March 3rd

Historical Factors Associated with Sexual Morality

Overview

  • Discussion on the cleanliness, social acceptability, and morality of certain sexual acts.

  • Questions posed include:

    • Are some sexual acts considered universally immoral, and what historical context contributed to these views?

    • Examples of sexual acts in question:

    • Is it immoral to have sex before marriage? What kind of sex?

    • Is oral sex immoral?

    • Is anal sex immoral?

    • Is sex during menstruation immoral?

    • Is masturbation immoral?

    • Is sexual intercourse with a cousin immoral?

Review of Historical Beliefs

Greek Beliefs

  • Examination of how Greek beliefs influenced Western concepts of morality and sexuality.

  • Key themes:

    • Morality and Sex

    • Perspectives on women and their sexuality.

    • Concept of pederasty and its social implications.

    • Plato’s Dualism and its significant influence on Christian thought.

    • Plato’s Allegory of the Charioteer as an analogy for sexual behaviour, emphasizing the conflict between rationality and desire.

Review of Abrahamic Religions

Christianity’s Perspective

  • Overview of when, how, and why Christianity began to label certain sexual acts as immoral.

  • Comparison of Judaism and how it distinguishes itself from other religions regarding sexual ethics.

Gnosticism and Manichæism

  • Gnostics: Their beliefs on the body being impure, evil emerging from the body's desires.

    • Closer to the Greeks (Plato)

    • All matter is impure (e.g., anything with the flesh)

    • We are born good/evil

  • Manachians

    • Evil comes from the body, and our weakness/desires lead us astray

    • Strive to abstain from sex…because it is good, proper and moral.

  • St. Augustine:

    • Emphasized the need to abstain from sex; believes sex is primarily for procreation.

    • Associated women with original sin, viewing them as subservient.

Thomas Aquinas

  • Discussed concepts of acts against nature and how these beliefs shaped social and legal norms around sexuality.

  • Examined whether the Reformation brought forth a more liberal stance toward sexual morality.

Impacts of Religion on Sexual Cognition and Behaviour

  • Exploration of how various religious teachings influence sexual thoughts, behaviours, and social norms.

Masturbation

Historical Perspectives

  • Regarded as a natural and healthy substitute for other sexual experiences in some circles.

  • Christian Influence:

    • St. Augustine: Advocated for sexual intimacy only within marriage, focused on procreation; believed foreplay was unacceptable.

    • Thomas Aquinas considered masturbation a sin and an act against nature.

Biblical References

  • Coitus Interruptus: Example from Genesis 38:7-10 describes Onanism and its moral implications.

    • And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord slew him. And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and marry her, and raise up the seed to thy brother.

    • And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother’s wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother.

    • And the thing which he did displeased the Lord; wherefore he slew him also.

Masturbation (18th - 19th Century)

  • 1700s

    • Masturbation caused baldness, wrinkles, bleeding lungs, sudden death, epilepsy, insanity, blindness and loss of memory.

    • Dr. Benjamin Rush believed it also caused tuberculosis and ‘nervousness disease’.

Masturbation in the 1800s

  • Masturbation was so widespread that devices were created to curb the practice.

Victorian Era (1837-1901)

  • Self-pleasure was seen as a considered a serious health detriment.

  • Sturgis Solution (1900): Introduced suppressive ideas about sexual urges through dietary restrictions (eating bland foods).

  • Sylvester Grahm introduced the idea that eating bland foods would inhibit sexual arousal.

Mid 20th Century Views

  • Richard von Krafft-Ebing (1886): Condemned masturbation as psychogenic damage.

  • Dr. Alfred Kinsey published significant studies in the 1940s and 50s, highlighting actual behaviours and societal views.

    • Dr. Kinsey’s books in the 1940s and 50s provided insight into actual reported behaviours.

Autoeroticism and Self-Generated Pleasure

  • Benefits of self-exploration for understanding personal and partner intimacy (Zamboni & Crawford, 2002).

  • Recognized as a treatment for premature ejaculation and orgasmic disorders in women (Heiman & LoPiccolo, 1988).

  • Provides an avenue for older adults to fulfill sexual needs and express intimacy (Kontula & Haavio-Mannila, 2002; Ginsberg et al., 2005).

Masturbation Statistics

  • Data indicating masturbation habits:

    • Recent Masturbation: Men: 51.7%; Women: 17.8%.

    • Never Masturbated: Men: 5.4%; Women: 28.2%.

Factors Influencing Masturbation Practices

  • Influences on habits include socioeconomic status, education level, religiosity, race/ethnicity, and the duration of partnership.

Native American Perspectives on Sexuality

Principles of Sexuality

  • Over 500 unique spiritual traditions, making broad generalizations inaccurate.

  • Sexuality in Indigenous cultures is recognized as non-shameful; encouraged sexual curiosity during childhood and adolescence.

  • Historically, women often took the initiative in sexual matters; many communities practiced polygamy with minimal prostitution.

Kinship Systems

  • Comparison with European missionaries:

    • Matrilineal descent systems in Native cultures, notably among Iroquois, granting women substantial political power.

    • Different kinship rules allowed cross-cousin marriage, contrasting with European norms.

Gender Systems in Indigenous Cultures

Two-Spirited Individuals

  • Concept of beings who possess both male and female spirits is commonly respected in various Indigenous cultures.

Traditional Chinese Views on Sexuality

  • The interplay of sexual behaviour with Yin and Yang:

    • Yin: Associated with passivity, particularly in women, viewed as limitless.

