Sex, Gender, and Health

• Tülay KAVLAK is an assistant professor and presenter of these notes on sex, gender, and health impacts.

Presentation Plan

• This presentation covers sex, gender, gender identity, healthy sexual intercourse, and sexual health problems.

Sex

• Sex refers to the biological characteristics, including anatomical, physical, and genetic traits, that define male and female.
• Biological characteristics include genital organs, like the penis, testicles, vagina, uterus, and breasts.
• Predominant hormones, such as estrogen and testosterone, are also key.
• The ability to produce sperm or ovum.
• The ability to give birth and breastfeed are included in the characteristics.
• The term "sex" can also refer to sexual activity, including intercourse.

Gender

• Gender relates to how society sees, perceives, thinks about, and expects individuals to behave as men and women, and is not entirely due to biological differences.
• Gender is how an individual or a society defines a man or a woman.
• Gender roles involve socially and culturally defined attitudes.
• Gender roles involve socially and culturally defined behaviors, expectations, and responsibilities for men and women.
• Gender involves accepted thoughts and expectations (norms) for women and men in society.
• These norms include "typically" feminine and masculine traits and abilities.
• These norms set expectations shared across a society about how men and women should behave in various situations.
• Thoughts and expectations are learned from family, friends, community leaders, and various institutions.
• Schools, workplaces, advertising, and the media are examples of institutions.
• Gender thoughts and expectations influence the different roles of women and men in society.
• Gender also impacts social, economic, and political power.
• When girls are raised, they are taught not to be interested in sexuality.
• Women tend to avoid telling men what they find sexually stimulating.
• Women tend not to refuse intercourse when they are not sufficiently stimulated.
• Women tend to avoid taking more active attitudes that would increase their pleasure.
• A woman must maintain her virginity until marriage.
• There is generally sexual freedom for men.
• In terms of affairs, men "having an affair" is downplayed, whereas for women, infidelity means "The Greatest Sin."

Gender and Sexuality Differences by Country

• Gender differences were found on sexual behavior and attitudes in one country.
• Largely, according to girls, boys are mostly not virgins.
• The age of first sexual intercourse is earlier in boys than in girls.
• Girls experience more negative emotions, such as guilt, shame, regret, fear, and anxiety, during their first intercourse.

Gender Identity

• Gender identity is the perception and acceptance of an individual's body and self in a certain sexuality.
• Gender identity involves displaying appropriate orientations in feelings and behaviors.
• Gender Identity is the acceptance of their sex and acting accordingly.
• Gender Identity also involves feelings and behaviors of sexuality.
• A child establishes various identifications during spiritual development.
• Children take adult people as a model, copying their patterns and absorbing them.
• Identity forms by integrating childhood identities and adopting the values of friend groups in youth.
• Identity forms by converging gained characteristics from those around them and settling in the self.
• An important component of identity is gender identity.
• Biologically, socially, and psychologically, the perception and acceptance of being a man or woman.
• Sexual orientation and sexual behaviors align with this perception are important stages in developing sexual identity.
• Individuals without a gender identity problem define themselves as "I am a man, I am a woman."
• Gender identity develops based on input from family, peers, teachers, and cultural factors.

Sexual Orientation

• Sexual orientation is the gender to which someone's sexual impulse is directed, and sexual desire is felt.
• Sexual orientation is a characteristic that defines the gender to which a person is sexually and emotionally attracted.
• Heterosexual: Sexual attraction to the opposite sex.
• Homosexual: Sexual and emotional interest in one's own gender.
• Bisexual: Sexual and emotional attraction to people of both sexes.
• Transgender: A person who believes that they should change their gender mentally and physically.
• Heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual men are male in bodily gender and gender identity.
• Heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual women are female in bodily gender and gender identity.
• Gay men do not feel like women, and gay women do not feel like men.
• It is not known how sexual orientation is formed.
• The question of why a heterosexual man likes a woman is unanswerable, with no knowledge of its formation in either direction.
• Accepted Explanations: Explanations for the complexity range, but include environmental factors.
• Science has no explanation as to whether people are born that way.
• It is unknown whether people are born heterosexual or bisexual/homosexual.
• People cannot make a choice between heterosexuality or other orientations.
• A person is not heterosexual because they want or choose to be, or homosexual by choice.
• Sexual experiments do not indicate one's sexual orientation or gender identity.
• A person may have sexual experiences with another person for other reasons.
• These reasons could be survival, money, power, or even social pressure, or other reasons, independent of their identity

