Human Sexuality exam 1

What is sexology?

The scientific study of sexuality and sexual behavior.

What are the four perspectives encouraged in class regarding sexuality?

Respect, tolerance, empathy, and openness.

What is sexual intelligence?

Understanding oneself, using interpersonal skills, obtaining accurate information, and considering others when making sexual decisions.

Why are universally held sexual beliefs rare?

Views about sexuality vary across cultures, religions, and historical periods.

What does the Kama Sutra cover?

An ancient Indian text about sexuality and relationships that covers more than sexual acts.

What does evolutionary theory examine in relation to sexual behavior?

How reproductive pressures and passing on genes may relate to behavior.

What is the focus of feminist theory in the context of sexuality?

Examines sexuality in relation to gender, power, and inequality.

What does social and personality theory examine?

Social experiences and personality traits in relation to sexual behavior.

How does psychoanalytic theory understand sexual behavior?

It emphasizes childhood experiences and unconscious processes.

What does behaviorist theory focus on?

Learned behavior, reinforcement, and future consequences.

What were the Victorian era purity standards?

Strict sexual expectations, especially that respectable women should not express sexual desire.

How did World War II alter gender roles?

Wartime work altered women's roles; postwar culture often emphasized a return to domestic roles.

What was significant about the sexual revolution?

Broad social shifts in sexual attitudes and behavior during the 1960s and 1970s.

What does sexual permissiveness refer to?

Degree of acceptance of particular sexual behaviors; attitudes and behavior are not identical.

What were millennial attitudes toward premarital and same-sex activity according to Podcast 5?

More accepting of premarital and same-sex activity, but less accepting of extramarital sex than earlier generations.

What was discussed about millennial behavior in Podcast 5?

On average, millennials have fewer partners and less frequent sex than Baby Boomers and Generation X.

What is nonexperimental research?

Research that observes or asks about variables without manipulating an independent variable.

What is a case study?

An in-depth examination of one person or a small group.

What does the survey method use to collect data?

Self-reports from samples through questionnaires or interviews.

What is the experimental method?

Research that manipulates an independent variable and measures its effect on a dependent variable.

What is the independent variable?

The factor manipulated by the researcher.

What is the dependent variable?

The outcome measured to assess the effect of the independent variable.

What is temporal precedence?

The proposed cause occurs before the outcome.

What did the Kinsey Reports document?

Large-scale surveys that documented reported sexual behavior.

Who were Masters and Johnson?

Researchers who directly observed and measured physiological sexual responses.

What does penile plethysmography measure?

Changes in penile size or blood flow during physiological arousal research.

What does vaginal photoplethysmography measure?

Changes in vaginal blood flow during physiological arousal research.

What is the difference between subjective versus physiological arousal?

A person's reported feelings and their measured genital response are different measures and do not always match.

What is informed consent in sex research?

Participants voluntarily agree after receiving relevant information about the study.

What is the difference between confidentiality and anonymity in research?

Confidentiality protects identifiable data; anonymity means responses cannot be linked to an identity.

What is the penis corona?

Raised rim at the base of the glans.

What do testes produce?

Sperm and testosterone.

What is the role of the epididymis?

A coiled structure where sperm mature and are stored.

What is the function of the vas deferens?

Tube that transports sperm from the epididymis toward the urethra.

What do Cowper's glands produce?

Pre-ejaculatory fluid that enters the urethra.

What does the prostate gland do?

Adds fluid to semen and surrounds part of the urethra.

What is the difference between vulva and vagina?

Vulva means external genital structures; vagina is the internal canal.

What is the function of the clitoris?

An organ with external and internal erectile tissue involved in sexual sensation.

What is the G-spot?

A proposed sensitive area of the anterior vaginal wall; evidence for a separate, consistent anatomical structure is disputed.

What do ovaries do?

Contain eggs and produce hormones including estrogen and progesterone.