    • Yang: Linked to activity and depletion in males, with sexual activity seen as promoting unity.

    • Sex is complementary in creating unity.

Feudal Japan (Until 19th Century)

  • Notable cultural attitudes included:

    • Acceptable homosexuality and significant occurrences of pederasty among monks and warriors.

    • Geishas provided entertainment and sexual companionship to men.

    • Similar to Ancient Greek culture.

    • Homosexuality common and acceptable.

Hinduism and Sexuality (Circa 2,500 BCE)

  • Four major life goals in Hinduism include:

    • Sensory gratification,

    • Material well-being,

    • Religious duty,

    • Rebirth/salvation.

  • Pleasure desirable

  • Sexuality in General

    • Sex a religious obligation

    • Erotic picture books instruct on techniques

  • Specifics of Sexuality

    • Love is important, and couples truly in love have more pleasure.

Kama Sutra

  • A significant text providing guidelines on love, relationships, and varied pleasures in life.

    • the nature of love

    • finiding a life partner

    • maintiatin one’s love life, and other aspects pertaining to pleasure-oriented faculties of human life.

The Psychological Effects of Religion on Sexual Behaviour

Sexual Partners and Experiences

  • Studies show patterns differing among religious affiliations:

    • Catholics tend to report fewer sexual partners compared to Protestants.

    • Non-religious individuals report higher rates of sexual activity and masturbation than their religious counterparts.

Religious Influence on Adolescent Behaviour

  • Religious upbringing leads to decreased engagement in risky sexual behaviours (Rostosky et al. 2004).

  • Early initiation of sexual activity correlates with a higher number of sexual partners and risks for STDs and unplanned pregnancy.

Intrinsic Religiosity (Allport, 1950)

  • Associated with

    • A lower likelihood of casual sex,

    • Fewer desired sexual encounters,

    • Reduced the likelihood of sexual relationships within a year.

Spirituality (Hymen & Handal, 2006)

  • Positive correlations include:

    • Comfort with the body,

    • Intimate relationships and expressions of sexuality.

    • Increased sexual activity and varied sexual experiences.

Fundamentalism

  • Associated with conservative views on gender roles and sexual orientation.

  • Minimal variation noted in sexual behaviors across different religions.

Paranormal Beliefs (Bainbridge, 2004)

  • Individuals in traditional religions more likely to believe in paranormal phenomena.

  • Women are more inclined than men to endorse these beliefs, sometimes leading to a higher propensity for seeking short-term sexual relationships.

Contraception

Preventing Pregnancy Pathways

  • An increase in estrogen leads to a reduction in FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone).

  • An increase in progesterone also works to inhibit ovulation and increase the effectiveness of contraception.

Oral Contraceptives (The Pill)

  • Mechanism of action:

    • Estrogen's role in preventing ovulation is through the suppression of FSH production by the pituitary gland.

    • Progestin enhances contraceptive effectiveness by:

    • Inhibiting ovulation,

    • Thickening cervical mucus,

    • Reducing endometrial thickening,

    • Slowing Fallopian tube activity.

Drug Interactions with The Pill

  • Approximately 30 medications can interfere with the efficacy of oral contraceptives.

  • Antibiotics may diminish the effectiveness of hormonal birth control.

  • May increase metabolism of some drugs (anti-anxiety drugs, corticosteroids and some asthma drugs), making them more potent.

Variants of Oral Contraceptives

  • Various formulations exist, affecting estrogen and progestin ratios, including:

    • Triphasic Pill and progestin-only options.

      • Works by changing cervical mucus, inhibiting sperm passage.

Emergency Contraceptives

Plan B

  • Contains levonorgestrel, a form of progestin.

  • Must be taken between 12 hours to 5 days post-intercourse; its purpose is to prevent, not terminate, pregnancy.

  • Effectiveness ranges from 75% to 89%.

  • Does it encourage irresponsibility?

Ethical Question

  • Discussion on whether emergency contraceptives encourage irresponsible sexual behaviour.

Psychological Aspects of Oral Contraceptives

Attractiveness Preferences

  • Recent studies show inconsistent results on the impact of the pill on preferences in male attractiveness.

  • No pill, the female spent more time looking at the genitals in the photo.

  • Pill users focused on contextual details such as clothing and background.

Cognitive Changes

  • Increased Estrogen (typical of the follicular phase) associated with regonition of emotions (in particular: disgust) (Kamboj et al., 2015).

  • Sexually dimorphic cognitive tasks that favour women (e.g., facial emotional recognition) are performed best during periods of high estrogen levels and vice versa. (Sanders, 2002).

  • BUT… is estrogen increasing sensitivity toward all emotions?

  • More recognition errors in the follicular phase than in the luteal phase (when progestins dominate).

  • Estrogen may be suppressing positive emotions to focus on more negative immediate ones.

Mood Considerations

  • Mixed findings on oral contraceptive effects on women's mood, with some studies suggesting a decrease in depression and others noting increased variability in mood across the menstrual cycle.

  • Inconsistent findings

    • Depression one of the most common reasons for discontinuing OCs.

    • Decreased depression

    • May even prevent against depression.

    • No differences

Jealousy and Relationship Dynamics

  • Jealousy has adaptive value for monitoring potential threats to a partner's resources.

  • Reports indicate that partnered women using oral contraceptives experience increased jealousy levels compared to naturally cycling women.