1. Sexuality

2. Learning Objectives Identify the stages of human sexual development
Examine the emotional changes associated with adolescence and puberty
Explore gender roles and stereotypes and factors that affect them
Explore cultural influences that shape gender and sexuality
Explore how sex and sexuality are presented, misrepresented, in media.

3. What is Sexuality? Sexuality refers to a number of related ideas
Physical development of sexual characteristics
Gender roles and relations between sexes
Intimacy, love, and affection
Sexual attraction
Sexual contact
Sexual decision making
Everything that defines us as boys and girls, men and women.

4. Stages of Human Sexual Development
Sexuality is part of our lives. As we progress through the stages of human development, we learn more about ourselves as sexual being and we express feelings of love, affection, and pleasure in different ways
There is no exact time when the changes will occur, but there is a six stages of sexual development

5. Stage 1: Birth-2 years
Learn about love through nurturing physical contact with caregivers.
Learn gender identities by mimicking others
Begin to notice differences between bodies of girls/boys, and children/adults
Have erections or lubricate vaginally

6. Stage 2: Childhood (3-8 years)
Become increasingly curious about sexuality and their body.
Role playing games
Define ideas of what is means to be male of female
Basic sexual identity and sexual orientation at this stage of development.

7. Stage 2: Childhood (3-8 years)
Experience pleasure form exploring touching one’s body (masturbation)
Begin to use language to express needs/ feelings
Enjoy talking about body parts and functions
Begin to be affected by stories heard in media regarding sexual issues such as abuse

8. Stage 3- Pre Adolescence (9-12 years)
Begin puberty
Bodies produce more hormones- begin to experience sexual feelings and fantasies
Masturbate to orgasm not just exploration
Become modest and want privacy
Value same sex friendships
Sexual exploration with peers
Struggle with mixed emotions- “am I normal?”

9. Stage 3- Pre Adolescence (9-12 years)
Core values established by family
Develop crushes- on friends, older teens, teachers, and/or rock stars
Have romantic feelings for people of same, opposite, or both sexes
Face decisions about sex and drugs

10. Stage 4- Adolescence (13-18 years)
Complete the changes of puberty
Experience increased sexual feelings or fantasies
Desire physical closeness with partner
Time where one is faced with many physical, social, and emotional changes as they transition from childhood to adulthood

11. Stage 5- Early Adulthood (19-45 years)
Experience increase in their desire for physical intimacy and sexual relationships
Report increased sexual satisfaction in relations ships
Less concerned with conforming to peers
Seek out friends of both sexes
Feel less pressure to act in gender specific ways

12. Stage 6: Later Adulthood ( 46+ years)
Experience physical and hormonal changes linked to menopause and or andropause
Continue to explore sexual intimacy and sexual activity with partner(s)
Decrease of sexual intimacy after age 65.

13. Physical Changes During Adolescence
Puberty begins with the body’s release of sex hormones (estrogens and testosterone) causing number of physical changes
Increase of oil production which causes pimples
Hair growth
Hips and shoulders widen
Breast and genital development
Larynx growth

14. Emotional Changes
Intense emotions such as happiness, anger, frustration, sadness, and sexual feelings.
Increase of independence
Interested in romantic love and intimacy
Increase interest in appearance

15. Social Changes
Support system (peers, parent/guardians, teachers) play a huge role in one’s life
Many of the friendships you create now will last the rest of your life
Socially connected to family as you explore your individual identities
Eventually each of us will develop our own sense of self as we move through adolescence into adulthood.