Family Power

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.McGraw-Hill/Irwin

Sexual Intimacy

Chapter 6

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Sexuality Involves…

 Beliefs and Values

 How is sexuality defined for the relationship?

 What influences it?

 Behaviors

 What is okay and when?

 How often?

 Who does what and is it okay if those roles

change?

 The use of condoms/ birth control

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 6-3

Sexuality Involves…

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Sexuality involves

 Assigned sex: What are you physically

capable of participating in?

 Gender identity and expression: How do

you sexually relate to yourself, others,

and how do you want others to sexually

relate to you?

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Sexuality involves

 Sexual orientation: Who do you want to

have a sexual relationship with?

 Gender role: What does society say

about who you are supposed to be with,

how, and when?

 Each of these things play a role in who

we are sexual with, when that may and

may not happen, how it happens, where

it may happen, and why.

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Sexuality can involve…

 Lesser-known aspects of some

relationships  Asexuality

 Polygamy

 Polyamorous relationships

 Kink

 These things can seem quite sensational, but are

viewed as normal and sometimes necessary for

those involved in them

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Gay and Lesbian Couples

 Research has demonstrated that all couple

types—regardless of orientation—have many

of the same problems and the same

approaches to couple satisfaction.

 Challenges:

 Society

 Decisions around “coming out”

 Rejection from relatives

 Beliefs surrounding sexual identity

 Defining the relationship

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Strengths of Gay, Lesbian, and

Transgender Couples

 Emotional connection with partner and

others

 Role flexibility

 Egalitarian decision making

 Positive parent/child relationships

 Perceptive of psychological dynamics

 Effective communication skills

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 6-9

Teenage Pregnancy

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Sexual Behavior Among

Adolescents and Young Adults

 74% of Americans have sex before age

20

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Unintended Consequences: Teen Pregnancies

and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)

 Approx. 750,000 teen pregnancies occur each year.

 82%of these are unintended

 United States has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the developed world

 Every year about 9 million new STIs occur among young people in America.

© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 6-12

Education for Sexuality

 Teen pregnancy has declined 40% since

its peak in 1990.

 Two approaches to sex education:

 Comprehensive Approach

 Abstinence-only

 What do we know about this approach?

 This approach and it’s ties to anal sex…

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Sexuality Education and Parents

 Education about sexuality should

begin in the home.

 Parents who accept and help their

children learn to cope with their sexuality

have a better chance of raising healthy

and sexually responsible children.

 What does this say about parents?

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Is Sex Education Effective?

 Research found comprehensive sex education

helps delay the onset of sexual activity, reduce

the frequency of sexual activity, reduce the

number of sexual partners, and increase

condom and contraceptive use.

 Advocates for Youth reviewed research on

abstinence-only programs and found “little if

any evidence” that the programs are effective.

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Infidelity

 25-year research study shows:  Attitudes related to actions

 Attitudes differ based on culture, gender, relationship, behaviors

 Attitudes/behaviors vary by country and culture

 Men more likely to see love/sex distinction

 Men more likely to engage in infidelity

 Extramarital sex occurs in less than 25% of committed heterosexual relationships

 Dissatisfaction with relationship increases infidelity potential

 Three types: emotional, sexual, combined

 Gay men less concerned about infidelity; lesbian couples less likely to experience infidelity

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Adultery/ Cheating

 What begins in chaos, ends in chaos

 Illicit sexual behavior can be quite

exciting and fulfilling

 Often, the fact that it is illicit is what is

the most tantalizing and influences the

intensity

 Couples who begin a true relationship

this way often do not make it

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Sex Therapy

 Sex educators work with larger groups of

people and teach general information and

principle.

 Sex therapists typically work with

individuals or couples and focus more on

individual concerns and problems.

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The Media

 Graphic depictions of sex in movies and

on television

 Influences what we see as normal

(whether we realize it or not)

 Can influence how we view our intimate

relationships

 Can cause us to judge in unfair ways…