Biology of Gender and Hormones

Understanding the Self

• Sex refers to biological attributes. Gender refers to socially constructed roles, behaviours, expressions, and identities.
• Puberty is the period of becoming sexually mature, typically between 10-14 for girls and 12-16 for boys. It's accompanied by physical changes.
• Hormones, chemical messengers, affect growth, sexual characteristics, childbearing, metabolism, and personality.
• Estrogen and testosterone are sex hormones influencing secondary characteristics (e.g., breasts, hips in girls; facial hair, muscles in boys).

The Role of Estrogen and Progesterone

• Estrogen effects: builds uterine lining, increases body fat, can cause depression or headaches, impacts thyroid hormone, increases blood clotting, reduces libido, impairs blood sugar control, and increases risks of endometrial and breast cancers.
• Progesterone effects: maintains uterine lining, helps use fat for energy, is an anti-depressant, facilitates thyroid hormone action, normalizes blood clotting, restores libido, regulates blood sugar levels, and likely prevents endometrial and breast cancers.
• Optimal testosterone: sharper mind, confidence, happiness. Low testosterone: low energy, increased fat tissue, risk of Alzheimer's , decreased muscle mass, risk of erectile dysfunction, low libido.

The Three Stages of Love and the Hormones Involved

• Lust: driven by testosterone (men) and estrogen (women).
• Attraction: fueled by norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin.
• Attachment: involves wanting a lasting commitment, triggered by oxytocin and vasopressin.

Gender Stereotyping

• Gender stereotypes are generalized beliefs or preconceptions about attributes or roles of women and men.
• Harmful stereotypes limit individuals' personal and professional development.

Diving Deeper into Other Sexuality and Gender Issues

• Erogenous zones are areas of the body that are highly sensitive to sexual touch.
• Some areas are more sensitive than others due to the number of nerve endings.
• Various types of sexual behaviour include solitary and sociosexual involvements.
• Adults can face reproductive system issues via infections (e.g., Escherchia coli, sexually transmitted microorganisms, yeast).
• Women can experience hormonal changes including irregular periods and menopause.
• Men face slower changes in reproductive function compared to women but still maintain reproductive maturity throughout their life.

Understanding Family Planning

• Family Planning (FP) involves having and spacing children safely and effectively.
• Spacing children apart by 3-5 years is best for maternal (mother's) and child health.
• Unintended pregnancies, which are about half of all annual pregnancies in the US, have negative health and economic implications.

Sexual Problems

• Premature ejaculation, impotence/erectile dysfunction, ejaculatory impotence, vaginismus, and dyspareunia are some sexual problems.
• These can stem from physiological, psychological, or social factors.
• Solutions to these issues would involve learning techniques to delay ejaculation, counseling, medications, psychotherapy, and gradual dilation (for vaginismus).

Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs/STIs)

• STDs are infections spread through sexual contact and require treatment to avoid complications, especially in females and infants.
• Common STDs include Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, HIV/AIDS, Pubic Lice, Genital Herpes, Syphilis, Trichomoniasis, and Genital Warts.

Physiology of Human Sexual Response

• Sexual response has sequential stages (excitement, plateau, resolution) that differ between men and women, with men typically having refractory periods after orgasm, and women capable of multiple orgasms.

The Spiritual Self

• Spirituality encompasses connecting with something larger than the self and searching for life meaning.
• It's a universal human experience with varying expressions related to love, compassion, altruism, life after death, wisdom, and truth.
• Spiritual development often involves self-reflection.

Rituals and Ceremonies

• Rituals are customary actions or ceremonies.
• Religious and cultural practices involve rituals, with rituals often emphasizing community and shared beliefs.

Religion, Cult, Magic, and Witchcraft

• Religion is an organized system of beliefs, while spirituality is associated with personal beliefs.
• CULTS are unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical groups or interests.
• Witchcraft is the practice of what the practitioner believes are magical skills and abilities.

Viktor Frankl: Logotherapy

• Viktor Frankl believed that humans are motivated by a "will to meaning" - finding meaning in life, even amidst suffering.
• Logotherapy emphasizes finding purpose during difficult circumstances.

The Political Self

• Filipino values often revolve around kinship, obligation, friendship, religion, and commercial relationships.
• Family is central to Filipino culture, with a strong emphasis on family support and duties to ageing parents.
• Humor and optimism are valued traits.

The Digital Self

• The digital self allows individuals to experiment with different identities/personas.
• People use various social media platforms to meet expectations, boost self-esteem, fit in, and feel a sense of freedom.
• Digital platforms offer more opportunities to present different versions of themselves than real life, and also can be disinhibiting.

Identity Formation and Presentation in Relations

• People form their identities/personalities through various activities through the different stages of development.
• Their identities evolve and change as they adapt and incorporate new information and knowledge (like their relationships and social experiences), making their development complex.
• Social media and digital platforms provide opportunities for self-expression and experimentation within relational frameworks, both positive and negative experiences.

Managing Stress

• Stress has multiple sources (e.g., external- like work and school, internal like fears and uncertainty) and manifests in varying ways (positive eustress, negative distress).
• Strategies to manage external stress include managing time and energy, seeking support from friends or family, using humour and problem-solving skills, and being physically active.
• Strategies to manage internal stress include reframing thoughts, focusing on positive mindsets, challenging negative thoughts, using relaxation techniques, and self-compassion.

Self-Compassion

• Self-compassion is being warm and understanding towards oneself when encountering hardship or feeling inadequate.
• Research indicates a relationship between self-esteem and self-compassion, with self-compassion being less associated with narcissism and self-evaluation than self-esteem.
• Techniques to cultivate self-compassion include recognizing challenges as part of the human condition, treating oneself with kindness during difficult times, and reminding oneself to maintain self-control in any difficult situation.

Self-Regulation and Goal Setting

• Self regulation involves understanding your abilities, and strengths and weaknesses (meta-cognition).
• Setting clear goals and creating a plan to achieve them is crucial for success (goal setting).
• Utilizing various tools (like time management strategies) and incorporating feedback allows for continuous development and progress in achieving objectives.