Human Sexuality Exam 2

mastectomy

removal of one or both breasts, and possibly other tissue around the breast to eradicate cancer from that area

speculum

An instrument used to open the vagina during vaginal exams performed by a physician

bimanual

An exam that requires that the doctor insert two fingers in the vagina while placing the other hand on top of the lower part of the abdomen in order to feel for any abnormalities and to check the size, shape, and mobility of the uterus.

exam

cervical

A gynecologic cancer that begins in the cervix.

cancer

scabies

A skin infestation caused by microscopic mite that burrows under the skin and causes a very itchy rash

pubic

lice (crabs)

Very small parasitic insects that attach themselves to hair shafts and cause itching

human papillomavirus (HPV)

A sexually transmitted infection; known to be one of the main causes of cervical cancer

testicular

A cancer that begins in one of the testicles; tends to occur among younger men.

cancer

digital

An exam during which the physician inserts the fingers into the rectum in order to feel the size of the prostrate gland.

rectal

exam

pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)

A painful condition in women marked by inflammation of the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries; typically caused by the presence of one or more untreated STIs.

AIDS/HIV

-Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; A late stage infection with HIV.

-Human immunodeficiency virus; A virus that leads to the destruction of the immune system through a variety of illnesses known as AIDS.

opportunistic infections

A group of infections that establish themselves in the human body as a result of a weakened immune system due to HIV infection.

Gonorrhea - symptoms

Men: Burning sensation when urinating; white, yellow, or green discharge from penis, & presence of painful or swollen testicles

Women: Usually NO SYMPTOMS; often mistaken for UTI

Chlamydia - frequency

Most frequently reported bacterial STI in the U.S.

-”silent” infection

chancre

A sore that typically appears at the site of infection with syphillis.

syphilis - symptoms, consequences

Stage 1: primary/ early syphilis; 10-90 days after infection (chancres)

Stage 2: secondary syphilis after chancres disappear (3-6 weeks after chancre has healed)

Stage 3: tertiary/ late syphilis remission, able to transmit the disease

Herpes- symptoms, spreading

Sores on the mouth or genitals, can spread through skin-to-skin contact even when no sores are present; and transmitted through oral, vaginal, and anal sex. NO CURE but medication

Hepatitis – symptoms

Hep A (HAV): fecal-oral contact; mild (fever, nausea, jaundice)

Hep B (HBV) - causes chronic infection, cirrhosis (scarring), & cancer of the liver

Hep C (HCV) - many have no symptoms in early stage but later develop chronic liver disease later on

General STI risk factors

Unprotected sex, multiple partners, engaging in sex from an early age, alcohol and drug use, already having an STI, being female, using the pill as the sole form of contraception

pessary

blocks the passage of sperm

coitus interruptus

Withdrawal of the penis from the vagina before ejaculation.

withdrawal method

An unreliable method of contraception involving removing the penis from the vagina just prior to ejaculation.

sterilization

A surgical alteration of the internal reproductive system of either male or female that permanently blocks sperm cells from fertilizing an ovum.

tubal ligation

A form of permanent, surgical contraception where egg and sperm are prevented from joining together by tying, cutting, clipping, or blocking the fallopian tubes.

vasectomy

A form of permanent, surgical contraception where sperm are prevented from mixing with semen in ejaculate by cutting or tying off the vas deferens.

continuous abstinence

A form of contraception that involved completely refraining from sexual intercourse.

fluid-free sexual behavior

Sexual behaviors that avoid the sharing or mixing of bodily fluids including unprotected vaginal, anal, or oral intercourse.

selective abstinence

A form of contraception where individuals engage in safe sexual behaviors by avoiding behaviors such as vaginal, anal, or oral intercourse.

male condom

A sheath-shaped barrier device used during sexual intercourse to reduce the risk of pregnancy and STIs. Made in latex and polyurethane.

