Female Anatomy and Sexual Response

• Physiology of sexual action and sexual response involves multiple systems.

Female Anatomy

• Labia majora are folds of fat and connective tissue.
• They extend down from the mons pubis and are covered with hair after puberty.
• Labia majora protect the labia minora, urethral, and vaginal openings.
• They are rich in veins and nerves.
• Labia minora are located below the labia majora.
• Like the labia majora, they are rich in vessels and nerves.
• Labia minora are covered with a thin layer of epidermis and have no hair follicles.
• The clitoris is located at the top of the labia minora.
• It is a short, cylindrical, erectile organ rich in veins and nerves.
• High concentration of veins and nerves in the clitoris can cause bleeding in tears and injuries.

Vestibule

• The vestibule is the triangular area where the labia minora open.
• The urethra and vagina open to the vestibule.
• Bilateral Bartholin glands and the hymen are located in the vestibule's outer part.
• The vestibule's surface is thin and mucosal, making it easily irritated by chemicals, heat, discharge, and tight clothing.

Hymen

• The hymen is an elastic mucous membrane that partially covers the vaginal opening.
• Holes in the hymen allow menstrual blood to flow out.
• Rarely, the hymen is completely closed, a condition called imperforated hymen.
• An imperforated hymen will require a hymenotomy for the release of blood during menstruation.

Bartholin Glands

• The Bartholin glands are the largest glands in the vulva.
• They are located on both sides of the vagina, opening into the vestibule via ducts.
• The Bartholin glands provide vaginal lubrication by secreting fluids during sexual stimulation.

Vagina

• The vagina is 8–10 cm long and connects the vulva to the uterus.
• It is tubular, made of muscles and membranes.
• In the unborn, the front and back vaginal walls touch.
• The upper part of the vagina wraps around the cervix, adhering to its outer wall.
• The part of the cervix inside the vagina is the "Porsio".
• The recesses between the porsio and vaginal walls are called the "Fornix."
• Vaginal mucosa consists of layers called rugae, which allow for expansion during childbirth.
• The vaginal mucosa responds to estrogen and progesterone, maintaining an acidic pH for protection against infections.
• With the withdrawal of estrogen during menopause, the pH shifts to alkaline, causing senile vaginitis.

Male Reproductive System

• The penis and scrotum constitute the male's external reproductive organs.

Penis

• The penis contains three cylindrical, spongy layers.
• These layers consist of two corpus cavernosa and one corpus spongiosum.
• The urethra runs through the corpus spongiosum.
• Blood vessels and nerves travel through the spongiosum layer.
• Blood vessel fullness during sexual excitement causes erection.
• The tip of the penis is the glans penis, which is highly sensitive due to many nerve endings.

Scrotum and Testicles

• The scrotum holds the testicles and spermatic cords.
• Blood vessels, nerves, muscle fibers, and the ductus-vas deferens are within the Spermatic cords .
• The spermatic cord enters the abdomen through the inguinal canal.
• The mens' internal reproductive organs include the duct system.
• The Mens duct system provides the storage and transport for testicles and spermatozoa.
• The testicles are a pair, located inside the scrotum, each 4 cm long.
• Testicles are suspended by the spermatic cord (Funiculus spermaticus).
• Spermatic cords consist of seminal ducts, arteries, veins, lymphatic vessels, and nerves.
• The testicles have exocrine (sperm production) and endocrine (hormone secretion) functions.

Physiology of Sexual Behavior

• The limbic system, autonomic nervous system, central nervous system, and medulla spinalis contribute to Physiology of sexual behavior.

Limbic System

• The Limbic system is responsible for controlling affective states and sexual behavior.
• The limbic system regulates emotions, memory, sexual arousal, and learning.
• Located on both sides of the cerebrum in the lower right, it controls emotional reactions.
• Dysfunctions in this area can trigger psychological problems.
• The limbic system consists of the hypothalamus, hippocampus, thalamus, and amygdala.
• The hypothalamus acts as a management center, relating the nervous and endocrine systems.
• It regulates the stress response and behaviors, including thermoregulation and sexuality.
• The hippocampus is involved in memory processing, strengthens permanent memory and is responsible for spacial awareness.
• The known "seat of the sensory centers" is the thalamus.
• The thalamus controls sensory functions such as hearing, smell, taste, and touch, and directs motor behaviors.
• The amygdala, as the "dark side" of the brain, directs instincts and manages emotions with survival reflexes.

Limbic System Tasks

• Behaviors are necessary for sustaining existence, such as eating, drinking, and reacting to danger.
• Behaviors are related to the continuation of species, like coupling, reproduction, and offspring care.
• Adaptation of visceral activities related to these behaviors.

Motor Systems

• The somatic motor system operates voluntarily.
• The autonomic engine system operates involuntarily.

