Chapter 6 Psych Sexuality

CHAPTER 6 Sexuality in adulthood Mature sexual expansion Sexual orientation is determined Integrate sexuality and relationships Establish personal sexual philosophy Developmental concerns Establishing sexual orientation Integrating love and sex Forgiving intimacy and making commitments Making fertility/childbearing decisions Practicing safer sex Evolving a sexual philosophy Establishing sexual orientation Understanding your sexual orientation Accepting your sexual orientation It may be difficult Models of sexual orientation

Model A shows sex is dichotomous into homosexual or heterosexual Model B shows that a person’s sexual behavior pattern could change across a lifetime and sexual orientation is a continuum. Model C shows that homoeroticism and heteroeroticism are an independent continua . Statistics on sexual orientation Difficult to obtain reliable statistics vs. estimates due to stigma 10% women report lesbian orientation 4% men report gay or bisexual orientation A great deal of experimental diversity is reported Gay/lesbian/Bi-Sexual identity process Takes time and includes several phases Homoeroticism-feelings of sexual attraction to members of the same sex which generally precedes activity. Phase I: Fear of suspicion about being different II: Labels feeling of desire, attraction and love as gay or lesbian. III: Self-Definition as gay, lesbian, or bi-sexual Additional phases -First same sex love affair, marking commitment to unifying sexuality and affection. -Becoming involved in gay/lesbian/bi-sexual culture -Coming Out -Internalized homophobia Being Single Greater Sexual experience Widespread acceptance of cohabitation Unintended pregnancies Increased numbers of separated and divorced single men and women A rise in the number of single-parent families. 20% are likely to get divorced and 50% of those remarry. The College Environment Different from High school -Sexuality relates to self-identity -Moral standards tied to behavior -Liberating atmosphere for gay, lesbian, bi-sexual students Abstinence standard-don’t do it before marriage Double standard-women not ok, men ok Permissive with affection or permissive without affection

The singles world Ages 25-40 Emphasizes recreation and entertainment Challenge to meet potential partners Sexual experimentation Gay, Lesbian, Bi-Sexual businesses and neighborhoods promote acceptance Ethnic and religion expectations can pose special challenges Cohabitation 2000 census: over 10 million unmarried couples were reported ¼ women, 3/10 men It is the new norm Domestic partnership Serial Monogamy-succession of marriages with each lasting approx. 7 years Advantages -Financial -Egalitarian roles -Affirmation of relationship -Domestic Partner Benefits Disadvantages -Parental non-acceptance -Financial issues tied to parental support or credit -Reproduction -Extra relational sex -Increased likelihood of divorce after marriage Among Gay/lesbian/bi-sexual -One in nine same sex cohabitation -States dealing with legal forms of union for some sex couples The Stigma of casual relationships -Marriage is not available -Non-exclusive sexuality -Devaluing love Non-traditional gender roles Societal hostility Sexuality in middle adulthood: Developmental concerns -Redefining sex in marital or other long-term relationships -Reevaluating one’s sexuality -Accepting the biological aging process (text says you should accept age, prof. says otherwise) Marital Sexuality -Frequency of sexual interactions A) May occur more frequently with sanction of marriage

B) May decrease the longer a couple is together -Sexual satisfaction and pleasure are more common in married couples ۰ The moral and social sanction of sex within marriage can affect sex life. Sexual intercourse decrease in frequency in longer marriage Fatigue and lack of private time Does not indicate decreased enjoyment or pleasure ۰ Divorce and After A relatively mew phenomenon -Represents an idealization of marriage. High expectations aren’t met and lead to higher rates. The permanence of marriage no longer widely upheld ۰ Consequence of divorce -Stigmatization -Change of income -Higher incidence of physical and emotional problems -Significantly more problems with children -Children of one parent families have special issues. Dating again -Engaging in sexual behavior with someone following separation is significant ۰ Helps accept single status ۰ Freedom of expression -Dating more focused and less leisurely Single Parenting -31% of families are headed by single parents. -Single parents not often part of single world -Presence of children affect divorced women’s sexual activity Sexuality in late adulthood: Developmental concerns -Biological Changes Physical abilities Sexual Responses -Availability of a partner Spousal loss Monotony Psychological influences (depression, lack of information) ۰ Stereotypes of aging -Thought of a as a lonely and depressing time -Sexuality of older Americans tends to be invisible -Sex is defined by activities of younger participants -Emotional, sensual, relational aspects are not readily recognized.

What really happens in sex and aging -Emotional, sensual relation aspects enjoyed regardless of age -Sex acts occur in aging population -Health can affect sex habits -Medical definition of sex practices

۰ Women’s issues -Change in fertility -Menstruation loss -Menopause ۰ Hot flashes

۰ Loss of bone mass ۰ Changes in vagina ۰ Differences women report pre + post menopause -Majority report sexual activity and rate sex activity as important -Greater than 1/3 report decreased desire but not decreased satisfaction -70% report sex may be painful. -Ethnic differences for sex activity were not found. ۰ Men’s issues -Male climacteric age 40-60 -Less than 20% report difficulty with erection -Slower sex responses may be reported -Slower responses are not related to ability to give or receive pleasure