What is the role of the fallopian tubes?

Pathway through which an egg travels toward the uterus; fertilization often occurs here.

What is the uterus?

A muscular organ with a lining that changes during the menstrual cycle and can support pregnancy.

What is the cervix?

The lower part of the uterus opening into the vagina.

What does the pituitary gland release?

FSH and LH, among other hormones.

What does FSH do in the ovaries?

Helps ovarian follicles develop.

What triggers ovulation in the ovaries?

The midcycle surge of LH.

What does FSH do in the testes?

Helps regulate sperm production.

What is the function of LH in the testes?

Stimulates testosterone production.

What is menarche?

The first menstrual period.

What is semenarche?

The first ejaculation.

What does menstruation refer to?

The shedding of the uterine lining when pregnancy has not occurred.

What is dysmenorrhea?

Pain associated with menstruation.

What is a Pap test?

Screens for abnormal cervical cells that could become cancer.

What does the HPV test check for?

Human papillomavirus types associated with cervical cancer.

What is perimenopause?

The transition leading up to menopause, often with changing menstrual cycles and symptoms.

What confirms menopause?

After 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period, absent another cause.

What is climacteric?

A broad transition in reproductive aging surrounding menopause.

What is menopausal hormone therapy?

Estrogen, sometimes combined with a progestogen, used to treat some menopause symptoms; benefits and risks vary.

What are established risk factors for testicular cancer?

Undescended testicle and family history.

What increases the risk of prostate cancer?

Risk increases with age; family history and African ancestry are also associated with higher risk.

What do typical human cells contain?

46 chromosomes: 22 pairs of autosomes and one pair of sex chromosomes.

What is the SRY gene?

A gene usually on the Y chromosome involved in testicular development.

What is Turner syndrome?

Chromosome variation commonly described as 45,X.

What is Klinefelter syndrome?

Chromosome variation commonly described as 47,XXY.

What does androgen insensitivity syndrome affect?

An XY person's cells respond partly or not at all to androgens, affecting sex development.

What is the effect of 5-alpha-reductase deficiency?

Reduced conversion of testosterone to DHT, which can affect external genital development.

How do prenatal hormones affect sex development?

Hormone production and tissue response affect genital development; chromosomes alone do not determine every outcome.

What is the distinction between sex and gender?

Sex is the biological dimension assigned at birth; gender is a sociocultural dimension.

What is gender identity?

A person's internal sense of their gender.

What is gender expression or presentation?

How a person presents gender through appearance or behavior; it need not match stereotypes.

What are gender roles?

Social expectations for how people should act based on assigned gender.

What is a gender stereotype?

An overgeneralized belief about the qualities of men, women, or another gender group.

What does the biological theory of gender emphasize?

Gene, hormone, and other biological influences.

What does the social learning theory of gender emphasize?

Learning through observation, modeling, and reinforcement.

What does the cognitive theory of gender focus on?

How people understand and organize information about gender.

What was the main focus of Podcast 50?

The differences among sex, gender identity, and presentation, plus gender diversity and respectful terminology.

What was discussed in Podcast 50 regarding Dr. Seth Pardo's research?

170 people assigned female at birth who identified as gender nonconforming to some extent.

What was the finding of the grooming study discussed in Podcast 21?

Pubic hair grooming was associated with self-reported STI history.

What is the significance of the association between grooming and STIs?

An association does not prove that shaving itself causes STIs; other behaviors or exposures may explain the link.

What is labiaplasty?

A cosmetic procedure altering the labia.

What is vaginal rejuvenation?

A marketing term often used for vaginoplasty, perineoplasty, or both; claimed sexual benefits lack strong evidence.

What is circumcision and its relevance in sexual health?

Removal of the foreskin; may lower heterosexual HIV acquisition risk in some settings but does not replace other prevention.

What does menstrual stigma refer to?

Shame, secrecy, and myths about periods can limit information, support, and access to supplies.