Autonomic Nervous System

• The autonomic nervous system consists of non-myelinated nerve fibers and controls involuntary activities.
• It is divided into the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.
• The sympathetic nervous system is activated during stress, danger, and excitement, speeding up vessel beats and breathing.
• The sympathetic nervous response causes brooches to expand, the pupils dilate, sweating may increase, and blood sugar rises.
• It also restricts blood flow, reduces saliva secretion and inhibits digestion.
• Kidney activity slows down, relaxing the bladder.
• The parasympathetic nervous system normalizes organ functions after stress passes and increases kidney activity.
• Salivation and digestion are accelerated, the bladder contracts and capillaries dilate.
• Heart beat and beathing slows down, Pupils Shrink and Sweating is reduced with this system activated.

Sexual Function and Regulation

• Sexual response is a result of the interplay of sexual organs, nervous and endocrine systems, and neurochemical processes.

Neuroendocrine Regulation

• Diseases, adverse environmental conditions, and drugs affect sexual function.
• Signals from genitals are focused in the brain.
• The brain sends chemical and electrical impulses through peripheral nerves and the spinal cord.
• Genitalia and pelvic floor muscles controlled by the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems via pelvic nerves.
• The pudendal nerve is part of the somatic nervous system.
• Autonomic nerves regulate blood flow and smooth-muscle contractions during arousal.
• Somatic nerves control voluntary muscle responses during orgasm.
• The hypothalamus controls reproduction and sexual behavior, as well as endocrine system regulation.

Endocrine Basis of Female Sexual Function

• Estrogen and progesterone are produced by the ovaries under the control of gonadotropin hormones.
• Estrogen is necessary for vaginal mucosa maintenance.
• Furthermore, estrogen is responsible for vaginal lubrication during sexual stimulation.
• Androgens, produced in the ovary and adrenal cortex, slightly change during ovulation.
• Androgen regulates interest and desire, while estrogen creates the desire.
• Progesterone suppresses feelings of active lovemaking and increases feelings of maternity and cuddling.

Endocrine Basis of Male Sexual Function

• Testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, and androstenedione are basic sex hormones.
• Leydig cells produce testosterone and androstenedione under LH control.
• Small amounts of androgens (dihydrotestosterone) are produced in the adrenal glands.
• Testosterone maintains sexual interest and ejaculatory capacity and is not directly involved in erection.
• Erectile dysfunction is not always seen in hypogonadal men.

Physiology of Sexual Action

• The human sexual response is generally inactive but prepares genital organs for intercourse.
• This complex process is biochemical, physiological, and psychological and relies on both the woman sexual behavior and Man's sexual behavior.
• Master and Johnson emphasized the similarity of sexual dysfunction between men and women.
• Women have the capacity for independent arousal.
• Foreplay is important for women.

Phases of Sexual Response

• Phases of sexual response are arousal, plateau, orgasm, and resolution.
• Sexual desire is now recognized as the first phase in both.
• Arousal is characterized by the emergence of erotic feelings, thoughts, and erection in men, and vasocongestion in women.
• Depending on the physical or psychological stimulus, The arousal phase may last for a very short time if sexual stimulation is inappropriate.

The Arousal Phase in Women

• The first sign of arousal is vaginal wetting due to mucus secretion.
• The clitoris becomes erect.
• Sexual arousal stems from different brain regions in women than in men.
• Also, women can experience independent sexual stimuli unlike men.
• The increase of breast volume stems from nipple erection.

Arousal phase in Men

• The first observable reaction in men is the hardening/erection of the penile spongy tissue as it fills with blood.
• Although psychogenic and reflexogenic factors create erections, psychogenic stimuli may prevent reflexogenic actions.
• During the Men excetment phase gland around testicles becomes thickens and the testicals.

Plateau phase in Women and Men

• Arousal and tension remain high and the excitement continues with elevation.
• This phase lasts around on average is only 3 minutes with and without falling.
• Muscle tension, increased blood pressure, pulse, and hyperventilation are observed.

Orgasm Phase

• Orgasm derived from Greek, is the release of nerve and muscle tension at peak excitement
• They lasts only a few seconds and results in several contractors and sergers.
• In women, an average time line is only 1 minute.
• In women, stimulation such as vaginal or the women experienced a period of arousal.
• The gland in the women are stimulated.
• 3 more requires is force is required for vaginal.
• In Men muses and penis
• Semen, vesicula seminalis and prostate
• The Muses construct for the bladders
• Seme is ejected 60 com

Dissolution phases

• In women, mucus contraction relaxes ,muscle tone returns on normal when.
• In an average duration of the erection and the
• And it comes back to the point where we came from originally .
• Muscle conduction returns to normal and after 50 percent is returned where is came from after
• In a few instances ,a men is have more sudden discharge due to all kinds of sexual and for many can produce sweat