Sex and Pleasure

1. Sex and Pleasure

2. Paper groups

3. Sex and Pleasure • Reproduction one reason for sex • Sexual expression for pleasure also a normal and healthy part of human behavior

4. Adult Sexual Relationships • “Hooking Up” • Stranger hook-up • Non stranger hook-up • Sex within friendship • Sex within dating • Sex within long-term relationship • Marriage or not • Extra-relationship

5. Adult Sexual Relationships • With self • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaSdIUQeRjw • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjXyuIerEdI&feature=related

6. Adult Sexual Relationships • Between women (“Loving Another Woman”) • Between man and woman • Transgender, transexual • With multiple partners, male or female • Polygamy, polyandry

7. Types of Sexual Activity • Hugging, kissing, dancing, touching, rubbing, breasts • Masturbation (alone) • Mutual masturbation • Self, other, as foreplay or main event • Oral sex • One at a time or simultaneous • As foreplay or main event • Intercourse • Anal or vaginal • With penis or dildo • Multiple positions • May involve manual stim of breasts, clitoris, penis, anus

8. Why is Sex Pleasurable? • Evolutionary perspective • Is all sex pleasurable?

9. Libido • Sex drive: rate of urge for sex • Varies from person to person, like other factors • Combination of biology (hormones, health, etc.) and psychological factors • Internal force + external factors • Triggered by a stimulus (simple to complex) • Differences can cause conflict in relationships

10. Libido • Is idea that women’s sex drives are lower than men’s a myth or reality?

11. Sexual Senses • Touch • Humans social, touching • Erogenous zones • Fingertips • Vision • Eyes prominent, forward facing and protected • Big brain to interpret • Arousal through visual cues

12. Sexual Senses • Smell - lost acuity thru evolution - still can trigger arousal, esp. when connected to memory • Sound - also not great - voice, music can trigger sexual response

13. Sexual Arousal • Most commonly know sign: erect penis • Assume men more easily aroused than women • Research indicates physiological measures for genital arousal same for men and women

14. Human Sexual Response Cycle • Masters & Johnson (1966) linear model • Info limited to genital response • Based on cultural idea that sex is genital and orgasm the ultimate goal

15. HumanSexual Response Cycle

16. Human Sexual Response Cycle(Masters & Johnson, 1966) • Excitement • Vasocongestion, clitoris engorged. • size and shape of the labia may change. • inner two thirds of the vagina may expand. • may be an enlargement of the breasts. • skin may become flushed, women may experience heightened sensitivity in parts of their body, like the nipples. • increase in heart rate, blood pressure, and muscle tension.

17. Human Sexual Response Cycle(Masters & Johnson, 1966) • Plateau • continued swelling of the tissues in the vagina • clitoris can withdraw into the clitoral hood and the external clitoris can shorten in size. • labia minora increase in size and turn a reddish-purple. • may be a sex flush, muscle tension, increase in heart rate and rising blood pressure.

18. Human Sexual Response Cycle(Masters & Johnson, 1966) • Orgasm • Contractions of the pelvic muscles around the vagina. • uterus and anal sphincter also contract in a throbbing or rhythmic way. • Muscles may spasm, blood pressure and heart rate reach a peak. • contractions (which occur at different speeds, and in different amounts) are usually what are experienced as highly pleasurable feelings of release.

19. Human Sexual Response Cycle(Masters & Johnson, 1966) • Resolution • Return to normal state • Blood that had engorged areas of the body now flows out, swelling decreases and eventually muscle tension and skin flush go away. • A general feeling of relaxation.

20. Human Sexual Response Cycle(Masters & Johnson, 1966) Masters & Johnson criticism • Assumes men and women respond exactly the same, • all four steps, every time? • non-biologic experiences such as desire, emotion, pleasure and satisfaction? • Does not place sexuality within context (i.e. relationship, setting) • Overemphasis intercourse and orgasm

21. Female Sexual Response Cycle(Whipple and Brash-McGreer, 1997) • Whipple and Brash-McGreer (1997) circular sexual response pattern for women. • four stages from Reed (see Figure 2): 1. seduction (encompassing desire) 2. sensations (excitement and plateau) 3. surrender (orgasm), 4. reflection (resolution)

22. Female Sexual Response Cycle(Whipple and Brash-McGreer, 1997)

23. Female Sexual Response Cycle(Whipple and Brash-McGreer, 1997) • pleasant and satisfying sexual experiences may have reinforcing effect, leading to the seduction phase of the next sexual experience. . • If, during reflection, sexual experience did not provide pleasure and satisfaction, may not have a desire to repeat texperience.

24. Female Sexual Response Cycle(Basson, 2001) • Basson’s model incorporates the importance of emotional intimacy, sexual stimuli, and relationship satisfaction (see Figure 3) • Women’s sexuality affected by psychosocial issues (e.g., satisfaction with the relationship, self-image, previous negative sexual experiences).

25. Female Sexual Response Cycle(Basson, 2001)

26. Female Sexual Response Cycle(Basson, 2001) • women have many reasons for engaging in sexual activity other than biological drive • desire for increased emotional closeness and intimacy • overtures from a partner

27. Female Sexual Response Cycle(Basson, 2001) • desire for intimacy, seek ways to become sexually aroused via conversation, music, reading or viewing erotic materials, or direct stimulation. • Once aroused, sexual desire emerges and motivates her to continue the activity. • many points of vulnerability may derail or distract a woman from feeling sexually fulfilled. • Like what? • Some argue this is intentional/useful

28. Female Sexual Response Cycle(Basson, 2001) • goal of sexual activity for women not necessarily orgasm • May be personal satisfaction • physical satisfaction (orgasm) • and/or emotional satisfaction (a feeling of intimacy and connection with a partner)

29. Female Sexual Response Cycle • Do any theories encapsulate masturbation?

30. Purpose of sex • Why do women have sex? • Reproduction (previous discussion) • Pleasure (today’s topic) • Can we list ten other reasons?

31. Coming Up • Politics of orgasm • Non-pleasurable sex • “abnormal” sexual behavior • Sexual conflict • Sex, power, coercion, force