People
interpret their sexual responses in various ways. Body-response to sexual arousal are identical whether the
stimulation comes from touching, kissing, intercourse,
masturbation, fantasy, watching a movie, or reading a book. This
statement does than dancing or playing the violin is "
only" mechanical because certain parts of the body are
involved in these activities. Human sexual response is
multidimensional, with input from feelings and thoughts,
learning and language, personal and cultural values, and many
other sources combining with our biological reflexes to
create a total experience.
To
understand the complexities of human sexuality, it is helpful to become familiar with the details of sexual physiology
functions of our sexual anatomy. Learning about the various
responses of the body during sexual arousals and about the
forces that regulate them will increase your awareness of your
own and your partner's responses and may clarify many
misconceptions, myths, and questions about sex. It is also
important to understand sexual physiology to comprehend many
sexual disorders.
Sources
Of Sexual Arousal
When
people talk about sexual arousal, they frequently say
they are " turned on, " revved up" or hot".
Each phrase likens sexual arousal to an energy system, and as a starting
point, this comparison is useful. From a scientific perspective,
sexual arousal can be defined as a state of activation of
a complex system of reflexes involving the sex organs and the
nervous system. The brain itself, the controlling part of the
nervous system, operates with electrical and chemical impulses
wired" to the rest of the body through the spinal cord and
peripheral nerves. Signals from other parts of the body (like
the skin, genitals , breasts) are integrated and focused in the
brain, for without sexual thoughts, feelings , or images
sexual response is fragmentary and incomplete. At times, sexual
arousal may be largely a cerebral event that is, a
person may be aroused while no visible physical changes
are occurring elsewhere in the body. On other
occasions genital sensations can be so intense that they block
out awareness of almost everything else.
Sexual
arousal can occur under a wide variety of circumstances. It may
be the result of voluntary actions such as kissing, hugging
, reading a sexy book , or going to an erotic movie.
Sexual arousal can also be unexpected, unwanted, or event
alarming. Consider, for instance, the following situations:
1.
A twelve-year-old boy gets an erection while taking a shower
in a crowded all-male locker room at school;
2.
A female college
student who is an ardent feminist become sexually aroused while
watching a rape scene in a movie;
3.
A female medical
student is sexually excited when she examines an elderly male
patient;
4.
A male lawyer is sexually aroused by discussions
with a female client who hires him to help her obtain a divorce.
These people may be embarrassed or uncomfortable temporarily,
but unexpected sexual arousal is normal and happens to most of
us occasionally.
The
sources of sexual arousal are also varied. The process of
getting " turned on" may be triggered by direct
physical contact such as a touch or a kiss, or may be
activated by a verbal invitation (" let's make love")
a nonverbal message (" body language"), or a visual
cue (such as nudity or a particular clothing style). It may also
spring from fantasies or the most everyday occurrences clothing
rubbing against the genitals, the rhythm of a moving
vehicle, or taking a bath or shower.
Sexual arousal occurs in
all age groups from infants to the elderly, and it occurs when
we are asleep as well as when we are awake. Men have about a
half dozen erections during a night's sleep (the erections
usually last five to ten minutes), and women have similar
episodes of vaginal lubrication during sleep. These reflex
responses our automatically and are not controlled by the specific
content of dreams.
*****
Evaluating
Contraceptive Effectiveness
and Safety
