Sex vs. Gender: Roles and Expectations

Sex vs. Gender

• Sex refers to the biological characteristics (anatomical, physical, and genetic) that define whether someone is male or female
• Sex includes the type of genital organs, predominant hormones (estrogen, testosterone), ability to produce sperm/ovum, and ability to give birth/breastfeed
• Sex is also used to describe sexual activity, including intercourse
• Gender is how an individual or society defines a man or woman
• Gender is shaped by socially and culturally defined attitudes, behaviors, expectations, and responsibilities
• Gender encompasses accepted thoughts and expectations (norms) for women and men in society

Gender Roles and Expectations

• Gender roles include feminine and masculine traits and abilities
• Gender defines expectations about how men and women should behave in various situations
• Thoughts and expectations about gender are learned from various sources, including family, friends, community leaders, religious and cultural institutions, schools, the workplace, advertising, and media
• Gender roles influence the differing roles of women and men in society, their social status, and their economic and political power

Gender and Sexuality

• Girls are often raised to be uninterested in sexuality
• Women may avoid telling men what they find sexually stimulating
• Women might not refuse intercourse even if not sufficiently stimulated
• Women may avoid taking active roles to increase their pleasure
• Women are often expected to maintain virginity until marriage
• Men may experience more sexual freedom than women
• Men's infidelity may be viewed differently than women's
• Women's infidelity may be viewed as a greater sin

Sexual Behavior and Attitudes: Gender Differences

• Significant gender differences relate to sexual behavior and attitudes
• A study showed that girls are more likely to report that boys are not virgins
• The age of first sexual intercourse is earlier for boys
• During first sexual intercourse, girls may experience more negative emotions (guilt, shame, regret, fear, and anxiety) compared to boys

Gender Identity

• Gender identity is the perception and acceptance of one's body and self in relation to their sexuality
• It involves having appropriate orientations in feelings and behaviors
• Gender identity is accepting one's sex and behaving in accordance with that perception and sexuality

Gender Identity Development

• During spiritual development, a child establishes various identifications
• Children take adult figures, especially parents, as models
• They imitate behaviors, absorb characteristics, and make them their own
• Identity is formed by integrating childhood identities and adopting values from peer groups in youth
• Identity integrates characteristics gained from people in childhood, settling in the self

Factors in Sexual Identity Development

• An important aspect of identity is gender identity
• Biological, social, and psychological factors influence the perception and acceptance of oneself as a man/woman
• Sexual orientation and behaviors aligned with perception and acceptance are essential in developing sexual identity
• Individuals without gender identity issues define themselves clearly (e.g., "I am a man," "I am a woman")
• Family members, peers, teachers, and cultural factors contribute to gender identity development

Sexual Orientation

• Sexual orientation relates to the gender to which one's sexual impulse is directed and sexual desire is felt
• It is a characteristic defined by the gender to which a person is sexually and emotionally attracted

Types of Sexual Orientation

• Heterosexual: Attraction to the opposite sex
• Homosexual: Attraction to the same sex
• Bisexual: Attraction to both sexes
• Transgender: Believing the body should change to align with the other gender mentally and physically

Sexual Orientation: Biological factors

• Heterosexual, homosexual, and bisexual men are male in bodily gender and gender identity
• Similarly, heterosexual, homosexual, and bisexual women have a female bodily gender and gender identity
• Gay men do not feel like women, and gay women do not feel like men
• The specific formation of sexual orientation isn't definitively known
• Accepted explanations suggest a complex genetic basis influenced by environmental factors
• It remains unknown if people are born heterosexual, bisexual, or homosexual
• Individuals cannot choose to change sexual orientation

Sexual Experiences and Identity

• A person is not heterosexual because of wanting to be heterosexual, nor can they decide to become homosexual
• Sexual experiments do not indicate a person's sexual orientation or gender identity
• A person might have sexual experiences for reasons other than sexual orientation (e.g., survival, money, power)
• Some may have sexual experiences contrary to their sexual orientation due to social rules

Sexual Behaviors Defined

• Sexual behaviors are activities related to a person's sexuality, in examples such as touching, kissing, and body stimulation
• Consistent activities or habits expressing sexuality are defined as sexual experiences or sexual behaviors
• Sexual behaviors and experiences include what people do sexually with themselves and others
• The concept of sexuality takes final shape during adolescence, building from childhood
• Sexual characteristics typically become fixed after puberty
• Adolescence involves developing interest in one's own body and can include curiosity toward others
• Curiosity and fantasies are replaced by initial sexual experiences (kissing, caressing), and expanding beyond this leads to first sexual intercourse

