Sex, Sex Education and Sexually Transmitted Disease

SEX: When, Who and Where?

Surprising Health Benefit of Sex 

Take note that sex is good for you in ways you may never imagined

and that the health benefits extend well beyond the bedroom.

Sex is what makes males and females different from each other. It also attracts them to each other and in­volves deep feelings and desires. Through sex, a man and a woman may become interested in each other, fall in love, get married, and have children. Higher animals and plants produce their own kind, generation after generation, by means of sexual reproduction. For human beings, however, sex involves much more than reproduction. It has natural and important biological, psychological, and sociological effects on their lives. (Adolescent, personality psychology and human).

Everyone is aware of sex because it influences every­one's personality and way of living. At the moment of birth, a baby is recognized as a boy or a girl. This recognition has an effect on the way the baby is raised. Throughout their lives, males and females are expected to behave in certain different ways. Because sex usually involves much deeper personal feelings and desires than other areas of life, it is not dis­cussed so openly as are other areas. As a result, many people are confused and bothered by their sexual feel­ings. Some view sex as something to laugh at, or to joke about. But throughout history, philosophers, scholars, and religious leaders have thought seriously about sex and its importance to individuals and to society. Most religions and cultures have developed moral standards concerning sex. Because sex is such a powerful force, it is used in many ways to attract attention. Both males and females use various styles of clothing and grooming to make themselves attractive to one another. People know that "sex sells." A film, television show, book, or article or story that deals with sexual interests is likely to be popu­lar. Many advertisements on TV and in newspapers and magazines use sexual appeals to attract attention to their products. This article discusses sex as it is related to the lives of children, teenagers, and adults. For a description of the methods by which human beings and various kinds of animals and plants reproduce, see the  arti­cle on Reproduction.

Lovers Embracing Each Other In Bed

Males and females

(Boys and girls, Puberty and Sex Roles) 

Boys and girls. Throughout childhood, the most ob­vious physical difference between the sexes is in the ap­pearance of the genitals (sex organs). A boy has a finger- shaped organ called a penis between his legs. Behind the penis is a small sac called the scrotum, which holds two oval-shaped organs, the testicles. A girl's external reproductive organs are called the vulva. The outer parts of the vulva are small folds of flesh that cover the opening to the vagina, a narrow passage that leads to other female sex organs—including the uterus and the ovaries— inside the body. In later years, after the sex or­gans have developed completely, a boy can become a father, and a girl can become a mother.

Puberty is the period of rapid growth that marks the end of childhood and the beginning of physical and sex­ual maturity (full development). During puberty, the bod­ies of boys and girls change noticeably, as do many of their feelings. At the beginning of puberty, most girls are taller and grow faster than boys of the same age. After boys begin their period of rapid growth, they soon catch up. Many young people worry because some of their friends are growing and maturing more quickly than they are. But differences in the age at which puberty begins and in the rate of development during puberty are entirely nor­mal. Some boys and girls mature several years earlier or later than others of their age. Whether a girl matures slowly or rapidly, she and other girls go through the same changes as they enter womanhood. She grows taller, and her breasts become larger and round out. Her hips become wider, and hair grows under her arms and around her vulva. The wid­ened hips will make it possible for her to give birth. The enlarged breasts will allow her to feed her babies milk from her own body. One of the changes that takes place during a girl's growth to womanhood is the beginning of menstrua­tion. Menstruation, a monthly discharge of blood and tissue from the vagina, is a normal part of a woman's life Most girls start to menstruate when they are about 12 years old, but many begin at an earlier or later age than this. See Menstruation. As a boy goes through puberty, he becomes taller and heavier. His shoulders broaden, he gets stronger, and his voice becomes deeper. Hair grows on his face, under his arms, around his genitals, and on other parts of his body. Most boys consider the appearance of hair on the face one of the most important steps to man­hood. When a boy nears sexual maturity, his sex organs be­come larger and he may experience nocturnal emis­sions, also called "wet dreams." Nocturnal emissions occur when a whitish fluid called semen is released through the penis while a boy or a man is sleeping. They are a natural way of releasing semen. For both boys and girls, the development of the sex organs is accompanied by noticeable sexual feelings and tensions. Sometimes these tensions are relieved by masturbating (rubbing or handling the genitals), in the past, many people believed that masturbation caused various mental and physical problems, including insan­ity and pimples. These ideas have been proved false. But many people believe that masturbation can be morally wrong because it is a misuse of sexual powers. Mastur­bation can become an emotional problem if it causes people to feel anxious, guilty, or ashamed.