diaphragm

Female condom ( cervical barrier method), requires a prescription; used in combination with vaginal spermicide to cover the opening to the cervix

oral contraceptives (pill)

Pills containing female hormones that are taken every day by women to prevent pregnancy; also known as birth control pills.

minipill

Progestin only hormonal method contraceptive pill

combination pill

A type of contraceptive pill that contains both estrogen and progestin.

spermicides

Substances that kill sperm cells. Usually used alone or together with a barrier method of contraception.

hormonal implants

Small tubes that contain progestin which is inserted under the skin of a woman’s upper arm. These can provide continuous protection against pregnancy.

emergency contraception (EC)

Concentrated hormonal pills that can interrupt a woman’s normal hormonal patterns to protect against an unplanned pregnancy in the event of unprotected intercourse.

intrauterine device (IUD)

A small T-shaped plastic device equipped with hormones or copper that is placed in the uterus to prevent pregnancy.

fertility awareness methods

Contraceptive methods based on ovulation prediction and the viability of sperm; intercourse is timed to avoid fertile days in a woman’s reproductive cycle.

natural methods

Also called fertility awareness methods; based on ovulation prediction and the viability of sperm; intercourse is timed to avoid fertile days in a woman’s reproductive cycle

TwoDay Method

Uses cervical secretions to indicate when a woman is likely to be fertile; one of the least successful natural methods

Basal Body Temperature (BBT)

The lowest temperature attained by the body during rest (usually during sleep).

pronatalism

A belief system that promotes childbearing.

fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)

Condition of infant born to a mother who ingested high levels of alcohol during her pregnancy; the infant displays certain physical characteristics.

endometriosis

A potentially painful and dangerous medical condition caused when endometrial cells grow outside of the uterus into the abdominal cavity.

zygote/embryo/fetus

A fertilized ovum./A blastocyst that has implanted in the uterine wall./ A developing baby from the eighth week of pregnancy until birth.

placenta

An organ that is attached to the uterine wall during pregnancy that joins the embryo to the mother’s bodily systems in order to transfer nutrients, oxygen, and waste products between the developing uterus and the mother.

umbilical cord

A long structure consisting of two large arteries and one large vein that transports oxygen, waste, and nutrients between the fetus and the placenta.

lanugo/vernix

A fine, soft hair that covers a fetus’s body in prenatal development./ A protective waxy subst

breech birth

A position of a fetus that is emerging with buttocks or legs first rather than head first.

cesarean (C-section) birth

Removal of a fetus from the mother’s uterus surgically, through an incision in the abdomen.

ectopic pregnancy

A pregnancy complication in which a fertilized ovum attaches and begins to grow outside of the uterus, most commonly in the fallopian tubes. 

miscarriage

The unintentional loss of an embryo or fetus during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy.

preterm

Birth of an infant less than 37 weeks after conception.

amniocentesis

A procedure done usually between 16 and 20 months of gestation where a doctor removes a small amount of amniotic fluid via a needle in the abdomen to test for genetic abnormalities.

Stages of birth

Stage 1: Dilation, Effacement, Contractions

Stage 2: Actual birth of fetus

Stage 3: Birth of placenta

contractions

Muscular movement during labor that causes the upper part of the uterus (fundus) to tighten and thicken while the cervix and the lower portion of the uterus stretch and relax, helping the baby pass from inside the uterus and into the birth canal for delivery; also referred to as the pain of childbirth.

dilation

Where the cervical opening expands to approximately 10 cm in width, in preparation for birth.

effacement

Thinning of cervical tissue that occurs in preparation for birth.

midwife/doula

A person who has been trained in most aspects of pregnancy, labor, and delivery but who is not a physician. / A person trained in the process of labor and delivery and assists a midwife in childbirth.

epidural

A common form of pain management where a doctor passes pain medication through a small tube that has been inserted at the base of a woman’s spine.