Sexual Intimacy Explored

• Sexual intimacy goes beyond just having sex
• Examples for sexual intimacy are kissing , touching, chatting, hugging, caressing, reading love stories, or telling jokes
• Being happy together and fantasizing together is also a part of sexual intimacy
• Even just staring is a form of sexual intimacy and sexual experience

Sexual Intercourse Defined

• Intimate sexual behaviors, including oral, anal, and penile-vaginal sex, are forms of sexual intercourse

Characteristics of Healthy Sexual Intercourse

• Built on shared values
• Involves compromise
• Is non-exploitative
• Is honest
• Includes wishing to enjoy each other
• Protects against unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STIs), including AIDS

Qualities of Sexually Healthy Adults

• Understand the value of their own body
• Takes responsibility for own behavior
• Communicates with respect to both genders
• Expresses love and sincerity consistent with their values

Essential Components for Addressing Sexual Problems

• Psychological point of view
• Biological point of view
• Sociocultural perspective
• Successfully approaching sexual dysfunctions and problems require consideration of the psychological, biological, and sociocultural components

Healthy Sexuality: Key Principles

• People express and experience sexuality in various ways
• Individuals should respect differing values and beliefs about sexuality
• Sexual life should be free from coercion and exploitation
• Sexual behavior should be sincere and based on mutual trust and respect
• Children should be loved and protected, regardless of gender
• Sexual decisions have effects and consequences
• Individuals have the right to make their own sexual decisions
• Families should inform children about sexuality and share basic values
• Exploring sexuality is natural in the process of reaching sexual maturity
• Sexual experiences without thinking involve risk
• Young people seeking sexual experience should go to certified and qualified advisors and clinics or support groups

Responsible Sexual Behavior

• Sexual Behaviors require responsibility and self-control
• Postponing sexual intercourse thwarts unwanted pregnancies, STIs & AIDS
• In the process of becoming adults, young people develop values about sexuality
• Protective sexual behavior is necessary to maintain sexual health

Impact of Sex and Gender on Health

• Biological and social relationship is effective in determining human health or disease
• Health/Disease patterns for men and women display significant differences
• Women have a higher life expectancy
• Women might experience higher levels of illnesses and stredd

Global Considerations for Sexual Health

• Sexual problems are common across regions, countries, and cultures
• Approximately 1 in 3 people have at least one sexual dysfunction at any point in time

Gender & Health: Risk Factors

• Primary reason for higher morbidity rates in women is their longer life expectancy
• Deteriorating health is a part of the aging process
• Elderly population is composed of greater proportion of women which are at higher risk for age-related diseases (osteoporosis, diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, and most immune disorders)

Gender health risks

• Reproductive health more often affects women compared to men
• Both men and women are vulnerable to gender-specific illnesses
• Women's risk with cervical and breast cancer against men's risk of prostate and testicular cancer
• Women’s reproductive health issues are more pronounced

Negativities from “Gender Roles”

• The "gender" role of women/men enforced by society is another thing that may influence health
• The negativity is based on "female" gender is greater, especially in developing countries

Childhood-Related Negativities

• Gender selection and unwanted pregnancies
• Avolition from the service
• Increased morbidity & mortality rates (especially 2-5 years) may harm the female child's health

Adolescence Period Health Risks

• Societal and psychological pressure
• Harassment physically and sexually
• Unwanted pregnancies
• Voluntary abortions
• Transmission of Sexually diseases that are infected
• Anaemia/malnutrition
• Substance and sex trafficking

Adulthood Health Risks

• High chance of maternal mortality
• Sex trafficing/sexual harassment-abuse/violence
• Pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum complications
• Unwanted pregnancies/intentional abortions
• Sexually transmitted infections(STDs)
• Anaemia/malnutrition

Menopause Health Risks

• Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD)
• Violence
• Urogenital prolapse
• Reproductive problems and their problems

Frequency of Sexual Problems

• Society says sexuality is prohibited
• Perception of sexuality as taboo, which comes back to people's care and virginity
• Women has problems with Vaginal Problems and Desire or feeling issues
• Men have difficulties with arousal
• Men issues with insufficient experience, which leads to orgasm difficulty

General Causes of Sexual Problems

• Ignorance of sexual facts
• False sexuality related beliefs
• Diseases physically and medically
• Sexual problems stemming from drug influence

What leads to Sexual Problem Occurrence

• Not understanding the basis of sex
• Lack of formal knowledge and school teachings
• Lacking widespread sex awareness

Sexual ignorance

• Rigid experience of sex
• Taboos and cultural views

Wrong Beliefs

• Biased, wrong exaggeration
• Seeing machines as machines
• No emotion display/feeling
• Distancing men's sexual lives from being human