Sex roles. Most men and women differ from each other not only in anatomy, but in behaviour and inter­ests as well. Some of these differences are biologically determined. For example, research indicates that males are more aggressive than females largely because of the male sex hormone testosterone. But many nonanatomical differences appear to be based on sex roles that are learned by every individual. People are born male or fe­male, but they learn to be masculine or feminine. Every society has certain common beliefs regarding the ways each sex should behave. In Western society, for example, women have traditionally been considered more tender and sympathetic than men. Men have been regarded as more competitive and less emotional than women. Most people traditionally associate women with such careers as homemaking and nursing, and men with such vocations as business and politics. Individuals receive informal but powerful impres­sions of the roles they are expected to play as boys or girls and as men or women. This learning of sex roles begins in infancy. In many cases, members of the family and friends play more roughly with baby boys than with baby girls. Little girls are cuddled and handled more gently than are little boys in many homes. As children grow, their families provide informal lessons in masculinity and femininity. They encourage a child to behave in ways they feel appropriate for his or her sex, and they discourage any conduct considered inappropriate. For example, parents may reward a daughter's interest in sewing and housekeeping with praise and encourage­ment. But they might actively discourage a son who shows similar interests. Both boys and girls learn sex roles by identifying with the parent—or some other person important to them—of ^e same sex. Young girls copy their mother's activities and behaviour, and young boys imitate their father's manner and interests. Many experts believe that chil­dren have a firm sexual identity by the age of 3. They know much about the roles considered appropriate for their own and opposite sex. After entering school, other children provide further impressions of sex roles that are acceptable or unacceptable. During adolescence and adulthood, people learn what is expected of their own and the other sex at work and play, with the same sex and in mixed groups. Since the 1960's, sex roles in many Western nations have become increasingly flexible. For example, many people no longer regard fear or tenderness as unmanly emotions. Similarly, a woman can be assertive or com­petitive and still be considered feminine. Men and women can also hold jobs that were once considered inappropriate for their sex.

Portrait Of Mid-adult Happy Couple Smiling Together

Sexual relationships

(Boy-girl relationships and love)

As boys and girls become aware of their developing sexuality, they may be disturbed about the changes they are experiencing. At the beginning of puberty, young people may associate mainly with members of their own sex, who are going through the same changes. As they become more mature and surer of themselves, they be­come increasingly interested in members of the oppo­site sex. During adolescence, boys and girls gradually learn howto get along in more grown-up ways with people of both sexes and of all ages. They adjust to the bodily changes they experienced during puberty. They learn to become more independent and to make their own deci­sions. And they discover new ways of developing rela­tionships with the other sex.

