1. Childhood & Adolescence
HUMAN SEXUALITY
Childhood & Adolescence

2. Sexuality in Infancy?
At what age does the human body begin its first sexual response?
6 months
2 years
In utero
At puberty

3. Sexuality in Adolescence
WHAT IS SEX?
WHAT IS ABSTINENCE?
Are definitions shifting as we enter this time of transition?
Lisa Remez (next time)

4. Sexuality in Infancy & Childhood
At infancy, skin is one big erogenous zone
Enjoy touching, caressing, etc from birth
Children become aware of sexuality much earlier than many realize
Learn to disguise their interest/curiosity
By age 3, children start to explore their bodies – alone and with peers
Can begin masturbating
Playing “mommy & daddy” or “doctor”
Children are naturally curious
About their bodies and others
Important not to be labeled as “bad” guilt/shame

5. Masturbation in Childhood
Most people masturbate, and many recall masturbating before puberty
General message is: “If it feels good, it’s bad”
Message is often internalized at early age, leading to potential psychological and sexual disorders
Negative responses from adults magnify guilt, anxiety, & shame
Virtually all sex researchers & therapists agree that masturbation is healthy
Children must be taught that pleasure from self-stimulation is normal & acceptable – but should be done in private

6. Sexuality as an Adolescent Issue
After puberty, there are changes in the nature and meaning of sexual behavior
sexual activity can now lead to pregnancy
Adolescent sexuality is also influenced by
emerging cognitive capabilities (introspection and reflection about sexual behavior)
concerns about new social roles
Four developmental challenges of adolescence are accepting one’s changing body, accepting one’s feelings of sexual arousal, understanding that sexual activity is voluntary, and practicing safe sex. Page 365

7. Sexual Activity During Adolescence
Promiscuity in adolescence is rare
Stages of sexual activity
autoerotic behavior – sexual behavior that is experienced alone (e.g., having erotic fantasies, masturbation, nocturnal orgasms)
by high school, transition to sexual activity involving another person
For many girls, first sexual experience is forced
especially among girls 13 or younger

8. Sexual Activity During Adolescence
Stages of Sexual Activity
Orderly progression of sexual activity with another person
ADD Health Study shows males and females engage in a similar sequence
Boys engage in these activities at a somewhat earlier age
Page 368
ADD Health Study shows males and females engage in a similar sequence
From holding hands, kissing and necking
Feeling breasts through clothes, under clothes
Feeling penis through clothes, under clothes
Feeling vagina through clothes, under clothes,
Intercourse or oral sex
This sequence of sexual activity is more common among white adolescents than among African-American adolescents. Page 369

9. Sexual Activity During Adolescence
Prevalence of sexual intercourse
slightly fewer adolescents are having sex compared to previous eras
however, those who are do so at a somewhat earlier age
Sexual intercourse during high school is now a part of the normative experience of adolescence in America
By age 15, about 25% of U.S. adolescents have had heterosexual vaginal intercourse. Page 369

10. Ethnic Differences in Age of Sexual Initiation for Males
Average Age of First Intercourse
Black Males
15 years
Hispanic and White Males
16.5 years
Asian-American Males
18 years

11. The Timing of Sexual Initiation
Adolescents are more likely to lose their virginity during certain times of the year
May, June, July common regardless of romantic involvement (prom, graduation)
holiday season in December is peak time for serious relationships
Should be Figure 11.2: Adolescents are most likely to have intercourse for the first time during early summer or in December (Levin et al., 2002).

12. Changes in Adolescent Sexual Activity Over Time
The percentage of sexually active adolescents increased during 1970s and 80s; decreased slightly from 1995 to 2001
One-third of adolescents have early sexual intercourse (before ninth grade)
Greatest increase in prevalence of premarital intercourse has been among females

13. Sexually Active Adolescents
Sexual activity during adolescence (age 16 or later)
Is not associated with psychological disturbance
Levels of self-esteem and life satisfaction are similar to other adolescents’
However, early sexual activity (before age 16) is associated with a behavioral profile that includes:
experimentation with drugs and alcohol
lower levels of religious involvement
minor delinquency
lower interest in academic achievement
stronger orientation toward independence

14. What Influences Sexual Activity?
Hormones are especially important for boys
testosterone surge sparks initial interest in sex for boys and girls (girls are also influenced by estrogens)
boys who are more popular with girls and mature earlier tend to initiate sex earlier than unpopular boys
biological factors have a very strong influence on boys’ sexual behavior
Context is especially important for girls
important predictors of girls’ involvement in sexual intercourse are whether their friends are doing it or whether they have sexually permissive attitudes
Social factors are more important in influencing girl’s involvement in sexual intercourse than boys’.

