Human sexuality

Final Exam – Take Home Portion

All 8 questions must be answered to receive credit.  Please respond to each prompt fully and in complete sentences.  Responses will generally be about 1 page in length double spaced.  Responses do not have to be in APA format but if you are using a reference source other than the textbook, please provide the citation as it may be something I would like to use next semester : )

Your responses must be submitted online or in hard copy by the start of the final exam  - no late work will be accepted.

1.      1.         Do you want to be a parent or are you are parent?  What factors do you think influenced or will influence your decision to conceive children; in the discussion of your decision, make reference to the advantages and disadvantages outlined in the textbook.

1.      2.         Your friend has just told you that she and her husband are unable to conceive children.  What assumptions can you/would you make about their sex life?  What information would you give her about a) how common it is; b) at least three alternatives available to individuals with infertility problems and how successful these treatment interventions are; and c) specific fertility problems experienced by men and women (so they she can point the finger of blame in the right direction… lol).

1.      3.         Discuss the issue of abortion from a historical, social, and political perspective, and speculate on future directions this issue will take based on the current social and political climate.

1.      4.         Making reference to appropriate research, discuss how the adolescent pregnancy rate in the United States compares to that of other developed countries, and explain some of the possible reasons as to why the differences exist.  Discuss the suggestions outlined in your text for decreasing the occurrence of adolescent pregnancy. How effective do you think these suggestions would be? What other suggestions would you offer?

1.      5.         Discuss the concept of marriage in terms of the expectations of society.  How would you explain the discrepancies between the “idea of marriage” and the “reality of marriage”?  Describe the changing patterns in marriage. Offer some explanation(s) as to why these have come about. Many countries around the world consider the status and role of marriage to be in crisis. Discuss specific concerns in a country of your choice (can’t be the US, Canada or Mexico).

1.      6.         Discuss some of the factors that may have contributed to the rising incidence of sexually transmitted infections in the US and particularly Southern California.  Choose your favorite STD/ STI and discuss current information regarding the incidence, transmission, symptoms, possible complications and available treatments

1.      7.         Define sadism and masochism.  How common is this type of behavior?  What types of behaviors would people who participate in S & M engage in? Discuss several different theories that attempt to explain why people engage in sexual sadism or masochism.  Discuss some of the problems involved in labeling a behavior as “sadomasochistic”.

1.      8.         How common is rape in American society; for females, for males?  Outline the false beliefs pertaining to rape, and briefly discuss their impact on victims of rape.  Making reference to relevant research, discuss the social and cultural processes that contribute to a Rape Culture (Review Peggy Reeves Sanday’s research on rape-free vs. rape-prone societies).