episiotomy

An intervention where an incision is made at the base of the vaginal opening and extends to the perineum to assist in providing a larger space to birth an infant.

vacuum extraction

An intervention where a plastic or metal suction cup is placed on the baby’s head. The doctor then uses that suction to deliver the baby’s head and body.

sex

The genes and biological development that determines whether we are male or female.

gender

The social assignment of people to one sex or the other in a historical culture.

gender identity

The sense of being male (maleness) or female (femaleness).

gender role

The socialization of people in masculinity and femininity in society.

cisgender

A person whose behaviors and identity are congruent with more traditional gender roles, and which may include a man with a masculine gender identity or a woman with a feminine identity.

sexual differentiation

The process of developing into a male or female that begins before conception and continues during fetal development.

intersexuality

The condition of someone being biologically between a male and female.

androgen-insensitivity syndrome (AIS)

XY; Fetus is unable to respond to androgens; Ambiguous or undeveloped genitals, AFAB

congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH)

XX; Masculinizes the female body (decreases breast development & pubic hair growth); many born with ambiguous external genitalia; AMAB; 1 in 10,000

Klinefelter syndrome

XXY; Male, often infertile, small testes; Feminine body until puberty - treated with male hormones; AFAB; occurs in 1 in 500 or ~550,000 people in the U.S.

sexual dimorphism

Being either female or male.

gender binary

The illusionary but common perception that sex and gender are either male or female. In actuality, sex and gender exist on a spectrum.

gender expression

The way people express their gender by behavior, clothes, hair, voice, or gait.

transgender

A person who expresses gender behaviors that vary from the norm; self-identification as woman, man, neither sex, or both sexes does not match their assigned sex, which was identified by others as XY male or XX female.

transphobia

The fear and hatred of transgender people.

gender dysphoria

Refers to discomfort or distress that is caused by a discrepancy between a person’s gender identity and that person’s sex assigned at birth (and the associated gender role and / or primary and secondary sex characteristics).

gender confirmation

Any of several surgical procedures that a transgender or nonbinary person may choose to undergo in order to obtain physical characteristics that align with their gender identity EX: gender affirming surgeries, MTF hormone therapy, MTF surgical procedures, FTM hormonal therapy / surgical procedures

androgyny

Characteristics of a male or female who has a high degree of both feminine (expressive) and masculine (instrumental) characteristics.

gender stereotypes

Traditional notions of being masculine and feminine.

genderism /sexism

The belief that people need to be cisgender and that all gender nonconformity is bad or unacceptable./ The prejudice directed toward women as equals in society.

gender nonconforming

Those who manifest gender behaviors that go beyond or against the norm of their community.

gender variance

Nonconforming gender behavior that may be the result of the interaction of biology, culture, and individual characteristics such as personality and temperament

DSD

An identity label used by some transgender people to refer to “differences in sex development” rather than the old-fashioned and negative language of “disorders of disease".”

Klein dimensions

Sexual orientation grid; included sexual feelings, fantasies, and identities in addition to behavior. Past: Your life up to 12 months ago; Present: The most recent 12 months; Ideal: What do you think you would eventually like?

Kinsey scale

Emphasizes sexual behavior and attraction as expressions of sexual orientation. Three ranges: 0-1=heterosexuality; 2-4 = bisexuality; 5-6= homosexuality

sexual orientation

The structure of a person’s sexual or romantic attractions or both in people of the same or other sex, or toward both sexes.

LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, and asexual)

The collective name adopted for the social movement of sexual minority rights in the United States and similar Western nations.

gay/homosexual

An individual who is attracted only or primarily to other individuals of the same sex and / or gender

heterosexual/straight

People who are attracted to the other sex.

lesbian

A woman who is attracted to other women.

bisexual

A person who is sometimes attracted to men or women or both, although not necessarily to the same degree or at the same point in time.

queer (or questioning)

A person who does not wish to be classified as heterosexual and who may be questioning attractions to people of the same sex.