NSG 170 - Test 4 – Sexuality Practice
Questions and Correct Answers
The World Health Organization provides a working definition of sexuality as: ✅A
central aspect of being human throughout life encompasses sex, gender identities and
roles, sexual orientation, eroticism, pleasure, intimacy and reproduction
Sexuality is experienced and expressed in thoughts, fantasies, desires, beliefs,
attitudes, values, behaviors, practices, roles and relationships
While sexuality can include all of these dimensions, not all of them are always
experienced or expressed
Sexuality is influenced by the interaction of biological, psychological, social, economic,
political, cultural, legal, historical, religious and spiritual factors
Sex ✅One of four primary drives that also include thirst, hunger, and avoidance of pain
Sexual Acts ✅Occur when behaviors include genitalia and erogenous zones
Sexuality ✅Is the result of biological, psychological, social, and experiential factors that
mold an individual's sexual development, self-concept, body image, and behavior
Sexuality depends on four interrelated psychosexual factors: ✅1. Sexual identity
2. Gender identity
3. Sexual orientation
4. Sexual behavior
Sexual Identity ✅Whether one is male or female based on biological sexual
characteristics
Gender Identity ✅How one views one's gender as masculine or feminine, socially
derived from experiences with the family, friends, and society
Sexual Orientation ✅How one views one's self in terms of being emotionally,
romantically, sexually, or affectionately attracted to an individual of a particular gender
Sexual Behavior ✅How one responds to sexual impulses and desires
The scope of sexuality as a concept ranges from: ✅Sexual well-being to sexual ill-
being
,These can be a measure of sexual function and dysfunction
Well-Being ✅The state of being happy, healthy, or successful (function)
Ill-Being ✅A condition of being deficient in health, happiness, or prosperity
(dysfunction)
Although it is a simplistic definition, sexual well-being can be evidenced by: ✅- The
presence of positive attitudes
- The absence of negative emotions
- An "overall satisfaction with life, fulfillment, and positive functioning
Sexual Response - Normal Physiological Process ✅
The human sexual response cycle, first described by Masters and Johnson in 1966,
was based on: ✅- Physiological measures of heart rate, blood pressure
- Changes in genital size
- Genital lubrication during stimulation and orgasm
Four consecutive phases were identified to describe human sexual response: ✅-
Excitement
- Plateau
- Orgasmic
- Resolution
Since then, other human sexual response models have been formulated to consider
psychological and sociological factors as well, most notably the notions of sexual
motivation and desire. Although aspects of each model may vary slightly, the general
phases are the same and include: ✅- Motivation
- Arousal
- Genital congestion
- Orgasm
- Resolution
Motivation ✅The desire to engage in sexual activity is also known as libido or sex drive
*Libido* is biological, psychological, sociological, and spiritual in nature
It can be impacted by medical conditions, medications, personality, temperament,
personality, lifestyle, relationships, and environmental stressors
Arousal ✅*Sexual arousal* is the physiological response to the release of
neurotransmitters that stimulate specific areas of the brain involved in cognition,
emotion, motivation, and organization of genital congestion
,An awareness of being sexually aroused is described as sexual excitement
*Human sexuality* is a sensual matter; consider the notion that someone can be "turned
on" or "turned off" sexually by varying stimuli of sight, smell, sound, taste, and touch
The *stimulus-response* can be excitatory or inhibitory in action; dopamine,
norepinephrine, and melanocortins are excitatory neurotransmitters, whereas serotonin,
prolactin, and GABA are inhibitory neurotransmitters
Genital Congestion ✅*Genital congestion* is a reflexive autonomic response facilitated
by the parasympathetic and inhibited by the sympathetic nervous system responses
This vasocongestion can occur within seconds of a sexual stimulus and results in
increased blood flow to the genital area
In a female, clitoral swelling and vulvar engorgement will occur, along with an increase
in vaginal lubrication
In a male, this neurovascular response will result in an erection of the penis
Concurrently, flushing of skin throughout the body may occur and can be seen as
pinking of the skin in areas of the face, torso, genitals, and even hands and feet
Orgasm ✅Generally a pleasurable sensation, orgasm produces rapid contractions of
the muscles in the genital and anal area and, for some humans, throughout the body; it
is the mechanism by which pelvic congestion is relieved slowly
The physical process of orgasm is similar for both sexes
In females, contractions occur in the lower part of the vagina, in the uterus, anus, and
pelvic floor
Approximately 10% of women also ejaculate a clear fluid from the urethra at orgasm;
the fluid originates from the Skene's glands in the wall of the urethra and is much like
the prostate fluid found in male ejaculate
In males, the pelvic floor muscle contractions result in a pulsatile ejaculation of seminal
fluid
Ejaculation with orgasm is much more common in men than in women
Most of the time, a man will have an orgasm at the same time he ejaculates, but
occasionally men have an orgasm without ejaculating or ejaculate without having an
orgasm
, Resolution ✅Resolution is described as a sense of well-being, muscular relaxation
throughout the body, or fatigue that generally follows orgasm; sexual arousal need not
result in orgasm for resolution to occur
Resolution is believed to be directly related to the neurotransmitters prolactin, ADH, and
oxytocin that are released during orgasm
In a female, relief of pelvic congestion will occur slowly, and the sense of pelvic and
genital fullness will abate
In a male, the penis will decrease in size and return to its flaccid state as pelvic
congestion is relieved
Age-Related Differences ✅
Human sexuality can be described as: ✅A developmental process, beginning at
conception and ending at death
Our early awareness of sexual self as an aspect of self-identity begins in infancy and is
influenced by: ✅The dynamic combination of biological, societal, cultural, and familial
factors
The development of human sexuality can be observed through the socially defined
stages of: ✅- Childhood
- Preadolescence
- Adolescence
- Adulthood
Three common attributes of sexual development: ✅- Gender identity
- Sexual response
- Capacity for meaningful, intimate relationships
Are essential as we move from infancy through adulthood
Childhood (Birth - 7 Years) ✅The physiological capacity for sexual response is first
observed in infancy: Baby boys get erections and baby girls exhibit increased vaginal
lubrication, a result of genital congestion
Infants of both sexes have been observed fondling their own genitals, a natural form of
sexual expression and arousal
Attitudes and behaviors conveyed by a child's family during childhood are key in
shaping sexuality as each child begins to form a gender identity—the sense of
maleness and femaleness
