
More blood going to the penis or clitoris, resulting in swelling/erection
What is the tunica albuginea?
The shaft of the penis. It’s very hard material, like a toilet roll
What are the physiological prerequisites for a man to enable pleasurable penetration?
Erection and rigidity due to vasocongestion
What are the physiological prerequisites for a woman to enable pleasurable penetration?
Swelling and humidity (lubrication) due to vasocongestion
What are the 4 phases of sexual intercourse?
- Excitement
- Plateau
- Orgasm
- Resolution
(similar to jumping of a cliff (climbing, cliff, jumping, in the water)
These phases can differ in order. Women can have multiple orgasms
What are the 4 phases of the sexual response cycle?
- Desire: interest associated with arousing fantasies
- Excitement: increased blood flow to genitalia
- Orgasm: sexual pleasure peaks
- Resolution: relaxation and sense of well-being following an orgasm
What is difficult about putting sex on Maslow’s pyramid of needs?
Sex can be at the bottom: purely physiological, for reproduction
Or higher up in the pyramid, where it can fulfill the need of belonging/love or even esteem or self-actualization
How can you compare sex with eating?
It’s not like eating (no sex doesn’t mean death)
But sexual desire can be compared to eating, since you can crave and desire it, love it, have opportunity, as negative reinforcement or as part of making a deal
What is libido?
Incentive motivation for rewards
What are synonyms for stimulus based and goal based?
Stimulus based = bottom up
Goal based = top down
What is a stimulus based part of sex?
Fast, automatic, outside of conscious control
What is a goal based part of sex?
Slow, intentional, goal-directed, full conscious control and insight
What is hypoactive sexual desire disorder?
Disorder where someone has low sexual desire
What are the most common sexual issues men seek help for? And in women? What can you say about this?
Men: erectile problems
Women: problems of interest
It could be possible these presentations of problems are because of gender differences in self-perception and gender role differences. (men think it’s more physical, women think it’s more psychological)
What is the main issue in men vs. women in frequency of orgasms?
Men: premature ejaculations
Women: no/little orgasms
What is the social exchange theory?
A balance between costs and rewards. If the costs are higher than the rewards, a relationship may be terminated
How can you apply the social exchange theory on sex?
Explaining why two people may have sex and another 2 may not
E.g. sex for love, love for sex, sex for money
What is the chronological order of sexual interest, biological arousal and subjective arousal in men?
Interest and subjective arousal co occur, then follows biological arousal
What is the difference between subjective and biological arousal?
Subjective: self perceptions of sexual excitement
Biological: changes in blood flow to genitalia
What is sexual interest?
Sexual desire, often associated with sexually arousing fantasies or thoughts
What is an orgasm in men and women?
Men: ejaculation
Women: contraction of vagina walls
What is resolution?
Post-orgasm phase, men can’t have an erection
What is the chronological order of sexual interest, biological arousal and subjective arousal in women? What is the difference with men?
There is no clear order: depends on the situation
Sometimes when biological arousal is measured, women don’t report subjective arousal
So biological and subjective arousal are less correlated than men’s
What 2 things shape sexuality?
Culture + experience
Describe 2 gender differences most often observed in current survey research on sexuality
- Men higher frequency of masturbation
- Men higher use of porn
Identify 3 historical changes that influenced sexuality in the 20th century
- Availability birth pill
- AIDS epidemic
- Availability online pornography
What are the female and male variants of sexual interest, desire and arousal disorders?
Female: sexual interest/arousal disorder
Male: hypoactive sexual desire disorder, erectile disorder
What are the female and male variants of orgasmic disorders?
Female: Female orgasmic disorder
Male: Premature ejaculation and delayed ejaculation
What are the female and male variants of sexual pain disorders?
Female: genito pelvic pain/ penetration disorder
Male: no disorder!!
How do you interpret sexual concerns in combination with relationship distress?
You can’t interpret sexual concerns as sexual dysfunctioning in this case. Especially for women, sexuality has strong links with relationship satisfaction
Why might people with one form of sexual dysfunction often report a second form of sexual dysfunction?
Because of a vicious cycle. Someone with erectile problems, might begin to worry about sex and then experiences problems with sexual desire
What is female sexual interest/arousal disorder? Name the 6 symptoms from the DSM classification + how many symptoms are necessary
Diminished, absent or reduced frequency of at least 3:
- Interest in sexual activity
- Erotic thoughts or fantasies
- Initiation of sexual activity and responsiveness to partner’s attempts to initiate
- Sexual excitement/pleasure during 75% of sexual encounters
- Sexual interest/arousal elicited by any internal or external erotic cues
- Genital or nongenital sensations during 75% of sexual encounters
What are the 2 dimensions of sexual problems?
- Acquired vs. lifelong
- Situational vs. generalized
What is the main symptom of male hypoactive sexual desire disorder?
Sexual fantasies and desires, as judged by the clinician are deficient or absent