Sexual Behaviors

• Sexual behaviors are activities related to a person's sexuality.
• Examples include touching, kissing, and stimulating the body in other ways.
• Activities or habits constantly performed as an expression of sexuality and called sexual experiences or sexual behaviors.
• Activities or habits constantly performed as an expression of sexuality and called sexual experiences or sexual behaviors are what people do sexually with themselves and with other people

Sexual Behaviors and Adolescence

• The final shape of sexuality takes shape during adolescence.
• After puberty, the sexual characteristics of the individual do not change easily.
• The adolescence process that usually starts with interest in one's own body can continue with a sexual curiosity directed towards the people around them.
• Adolescence progresses as curiosity and fantasies begin to limit sexual activity (kissing, caressing, and etc.) and expand boundaries.

Sexual Intimacy

• More than just having sex, it involves kissing, touching, chatting, hugging, caressing and reading together.
• The feelings, and story-telling together that contribute to positive feelings of intimacy

Sexual Intercourse

• Intimate sexual behaviors are classified as oral, anal, and penile-vaginal sex.

Healthy Sexual Intercourse

• Healthy sexual relationship is built on shared values and has five characteristics: compromise, non-exploitation, honest behavior, wishing to be with teach other, protection etc)
• Involves protection against unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease, incl. AIDs

Sexually Healthy Adults

• Know the value of their own bodies.
• Can take responsibility for their own behavior.
• Able to communicate with both genders with respect.
• They are able to express love and sincerity consistent with their values.

Sexual Health

• Biological, psychological and sociocultural elements are key factors.
• Individuals have the right to express and experience their sexuality in different ways.
• People must respect other's values in relation to sex.
• Sexual experiences should be free of coercion and exploitation.
• Respect, mutual trust, and sincerity is key.
• Informing children and sharing values and views about sexual orientation.

Considerations to Inform Children

• Sexuality should be loved and protected, regardless of gender.
• All sexual decisions have consequences.
• Individuals have the right to express themselves sexually.
• Families shoulder the burden of providing support and information.
• It is natural to explore one's body during self-discovery and growth.

Considerations for Younger People

• Think about the risks.
• Seek professional support at a health center.
• Exercise caution and self-control.
• Young people should seek assistance from health centers.
• Learning and adopting protective sexual behavior: This is how to approach it safely and healthy.

Prevention Tips

• Postpone intercourse to prevent unwanted pregnancies transmitted Infections, including AIDs

Gender Health

• Men and women have different patterns.

General Health

• It is more common in some area's than other's.
• Health in general begins with your overall physical health.

Women's Health.

• Women usually experience more illness and higher life expectancies than men.
• A high focus on children's health and adolescence begins with education

Problems related to Negativity

• In terms of gender, culture and religion will affect adolescence and create greater risk.

Childhood Health Negativity

• Gender, selection, unwanted pregnancy, forced abortion, mal nutrition.
• Also, potential infant trauma or infant mutilation.
• 2-5 years is a very important time for developmental milestones.

Adolescence Period

• Women should be educated and have a sense of their sexual being.

Most Common Adolescence Problems

• Societal problems, sexual harassment, unwanted intimacy, malnutrition, and more.

Problems in adulthood

• Problems like, STDs, abuse etc.

Reproductive Health.

• Important to seek help when there is a problem or questions.

Causes of Sexual Problems

• In some society's there is to a taboo, or a forbidden practice
• Some countries do not offer a curriculum with any sex education
• Lack of formal instruction on sexual health is very apparent
• Virginity carries a great amount of weight, which can be detrimental to positive outcomes.

Causes of Sexual Problems, Continued

• Communication.
• Formal conversations about the body.
• Understanding social normality
• Being comfortable with your desires and learning how to share them, as well.
• Being intimate can still be fulfilling and enjoyable. Be proud of yourself and your partner.

False beliefs in sexual life

• Can be exaggerated with different opinions. Don't trust people who are trying to take advantage of you.

Things to Consider

• Emotions (and knowing yours and being able to express the with ease).
• Affection.
• Warmth of the body and mind.
• Closeness as people

Diseases that cause sexual problems

• Cardiovascular-circulation
• Renal or Urological.
• Liver.
• Genetic.
• Hormone system.
• Nervous system, tumors, lesions.
• Or even a common lead poisoning.
• Any systemic diseases.

Medications

• Over the counter, and prescription grade
• Should be discussed with your physician