Sexuality: Developing Healthy Relationships B.E. Pruitt, Ed.D. Texas A&M University

Sexuality: Developing Healthy Relationships Sexuality: a collection of qualities that make up a person’s sexual attitudes and behaviors and influence his or her relationships with others.

Sexuality: Developing Healthy Relationships Healthy Sexuality: A state of comfort with your gender and sex role. Gender identity: a sense of comfort with one’s gender; an acceptance of one’s maleness or femaleness. Sex role: overt behaviors that disclose ourselves as male or female to others. An ability to form positive interpersonal relationships. An ability to respond to erotic stimulation with pleasure. An ability to make mature judgments about sexuality.

Points of View about Sexuality

Your Sexual Orientation Heterosexual: a person who has a sexual attraction to people of a different sex. Homosexual: a person who has a sexual attraction to people of the same sex. Gay: a homosexual orientation; a homosexual man or woman. Lesbian: a homosexual woman. Bisexual: a person who has a sexual attraction to people of both sexes.

Communication about Sex Languages of Sexuality Scientific Language Childhood Language Street Language Language of Common Discourse Nonverbal communication posture, facial expressions, moaning.

Love: The Basis of Intimate Relationships Intimacy: characterized by a desire to be close, to interact at the intellectual level, to share feelings, and to acknowledge each other’s desires. Passion: the motivational component of love characterized by a desire to give and to receive sexual pleasure and to achieve sexual gratification. Commitment: characterized by a desire to maintain a highly valued relationship, even when self-sacrifice is required to do so.

Love: The Basis of Intimate Relationships Figure 12.2

Sexual Relationships Sex Drive Sex Drive (libido): the biological urge or appetite for sexual activity.

Sexual Relationships Sexual Pleasuring Foreplay: a term used to describe sexual pleasuring. Masturbation: sexual self-stimulation. Outercourse: mutual masturbation. Intercourse: copulation, coitus, or making love is sexual behavior including vaginal, anal, and oral stimulation and/or penetration.

The Body’s Sexual Response Physiological Changes Vasocongestion (tumescence): the pooling of blood in tissues during sexual excitement. Myotonia: muscle tension in response to sexual stimulation.

The Body’s Sexual Response Masters and Johnson Four-Stage Model Figure 12.3

Sexual Dysfunctions Sexual dysfunctions: disorders that interfere with healthy sexual experience.

Sexual Dysfunctions Aspects of Sexuality Affected Sexual Dysfunction Sexual Dysfunction Sexual Desire Hypoactive sexual desire disorder Sexual aversion disorder Hypoactive sexual desire disorder Sexual aversion disorder Arousal Female sexual arousal disorder Male erectile disorder Orgasm Female orgasmic disorderMale orgasmic disorder Premature ejaculation Sexual Pain Dyspareunia Vaginismus Dyspareunia

Sexual Dysfunctions PLISSIT Model of Sex Therapy Permission, Limited Information, Specific Suggestion, Intensive Therapy Permission Limited Information Specific Suggestion Intensive Therapy Progressively fewer people at each step