nurs 280 arousal & anatomy

human sexual response cycle

the sequence of changes that take place in the body during arousal

4 phases: excitement, plateu, orgasm, resolution

masters & johnson

sexual response cycle was first studied and written about by them in the 1960s

• based this on observation of sexual response in lab settings

• recorded physiological data when their research subjects self pleasured, or were paired up and then observed during sex

  • asked married couples or sex workers

excitement stage

autonomic, animal response when something sexually relevant happens

• heart rate, breathing, blood pressure rises

• vasocongestion and erections

• testicles draw upwards

• vaginas lubricate

  • we are often unaware of these things

  • can return to baseline on their own

plataeu stage

• pleasure

• increased muscle tension rapid breathing and heart rate increase

• sex flush (everything in excitement stage is heightened)

  • blood vessels dilate and can sometimes see colour change

• pre ejaculate released

  • cowpers glands releases precum to flush out urethra to change pH for sperm to survive

• clitoris becomes very sensitive

• vagina lengthens (tenting)

  • cervix lifts to lengthen

  • vagina softens and smooths

orgasm stage

• quick muscle contractions and spasms

• blood pressure, heart rate and respiration peak

• euphoric sensations

  • release of built up tension

• ejaculation (perhaps)

  • squirting for females is not common but can look like a couple cups of ejaculation - fluid from glans mixed with urine

• feeling of release

resolution stage

*this stage is measurable

• body slows, relaxes

• release of blood from engorged areas

• penis becomes flaccid but still sensitive

  • called refractory period becomes takes time to become erect again)

  • refractory period becomes longer as you age

• clitoris extremely sensitive (additional orgasms may be possible because no refractory period)

distributions of sexual response for women(m&j)

typical: excitement—plateau—orgasm—potential for another orgasm—resolution

highly excitable women: excitement—plateau—very quick orgasm—quick resolution

• common for sex workers

• difference was clitoris stimulation

unable to orgasm women: excitement—long plateau stage with small waves—gradual resolution

• some people do this for pleasure (edging)

• resolution takes longer because of no release

helen singers three stages of sexual response

there are psychological and physiological phases

1. sexual desire (psychological)

• sexual thoughts, desires, fantasies

1. excitement (physiological)

• vasocongestion, blood pressure, heart rate

1. orgasm (physiological)

• release

rosemary bassons intimacy model of female sexual response

sex therapist who worked with clients with low sexual desire who wished they could be spontaneously aroused

• model acknowledges how many things affect female sexual response

• Instead of waiting for spontaneous desire to strike, a woman may make a conscious or subconscious decision to be receptive to sexual stimuli. Desire often develops after arousal has already begun, rather than coming first

the dual control model

your level of arousal at any moment is the balance between SES and SIS

the sexual excitation system (SES) notices all the sexually relevant information in the environment (gas pedal)

• partner smell, appearance

• pleasant genital sensations

• seeing or hearing other people having sex

• partner making you feel special

• making up after fight

• trusting, new love

your sexual inhibition system (SIS) is the brake, it notices all the very good reasons not to be turned on right now (brake pedal)

• body image, trauma history

• sleep deprivation

• relationship conflict

• unwanted pregnancy

• performance anxiety

• feeling obligated

  • most people think that difficulties with desire can be solved by more simulation to the gas pedal but you need less activation of the brakes

arousal nonconcordance (ted talk)

• body and arousal do not have to be the same, you can be ready for sex but not show physical signs

• opposite is true as well, your body can show signs its ready when there is unwanted sex because it is just a physiological response to sexual stimuli

intersex

scientific word for those who fall in between male and female

• 2% of people

• parents of these children are advised to wait 2 years to see their childs preferred gender

what can be used to classify male/female

genitals (at birth)

internal organs (mismatch with genitals could be possible)

chromosomes

hormones

what structures do all bodies share

• penis & clitoris: develop from genital tubercle

• scrotum & outer labia: develop from labioscrotal swellings

• ventral penis & labia minora: develop from urogenital folds

• testes & ovaries: develop from embryonic gonads

penis anatomy

bladder

urethra: carries sperm and semen

foreskin: can cover the glans

cowpers gland

prostate gland: makes semen

erectile tissue: tightens and holds blood in penis

vas deferens

testicles

testicles

• naturally one testicle sits lower so they dont bump against each other

• very sensitive

• need to be 2 degrees cooler than body temp so scrotum skin is constantly moving to regulate that

1. make hormones

2. make and store sperm

• only after puberty

• imperative to release sperm (can happen during sleep if not masturbation)

erections

• can be sexual and non sexual

• can self resolve

• bladder gets temporarily turned off

ejaculation

1 teaspoon of semen is released which contains 500,000 sperm cells

circumcision

• removing foreskin often due to cultural or faith reasons

  • no medical reason to do this

vagina length

about as long as a middle finger when unaroused

inner labia

as the vulva grows, inner labia grows and can stick out

hymen

serves no physical purpose as it is a leftover piece of tissue from development

• most people lose by puberty

• people with an imperforate hymen (covers the vagina) need to have it corrected

clitoris

nerves were first mapped in 2023, most ennervated body part

• function is it gives access to pleasure

• homogolous to penis

ovaries

make hormones

make human eggs (ova)

• all ova develop in utero

• body reduced ova down to 500,000 by the time puberty is reached

• women releases 300-500 eggs in lifetime

ovulation

when the egg leaves the ovary (bursts through ovary wall), the fimbrea collect the egg and the egg and sperm meet in the fallopian tube

female anatomy parts

fallopian tube

fimbriae

cervix

uterus

os

vagina

vulva

ovary

urethra

outer labia

inner labia

vaginal opening

glans

anus