Boy-girl relationships. In many countries, boys and girls grow up together and become accustomed to one another long before they reach adolescence. Through­out childhood, they play together, go to school to­gether, and take part in many of the same activities to­gether. During the teen years, boy-girl relationships become much more important and more complicated. As teenagers mature emotionally, sexually, and socially, they seek closer, more personal relationships with members of the opposite sex.  In the early teens, when boys and girls first begin to take a special interest in each other, they usually get to­gether in groups. Meeting places may include schools and churches. Young people enjoy games, swimming, club meetings, various projects, and other group activi­ties. These group activities give boys and girls an oppor­tunity to discover themselves in different situations and with a variety of persons of both sexes. Such social ex­periences help individuals become more sure of them­selves, and prepare them for the next step in boy-girl re­lationships. The age at which boys and girls start to go out to­gether, like the time it takes them to mature, varies greatly between individuals. Many teenagers will start the relationship by going out with another couple or a group of couples. Going together as a couple involves many responsi­bilities and requires maturity on the part of both the boy and girl. Generally, the boy asks the girl to go out with him. He is usually expected to set the time and place for the occasion, assume responsibility for the girl. Both the boy and the girl are expected to dress appropriately and to be courteous and pleasant. They also are expected to conduct themselves in ways that would be approved by their families, their friends, and themselves. As adolescents mature and become more at ease w ith one another, their emotional and physical attraction to members of the other sex increases. Both boys and girls want their appearance and actions to make them attrac­tive to one another. They enjoy doing ordinary things to­gether that bring them close to one another. A boy and girl get a sense of being desirable when they look into each other's eyes, laugh together, hold hands, and sit close to each other. Kissing has special importance be­cause both boys and girls want more intimate contact with one another. There comes a time when the boy, or the girl, or both, want closer physical contact than hold­ing hands and kissing. It is important that teenagers understand and manage their sexual desires. When they do, they are likely to have enjoyable and rewarding relationships with mem­bers of the opposite sex. If they do not, they could be­come more physically and emotionally involved than they intend to or are ready to. Sexual desires can lead to sexual intercourse, the closest and most intimate form of physical contact. Sex­ual intercourse can start the process of reproduction. It could lead to an unmarried girl becoming pregnant. Most teenagers, both boys and girls, are physically able to have children. But few teenagers are ready to take on the responsibilities of marriage or parenthood. Most un­married young people who have babies have been car­ried away by their sexual feelings and by emotional de­sires they have not controlled. Sexual intercourse also involves important moral standards and deep personal feelings. It can cause serious moral, social, and psycho­logical problems for young people. The responsibility for controlling sexual desires belongs to both the boy and the girl.

Love. After two people get to know each other well, they may feel they are in love. They begin to understand one another better than ever before. They enjoy being together as much as possible in many different situa­tions and moods. They may come to care deeply for one another when each wants to cherish and protect the other. They enjoy doing things for one another, and find pleasure in sharing things and in discussing their feel­ings with each other. There are many forms of love feelings. One of the questions a person must face is whether he or she is re­ally in love at a particular time. For example, some peo­ple mistake physical desire for love. But love based mainly on sexual attraction does not last long. A normal young person may fall in and out of love several times before establishing a lasting relationship.

Happy family sitting in the garden

Marriage and the family

When a man and woman love one another, they usu­ally want to get married and spend the rest of their lives together. But a successful marriage involves more than just being in love. Being married and raising children re­quires a couple to be mature enough to accept and enjoy new responsibilities. They must be ready to make many adjustments in their ways of living, and be finan­cially able to support themselves. A husband and wife express their love for each other in many ways. One of the most intimate ways is through sexual intercourse. During intercourse, a man and woman lie close together and the man's penis is placed in the woman's vagina. This is usually psychologically and physically very pleasurable for both persons. During intercourse, semen is released from the penis into the vagina. The semen contains millions of tiny male sex cells called sperm. Sometimes, but not always, a sperm fertilizes (unites with a female sex cell called an egg. If this happens, a baby starts to develop inside the female and is born about nine months later. Many cou­ples want to prevent some pregnancies in order to reg­ulate the birth of their children. They plan their family by using some method of birth control (see Birth control). Some couples choose to remain childless. With the birth of children, a couple's life changes greatly. A baby is helpless and depends on its parents for the love and care it needs. The child is best assured of healthy, happy development if the parents love each other and want to have a baby. So it is especially impor­tant that love, sex, and family living go together.

Sexual intercourse between people who are not mar­ried to each other is considered morally wrong by many religious groups and by many people. Sexual relation­ships outside marriage can result in feelings of guilt and other psychological problems for the people involved. They can also result in the birth of an unwanted child.