15. Parental Influences on Sexual Activity
Authoritative parenting is associated with adolescents who are
less likely to become sexually active at an early age
less likely to engage in risky sexual activity
Parent-adolescent communication about sex
stops them from engaging in risky sexual behaviors, but does little to prevent them from being sexually active in general

16. Peer Influences on Sexual Behavior
Having sexually active peers establishes a normative standard that having sex is okay
Peers also can communicate directly about sex, with friends or with potential partners
Risk factors for sexual activity are cumulative

17. Sexual Activity and Household Composition
Household composition predicts sexual involvement
especially among girls
adolescents whose parents are in the process of divorcing as well as girls who live in single-parent households are more likely to be sexually active earlier than their peers
true regardless of when (or if) a divorce took place

18. Single-Parent Homes and Adolescent Girls’ Sexual Behavior
Social influences have stronger affect on girls than boys
Single-parent mothers might be dating and this might model sexual activity to their adolescent
Girls are more likely to respond to problems at home by going outside the family for alternative sources of support
Genetic influences

19. The Sexually Active Adolescent
Sex Differences in the Meaning of Sex
Boys are likely to keep matters of sex and intimacy separate
Early sexual experiences of males
Has already experienced orgasm through masturbation
More likely to interpret intercourse in terms of recreation than intimacy

20. The Sexually Active Adolescent
Gender Differences in the Meaning of Sex
Girls integration of sexual activity
into an existing capacity for intimacy and emotional involvement
Girls’ view is that sex is combined with romance, love, friendship, and intimacy
Can you think of any evolutionary explanations for gender diffs?
Food for Thought: Can you think of any evolutionary explanations for the different ways in which males and female react to their first sexual experiences? Page 379

21. Fact check…
Which of the following was NOT listed as being associated with Autoerotic behavior?
Erotic fantasies
Heavy petting with partner
Sexual behavior experienced alone
Nocturnal emissions

22. The Sexually Active Adolescent
About 6% of boys and 13% of girls report having had same-sex attractions, a non- heterosexual orientation, or engaging in same- sex activity during adolescence
sexual orientation – extent to which an individual is oriented toward heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual activity
sex-role behavior – extent to which an individual behaves in traditionally masculine or feminine ways
gender identity – which gender an individual believes he/she is

23. The Sexually Active Adolescent
Contraceptive Use
Many adolescents fail to use contraception regularly
Although rates have improved since 1970s, ~40% of high school students did not use a condom the most recent time they had sex
Page 386 (1/3 of males)
Page 387 (20% to 30% of young people)
Why is birth control not used by so many teens?
The barrier among younger adolescents, may be their discomfort discussing their sexual activity with parents or other adults whose help or consent may be necessary in order to obtain birth control. Also, many young people are insufficiently educated about sex, contraception, and pregnancy. Page 387

24. Adolescents’ Reasons for Not Using Contraception
Lack of planning
Lack of access
Lack of knowledge
Taken together, what can adults do to improve the contraceptive behavior of adolescents?

25. Adolescent Birth Control Methods
Many adolescents report using the withdrawal or rhythm methods of contraception, two of the least effective ways to prevent pregnancy

26. AIDS and Other Sexually Transmitted Diseases
STDs can be caused by viruses, bacteria, or parasites that are transmitted through sexual contact
bacteria – gonorrhea and chlamydia
virus – herpes and human papilloma virus
AIDS is caused by HIV and interferes with the body’s immune system
Condoms and education are best prevention tools
programs must focus on the benefits of condom use rather than costs of not using them
knowledge of risks alone is not sufficient to keep adolescents from risky behaviors
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and interferes with the body’s immune system.

27. Sexuality Education 4 types of programs currently offered
Comprehensive
Abstinence-based
Abstinence-only
Abstinence-only-until-marriage
Which is in place in Texas schools?
Which is “right”?
Let’s list the pros & cons

28. Sexuality Education

29. Sex Education
Effective sex education can reduce adolescents’ likelihood of having unsafe sex, but it does not reduce their likelihood of having sex
Abstinence-only sex education programs are entirely unsuccessful
Comprehensive sex education is needed

30. Comprehensive Sex Education
Effective sex education programs have many components
provide information about contraception, STDs, and pregnancy
teach adolescents how to refuse unwanted sex and avoid unintended sex
increase adolescents’ motivation to engage in safe sex
change perceptions about peer norms and attitudes