Changing attitudes about sex

Until the mid-1900's, most people in Western coun­tries did not openly talk about sex. The subject was masked in giggles, blushes, and "dirty stories." Today, however, sex is much more frequently discussed as a normal part of human life. Newspapers and television report on research into human sexuality, and books and magazine articles discuss the pleasures and problems of sexual situations. The increased openness about sex encourages many parents to talk about it freely with their children. Large numbers of schools and churches offer courses in sex education for children and other young people of vari­ous ages. Marriage counselling and family life education help parents feel at ease with their own sexual interests and those of their children. People have become freer to express their real feel­ings than they once were. Both men and women feel less restricted by traditional concepts of masculinity and femininity. Members of both sexes and people of all ages have more freedom to enjoy one another. Sex, when properly understood and channelled, can bring great satisfaction to human beings. But most peo­ple agree that this powerful natural force must be con­trolled to assure fulfilment not only of the individual, but of society itself.

Related articles: Adolescent,  Homosexuality, Marriage,  Prostitution, Transsexualism, and Reproduction.

A pretty young woman sleeping in bed recovering.

Sex education

Sex education is the study of the characteristics of being a male or a female. Such characteristics make up a person's sexuality. Sexuality is an important aspect of the lives of human beings, and almost all people—including children—want to know about it. Traditionally, children have received information about sexuality from their parents. They also may learn about sexuality through their church, their friends, their doctor, or other sources. But many young people fail to receive adequate sex education from the traditional sources. In addition, youngsters often get incorrect in­formation about sexuality from their friends. Many people believe that sex education in schools as­sures children of correct and complete information about sexuality. But others insist that children should learn about sexuality only from their parents. The dispute over sex education. Surveys show that many parents, psychologists, and teachers favour some kind of sex education programme in schools. Oppo­nents of such programmes argue that children should learn about sexuality only from their parents. They feei that children need moral guidance when being taught about sexuality, and that only parents can provide this guidance. Some opponents of sex education charge that it causes young people to think about sexuality too much. Other opponents believe that few teachers have the proper training to teach children about sexuality. People who favour sex education in schools declare that parents have not done a good job of teaching about sexuality. They fear that children often receive false in­formation from their friends and from magazines, the cinema, and television. Therefore, they argue, school is the best place for children to receive correct and com­plete information about sexuality. Most supporters agree that sex education teachers need special training. See also Sex; Mary S. Calderone.

Sexually Transmitted Disease

Sexually transmitted disease, also called STD, is any disease spread primarily through intimate sexual ac­tivity. Many bacteria, viruses, and other kinds of germs cause STD's. STD's were once commonly called venerea! diseases. They are a major health problem throughout the world. How STD's are transmitted. STD's are transmitted almost entirely through intimate sexual contact with an infected person. STD's are rarely, if ever, transmitted through contaminated objects, such as eating utensils, towels, and toilet seats; or through casual contact, such as coughing, sneezing, or swimming in the same swim­ming pool. AIDS and a few other STD's may be transmit­ted through direct contact with infected blood (see AIDS). All of the common STD's can be transmitted from an infected pregnant woman to her baby. Transmission may occur as the fetus develops within the uterus or during childbirth. Factors in the spread of STD's. In general, people who begin sexual activity at an early age, have many sex partners, or have sex with high-risk individuals—such as prostitutes—are at high risk of infection. The frequency and duration of intercourse with an infected partner also influence a person's risk of infection with an STD.

In the United States, researchers have documented five social changes that have played a part in the spread of STD's since the 1960's. These changes are (1) a dra­matic increase in premarital sexual intercourse, (2) a de­crease in the average age at which people first have in­tercourse, (3) increased acceptance of having more than one sex partner, (4) a rise in the divorce rate, and (5) a fall in the remarriage rate. All these changes have contrib­uted to an increase in the number of sexually active peo­ple at risk of being infected with an STD. Within any society, there are STD-infected individuals whose sexual behaviour makes them highly likely to transmit the STD to others. These individuals, known as high frequency transmitters, tend to be sexually active without regard to the risk of transmitting the STD. They also tend to delay seeking treatment for their illness. So­cial circumstances such as poverty and lack of education may influence the number of such individuals in a com­munity. Biological factors also can affect a person's risk of STD infection. Individuals with genital ulcers may be more vulnerable than others to infection by the AIDS virus. In addition, some STD-causing organisms become resistant to the drugs used for treatment. For example, some forms of the bacterium that causes gonorrhoea have become resistant to penicillin and other antibiotics commonly used to treat this infection (see Gonorrhoea.)

Diagnosis and treatment. Doctors use a number of methods to diagnose STD's. The first step usually in­volves identifying the patient's symptoms as those of an STD. Doctors may then do a variety of laboratory tests to confirm the presence of the infecting organisms. For ex­ample, they may perform a blood test to identify sub­stances called antibodies, which the body produces in response to disease-causing organisms. Doctors prescribe antibiotics to treat a variety of STD's. Such STD's, which include chlamydia, gonor­rhoea, and syphilis, can be cured easily if the drugs are prescribed early in the course of the illness. However, failure to receive prompt treatment can lead to serious, even life-threatening, complications. For example, un­treated syphilis can lead to heart or brain damage. Viral STD's, including herpes and AIDS, are incurable. Patients may carry these infections for many years with­out developing symptoms. In addition, in herpes and certain other viral STD's, patients may experience symp­toms that go away, only to recur months or years later. Doctors can prescribe drugs that reduce the severity of symptoms when they appear, and may prevent or delay the development or recurrence of symptoms.

Prevention and control. The most effective strate­gies to stay free of an STD are to abstain from intimate sexual contact altogether, or to limit such contact to one uninfected partner who, in turn, has no other sexual partners. People can significantly reduce the risk of in­fection by using condoms or other protective measures during sex and by avoiding sex with prostitutes and other high-risk individuals. Controlling the spread of chlamydia, syphilis, and other bacterial STD's requires early treatment of infected individuals and their sexual partners. Many hospi­tals and community health centres have special clinics for the treatment of STD's. Individuals who believe they may have an STD should see a doctor immediately. They should also stop all sexual activity until told by a doctor that they are not at risk of infecting others. See also AIDS; Chlamydia; Gonorrhoea; Herpes, Genital; Pelvic inflammatory disease; Syphilis; Disease, (table: Some communicable diseases).

Sex ratio

Sex ratio is the proportion of males to females in a population. Studies of birth records for human beings and other animals indicate that many species have more individuals of one sex than of the other. Among human beings, for example, 103 to 107 boys are born for every 100 girls. In the adult population, however, women out­number men because women, on the average, live longer. Horses give birth to about 98 males for every 100 females. Chickens have about 95 males to every 100 fe­males.

Prostitution

Prostitution is the performance of sexual acts for pay­ment. It exists to meet the desires of many people who cannot find sexual satisfaction in other ways.

Prostitution exists throughout the world. Almost all prostitutes are women, but some are men. In most so­cieties, men have more sexual freedom than women have. As a result, these societies have a shortage of fe­male sexual partners, and prostitutes serve as a means of satisfying male sexual desires. A small number of prostitutes engage in homosexual activities.

Many social scientists believe that women become prostitutes largely for economic reasons, though other social and psychological causes also play a role. In this view, women become prostitutes because of the lure of quick financial gain not easily available elsewhere. The women's attitudes toward sexual behaviour also are im­portant in this choice. Much prostitution is linked with such social problems as drug use. Women may turn to or stay in prostitution to pay for their drug habit.

Prostitution is legal in some parts of South America and the Far East. A few European cities have experi­mented with legal prostitution. Hamburg, Germany, for example, has a section set aside for prostitution. Else­where in Europe, prostitution is tolerated to a varying extent. In the United States, prostitution has been illegal in most states since 1915.

People in Western countries disagree on whether prostitution should be legalized. Many who oppose the legalization of prostitution object to the possible ties of prostitution to venereal disease and organized crime. Supporters argue that legalization of prostitution en­ables the government to encourage medical inspection among prostitutes for venereal disease, and to try to control the link to crime.

Prostitution has existed throughout written history. It was widespread in ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, and China. Some prostitutes in ancient Greece had high so­cial rank and considerable influence. The people of some ancient civilizations associated certain prostitutes with religious activities.